Carmelita continues to be my favorite restaurant in Seattle. Unless you are a die-hard carnivore who cannot imagine a meal without meat, you will love Carmelita.

Carmelita continues to be my favorite restaurant in Seattle. Unless you are a die-hard carnivore who cannot imagine a meal without meat, you will love Carmelita.
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The food was decent, though not what I've had there in the past, but I'll never return after the irritation shown by the staff regarding our 1 year old daughter. Though not perfectly behaved, we... More

The food was decent, though not what I've had there in the past, but I'll never return after the irritation shown by the staff regarding our 1 year old daughter. Though not perfectly behaved, we took pains keep her as quiet as we could, while the staff, clearly visible in the prep area from our table, gracelessly gestured in our direction, rolling their eyes and indicating their quick patience for a family trying to have a meal together. When we softly tried to sing to our daughter in an attempt to keep her in a good mood, we were told to "Stop singing, it's probably bothering the other customers." It was a brusque and inelegant way to get your point across, and certainly made us feel unwelcome. None of the behavior of our family seemed to us inordinately disruptive, and as parents, we're quick to take a meltdown outside to spare the other customers. In this case, the staff could definitely stand some etiquette lessons. If you have a family, I'd DEFINITELY consider another venue. Try Saltoro's further up Greenwood, they seem to love families and have excellent food. Pros: Intimate environment Cons: Staff has little patience for families
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My husband and I--who dine out at least once each week--had one of the worst dining experiences ever at Carmelita's last Friday night. The meal began on a fine note, but when the entrees arrived,... More

My husband and I--who dine out at least once each week--had one of the worst dining experiences ever at Carmelita's last Friday night. The meal began on a fine note, but when the entrees arrived, the meal fell apart. I had ordered the semolina gnocchi, at the suggestion of our brusque server. After taking a few bites, I realized that there was no gnocchi on the plate; I was eating mush. I asked the server if the gnocchi was always served this way, and she informed me that no, the prep staff were having trouble making the dough stick together! "But does it taste good?" she asked, apparently oblivious to the look of digust on my face as she tried to explain why the "chef" thought it was a good idea to serve this mistake to customers. I won't go into the details of how the server made a bad situation worse. Suffice to say that the current "chef" at Carmelita's lacks skills and judgement. Don't waste your money and time.
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We had a romantic dinner here. The service was nice, and the surroundings were nice. The food was pretty average in my opinion. I had the antipasti platter and my wife has the beet ravioli. Her... More

We had a romantic dinner here. The service was nice, and the surroundings were nice. The food was pretty average in my opinion. I had the antipasti platter and my wife has the beet ravioli. Her food was nice but there were very very few raviolis. My platter had olives (with pits), baked garlic, goat cheese and also two spreads. The garlic was awesome, and the olive oil they bring for dipping is awesome too. What was not good was the rest of the plate - the cheese was dry and lacking flavor. The olives were fine. The two spreads were again not very tasy. My wife has the tamarind-ginger lemonade, very nice. As main dish, we had the cornrisotto. It was again lacking in flavor and there was hardly any corn. I think overall for the money we paid we were a bit disappointed. Pros: Vegetarian Food, Good Service Cons: Pricey, Not as flavorful for some items
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We love, love Carmelita. We went their for our first date and every anniversary (first date/ wedding) ever since. We couldn't pick another place as special. The food is delicious and the wait... More

We love, love Carmelita. We went their for our first date and every anniversary (first date/ wedding) ever since. We couldn't pick another place as special. The food is delicious and the wait staff delightful.
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I'm new to town and was thrilled to find Carmelita. The ambience and decor were very nice, the service was good, and the food was EXCELLENT! I do agree with the other reviews that the prices are... More

I'm new to town and was thrilled to find Carmelita. The ambience and decor were very nice, the service was good, and the food was EXCELLENT! I do agree with the other reviews that the prices are high but I didn't leave feeling like I was jipped. THe wine selection is good and I wasn't going to have dessert but got convinced and it was well worth it. I will definitely be returning to Carmelita!
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I've only been to Carmelita twice and I can say that the meal was excellent both times. However, I came away feeling that it was not a good value. Overpriced. Pros: Vegetarian. Delicious... More

I've only been to Carmelita twice and I can say that the meal was excellent both times. However, I came away feeling that it was not a good value. Overpriced. Pros: Vegetarian. Delicious and beautiful presentation. Cons: Expensive.
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I've been waiting for the right company to join me at this fine restaurant, after knowing about it for 2+ yrs! I finally got to go there for my birthday! The food was superior, we got to bring our... More

I've been waiting for the right company to join me at this fine restaurant, after knowing about it for 2+ yrs! I finally got to go there for my birthday! The food was superior, we got to bring our own bottle of wine, and the wait staff was amazing! I am sad to report that my date was horrible company, but the wait staff made no issue out of his belligerent self, I got us out of there as quickly as I could. I will however return again to truly enjoy the carmelita for the great vegetarian extravaganza that it offers, hopefully in better company! Pros: The food is Art here! Cons: none, even if you pick the wrong date - they still treat you with 5 stars!
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I just recently took a special someone out to Carmelita for her birthday because she's been wanting to check out Cafe Flora, but I wanted to find a new place. I've heard that Carmelita is excellent... More

I just recently took a special someone out to Carmelita for her birthday because she's been wanting to check out Cafe Flora, but I wanted to find a new place. I've heard that Carmelita is excellent and it did not disappoint. Atmosphere: The outside of the restaurant has an inconspicuous neon sign and the minute we walked in we were met with a flurry of conversation. The place was packed and humming along. I liked some of the reclaimed decor like the doors at the entry that acted as dividers. The lighting was just right and enhanced by candlelight. Everything was really simple. Nothing outrageous which I appreciated. The Service: Prompt and extremely attentive. My water was never empty and our server was very knowledgeable about the menu. She was really patient with us while we made our decisions very slowly. When my girlfriend asked to get her food heated she was concerned they would just microwave it but the server said they don't have a microwave. Her food came back 5 minutes later and the night didn't miss a beat. The Food: As an avid beef eater (not the gin) I really enjoyed this vegetarian fare. I got the empanadas for starters, the crepes for the main course and a chocolate volcano type dessert with a generous portion of delicious whipping cream on the side. This alone was incredible. If you want a place just for a good dessert go here after the dinner rush, maybe 9:30 pm or so. Excellent desserts in my opinion and I LOVE dessert, especially chocolate. I didn't miss the meat on the menu and I felt really good after eating, not heavy and lethargic. I will never give up meat, but I will definitely add in more vegetarian options to my diet (sorry anti-meat activists, it's just not going to happen -- I was raised in Eastern Washington). The Bill: The bill wasn't too staggering considering we kind of went all out and had a glass of wine, starters, main courses, and one dessert. With tip and everything the bill totaled just under a bill. $50/person for really good food and a great change of pace was worth it in my opinion. The Crowd: This is a very romantic place for a dinner-for-two kind of a date, but I also saw a lot of groups there and a lot of late nighters enjoying a good dinner. There was one hippie table, but the rest of the people in the place looked pretty much like anyone else you'd run into around Seattle. Reservations: A definite must on a weekend night. The place was packed out at 8:30 when we arrived to sit down and even then we had to wait 5 minutes to have our table prepared (I didn't care about this). If you don't have your heart set on eating there one night then try your luck, but if it's a special occasion I would suggest making a reservation 1 week in advance. Overall: A great ambiance, with tasty food, and excellent service.
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There are places one can go for dinner and just settle in like you have arrived in a hospitable friends living room. That is Carmelita. The dining room is warm and inviting, without being... More

There are places one can go for dinner and just settle in like you have arrived in a hospitable friends living room. That is Carmelita. The dining room is warm and inviting, without being intrusive or pretentious. The waitstaff is informed and helpfull, the atmosphere relaxed and yet they manage to pull off the feeling that one is dining - not just eating out. I love the food at Carmelita, especially the small plates, which lean heavily on seasonal, Pacific Northwest relevant ingrediants. I don't know why, but most vegetarian restaurants seem to excell in the small plates and fall apart in the entree department, failing for the most part to keep the excitment going in a larger more complex entree. Carmelita is no exception to that rule. That being said, I have had the mopst gorgeous, luxurious dining experiences there and will go back again and again. Be warned though, it is a bit pricey - so recycle those cans and pinch those pennies and get thee to Carmelita! Pros: Experienced and educated waitstaff, delightfull atmosphere, delish ingrediants Cons: A bit on the pricey side
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