Carelli's of Boulder Reviews

I love eating at this place and think it is a great value - although all of my meals so far were a near-miss. When I got my garlic bread I thought it was spectacular. But when my salmon pasta arrived I wished someone had told me that the flavors are made to be eaten together to enjoy the genius of this chef. The second time I ordered a panini with truffle french fries. The panini was delicious and brimming with salmon. But half of my panini had no onion in it, which is why I couldn't savor the truffle flavor. The other half of my panini had twice as much onion as needed. I suspect there's a briliant chef somewhere in the kitchen that can't get anyone to listen to him.....

Had dinner there last night and as usual it was very good. The only regret I had and it is bugging me is the lackluster wine list and how much they over charge for the wines. Maybe 5x in some cases Remole $29.00 . Greg you have to be kidding me. I can buy that retail for $8.99 (so 4x in this case as you are not paying retail and you may even have a BTG program going with the distributor). I can deal with 3x and I would love to have it at 2x but 4x and above. I will reconsider next time. If you want 4x then put some great wines on the list. Otherwise please don't take advantage of me.

Carelli's was quite crowded tonight and they had at least two special events going on for small/medium groups. But true to form, we received excellent service and thoroughly enjoyed our slow paced dinner, a very special birthday celebration!

You would have gotten a 5 stare because the food was wonderful. Our waitress was aloof and somewhat snotty. Really bad and inattentive service. My water glass was always empty and she never asked us if we wanted another glass of wine. She rolled her eyes at me when I asked her not to take my bread plate and to return the bread plates to my friends which she took away earlier, but left the bread. Why? Take away the plate but leave the bread? We all felt as though we were inconveniencing the staff by doing a 2:00 lunch. I asked her a desert menu for to go and she at first just stared at me. She then rattled off the menu but was unsure of the prices. We were the only customers in the restaurant so it's not like any of the staff was overwhelmed. If this is their wind down time, sorry we wrecked their afternoon. She certainly put a damper on our lunch service. Hope she's happy.

Beautiful atmosphere, calming, serene. Cuisine is top notch. Can't wait to get back there.

Very nice place. Food was very good (I had chicken parm) Not unreasonably priced. I will be back.

We love Carellis. We're here 1 to 2 times a week. The food is awesome, the chef/kitchen is so accommodating. The staff is great and super friendly. It is, by far, our favorite restaurant in Boulder, maybe in all of CO.

Disappointed by meal. Service and ambiance were great. Started with very bland caprese salad (it's August! tomatoes should be amazing this time of year). Then had their soup of the day which they said was there best in a long time - no one in my group cared for it (corn peach gazpacho). The big disappointment was the seafood risotto which was an overcooked, over garlic'd, gooey mess. The service was great and the atmosphere is interesting. It was something that would be served in a cheap restaurant gooped into a bow.

Hmmm. Fantastic? First REAL Italian cuisine I have had in Boulder County.

I have been taking friends, family, and dates here for over 20 years!! Best dining in Boulder!!

Terrible service, fantastic food. Beautiful furnishing

Just ate at Carelli s and had a great experience. Guest safety is obviously a huge priority and even amidst these crazy times we were very comfortable and enjoyed every minute and bite! Rachel is an awesome server.

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.

Great meals and great service. Old school Italian with a classy atmosphere.

Excellent! Absolutely Delicious! Great ambience!
Best Italian restaurant in Boulder!
Following CDC guidelines. Open air patio. We Love Carelli's!

Went for lunch. Ordered chicken piccata entree. More like a chicken piccata noodle soup. Weird and unappetizing take on a classic. Call it piccata pasta soup with boiled chicken, or something more representative of what it is. I managed to pick the chicken out to eat, but I am currently going to get a second lunch. Caesar was bitter & wilted and served with tomatoes & no lemon wedge. Also a weird way to represent a classic. Flies all over the place and dirty bar. Otherwise, nice looking restaurant for the strip mall space. Service was decent but ignored any feedback during or after the meal about the chicken and just went silent. On to the next spot.

Chicken piccata is excellent service is friendly and personable. Our waitress Kathleen is great

Splendid dinner experience! Excellent atmosphere, staff, and plates. Bring someone you really care about for an elegant evening.

Incredibly well cooked food composed of high quality ingredients!

Great food, and a really nice decor. At least three gas fireplaces add to the atmosphere.

Really enjoyed our food. Great service. Nice vibe. Do it.

Love their risotto, Italian cream sodas and garlic bread. My dining partner had a chicken/pesto sandwich that looked pretty tasty, too.

Nice that they have a separate quiet room because the main room is pretty loud. Good food.

I ve been here a handful of times now. The food has been pretty good can t complain about a simple linguini and clams! I do have to say that the service has been okay (slow but okay) until the last time... We ordered mussels with white wine sauce. The dish didn t come out with bread. When we asked our waiter about bread he gave a whole long spiel about how the dishes we ordered didn t come with complementary bread. I didn t care, all I wanted was bread to dip in the sauce! I made a point that we would pay and he still went on about the ins and outs of bread etiquette! I couldn t help but feel like he was judging my boyfriend and I because we were younger than most patrons in the restaurant. I d rather go to Il Pastio from now on.

Excellent food. Totally clean. Nice staff. Win-win-win situation

Mediocre overpriced Italian-ish fare. Locals rave about this place, but I'm not sure why. Go for the nice ambience, or because it is close to CU Boulder, but know that you won't have good Italian food here. The bruschetta was terrible: canned chopped tomato on average bread. Their pasta is nothing special. Very overpriced for the quality and portion sizes. Service was only adequate. S'forno on Pearl Street mall is much better, authentic Italian food. Your local Olive Garden is better than this. Be warned.

Very much enjoyed the atmosphere along with tasty food & drinks!!

The fire places really added just the right nitch for a comfy & cozy place to eat. Prices were imho a bit high but then it is in Boulder...lol

Great friendly wait staff & clean restrooms too.

Click the LIKE icon below please if you agree with or like my review... Thanks.

Wonderful atmosphere and good Italian food. Great variety.

Excellent food and Service as well as presentation.

The food here is tasty and well prepared. The bread provided at the table is deliciously seasoned and simultaneously crispy and soft. I enjoyed the texture of the pasta I was served (maybe a little heavy on the capers) and had a good meal. I have not joined for dinner yet but the atmosphere looks very cozy. I am disappointed that the plain double espresso I ordered cost nearly $6! My fault for not consulting the prices on the drink menu. Espresso at an Italian restaurant, no matter how "authentic" and true to style, should cost at most half of that.

Excellent food and Service as well as presentation.

I like Carelli s especially at these covid19 times. On Pearl St, a lot of people around and not feeling safe. At Carelli s it feels safe. Awesome food as well. One thing made me sad is I couldn t reserve a table for the next day, due to their some kind of policy. That would be nice to bring my 86 years old family friend.

Not only do they have amazing food and a incredible atmosphere. My sweetie and I had reservations For dinner and we were over an hour and a 1/2 late Because our dog had passed away and we were dealing with family issues we decided to go anyway So thank you to the owner of this wonderful restaurant for being so kind and caring...

Very happy to accommodate us with special orders. Yummy.

I've been going here for many years, and still call it one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder, and the only one left worth going to for Italian fare. Only 4 stars because I have had a few abysmal service experiences there over the years, but typically it is top notch.

Lovely ambiance and excellent, non-intrusive service. The Happy Hour wine and small plates were quite good. A very nice experience!

Carelli's has some good points: They were very accommodating about inside/outside tables, very careful about masks, and the atmosphere was nice. The wait for food was pretty long, between 40-50 minutes, and when it came it was fine but not any better than that. The sauce on the carbonara and the sauce on the alfredo were pretty much the same, and the marinara was no better than a grocery store. The calamari was stringy and bland. The table garlic bread was pretty good. But for six people, a mediocre meal for $160 (not including tip) was just ridiculous. All of us agreed we had uncountable experiences that would have been better for that price. The service was fine, but not good, and certainly not the kind of attention that I'd expect for almost $27 per person. Next time: Gondolier or Pinocchio's. Keep the atmosphere and we'll go three times instead.

Wonderful Italian Eatery. Good service, great ambiance, fair prices, a spectacular Gnocci, who could ask for more.

This was a fancy Italian restaurant for a date night. The risotto was a little salty for my taste, but the eggplant parmesan was good. I expected this place to have a younger crowd being so close to the CU dorms, but surprisingly it was not like that.

Fantastic food! Very friendly staff! I recommend getting a reservation as they get very busy and the wait can be very long. The bar is open seating so if there are just 2 of you it will be fine!

Great food, service and atmosphere. One of my favorite places to eat in Boulder.

Food was good and they made special effort to provide good options for my vegan guest.

Ryan and Scott were excellent table servers making our evening a great experience

My favorite restaurant in this town full of amazing places to eat. If you're not sure where to go... you go here. Especially if you're just passing through Boulder.

The waitress was awesome as well as the other staff. The food was sooo.. EXCELLENTE

Delicious entrees. Friendly and welcoming staff. Manicotti and salmon pappardelle. Garlic bread so tasty. Early dining with a party of four. For some reason our order took a very long time to be served. We waited over 40 minutes from the time of our appetizers. Other than the delay we had a delicious dinner and will return.

Strong service from Will last time and Rachel has been a superstar several times with us.
Food is a solidly worthwhile offering and much enjoyed by all at our table. Even the atmosphere, not easy to create with many people in a somewhat tight space, is a warmly lit, comfortable mix of a Euro-kitschy, neo-tribal style. Very cozy.

Carelli's food is outstanding and their bar is a must see! All their delicious sauces and made from scratch and their portions are very generous. They have a great selection of cocktails as well. Whether you are on a romantic date or hanging out with friends and family, Carelli's will take great care of you. Live music with George Nelson on Fridays is definitely worth seeing too. Love this place!

Sat at the bar, received fantastic service! The bartender (Chris?) was very attentive, apologetic for any delay, and was considerate of time without bread/entrees.

Only thing contributing to the star being taken off is the attitude of the servers when interacting with the bartender and Kate (the individual manning the garlic bread oven). Servers would ask these individuals to provide items that were within ten feet of where they stood. It seemed to start as being helpful then quickly changed to over-reliance and laziness.

Great food & service, Kate and Chris go above-and-beyond to keep customers happy and returning!

Best Italian in Boulder. I don't know what is better the food or the service. It's so nice to feel the small town service in Boulder. Thank you

Terrible service, fantastic food. Beautiful furnishing

Her service was outstanding, and food was very good,...Portion size was generous. Cocktails were very good. Would like to rate higher if I can.

Really great food, a huge selection of Gluten free options. Service can be slow, and make sure you order gluten free bread as soon as you sit down.

The food was great! My only critique would be that the spinach, mushroom, bacon that my perfectly flaky Alaskan halibut sat on was a little bit heavy (this would not keep me from eating it again however). The service was great. And the socal distancing and Covid conscientiousness was on point! Would definitely go again.

Amazing Pasta. Amazing bread. Warm atmosphere. Chicken could have been cooked for a few minutes longer according to my husband.

Staff is great and the food is exceptional and very filling

Love their food , Drinks and my all time favorite dessert. Our server was so nice . She got a very good tip to let her know we appreciate her work .

Exceptional Italian Restaurant. Expect a wait even with a reservation. Try the Parpadell with Carbonara. Outstanding!

There are three italian restaurants in Boulder. This is the best by far. Respectable wine selections, well made cocktails, and fine service. Salmon Margarita is excellent. Veal piccata is delicious (though once in a while the veal is not too tender ). Their Fettuccine Alfredo is very good. Minestrone soup well made, and not salty. Caesar salad best in town. They bring out oven fresh garlic bread early, but try and avoid getting filled up on it before the entre is served!

Carelli's has always been great...Boulder pricey but the food is fantastic... they accommodated a large party for lunch with no reservation. Great service great food.

Excellent food and service. Its an Italian joint, but try the burger sometime.

Nice place, very very delicious food and the staff is very attentive. Amazing date night or fancy lunch/dinner place!

It is just a great atmosphere. All of the employees were so down to earth and friendly. I had a mixed drink that was very strong. Just the way I wanted. It is a little bit expensive but I think it's worth it.

Atmosphere is a classic upscale Italian restaurant. Nice fire pit outside and nice fire and setup inside as well. Server was very friendly. Prices weren't too outrageous but food also didn't match the surroundings. Very average Italian food with average portions. Spaghetti very generic and didn't hold sauce well, which was a little runny.

Always a pleasure to dine here. The service is consistently excellent and the kitchen really has a firm grip on preparing wonderful food.

Food is good, but no lunch specials, which was surprising and disappointing. Food was fresh, maybe just a tad bland. Very filling, nice variety of food to choose from.

The Good: The atmosphere is in the Goldilocks zone, not too loud, not too quiet, just right. The staff was personable, willing to suggest their favorite dishes, and did not rush us at all. Later in the evening there was live music that wasn't over bearing which was a definite plus. For dishes I recommend the Risotto Di Mare, Margherita Pizza, or their special.
The Bad: None that I could find.
Overall: I will definitely return to Carelli's, I can see why it was voted best Italian restaurant in Boulder.

Visited July 2016

Delicious and great service. Always handle our large party well.

My wife and I recently found out we were pregnant and wanted a fun way to tell her family. I had the idea to write grandma, grandpa and great grandma on dessert plates. The whole staff pulled together and made this happen! I cannot say enough great things. JT the manager for the evening set the tone for everyone, our server Jim knocked every aspect out of the park even asking my wife if she wanted more wine when in fact it was cranberry juice. Playing the part to perfection. Thank you to everyone at Carelli s. Managers, hostesses, servers, food runners, chefs and cooks THANK YOU!

My wife is GF and they brought out GF bread just for her, and supplied her with a GF menu. She loved the salmon. The calamari was one of the most delicious ones I ve ever had. My father in law in agreement. The scoozi was just as described, light and flavorful. We will be back for more family events for many many years to come.

Amazing food and a great wait staff. You should really try the house draft

Everything was fantastic, from the appetizers to the crepes for dessert. Unconditional positive recommendation. Our waiter Christian was the best!!!

This is my first time at Carelli's. Generally I have fairly low standards for restaurants because it's really easy to be let down. This was absolutely, unequivocally not the case here. I prefer a pescatarian diet, so I ordered their special Bass dinner that happened to be on the menu. I've gone deep sea bass fishing with my grandfather and had the freshest sea bass you can get. I have high standards for fish dishes. This bass was fantastic. I have no regrets, it was absolutely money well spent, the portion size was perfect, the tomatoes we very well prepared, and I cleaned my plate.

As far as the atmosphere, there was a live duet playing at appropriate volumes in the background. We sat on the bar side of the restaurant on a Friday night, so it was reasonably noisier, but nothing that would ruin fairly polite conversation. Their music choice was classic and appreciated. Our waitress, while near the end of her shift, was very polite and kind. She came at all the right times with the right amount of conversation.

I would absolutely recommend Carelli's.

Food was delicious and service was excellent. Atmosphere inside the restaurant was very pleasant and loved the central fire pit in the dining area