Best Brushetta Ever

We were in town for Winterlude and found this place only a few blocks from our hotel. We were sorry we didn't find it earlier because we might have gone twice. They honored our reservation on time and we felt welcomed from the moment we walked in. They were busy and you could see the staff working hard at making... more

Mediocre at best

Bland food, decent beer selection, awful bread (can't anyone in this town bake a loaf of bread? If I wanted Pillsbury, I'd hire the Dough Boy!), friendly service, the atmosphere of a diner (that's not a compliment), the kind of background music that usually goes with red-checked tablecloths and hanging chianti bottles. There wasn't anything terribly wrong with my meal,... more

Liked the food

I had the Insalada Camerllo's which was excellent, the Portabella pizza which was good and a Crème Brule for dessert, also good. The only complaint was our table was right by the cashier and door so that killed the atmosphere.

Quite Generous Serving

I dropped in on a Friday night and ordered the Salmon Lemon Marcella with a pot of tea. It came with quite a big fillet of salmon with roast potatoes, broccoli, red peppers and 3 nice pieces of sliced bread. The total came to $27.01 with tax. I had a table looking out on the mall.

Loved It

The food was great, highly recommend the warmed goat cheese it was divine. The service was fast and friendly and I will definitely return when I am in Ottawa again.

ok food and service

The food was good though not particularly excellent. The service was average, a bit slow and confused. Atmosphere is ok. I recommend it nevertheless.

Enjoyable evening à l'talienne

Caesar salad and smoked salmon appetizers were very fresh and delicious, and well presented. The veal scamoza and lemon salmon, our main courses, were good and filling. Sauces were tasty, oven baked potato wedges excellent, tiny broccoli spears nicely done. Both the meat and fish were served atop the potatoes. Not sure it worked for me. Creme brulee was a... more

Great value

We have been a few times. The food is delicious and large servings. We take home half of meal each time. Surroundings are ok, would be better if they stored outside umbrellas and other parifinalia out of view. Service was fast and personable.

Nice pasta dishes

We went to Carmello's with our couple friends on Sunday night. We had a pretty good service and the place was quiet. The pasta dish called Odesse, which was ver delicious served with chicken breast and in a Rosey sauce. We also had a Firenze pizza with chicken, pesto and goat cheese. This was a very salty and inedible pizza.... more

Great experience

We went to Carmello's for our wedding anniversary. We had a 3 course meal plus a bottle of wine. Service was fast, our waitress was very friendly. The portions were huge and the food was very flavourful. Everyone around seemed to be having a good time.

Good food, great service

We went here as it was close to our hotel. We were pleasantly surprised by the food and the great service.

Italian at its Best

The restaurant was very busy because of racers, family get togethers, etc. yet service was good. Even the owner was seen helping to ease the extra work for the servers. The Calamari Alla Griglia was delicious. When our daughter's Gorgonzola Angel arrived with too much sauce (she requested light), it was whisked away and returned soon afterwards in a perfect... more

Good Place Downtown

Nice Italian food coupled with atmospheric setting can make a great evening, if you decide to spend it at Carmello's. First we went there on Groupon, but also visited a couple of times after.
The food is delicious, and - most importantly - its quality is not changing over time. You always know what to expect if you plan to... more

Go before you're hungry

This place is slow!!! They were very understaffed, only 3 waiters and no bus boys. In their defence though, When we could finally flag down the waiter he was happy to serve us extra bread and he was very nice. He was clearly trying to give us fast service. When our food finally arrived we were very happy with it.... more

not as we expected

Carmello's was advertising in the where magazine and the description looks good. The hotel desk told us that they had heard great things about it. So on our last night in Ottawa we decided to go. Not a lot of people in the restaurant menu pretty limited to fettucini and another type of pasta plus pizza.
Food tasted average and... more

Great family restaurant

We eat at Carmello's whenever we visit Ottawa. The location is great, on Sparks street.They have a great children's menu, which was not easy to find in Ottawa. Their pasta dishes were excellent, and the kids loved the pizza.

Really good

After spending a long day watching the Buskers on Sparks St., we decided to have dinner at Carmello's. I have food allergies and the server took time to address my needs and never made me feel like I was a bother. When dinner arrived it was not only delicious it my needs. We had salad to start, my dinner was... more

simply average

Went in for dinner during Buskerfest, and peak dinner time Saturday. Perhaps the half full restaurant should have been the indicator that we could find a better choice. We were seated quickly, and drink came quickly too. Meals, however, were a disappointment. Gorgonzola pasta with chicken - very bland alfredo sauce, not sure where the gongonzola was, could not taste... more

A little gem - well worth the walk down Spark st

I wasn't sure about walking past so many lively filled restaurants and pubs, but we fancied Italian ......we were so glad that we made the effort :) Good selection of beers, and great service, the calamari salad was better than I've had in Rome and the Pizzas were fantastic with both thin and medium crust to choose from. The pomodoro... more

Nice Italian Restaraunt and a short walk downtown

We got caught in the rain at the Bluesfest and made it to here. We were surprise, it was very good quality. The value was good.

Waiter throws up hands in despair

Granted, is a Tuesday evening however this is prime tourist season in Ottawa (July). Approached entrance at approximately 7:30pm only to be in line behind behind a group of 4 that had been waiting for 10 minutes and they were upset at the lack of attention paid. With a gasp of frustration, they left, I pinned down a waiter asking... more

Delicious

When I asked a few friends for places to eat when Visiting Ottawa, Carmellos was the first word out of their mouth, and I agree! Everything was excellent, from the staff to the food I would have eaten more meals there had I not wanted to explore what else Ottawa had to offer.

Tasty food as I remember it

Very tasty food, good sized portions, and a decent price. The service was okay but could be improved. The atmosphere is also a little dated. With improvements on service and atmosphere, this could become a much more popular place.

Good quality food in central Ottowa

A pretty good Italian restaurant near the Parliament area of Ottowa.. Although a Saturday evening it quiet as the area is mainly government buildings so pretty empty after hours. Service was good and food was very enjoyable and not over priced considering it is a city centre venue

Good food, not-so-good service

I've been here on many occasions at lunchtime. There are a few menu items that I really like. It's not the cheapest place for lunch in the area, but the food is better quality. The last time, I saved half to take home for supper, and the server threw it out instead of bringing the take-home container that I asked... more

Good restaurant, good service

We were a little skeptical after reading the reviews. After the helpful review from twowheelfever, we got a groupon to try this restaurant and we were very satisfied. The food is very tasteful. We tried the grilled calmar and seafood salade, the veal and seafood pasta with cream sauce. The portions were really big. We couldn't finish the main plates.... more

Very disappointing

I feel like I must have gone to a different restaurant than that described in the other reviews. Where to begin? Our waitress was friendly, but the service was terrible: a long wait before taking our order, a long wait before bringing our drinks, a long wait for the first course and the children's meals, and a VERY long wait... more

Great Lunches

Meals here are authentic italiane cuisine, flavour great and service professional, quick-summer patio is large and nice location.Prices are reasonable.

3 for 3 Satisfaction each time

I was introduced to Carmello's by a girlfriend who has yet to mislead me. Since the first visit I have returned 2 times and each and everytime I left feeling content. Not only is the food delicious but the service is great. Our server last night, was very honest when we asked her for her opinion which was very much... more

nice meal on Sparks Street

my wife and I bought a Groupon certificate to try out this Italian restaurant. Basically a 50% off.
Excellent value for 2 appetizer, 2 entrees , and 2 desserts with a bottle of wine thrown in to boot. All this for $60.
Very good antipasto rustico( large enough for 2) we also had a Veal Basilica( tender ) and Chicken... more

Great place, great food, great service

We just happened to walk past the place, it looked nice from the outside, so we went in. We were seated immediately (no reservation needed); food and drinks were served in a heartbeat, best pizza we ever had! This was in August 2008, and from the comments I'm reading the quality is still the same. If we should ever come... more

Still Wonderful After all These Years

Still a great spot for lunch. Pleasant atmosphere, decent prices, good service, and some wonderful Italian dishes. The bread is still great tasting, too!

Terrific Italian restaurant with large (delicious!) portions

This restaurant is situated in downtown Ottawa and prepares terrific dishes. I've gone several times and everything is good. The mussels and pasta are particularly good. I also had the antipasto rustico, which was a huge plate of salami, proscuitto, smoked salmon, olives, cheeses, etc. Absolutely delicious. Carmello's is very generous with its portions and proscuitto! I'll be returning here... more

Nice Restaurant

We walked to this restuarant from our hotel (Albert at Bay) and really enjoy the food. Just had caesar salad and pizza, but very tasty. Staff very friendly. Would definitely go back.

Beautiful

Loved the food, and the plates are true Italian sizes!!! The last time I ate that much was at my Italian grandmama! Will go back again and again.

Worth visiting

We had a groupon and where happy with food selection , the veal was good with excellant roasted potatoes and lightly steamed fresh veg. The stuffed chicken breat was also good with the same sides.The starters we had where very good a twist on Italian cooking. We also had desserts also excellant but very large. will go again. Service was... more

Not even close to Italian Food

I am Italian and the food does not even come close to being Italian. My boss is Irish and he said it was as Italian if he went to the local grocery store bought an Italian frozen dinner, microwaved it and served it. Ingrediants are not fresh, everything is frozen and thrown together as an after thought. Do not eat... more

Don't miss out

Happened upon this restaurant via map info on our smart phones as being in walking distance from our hotel (Radisson) and what a great surprise! Very clean, laid back, with a mom/pop homemade cooking feel to the place.
Great wine list - but I had the house wine, a Merlot which was great. I had a lovely garlic/oil based spaghetti... more

Enjoyabl

We went for lunch as a large group of 16.
Service was quick, and the food was out fast - even during a busy lunch hour.
Everyone enjoyed their meals from salads to pizza to pastas to seafood - not one miss in the bunch.
Separate bills and splitting of dishes was simply and performed without request.
Reservations recommended!

Great Italian Food

The Pizza is fresh and bursting with flavour, try the Carmello Supreme; pasta dishes are also very good.

John Payne and his staff

Would like to say a great big THANKS fo John and his staff today Nov 16th for a wonderful experience. The service was excellent and the food was hot and delicious.. We were a party of 8 and we all have agreed to go back any time. Many thanks
Lee Cooper

Good location, friendly staff

Our family ate here during our most recent visit to Ottawa. After a hard day of moving our daughter across the city we were all hungry and looking forward to a good meal. The family style restaurant has a nice feel about it and the staff were very pleasant and accommodating. We all found the menu limiting in that it... more

Great place for homemade dinner

Excellent Service, food was amazing! Close to the Delta Ottawa. The Mussels are a must!! The Cabri can be served with white sauce,, just ask!!

Yummy

We travelled to Ottawa, and when staying nearby, this became our "go to" place for a late dinner after a long day. We loved it, as the price and the quality was fabulous, and we tried something different each time. I especially liked that the children's portion of pasta was $5. It is not fresh pasta like the adult portions... more

Great italian food

Carmello's is our go to spot to eat when staying at the Marriott Kent Street. The food is great, service is always good and location is ideal. The wine list is not as extensive but some good selections.

Good location and Good food

Right on the Sparks Mall, bu tat the western end, its patio is almost always shaded. The lunch menu is fairly limited, but the food is fresh and represents good value.

Surprise on Sparks

Stopped in for a drink and a wee bite to eat after an afternoon on Parliament Hill. Service, eats and drinks were wonderful! The bruschetta was a hit for all. Will be back next visit to Ottawa.

Fabulous Dinner

We were a group of 16, in town for a Pionairs conference and across the street from our hotel was Carmellos. The foursome were already seated when we 12 arrived and were quickly seated together when they arranged tables to suit our small groupl. We all ordered different meals, obviously.. I had their Capri pasta dish with shrimp, mussels,squid in... more

Good Pasta, Pizza needs work

Try the Gorgonzolla. Excellent sauce, excellent chicken. Pizza wasn't spectacular, but there are many varieties, so worth trying some others. They could work on the seating arrangement a little more -- give folks more privacy etc. I would try again.

I don't need you if you don't need me

Recommended by the hotel. Walked six blocks on a Monday night. Fairly busy at 8 p.m. So something going for it. Walked in. Two of us. Four (count them, four) staff walked by us avoiding eye contact; not even a "someone will be right with you". A young perky female arrived and sighed. Table for two. No we don't want... more

Relaxed atmosphere

this place has good food and good service. try carmello's salad. budget is about 15$ per person.

Not a bad spot. Standard fare, overall decent food and service!

If you want a romantic tete a tete for a first date I can greatly recomend this restaurant.You will not find more authentic italian atmosphere or cuisine as here..i felt like I was being beamed to italy.

You can dine in or take out anything on their great menu. The food is wonderful, especially their Sicilian style pizza, and spaghetti with tomato sauce. which are all wonderfully priced! The bread that they serve with your meal is always fresh and hot from the oven, and they are always willing to serve you more! Frank's is a restaurant that I will definitely be going to FOREVER!<