This place is somewhere in the range of unimpressive to disappointing. We were seated then promptly ignored. No waters, no wine list. We just sat there. Even heard the staff person who seated us say to a co-worker "don't forget about the table in the window." Asked for the wine list and ordered a bottle which sat sweating in plain sight on the bar while we ate our salads. My chicken dish was cold when it got to me. I sent it back and got a do-over plate of the same order. The re-do was better, but my judgement was clouded by that point. My fellow diners felt their entrees were decent, but that the bread was really the best part of the meal. I left wondering how and why this place survives. The whole operation feels like it just wants to nod off to sleep. Maybe a Thursday night is slow? Maybe outside of the school year there's a lull at this place? Those are the benefit of the doubt questions I want to ask in their defense. But ultimately I feel like this place seems to keep going out of some sort of "but we're a restaurant" obligation. Won't return; don't recommend. read more

On my quest to try every single Italian establishment in Charlottesville somehow I missed this gem. The food here was spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of my meal. The ambiance of the location was that of an upscale Italian eatery. The perfect spot to celebrate a big accomplishment or fancy date night dinner. Our server was something to behold. He waited in every table in the room. It was super crowded but he took time at each table to make the customers feel welcomed. Will definitely add this to the list of must try spots in Cville. read more

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Excellent classic Italian restaurant in Charlottesville. The food is always fabulous and the service is superb. The ambiance is exactly as it should be. Quiet. Romantic. Elegant. Classic Italian. I Highly recommend. read more

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This local Italian gem exceeded every expectation. The ambiance was warm and welcoming, making it easy to relax and truly enjoy the experience without ever feeling rushed. You can taste the quality in every bite -- from the locally sourced meats to the fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes. The calamari was hands down the best I've ever had -- lightly breaded and perfectly cooked so you could actually taste the seafood. Our table ordered the Seafood Pappardelle, Carne Carmello, Chicken, and Manicotti, and every dish was exceptional. Each entrée comes with a house salad and their spectacular homemade dressing, which honestly could be a star on its own. The whole experience felt like eating in a friend's home rather than a restaurant. Incredible food, fair pricing, and genuine hospitality. Highly recommend! read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Carne Carmello - Chicken - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Outstanding food, service and atmosphere. This reminded me of dinner at my grandmother's house. A very loving restaurant, if that makes sense. We will be dining here quite often. read more

The options of food only had maybe 12 or less or maybe the menu changes every once in a while since it was mothers day. But that wasnt even the issue. The service was not great. The wait time for food took at least an hour and other tables who got to the restaurant after us got checked on more times then we did. It took about an hour and a half to get our water refilled and it was refilled ONCE. I got the veal parmagiane and it was ok. Wouldnt get again for $25, especially since i got one small scoop of spaghetti with two big pieces of veal. read more

What a wonderful place. We've never been here before. These folks used to be up in Manassas on Center Street, until they relocated to C-ville in 2016(ish). Still owned by the same family. This place is the real deal. They provide all niceties (fresh bread and butter). We bought a bottle of wine to enjoy. We also tried their house salad which was excellent. The Calamari was awesome. I could get that every time. The pasta was homemade and excellent. The Lasagna took me three days to fully finish. The portion sizes are huge. Service is spot on. Staff are friendly. George was our server and he was excellent. Keep up the great service and food ! read more

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Wonderful to go back to this family-owned restaurant for dinner... food was very good as usual, and all the plates looked authentically Italian and tasted good. my chicken piccata dish was very good, if a bit heavy, and I'm not in the camp of folks looking for mushrooms with a lemony piccata dish. but for real, it was very tasty as usual. Service was a bit slow as they were in the weeds serving customers on a Saturday, and the restaurant itself was quite stuffy. but for real, you won't find another authentic eatery like this in C'ville. highly recommended! read more

This is a classic family owned Italian restaurant. Everyone is warm and friendly. The food is excellent, especially the red sauce.

Love the ambiance in this place, it's spacious and perfect spot for coffee and work. I got hungry and had lunch and that was great too. A little pricey but I'm ok with it when it tastes that good. The staff is very loud while chatting to each other. A little funny because they seam to enjoy each other but a little disruptive when everyone else in there is pretty chill and quiet. I'll definitely be back! read more

Absolutely delicious! The food was terrific, the service was terrific, and the ambience was great. I will be back!

We went on February 15th so they had the special Valentine's Day menu. The meal was very good but the service was slow and they were packed. We got bread and butter upon sitting down. We each ordered a drink: lemon drop and Italian surfer (had them make it with just cranberry no pineapple juice). Then had our house salads. The dressing was amazing. For the entrees we had the chicken carmello and the chicken parm. The carmello sauce was amazing. They also gave us a portion of pasta with red sauce which we shared. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse cake and the limoncello cake. Both were very good, light, not too dense. We had a reservation but still waited a little to be seated and had to wait to order and get our food. The meal definitely took a while and we even got more bread so if you want to spend time eating a nice dinner it's great but it is not the place for a quick dinner. We will be back! read more

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Great service, fun time, good food, nice wine & drinks. Definitely worth a visit! Ask for Mike!

I've been to them all and Carmello's is the best restaurant in Charlottesville, hands down. The food, the wine, the ambience, and the staff are second to none. Why eat at a chain restaurant for the same price or less, when you can have an exquisite dining experience at Carmello's? read more

Best Eggplant Parmesan EVER! Stella- you rock. Thanks We've been dining at Carmelo's since they were across from U Hall. Still our fav restaurant in this town. You know we will return read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Eggplant parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Food was amazing! We really loved our meal and the service was great. Perfect date night spot.

Been eating there since they were in manassas Virginia. food is still great. definitely the best Italian in Charlottesville.

It was awesome! Look forward to going back! Went there with my family and everyone loved the food!

Carmelo's had Great food and service! Everything was delicious, prompt and priced reasonably.

This is our favorite Italian place in cville. The food is always great and the vary the menu and specials. Mike is our favorite waiter in town too, he is always super attentive and with a great sense of humor. Great food and friendly service makes for a great night out. read more

This little Italian restaurant hidden away in a strip mall is worth visiting. I was in Charlottesville on a work trip and read great reviews about this place. It seems to be family owned. Everyone was very friendly. The atmosphere felt classier than what you would expect for a strip mall restaurant. I enjoyed my mussels and pasta along with a salad and a lovely glass of white wine. They also provided warm bread and butter which was delightful as well. It is a quiet, inviting place with wonderful food. Go if you are in the area! It's worth it! read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Salad wine and bread - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Ambiance was great, and service was pretty good. Food is where the problems start, we started with the mini beef wellingtons, which were served in gravy, it turned the originally nice flaky pastry into a soggy mess, the meat inside was also tough and overcooked. The meal came with a house salad, they offered a Caesar salad for what the server said was a "slight up-charge" ($5 each) and it had a strange aftertaste. I ended up sending it back and it was taken off my tab. For my entrée I ordered the shrimp scampi, which came drowning in way too much sauce, that included an absurd amount of garlic, and had a fun feature of turning into a jelly like solid when slightly cooled. The shrimp were also stringy and stuck in the teeth. I had joked about going to Olive Garden for an authentic Italian meal beforehand and now I wish I had. Genuinely the worst food I've had, and an over $100 price tag to top it all off. read more

Where do I begin? It starts with a bread plate and their own seasoned butter. The bread is nice and warm and the butter is amazing. I got the Shrimp Scampi served over broccoli to keep it low carb. It was absolutely delicious. The sauce was thicker than I expected for a scampi but delightful. We also had the lobster ravioli with crabmeat and no caviar. The sauce has a sweet after-tone and very filling. Lastly, we ordered linguine pescatore. This plate is a culinary overload - but in a good way. There is so many different flavors in it, you won't be disappointed. I paired my dinner with a glass of Sir Passo Rosso Toscano - a nice red blend. 10/10 recommend. (**this experience is also during phase 2 of VAs COVID-19) read more

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Ok this place is not easy to find tucked into a corner of an unassuming strip mall. It's nothing fancy or trendy. But it was close to my hotel and had decent reviews so I decided to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised overall. The people couldn't have been nicer. It's clearly family run and at least not a chain place. I was skeptical of Charlottesville chicken parm but the waitress assured me it was good and she was actually correct. Not the best I've ever had (I am something of a chicken parm snob) but it was good and worth getting. All entrees come with it's a pretty good house salad. The local cab franc wine I had was legit decent. Who would have thought? Tiramisu and cappuccino were also worth getting. Overall I would say to check this place out of you want a decent meal in a decent place with nice people. Prices are pretty much what you might expect for what you get and service was excellent. So just go here and enjoy it. read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Chicken parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Fantastic Bread, Wine, and Mixed Drinks, Great Entrees This place is hidden and tucked away near the Lidl. It doesn't look like much at all, but it's actually really excellent. I went with a large group of friends after we spent literal HOURS debating over which Italian place to go to. Eventually, I convinced everyone to try Carmello's. When you sit down at Carmello's, the first things which impress you are the decor and the BREAD. Both are warm and inviting. Let me reiterate something. The BREAD! Go to Carmello's for the bread if for nothing else! The calamari appetizer was great. The mixed drinks were fantastic, bouncy a delightful blend of flavors off your tastebuds. My friend Alex really appreciated the wine selection. We got a bottle for the table. The only complaint I had was my particular entree; an entree named after the restaurant. It may have been my only personal take on the entree, but my sister also was not a fan. However, any entree with CHEESE as one of its main ingredients was mouthwatering. Please check this place out. If I go back and find an entree that I love, I will happily bump this review up a star. read more

The food at Carmello's is really good. More than the food, I would recommend the yummy desserts. Carmello's is a great place to bring a large group for dinner. It's also a go-to spot when I'm craving good Italian food. I give it 4 stars because at times it can have an outdated feel to it and the service can be slow. read more

Fantastic experience on New Years Eve. Food and service were outstanding. Clams casino were wonderful as an appetizer. The chicken parmigiana was delicious and the sauce was perfect. read more

Delicious! Very friendly staff. Nice relaxing atmosphere. Good portions and reasonably priced.

This place is a solid three stars. The service was great but the food was just ok. They brought me fresh bread twice and both times it was burned. The fried artichokes were good and the spaghetti and meatballs were fine. I ordered that because they were out of the lasagna. I found it weird that they have bowls of grated mozzarella throughout the restaurant to put on top of everything instead of parmesan cheese. read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Carcioffi fritti - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I came across this great, authenthic Italian spot during my visit to see my son at UVA. So good that we drove back from the DC area for more 2 weeks later. Service was solid as well. read more

First time coming here and last time. It was a busy night and they only had 1 cook. Our waiter took a very long time taking our order. He had a few tables that he would always check on but not ours. When the food finally came out the meatballs were still frozen in the center. This could have been avoided if they used a thermometer to check the temperature. I had to remind the waiter of our drinks, which he did not refill. He barely refilled our water, he forgot my martini. He rarely checked on our table. I guess the few other tables were more important. As long as the food took you would think it would be cooked well, the food was bland and the chicken was dry. Terrible place read more

Bad food. Expensive bad food. Bartender couldn't make an old fashioned! Go to Vivace for Italian in Charlottesville.

Food was delicious. Had the stuffed artichokes and the eggplant parmigiana. Marinara was tasty. I gave 3 stars because although we showed up a half hour before they were closing ....my eggplant dinner came out atleast 20 mins after the other 4 meals at our table were served. Once my dinner came out, the rest of my group were already done eating and no compensation was offered. Our waiter was very personable and pleasant. read more

A little hard to find, but Carmello's is a solid Italian spot in Charlottesville, VA. Honestly my favorite part of the meal was their bread and seasoned butter - it was so fresh and warm and just melted in my mouth. As a vegetarian, I ordered ravioli with spinach and cheese. It was good but nothing special. I do recommend this Carmello's at least once simply for their bread and butter! read more

Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Ravioli Fiorentini - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I'm really sad that every time I've gone back to this place, it has gotten more and more disappointing. I think I am done hoping it will get better. This past time, the service was poor. The drinks were horrible. The food was not great to say the least. The service and drinks/food is just not what it used to be :( read more

Been dining, by delivery, for about 2 years now and especially during the pandemic. Their food is consistent, delicious, and excellent. The Chicken Parmigiana is the best I've had in C-ville, and while I've tried others while this restaurant is closed, they don't compare to the perfect simple flavors of this classic dish. I also regularly get the Shrimp Gamberi for the spouse and he loves it. read more

This is a very outdated restaurant. My chicken had about 2 pounds of cheese on it. I didn't like my chicken at all. Other people at our table had a different chicken recipe, which was much lighter, it was a special, but it was very heavy as well.I'm told the spaghetti and meatball was great. The Caprese salad was amazing. I think the menu needs to be revamped. It was a nice looking place but almost empty. read more

This is a small very quaint fine dinning atmosphere restaurant. We were happily greeted and seated well spaced from others. They actually have the suggested wine to meal parings that were quite nice. I had the Chicken Marsala with a Italian Red. It was great. We will definitely be back when in the area. read more

Came here with a group of 13 on graduation weekend. Everybody loved everything. I had sliced tenderloin in cream sauce.

The food was delicious and it was clear that this was a family owned business! They seemed pretty busy, the people working were very apologetic for the wait. We were seated and done with our food within an hour so the wait wasn't even that long. read more