I Went to Carbone NYC 3 Times; Is it Overhyped?

Aaya Anan

Carbone in Greenwich Village NYC has a Michelin Star and has served as the setting for several paparazzi photos of famous individuals over the years. It is beloved by people like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian but also nearly impossible to get a reservation at. Reservations are booked 30 days in advance on Resy, and pretty competitive to get. That leads us to the question: is it worth the hassle to dine there?

Long story short, yes.

Entering the restaurant, I was immediately greeted and seated by the very attentive staff. Fun fact I was seated near James Charles my first time at Carbone. Inside, the vibes are dark and cozy.

Now on to the food. The first thing that came to the table was complimentary pickled cauliflower, different types of bread, and fresh parmesan cheese. I loved the garlic bread the most, and the pickled cauliflower was amazing (keep in mind I don't normally like pickles OR cauliflower so me saying it's amazing says a lot).

Next we ordered the Eggplant and Zucchini Scapece and it was also very delicious. It was the perfect appetizer; flavorful but also light which is perfect to leave room for the entrees. I also do not normally like Eggplant or Zucchini but I loved this dish. Carbone has a special talent of making me question my taste buds; they can turn foods that I despise into foods that I love.

For pastas, I tried the Spicy Rigatoni and the Lobster Ravioli. I was excited to try the rigatoni because Carbone is known for it and wow it did not disappoint. My only words are wow. Amazing. The lobster ravioli however tasted very average to me. But maybe that is because I tried it after the spicy rigatoni so my expectations may have been unreasonably high.

We also ordered the Chicken Massimo and honestly it is probably the best chicken I have ever tried in my life. It was the perfect combination of warm, soft and crispy. We also ordered the potatoes with it, and frankly I was not a fan. They tasted very dry to me.

For desserts, I tried the chocolate hazelnut cake with vanilla gelato and the carrot cake. Honestly the desserts were pretty average. They were good, but I would not go to Carbone just for dessert. After the meal, Carbone gave us complimentary rainbow cookies. The cookies were a good pallet cleanser, and tastes good for the fact that they're free. However, it was not sweet enough for my liking.

My overall rating for Carbone is 8.5/10. The service is 10/10; the staff was very attentive and always asking us if we need anything, and submitting our requests promptly. The vibe of the restaurant is 7/10; it is nice and cozy inside, but nothing special from any other Italian restaurant I have been to. The food is 8.5/10; some dishes were very exceptional, but others were very average.

Carbone is a little overhyped; I don't think any restaurant no matter how good it is, is worth that much hype. However, it is a very solid dining experience and I would recommend to eat there at least once if you can.