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If you follow celebrity pop culture news, you may have heard of Carbone, an old-school Italian restaurant praised by the elite of NYC. Since Carbone opened in 2013 in Greenwich Village, it’s been the go-to spot for celebrities like Rihanna, the Olsen twins, Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, Leonardo Di Caprio, the Obamas, you name it!
(left) Jay Z. (right) Rihanna & A$AP Rocky
However, just because celebrities like to go to a certain restaurant, doesn’t mean the food is always good. I witnessed this last year when I went to Giorgio di Baldi in Santa Monica. This particular restaurant is Rihanna’s favorite and celebrities always go there when they want a photo op. If you read my review, you’ll see that I was extremely disappointed by the food. But, it’s the place to go if you want to be seen!
So, how did Carbone become the most exclusive Italian restaurant in the US?
Born and raised in Queens, Mario Carbone attended culinary school and apprenticed under some of the most renowned chefs in NYC. After a brief stint in Italy, he came back to NYC, where he worked as an Executive Chef. In 2010, he started Major Food Group with his business partners Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick. The ethos of the company was to operate restaurants that are deeply rooted in the past while providing a luxury fine dining experience. Fourteen years later, with 40 restaurants worldwide and six Carbone locations, it’s safe to say that they’ve built an impressive culinary empire.
Photo: Daniel Krieger
In 2013, Mario co-founded his namesake restaurant with Rich and Jeff. The goal was to model the atmosphere of old-school Italian joints in NYC. In an interview, Mario said that when they embarked on this project, they weren’t looking to attract a celebrity clientele.
Today, Carbone has four locations in the US (New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Dallas) and two abroad that include Hong Kong (China) and Riyadh (Middle East).
In the 2022 Vanity Fair article, “How Chef Mario Carbone Built the Most Celebrity-Studded Restaurant on Earth“, French award-winning chef Daniel Boulud, who hired Mario at his restaurant Cafe Boulud, said: “Carbone’s like a movie set, where every waiter’s like an actor. Mario and Rich, they’re New Yorkers, and they have this nostalgia for classic New York, and it gives it this joie de vivre.”
Pseudonymous Instagram account @deuxmoi, which reports celebrity sightings, often reposts stories where Carbone’s signature pasta, the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka, is seen along with the hashtag #Carbonemademedoit.
The anonymous owner was also interviewed in the Vanity Fair article. The creator said: “I name a lot of different restaurants, and for whatever reason, they just latched on to Carbone, it’s become so synonymous with the account. Does anyone eat anywhere else? I get so excited when someone sends me a picture of their burger or something because I feel like all I post is Carbone.”
Carbone’s most famous pasta dish is their world-famous Spicy Rigatoni Vodka. If you go to any location, you’ll see it at every other table.
In 2022, due to high demand, Carbone released seven jarred sauces available at selected US grocery stores. Unfortunately, the spicy vodka sauce is not the same you’ll find at the restaurant. I later saw that you’re supposed to add heavy whipping cream and butter to achieve the same bright orange color as the pictures.
The Spicy Rigatoni Vodka has also become a viral sensation on Tik Tok. When Mario was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote Carbone’s jarred sauces, he said: “Every night I get tagged by people who try to hack the recipe, and I’ve never seen anyone get close.”
The power of Carbone goes beyond its celebrity clientele and viral presence. It has also served as an inspiration for musicians such as Drake and Bad Bunny. Not only did Drake celebrate his birthday at Carbone for two years in a row, but he also mentioned the restaurant in his song ‘Do Not Disturb’ (2017).
“Last table left in Carbone/Callin’ plays on the rotary phone”
In 2023, Bad Bunny filmed his music video ‘Monaco’ at Carbone with none other than the legendary actor Al Pacino. The gorgeous classical music, the Italian mob vibes, the elegantly dressed servers and of course, the mouthwatering Spicy Rigatoni Vodka built my excitement to try this restaurant.
When he walks into the restaurant, Benito is greeted by an older man who says: ‘Don Benito. So nice to see you. Welcome to Carbone.’ In the video, Mario also makes a brief appearance. New York, Los Angeles and Miami are filled with celebrity hotspots, but Carbone has reached a different level of fame and exposure.
When I visited Las Vegas in March 2024, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go!
Reservations
The reservation process at Carbone is so convoluted that it deserves a post of its own. Indeed, many online publications offer readers tips and tricks on how to get a table at this highly coveted restaurant. If you’re not familiar with the tedious process, brace yourself!
When I first tried to make a reservation on Resy, I thought there was a glitch because there weren’t any slots available leading up to the day I wanted to go. I tried a few other days, but I kept getting the same message: “Unfortunately there is no availability at this selected time”.
After I went, I found out that Carbone is notoriously strict when it comes to reservations.
They release the reservation slots 30 days in advance at 10 am only on Resy. Because of the high demand, some people set up their alarms to make sure they get a slot. If you go to the website 10 minutes later, it’s most likely that all the slots have been taken. On Yelp, one person shared her frustration with this process. After her alarm went off at 10 am, she selected her slot on Resy, where they charged her a $200 deposit. She said that as she was entering her credit card information, her slot was given to another person. By 10:02, every reservation slot was gone. Would you jump through this many hoops to eat there?
Whatever Carbone location you plan on going to, I STRONGLY advise against showing up without a reservation because it’s very likely that you’ll be turned away. Even if you show up at 5pm on the dot by yourself, Carbone does not accept walk-ins. I was shocked because in LA, even at the fanciest restaurant, they can squeeze you in if you go solo, but not at Carbone.
Carbone Las Vegas is located inside the Aria Casino. I showed up about an hour before their opening time, which was 5pm. In the meantime, I lollygagged around the casino and did some window shopping. When I came back about 30 minutes later, there was a middle-aged woman with a man waiting in front of the door. She told me that she also didn’t have a reservation, so I waited behind them. Fifteen minutes before 5pm, people dressed to the nines started showing up. Some of them impatiently tried to open the door, but it was locked. The hosts inside remained completely unbothered.
Finally, at 5 pm on the dot, the doors opened. After a brief conversation with the host, the woman and her partner went to the bar, where they were seated right away. When I checked in with the host and said I didn’t have a reservation, she told me to check with the bartender. Once I made my way to the bar, the bartender asked me if I had a reservation. I said no. “I’m sorry, but I can’t sit you unless you have a reservation. Those were the only two spots I had available”, she said.
Everyone was getting seated, but no one was sitting in the bar area except for the woman and her companion. I told the bartender that I only wanted one dish. She replied: “Not unless you have a reservation”. I stood in the middle of the restaurant awkwardly, like a deer in headlights. When I showed up, I didn’t do my research on Carbone and had no idea about the reservation process, so I was shocked.
I was lost in thought thinking about where I should go for dinner, when the manager asked me if I needed help. I told him what had just happened. He went to the bar and talked to the bartender. When he came back, he told me that they could sit me at 7pm. There was still more than an hour left!
Most people would have walked away, but I’d already come this far, so I took the 7pm reservation slot. For those wondering, Carbone doesn’t offer takeout. Considering how hard it is to get a reservation, the odds were definitely in my favor that day. But, if you show up and can’t get a table, don’t take it personally. In 2022, Justin and Hailey Bieber were also turned away when they showed up without a reservation at the NYC location.
After spending some time in my car and walking around the casino, I came back. I told the host about my 7pm reservation. “Check with the bartender” she said. This time, there were three more people at the bar, but half of the seats remained empty.
“Do you have a reservation?” asked the bartender who turned me away earlier with a wide smile. I don’t know if she was being sarcastic or genuine.
I was seated next to a lovely couple named Dan and Chloe. Meeting them was the highlight of my night! They were having Carbone’s famous Caesar salad and a few drinks.
When I told Dan that I was turned away earlier because I didn’t have a reservation, he already knew the drill. “Oh yeah, they’re very pretentious and extremely strict when it comes to reservations,” he said.
Dan also told me that in 2022, Carbone lost one Michelin star due to their recent expansion. When you open that many locations, the essence of the original restaurant gets lost, and this is something that is frowned upon in the Michelin Guide.
Atmosphere
When I walked into the reception area, I was excited because I thought I was about to be transported to Little Italy in the 1950s. It built my anticipation and curiosity to see what was on the other side. If you watch Bad Bunny’s music video ‘Monaco’, he perfectly captures the Carbone experience.
Sadly, that atmosphere got lost in the main area of the restaurant. In NY, the old-school NY vibe is ubiquitous, but not in Las Vegas. Nonetheless, there’s a beautiful room on the other end of the restaurant that feels like you’re in a gorgeous Art Deco theatre from the 1920s. The private booths reminded me of the private boxes at an Opera theatre. It felt very cozy and intimate.
After watching videos of the NY location, I can see why people went crazy over Carbone’s atmosphere when it opened eleven years ago.
The art menu pays homage to NY in 1950s, and it’s the same in all the locations. I love the drawing of the vintage Cadillac, which is my dream car. I don’t know if you can appreciate it in the picture, but the menu was the size of a newspaper!
Antipasto
Carbone offers a complimentary appetizer that includes a basket with different types of bread, a cup with pickled cauliflower, a plate with cold cuts of salami and a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
For such a highly regarded restaurant, I was very impressed that this was complimentary. But be careful! There are many reviews that warn you not to order too much. Some of the dishes come in large portions, like the Carpaccio, or their famous $89 Veal Parmigiana. Otherwise, if you get swayed by the waiters’ recommendations, you won’t make it to dessert. This is why, I recommend studying the menu before you go.
After placing my order with the waitress, I nibbled on the cheese. About two minutes later, the highly praised Spicy Rigatoni Vodka that I’d lusted after for so long finally arrived!
Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
One of the worst feelings is being excited about something and being let down. That’s what happened with Carbone’s most famous pasta. To say that I was disappointed is a huge understatement. 😣😢
My Spicy Rigatoni Vodka arrived in less than 2 minutes after I ordered it, only to be served at room temperature. I don’t know if I was more frustrated by the long wait or because my high expectations of this dish were completely shattered. Since the rigatoni was served at room temperature, it had a mushy texture. As I was eating it, some parts were warmer than others. 🥲 It looked like my dish had been sitting in the kitchen for a while, which explains the incredibly short wait. I was about to ask if they could reheat it, but I didn’t.
The vodka sauce was delicious. It was rich, creamy, sweet and tangy with a slight kick from the Calabrian chilis. If you’re very sensitive to spicy foods, don’t worry because the heat level of this pasta is very minimal. If, on the other hand, you like a reasonable amount of heat, you’ll be very disappointed. For those who like their Spicy Rigatoni Vodka actually spicy, Carbone could cook the sauce according to the preferred spice level of the guests.
When I ate some of the warm parts, I could appreciate the texture of the rigatoni. They tasted like store-bought bronze cut pasta noodles. There was nothing special about them, and I have a strong suspicion that they don’t make their pasta in-house. Undoubtedly, this dish was all about the sauce.
After I finished the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka, one of the waiters asked me how it was. I wish he had asked me while I was eating it. When I told him about the temperature, he sprinted to the kitchen.
Although the past seems big in the picture, it wasn’t. I was still left hungry and had plenty of room for another dish. I debated on whether I should order one more pasta or go straight to dessert.
When I inquired about the pastas, the other option one waiter gave me was the lobster ravioli pasta, but that was way out of my budget. I followed his suggestion and ordered the Tortellini al Ragu, which seemed to be very popular.
Tortellini al Ragu
I guess the waiter took my feedback about the temperature very seriously because this pasta was piping hot!
When I was looking at the pasta menu and listening to the waiter’s recommendations, I wish I had known that this dish was dairy galore. Carbone doesn’t include a breakdown of their dishes on the menu. The tortellinis are filled with ricotta cheese and coated in a thick layer of melted butter. The beef ragu sauce was very flavorful and complimented the texture and the filling of the tortellinis. However, the melted butter on top made this dish so overwhelming that I felt uncomfortably full afterwards. It detracted from the star of the show, which was the meat. Unless you plan on skipping dessert, I don’t recommend this pasta.
Before the Tortellini al Ragu arrived, I had one salami slice of the antipasto. It was a regular peppered salami that you can get at Trader Joe’s. The bread with tomato was too salty for my taste. I scooped up the vodka sauce off my plate with the white bread, but there was nothing groundbreaking about the bread either. This bread assortment paled in comparison to the brown bread from the Cheesecake Factory.
Looking back, I should have ordered the meatballs instead of the Tortellini al Ragu. After I went to Carbone, I found that they’re a must-order. Dan and Chloe ordered them and were nice enough to offer me their last one, but I politely declined because I was too full from the Tortellinis. They looked really good!
Dessert
When I went to Carbone, one of the things that caught my attention was the dessert cart that was pushed around the restaurant with delectable cakes. Unfortunately, I was too full to order one slice.
Photos by TripAdvisor. Dessert cart (left) and Lemon Cheesecake (right)
When Dan and Chloe ordered the Lemon Cheesecake, they were given complimentary Italian rainbow cookies. If you’re not familiar with it, this cookie is a small three-colored cake covered in chocolate and they’re an Italian-American staple. Dan offered me one. “Try it,” he said. I ate the green part. “It’s too minty”, I said. “That’s because you only ate the green part”, he replied.
I had another bite. I like when cake has a spongy consistency, and this one was too stiff for my liking. When he saw that I was still unimpressed, he laughed and said, “you have a more refined palate than I do.”
Carbone’s Italian Rainbow Cookies also made an appearance in Bad Bunny’s music video ‘Monaco’
When I left around 8:30pm, the restaurant tables were full, but there were still many empty seats at the bar, which brings me to the next question. Why are they so uppity with walk-ins?
Overall
Would I recommend going to Carbone? If you’re curious to see what the hype is all about, then yes! I went by myself, but it’s better to go with someone else because you can share the larger dishes. When I ordered the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka pasta, I was thinking of ordering one appetizer like the Carpaccio, but the portion was too big for one person.
I wouldn’t lie if I said I wished I had tried the meatballs. I would also like to relive the experience of eating the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka pasta, but hot.
My total for the two pastas was $80, and I didn’t even order dessert or drinks! Besides going through the tedious process of getting a reservation, make sure you’re ready to shell out some serious money. If you get frustrated trying to get a reservation slot on Resy, just take deep breaths and remember, it’s all part of the experience. For me, the experience was getting a peak behind the curtain of this restaurant that felt like being at a private club.
When Mario went to The Drew Barrymore Show, she introduced the restaurant as, “one of the highest coveted hotspots in NYC. Like, you can’t get in”. With Mario’s TV appearances, celebrity clients and the viral Spicy Rigatoni Vodka sauce, Carbone has become a household name in luxury hospitality. It’s a status symbol. You don’t go there for the food, you go for the experience.
If you go to one of the locations by yourself, you can show up two hours before they open, but there is a high likelihood of being turned away. If you’re visiting one of the Carbone locations, ask yourself if it’s worth the wait. I was in Vegas for four days by myself, so I had ample time to spare.
In 2022, Carbone announced the opening of an elite private club in Hudson Yards, the most expensive neighborhood in Manhattan. It doesn’t get more exclusive than this!
Carbone: Website and Instagram
