Best Family Style Restaurants in Cliffside Park

We were so pleased with our first visit to Carmine's. My husband and I usually travel to NYC alone, and have never gone before because we heard how large the portions are - and they are NOT kidding. There were 7 of us for dinner, and we shared a Caesar Salad, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Rigatoni Bolognese, Eggplant Parm, Veal Scallopini, and Tiramisu and it was perfect portions. Only thing we took home was the Garlic Bread (which the 19-year-old scarfed down likely before it made it to the hotel fridge.) Paul our server was fantastic - happy to see our family reunion the day after Christmas with family from Myrtle Beach. The restaurant is crowded and loud, so expect that - but it's a fun environment and you can tell it's mostly families just having a great time. This dinner capped off a perfect day celebrating the 19-year-old's first Broadway Show.

Wonderful restaurant for an authentic Italian experience! The pasta was perfect! We tried the order of a trio of 3 pastas and were not disappointed. Other offerings ordered by a member of our group were also deemed delicious. The wine selection was also great. Service was excellent!

Loved the food. Had the Maine Lobster Summer Rolls for our app. The dipping sauce was really good. And we shared the Grilled Bronzino- the sauce was amazing. Really special dish and you get a lot of fish. And my favorite was the coconut rice. Melts in your mouth. For dessert they gave us Ube Flan in the house. It was a perfect way to end the meal. The servers are great, we sat right down with our rsvp, and I enjoyed the darker atmosphere as it beings a downtown vibe to Columbus Circle. I’m going back!

We plan our trip to NYC around eating at Carmine’s. This time we ate at the upper West Side location. We usually eat at the Times Square location. But this year it was booked solid for Christmas a month in advance. We were wowed again with an awesome meal at Carmines at 91st Street. We had the garlic bread with cheese. We always ask to add the cheese. So wonderful. We also split the lasagna. It is the best we have ever tasted. We brought over half of it home. I would recommend either Carmine’s to anyone wanting authentic Italian food at its best.

Dinner was so delicious! Service was great—really appreciate them making Christmas Eve so special! Very family friendly. We ordered an appetizer and then had one dish of the chicken Alfredo. It was literally the best I’ve ever had. It fed two adults and two children. The kids loved it and cleared their plates. Then we had the Italian cheesecake and hot fudge brownie. Both were great, definitely recommend the brownie.