Great atmosphere, excellent service, and the food was incredible! The pasta was cooked fresh to order, the marinara was hearty and flavorful, and the garlic bread was awesome! This was a real treat for a couple on vacation and you definitely should treat yourself soon!
If you are less than 50yo, which is way younger than the normal clientele here, everything tastes way over salted. Ceasar salad was dry and served way too cold. The killer for me though was my wife got her dinner served on a plate with not one but two large chips in it. That just says they don t care. Only plus was they just charged us for 2 glasses of their $12 a serving wine instead of the 3 we had.
Great food and atmosphere for a very reasonable price point. My gluten free pasta was amazing!!
Decently priced Italian. Go here if you want to avoid Patagonia clad yuppies downtown
Refused my business cause they don't take the postmates visa debt card. Afnited they don't do business with postmates. What great lies and customer service.
Get there early, sit in the bar, and take in all that is Carelli's.
Nice staff and attentive, they definitely do not rush you through your meal. Food was really good too.
My second time here. I highly recommend the kale and apple salad. Nadja was a super attentive server.
Love their risotto, Italian cream sodas and garlic bread. My dining partner had a chicken/pesto sandwich that looked pretty tasty, too.
First time here. Did not start off very well. They made it right and lunch was a success. Desserts are great if you have any room left after the large lunch portions. Price to food ratio leans more to the customer. Going to try dinner next.
Without a doubt the best Italian food you will find outside of New York City and Italy itself. Would recommend to anyone.
Lunch with seven friends . Excellent service. The food was delicious; several women took entrees home to their husbands. Serving sizes were large enough that we each took some home. After seeing the deserts displayed we had several to share.
It is definitely a restuarant that we will chose again
A little disappointed, pricey, food not-so-great... so many other Boulder restaurants do better for that price...
Company Christmas party. The food was good and the employees were pleasant. Might have to try it for dinner.
We have been customers of Gregs for over a decade. Some good some bad years at Carellis. For the past few years the only reason we go back is the staff specifically Chris. We have been back many times since COVID and are amazed at their amazing standards of EVERYTHING!!! Distance, Masks, Gloves. asking people to wait outside before being escorted to tables with distance in mind. We even experienced Chris politely yet firmly ask people to leave because they didn't want to wear masks. Cudos to Greg and staff for putting our community first with their ways!!
Love the food here. Most authentic Italian food I ve had since moving west. The only exception......., skip the calamari app. Does not even come close to the quality/ taste of everything else we ve ordered here.
I have never been disappointed here. Always good and reasonably priced.
I thought this place is the best place for fine dining. It is nice and fancy. The waiter and staff was attentive and cared about my experience. The garlic bread was amazing. It was delicious. The rest of the Italian food was pretty regular.
Italians, the comatose kings. They didn t disappoint on this one.. Caprese did not have skimpy mots cuts, they were fat. The garlic bread was dec.. The sirloin pasta could ve done without long cut bells peps but the steak was amazing, melts in the mouth. The gluten free zaaaaaaaa was good. Server was nice but seemed to be in a bad mood and forgot we ordered pesto sauce on the pizza. Hostesses also forgot to assign us a server so I had to go ask for one. Overall, 4.3 stars/5.
I went into Carelli's thinking that I was going to enjoy a fantastic Italian Meal with my fiance, i was wrong. I ordered Tort. with Shrimp and alfredo sauce and was charged $30 for the meal. I received four small shrimp and the pasta was soggy and just so so. My fiance had Chicken Parm, and it was COLD. We paid about $80 for a meal that wasn't even good. And get this, the waiter didn't even box up our garlic bread with our unfinished meals so we could take it home. I much prefer Pasta Jay's. I paid $20 for a dish at Jay's that was EXCELLENT and had fresh crab, scallops AND shrimp. The Tort. at Pasta Jay's Blows Carelli's version out of the water. I also paid about $20 for the Tort at Pasta Jay's and it was worth EVERY penny. Don't go to Carelli's. Its over-rated, and over-priced. If you want an EXCELLENT meal, go to Pasta Jay's.
The staff was quick and attentive. Really felt the waiter liked his job and went out of his way to make sure we felt special and were given his full attention while he was at our table.
The food was great and the atmosphere was good. Indoor and outdoor seating arrangements were ample and the decorations are top notch.
Would make this a regular dinner location if I was local.
Great experience. The staff was very attentive to our party. The food was very good. A pleasure so the way around.
Would have loved to try the food here! Made a reservation, was put in a noisy section even though the restaurant wasn t incredibly busy. This was fine, as we didn t mind. However, our server talked to us twice: once to greet us, once to give us the cocktail menu. We then sat for about 10-15 minutes without her getting our order/ignoring us the entire time. They had numerous staff members walking around, not doing anything. They didn t even notice a table walking out without ordering! Pretty disappointing given this was a birthday celebration.
I would give zero stars if I could.
Love the food, service, and even though inside dining is restricted during this latest wave of Covid, dining outside next to the fire is enchanting.
The NEW Favorite Italian Restaurant - Absolutely Outstanding !!!
Food was good. The only reason not giving 5 stars is I felt the red sauce and salad dressing was watered down.
Pretty good Italian food. Sauces were a bit light for my taste and the garlic bread wasn't as crispy as it could have been but overall was a worthwhile dining experience.
Mediocre service. Poor seating layout. Some of the food was really good and some of it was marginal. I will give it another shot as they had a large group thing going on in the other room that may have had an impact on the service.
Delicious foods, $$ Tasteful cozy decor. Good for romantic dining, groups or singles.
Authentic Italian cuisine. A little off the beaten bath of downtown Boulder you will find a relaxing romantic ambience with a cozy fireplace and oversized booth seating. Call ahead for reservations or be prepared to wait. It's the best Italian restaurant in Boulder.
Great place to eat. Food is great, the service is excellent. I like the fire place in the middle of the main dining area.
Excellent Italian restaurant! Food was superb and the atmosphere was exquisite! Service was prompt and the entire experience was wonderful! Would highly recommend and will return someday!
Love Carelli's. Excelkent food, service, and atmosphere. This time, we ordered the Mediterranean pizza, mushroom soup and breschetta. Wonderful flavors. This place can be casual or fancy, depending how you want to dine.
Good Italian, nothing supper special. If you go in large parties not only will the service be slower, expect to get asked by the waiter to add an additional tip on top of the 18% gratuity that gets tacked on. I'm not saying that it wasn't deserved but it came across as very tacky.
The food is good. The staff is fine.
But, every time I went there, 3 to make sure it wasn't just me, I got the impression I wasn't "important enough" or "there kind of people".
From the hostess to the bartender, the impression I'm given is "oh, sure you can be here, I guess. But you probably aren't going to spend enough money for us to care about you."
The food was nothing over the top for the price.
So with "attitude" and mediocrity in abundance, I'll not be back.
The lamb chops were absolutely divine! We've been to Carelli's many times, and they're a Boulder establishment for sure. I gave four stars instead of five because I haven't noticed them change in the ten years I've been frequenting Carelli's, so they're not exactly fresh, but they're classic and I like that. Service is usually really solid, too.
My girlfriend and I split one salad and one entree which was seafood and pasta. There wasn't much of either on the plate. I had one glass of wine. The bill with tax and tip was almost $80. We had to ask for silverware and napkins 4 times. Even though I had made a reservation for two in advance, they seated us at a table for six. Very awkward. Poor food, terrible service, ridiculous price. A really awful place. Pass on this place.
Good food and good service. I was disappointed that they did not accept Discover Card.
Excellent Italian food with great interiors. Perfect place to celebrate special occasion. The staff is very friendly
Carelli's remains the best Italian in town. Be sure to try their manicotti and chocolate mousse!
We had my niece's graduation party here. We've also eaten here several times. Yes, it can be noisy and a bit crowded, but things should be better with social distancing. Absolutely the best Italian food around - and I say this because I've been there with an Italian friend who used to run a restaurant. The cheese bread before dinner is to die for, the menu is extensive, and the wine list is excellent. It's my favorite place.
One of the last remaining authentic "old Boulder" experiences in town. Don't be thrown by the location (a strip mall across from CU dorms): this is a classic (and classy), family-owned and operated Italian eatery with fantastic food, friendly service from long-time staffers, a great bar and a cozy ambience. The cocktails are well-made, the pasta perfect and the pizza, while a little pricey, is the best in town. Period (and I eat a lot of pizza). Local secret: Carelli's also makes one of the best burgers in town. Don't delay. Try Carelli's today.
Superb Risotto Funghi (mushroom risotto), the best I ve had in years, plus great ambiance and delightful service.
Had a wonderful birthday celebration with a dear friend.
So I m updating my review because I was invited back for another meal. This time they were not as busy and the service was much better. It s nice to know that they cared enough about my comments and review to ask me back to have another meal and get a different experience.
The food was very good and the bartender made some great drinks, but it was quite apparent that either I was an outsider or I was not important. I sat at the bar and asked the bartender if I could ask a few questions as I was from out of town on business and he told me he would get back to me when he was caught up - but spent most of his time speaking to others. It made me feel extremely unimportant and excluded, which is the worst feeling when you travel for a living and you are just trying to reach out to a local for some advice. It changed my entire impression. I don t need special treatment, I just want to feel like a human being who matters. I probably won t go back even though the food and drink was good.
Carelli's offers a very elegant setting for dinner. Excellent for romantic occasions and some business settings. Very good Italian food. Presentation of the food is also very nice.
Pretty decent ambiance on a Fri/Sat. Their Calamari is ok but their Shells are worth the clogging of arteries that'll ensue! I've been here a handful of times and everytime it's been enjoyable.
Love this place, great selection of wines and wonderful food!
Ask for a table for two when 6 tables were open host asked for reservations after looking me and my wife over (we are a mixed race couple) after i said no the host said it would be a over an hour to be seated. I came to eat here not for racist treatment.
I am a firm believer that service can make or break your dining experience and worse yet.. make or break you BUSINESS! The service was not the best and well.. the food was eghh.. I wasn t impressed.. the pics look much better than the food actually was. By the end of my chicken parm I felt like I had eaten a frozen reheated meal.
Great meal, warm atmosphere. We'll go again. Reservation is recommended since they are often busy. Don't be in a rush, they never are.
Picked up curbside delivery today. Completely efficient and delivery was brought out the minute I pulled up. The food was just as expected from Carelli's absolutely delicious!
I went here in our wedding anniversary. It was appropriate place with high quality service and reasonable price. Before a meal bread is well toasted by garlic on top. Special plates that tempting us was beef tataki. Don't miss the Italian desert also.
we went based on good reviews expecting better food than olive garden- it really wasn't. we got fried mozzarella, mushroom gnocchi, and ravioli. the gnocchi was salty, the ravioli and marinara were very bland. the garlic bread didn't come until after we got our food, that was the only good part of the meal. honestly could've saved some $$ and gotten Italian food anywhere else. disappointed, will not be back.
My fav spot for Italian food. Do yourself a favor and give this place a try. I can see why they have a lot of great reviews.
Wow! Can I just say how phenomenal this food is?! So unexpected to find such an amazing Italian place in Boulder. My (now) husband took me here on our very first date, and to this day, this is one of my favorites! The pesce Asiago is incredible and the risotto Di Mare never disappoints. Sooooo many great apps and awesome wine (Koonunga). This place is definitely one for the books. The owner, Greg, definitely knows how to run a restaurant.
I was visiting Boulder for 3 weeks, and I had nothing but great meals at all the restaurants I visited. The dinner at Carelli's, however, was shockingly disappointing. Given the number of great reviews for this restaurant, I am guessing that they had an off night.
Since the menu featured chicken marsala and a variety of veal dishes, I asked the waitress if the chef would be willing to prepare veal marsala instead. She outright refused without checking with the kitchen, which I found a little odd. In the end my friend ordered chicken piccata, and I had the veal scallopini. The chicken was engulfed in a cream sauce like alfredo, instead of the tangy flavors of capers and lemon my friend was expecting. My dish had 3 small chewy pieces of veal on a bed of overcooked pasta. The sauce was depressingly bland, yet managed to stab my tongue with incoherent tastes of parsley and onions that strangely failed to agree. It was more like a poorly executed rendition of onion-gravy smothered porkchops that costed $23.
I wish you all better luck.
Food was awesome and our waiter Stephen was as good as they get!!!!nice atmosphere also
Best Italian food I've ever had, great service and good prices.
Great local standard that maintains its old school elegance in a modern and nicely updated setting. This is a good spot for a business lunch, quick happy hour above the crowded fray, and even a relaxing quiet date night.
There is a nice room in the back that can accommodate events.
This is a higher-end quality Italian restaurant, with excellent atmosphere and presentation. I made my reservation based on the reviews and the location. My date and I enjoyed the entire experience, and how she felt about the experience was very important to me. We both had seafood dishes which we shared, and we thought each were amazing. We did have a diminished opinion of some of their wine choices, but the server was patient and worked with us until we found the right choice. The atmosphere was lively and occasionally loud; we even had some trouble hearing each other when we were sitting side-by-side and not across from each other. Overall, it was a very good experience at a price i expected to pay for the quality of food and service provided.
Great experience. The restaurant was very busy but we didn't wait long for tastey appetizers.
We decided to try them based on online reviews and it was wonderful! The atmosphere is open and friendly, as are the people that work there. The food is fantastic and their rates is great. Definitely recommend.
Super nice restaurant. Decor is really impressive and food is fantastic. Gets really crowded at peak times.
Great spot. Really pretty view. The food was excellent. The wine selection was also abundant with unique choices
Food was absolutely great! Hostess was not too friendly and service was a little slow in bar area.
Good, but not great. No happy hour, not very warm service or building. Fine food, expensive
Pretty good food but some of their dishes were mad inconsistent for example we ordered two orders of their fried mozzarella and the first one was in a lake of marinara but the second barely had any at all but overall it tasted very good.
Delicious food, amazing ambience, waiter was polite, quick, and wonderful. Would definitely recommend for a date night
Poor service but good food. I m not one to make a review but felt like I needed to (I m not a Karen). Went here for a birthday during Covid for one of our first outings Since quarantine . We were really looking forward to a enjoyable time but it fell short. Our server/service was terrible, snide remarks, short responses, no name, didn t ask if we wanted drinks, etc. we pretty much waited on ourselves. As a server myself I know that standards. We made the most of a poor situation, just upset the server was having a off day and took it out on us. It also wasn t only us, during our time there 2 others tables made remarks about the poor service, one table left before even finishing their meal.
Food was excellent, classic italian. Service was a little slow, but easily worth it. Price tag not bad for such a nice all around experience.
carellis.com
