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    IL Carino Restaurant

    4.0 (180 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Wine Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    IL CARINO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - IL Carino Restaurant

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    Pistachio Tartufo
    Fawn G.

    80's, Second Avenue, Upper East Side.. Food Mecca for sure! You can find so many restaurants it's becoming " Las Vegas of restaurants ". I was meeting my friend Rochelle for dinner and we wanted to try a new place for Italian food. I Yelped ( but of course!) Italian food on UES and IL Carino popped up. The pictures posted on the site looked delicious. The restaurant is sandwiched between two very big restaurants. It is a small restaurant, with brick walls, linen covered tables and gold mirrors. The menu offers traditional Italian fare. I didn't know there was a Prix Fixe menu for $34.95. The options are choice of soup( Minestrone ) or salad( Garden, Mixed or Caprese) and a choice of three entrees: Chicken Parmigiana with spaghetti, Veal Scallopini Limone with asparagus, Filet of Sole francese and a glass of Pinot Grigio or Red Here's what we ordered: 1. Pinot Grigio: light, refreshing and fruity 2. Caprese Salad: fresh homemade mozzarella, roasted peppers, tomatoes, basil with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as dressing options. Delicious! 3. Veal Scallopini: nice portions of veal, white wine and capers served with asparagus. Very tasty! 4. Chicken Parmigiana with spaghetti: Chicken fried to perfection in a delicious marinara sauce and homemade mozzarella. Dynamite! Extra Dish: Gnocchi in marinara with truffles: creamy, dreamy and couldn't stop eating! Dessert: Pistachio tartufo: the chocolate shell tasted like Toblerone, the pistachio ice cream was creamy with cherries embedded into each slice and whipped cream. Outstanding! The service was warm, courteous and professional. Ambience is quiet and you can actually have and hear a conversation. The Prix Fixe menu is a great value! Served between 4pm-6:30pm. Highly recommend! IL Carino is located on 1710 Second Avenue on 89th Street Take Q to 86th and Second, walk up to 88th, 5 minute walk

    Fettuccine bolognese -supposedly a full portion, doesn't even cover the bottom of a regular sized to-go plate

    Overpriced - even with 2 for 1 specials! The portions here are pretty laughable for normal sized adults with regular appetites, especially at these prices (convinced the other reviews talking about big portions are fake... or coming from children). We were in a mood for pasta and figured the 2 for 1 would be at least worth the ~$30 all-in price tag but the portions were a joke. They give you so little it doesn't even cover the bottom of a regular sized to-go dish! It was also completely empty inside at the time when the restaurants nearby were quite packed... not surprised. The food tasted fine but the meat quality was subpar (it tasted and looked like an all-pork bolognese, but maybe there was some beef... just very fatty). Despite the picture they use, the bolognese dish does NOT come with mascarpone or ricotta, or even real shredded parmesan - it comes with the cheap pizza parm on the side. Overall this place is way overpriced, likely stays in business because of people who just don't know any better. Skip it, even with the "2 for 1" it tries to lure you in with unless you are either a small child with little appetite or on a GLP-1 and just want to waste $$$.

    Nicole V.

    Very cute unassuming spot in the UES. we got the fried calamari and the salad on special for apps and dinner did a chicken parm and chicken French. The chicken was so thin we loved it so much! Also special mention for the red sauce, one of my new favorites at a restaurant (aka not my own)! The staff was so friendly and so accommodating! Will absolutely be back

    Chicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti Pasta Special
    Erin C.

    I haven't dined in in several years, but I just ordered takeout last night and felt compelled to leave a review. I got the chicken parm which somehow I don't think I've ever gotten here before. It was perfectly breaded and thin and flavor was great. The spaghetti on the side was the perfect amount although I might I order an extra side next time just bc I like more personally. The sauce was just how I like it smooth and perfectly balanced flavor. The host was very kind and attentive when I arrived for pickup. Will definitely be adding this back into my rotation and dining in when an occasion arises.

    Flourless chocolate cake
    Alvin M.

    Small restaurant, feels like you're in Europe. Waiters were very friendly, know the menu well, and came by often. Food was all tasty but definitely on the pricey side. For example, the mozzarella appetizer was essentially two pieces of breaded pan seared mozzarella in a red sauce and that set us back over $25. We also asked for a couple glasses of Sauvignon blanc and were shocked they charged over $21 per glass. Definitely wish they told us that as we would've probably just gotten a bottle at that point or passed on the wine all together. Overall, although they have good Italian food here, not sure I'd come back because of the higher than expected prices.

    Caprese
    Christina H.

    Do not come here. Food was horrible! The bread tasted so stale and the mixed green salad was way too salty. The tomato in the caprese had zero taste, was not fresh. The tiramisu also had a stale taste to it. Chicken parm and gnocchi was good. Note: early bird menu price increased from $25 to $30, but it's not stated on seatd. Waiter was very unaccommodating to this fact and made us cancel our seatd reservation to be able to order from early bird menu lol. The restaurant was a ghost town when we arrived and should've taken it as a sign not to enter. Will Not be returning!

    Alexis G.

    I took my mom here for her birthday and all I can say is that I was in love with this restaurant. It was so beautiful, the aesthetic and atmosphere was outstanding. I felt like I was in Italy. The food was exquisite, fresh and light. We kept it simple, shared our plates and got full off of so little. The dessert oh my goodness. My mother got tiramisu, that was so fresh and I'm not a fan of tiramisu but this one I loved it. I ordered an apple tart with ice cream I believe; it was delicious the apple was so fresh and sweet. The service was beautiful and graceful. The servers definitely helped extend the ambience to its fullest potential. I definitely will be going back here again

    Orecchiette Caccese

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    1 month ago

    Everything was absolutely perfect! The food was incredibly delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the service was super friendly!!!

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    Giulio H.

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    3 months ago

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    Giulio H.

    Thank you!

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    3 months ago

    What an amazing experience! The wait staff and food were top notch. I cannot recommend enough.

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    1 year ago

    Absolutely delicious Italian authentic food and spectacular service. A lovely ambiance and quaint decor.

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    7 months ago

    Il Carino is a terrible restaurant, with high prices and below mediocre food. Not worth your time or money.

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    2 years ago

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    Which dish is in the first picture? The one with shrimp and it looks like fettuccine?

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    Bar Vivant was a much needed pause with its intimate, dimly lit room with a relaxed, unhurried…read moreenergy that makes you want to linger for a little while longer. We shared Betsy's Mom's Clam Dip, Mushroom Toast, Bitter Greens Salad, Minted Lamb Meatballs, and duck pâté. The meal opened with the clam dip; cool, lush, and briny, with a creamy oceanic richness that coated the palate; followed by a tangy, salty depth that clung to each crunchy bite of bread. The Mushroom Toast followed with deeper savoriness: earthy, almost forest-floor mushrooms, warm and tender, turning silky as they soaked into the bread, while the edges stayed crisp and toasted, adding contrast to the woodsy umami and subtle garlic warmth. The Bitter Greens Salad provided a bright, palate-cleansing break that included crisp and peppery greens with a sharp lemony dressing that snapped on the tongue, layered with faint fennel sweetness and the nutty, salty bite of shaved parmesan. The Minted Lamb Meatballs arrived richer and more comforting, tender and juicy with a gentle gamey depth, lifted by fresh mint that cut through the richness, and a cool, tangy tomato-yogurt sauce that added creaminess and brightness in equal measure. We finished with pâté--silky, dense, and deeply savory, with a faint iron-rich intensity and buttery smoothness, especially when spread on bread with sharp, briny pickles that added crunch and acidity. Each dish felt intentional and well-balanced for sharing, with varied textures and temperatures that built naturally across the table. I'd happily return to explore more of the menu.

    This recent addition to the UES is proving to be the most charming little wine bar. I chanced upon…read morethis spot after an afternoon spent at nearby museums. I had an hour to kill before my dinner date and so I decided to sit down and have a glass of wine. The next day I came back with a friend and had dinner. Excellent wine selection! Fantastic small plates. The food was delicious though on the pricey side. The staff is friendly enough that if you come here frequently, they'll certainly get to know you. This is the kind of place I miss New York for.

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    My friend saw this place as a recommend place for hot chocolate so we decided to stop by on a…read moreThursday night. The place itself is super cute and very cozy. The menu is fairly on the basic side - mainly drinks and pastries and there is some sandwiches. We decided to get the hot chocolate with whip cream (the whip cream is very needed). It was very rich, thick and delicious and not "too sweet." The whip cream really makes it more creamy and it does not really add to the sweetness which was good. We also got a side of Salame e Formaggio which I would recommend passing on because the cheese was kind of hard and not that great. The salami was good and honestly I'm not a fan of olives but my friend who liked it enjoyed them. Overall - a cute place to stop by for a hot chocolate and maybe a pastry!

    While the space is *so* cute and cozy and the service was really nice, the food and beverages left…read moresomething to be desired. We got a torta caprese (flourless chocolate cake), a sfogliatella, a hot chocolate, and a machiatto. The torta caprese was okay. The sfogliatella, which is supposed to be light and crisp, was clearly stale and chewy, although they warmed it up which was a helpful touch. The hot chocolate was reviewed on Instagram as being super rich and decadent, but it was made from a mix that smelled oddly similar to Swiss Miss. the machiatto was also quite watery. Come here for the vibes, but not for the food.

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    Inès

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    Wanted to write this review based on the wheelchair accessibility and laptop areas…read more There are coffee shops in the neighborhood with laptop rules that say you have to sit at the high tables. Obviously as a wheelchair user, I cannot sit at the high tables, and when I have asked the staff for understanding, other places have denied me. Ines let me use my laptop at a wheelchair accessible table without any fuss. Mark was very gracious. When I asked, he said, "we will make an exception." I felt heard without advocating for common sense and I greatly appreciate the humility. Thank you!

    The place is cute and small. They have good happy hour prices on wine. The food we tried wasn't…read moreso great. My friend had been here before and raved about the escargot and meatballs. The escargot was covered with pesto that tasted like the basil wasn't fresh. Also, I'm sure there was plenty of garlic because the restaurant smelled like it, but I would have liked more garlic in this dish. The meatballs were mostly bread (there may have been some meat). After we complained, the item was removed from our bill by our friendly, polite, and conscientious server. Note: This is a French restaurant, but they didn't have any butter for the bread.

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    Pil Pil

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    4.0(914 reviews)
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    I often think back to my summers in Spain, drinking tintos at crowded tavernas. My time at Pil Pil…read moregave me a taste of that. Though they didn't serve the sprite-infused red wines I enjoyed in Spain, they did serve white sangrias, which were light, sweet, and very enjoyable. The toasted bread with tomatoes was bright and summery. The grilled asparagus was cooked wonderfully al dente, with a char that added a nice smoky flavor against the clean taste of the drizzled olive oil. The beef skewers were well seasoned and fatty. While the food was Spanish, the prices certainly were not! It was a tad pricey. There wasn't anything below $13 for their small bites. Nonetheless, the food was good, the service prompt, and the outdoor vibes quite lovely. I would go there again.

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    IL Carino Restaurant - italian - Updated September 2026

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