When visiting a place, sometimes you make the mistake of assuming that a place might be good based on the fanciness of the menu. This is one of those places. Although the menu is definitely fresh... More

When visiting a place, sometimes you make the mistake of assuming that a place might be good based on the fanciness of the menu. This is one of those places. Although the menu is definitely fresh and new. None of the flavors I had seemed to pair well together. It was a huge disappointment. Fortunately, Seattle is full of vegetarian options (especially up in the U district). As a vegetarian, I would not recommend having a meal here, our palates don't agree. Pros: all vegetarian, interesting dishes Cons: bad taste
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Carmelita is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant with an amazing menu of seasonal vegetarian food. I bring my vegetarian girlfriend here, and she loves the chance to order anything on the menu. I'm... More

Carmelita is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant with an amazing menu of seasonal vegetarian food. I bring my vegetarian girlfriend here, and she loves the chance to order anything on the menu. I'm not at all a vegetarian, but I love the food here because it's unique and very tasty -- not just take off the meat versions of typical restaurant fare. The atmosphere is similar to a Parisian cafe -- you don't feel rushed to order and clear out. Take some time to enjoy one of their appetizers. I recommend the Tomato-Vodka soup and the grilled corn-scallion beignets. It is a little pricey, but flavor of the fresh ingredients really comes through and justifies the price. Also, give yourself 10 minutes to find parking. It's not very easy to find close parking, but there is always parking around within a few blocks.
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My husband and I went on a weekday for dinner. It wasn't busy and we were seated immediately. Then we waited for fifteen to twenty minutes before anyone greeted us at the table. It took FOREVER to... More

My husband and I went on a weekday for dinner. It wasn't busy and we were seated immediately. Then we waited for fifteen to twenty minutes before anyone greeted us at the table. It took FOREVER to get anything. We ordered an appetizer, it took 30 minutes. This might be acceptable at a busy restaurant on a friday night. Not for a slow weekday. We were there for upwards of an hour before our dinner arrived. No one came to check to see if the food was acceptable. After we ate we sat for a long time before flagging down another server to get our check. Then we waited for an additional 15 minutes before that came. However, as soon as we got the check, our server became attentive, smiling and quickly bringing us the receipt. A sure sign of bad service is when everything you want takes forever to get to your table, but when you put the credit card on the table, the server perks right up and you get your receipt to sign in record time. Now the food.. The appetizer was very good. It was a lavender dusted cheese plate with honey. That was the only good thing about the entire meal. My husband's food looked like it had come from a TV dinner, and my stuffed pasta consisted of a tiny amount of pasta and a HUGE plate full of sauce. I can deal with tiny portions if the food is good enough to make you want to savor it. Not in this case. It was on par with anything you'd order at the Olive Garden but with about 1/3 of the portion for 3x the price. If you want good gourmet vegetarian, go to Cafe Flora. You'll be glad you did. Pros: The appetizer was good Cons: the food, the service, too expensive, tiny portions.
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We chose Carmelita for my husband's birthday dinner because our past experience of healthy and very sophisticated food at Carmelita. This time however, the food was rather mediocre quality. Roasted... More

We chose Carmelita for my husband's birthday dinner because our past experience of healthy and very sophisticated food at Carmelita. This time however, the food was rather mediocre quality. Roasted cauliflower fritters were deep fried; fast food quality but about five times more expensive. The menu did not say that it was deep fried, I would not order it. Pumpkin risotto cakes tested like it had sugar added. I felt cheated of my expectations for the dinner, not mentioning that we paid a lot of money for our disappointment. Never again!
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My husband and I decided to spoil ourselves our last night in Seattle and we were not disappointed. It is beautifully decorated and the ambience is perfect for a romantic evening. The Cheese Plate... More

My husband and I decided to spoil ourselves our last night in Seattle and we were not disappointed. It is beautifully decorated and the ambience is perfect for a romantic evening. The Cheese Plate appetizer is divine! The Leek & Gruyere tart is delicious and the Paella is very flavorful. I also recommend the Spiced Berry iced tea (herbal). This is definitely not a good place for families with children. It is, however, a great date spot. Pros: delicious food Cons: slow service
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This is one of the best restaurants in Seattle. The staff is friendly, professional, and knowledgable. And everything on the menu is to-die-for good. (And I am not a vegetarian.) Lovely patio as... More

This is one of the best restaurants in Seattle. The staff is friendly, professional, and knowledgable. And everything on the menu is to-die-for good. (And I am not a vegetarian.) Lovely patio as well. Eat here. Pros: Everything--you will not be disappointed Cons: Other patrons on cellphones (hey, it's Seattle)
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My husband and I chose Carmelita's as the place to celebrate our first Wedding Anniversary. It came highly recommended from friends of ours and we weren't disappointed. The ambiance is... More

My husband and I chose Carmelita's as the place to celebrate our first Wedding Anniversary. It came highly recommended from friends of ours and we weren't disappointed. The ambiance is artistically rustic and tastefully done. The service was attentive and we never had to wait long between courses, yet nothing felt rushed. Every course delighted us, and we had fun trying each other's dish to compare flavors. The ingredients tasted fresh and the portion sizes were spot on for finer fare such as this. We were glad we took our friends advice for our special day - we'll definitely be back!!
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i'm a carmelita regular, and i was there that night, eating dinner, and you and your child were extremely disruptive. this went on for maybe an hour? your kid was having a total meltdown, and you... More

i'm a carmelita regular, and i was there that night, eating dinner, and you and your child were extremely disruptive. this went on for maybe an hour? your kid was having a total meltdown, and you were absolutely not willing to take her outside, as you claim. i was on the other side of the restaurant and i could hear you singing, something most of us don't do at loud volume in nice restaurants. i overheard the table next to me asking their server to ask you to stop singing. did you even consider taking your food to go? stepping outside for a moment to comfort your child, perhaps onto the back patio, a more suitable place to sing? don't blame the staff when you are the one who put them in an awkward situation. the only way carmelita could be more kid friendly is if they put in a play area. Pros: great food, great service, lovely outdoor patio
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