Have lived in San Clemente for years and never visited this particular restaurant until my birthday this week. (Thankfully, they did not sing to me! ) WONDERFUL atmosphere, superb food, the waiters do not hover over you, yet you are well taken care of with prompt service, a nice view from our seats, great ambiance.
The love cup was my birthday "cake" of choice...scrumptious!
I love this place! Fried mozzarella is delicious, the pasta dishes are enormous. The Quattro Formaggio is insanely good as is every other pasta dish I've tried. My husband and I always say that we should share the next time cause the size is so huge, but always end up not sharing cause we want our meal all to ourselves. :P
The Love Cup is hands down one of the BEST desserts I've ever had, and I'm not even a huge chocolate fan. It's hard to describe the heavenliness that is the Love Cup, so just go try it already!
Carbonara Trattoria and Vintage Steakhouse are my two favorite restaurants for a nice date-night in Orange County, perhaps in all of Southern California!
Sometimes there is a wait, so call ahead or make a reservation for busy nights.
We went here last night with a gift certificate from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a>.
At the end the server said the gift certificate language required the restaurant to add in 18.5% tip, and her math for it wasn't even done correctly. Â (this was a lie, there is no such statement on the gift certificate). Â I normally give 20% and always tip on the original amount, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Â I will avoid that server in the future. Â Otherwise, the food was good, especially the spumoni tartufo. Â Just be sure to check the bill completely.
It has been a few years since we have enjoyed Carbonara's food and hospitality!
So glad that we made it back tonight. Â We were welcomed back and the food was amazing as we remembered!
I had the chicken marsala...never better. Â Hubby had the New york special and loved every last bite. Â The kids shared pasta and pizza and actually ate it up! Â
Ended the night with a love cup....yum!
Love this place and will be back again...sooner rather than later!
THIS IS A CATERING REVIEW
My husband and I were getting married at Casa Romantica in San Clemente. Using this venue, you are only allowed to choose one of 4 caterers. One was really expensive, one was Cajun food only, and the other two were in the middle. We chose Carbonara. We met and spoke with Christina Carbonara. She was so nice and very knowledgeable about all things catering and Casa Romantica which was super helpful. We were really nervous because this is an Italian place and we were having Mexican food at the wedding from them. I'll just say this, I still get compliments on the food they made for us. We did a taco station type of set up with all the standard Mexican appetizers and sides. It was so good and just really went well with our semi formal, beach-ish wedding. It was very California laid back. Christina and Carbonara will have our business anytime we are in San Clemente again.
Simply the best Italian food I have had west of the east coast. (NY/CT).
Service was slow, given that it was a Monday and not that many people were there; but the food and ambiance more than made up for it.
Nice and afforadable wine selection.
First time I had stracciatella soup, and it was amazing.
Both dishes were amazing with fresh made pasta.
Its not cheap, but hey you should know than going in.
Having a drink and an appitizer normally wouldn't get my attention but the experience we had here warrents a great review! Fred plays the bartender/server roll better than I have ever seen. It takes a special pesonality to know your wine and to upsell us on our food choices. "Try the calamari" he says! "You won't regret it". We were so happy with what weordered. Thank you!
Review Source:Olive Garden is a better choice, would not go again or recommend to others. Arrived promptly at 11:30AM when they opened, placed my order within 10 minutes, however the food took forever to come out. Not really sure why as we were a party of 3 and their was only one other party of 3 in the restaurant with us. Had the pasta with artichokes, chicken and white wine sauce. The dish was dry and I don't think the pasta was done. The waitress looked like she had rolled out of bed, hair was a mess, yoga pants and a wrinkled shirt.
Review Source:Walking around Del Mar Ave, we stumbled on a courtyard with a fountain. Â It looked relaxing and Carbonara was right next door. Â Since we had the dog with us, we knew we couldn't eat inside. Â So my husband went to talk to the hostess. Â Next thing I know, they set up a table outside with linen, flowers right in front of the fountain. Â It was lovely.
We ordered...
Spinach and egg soup - Delicious!
Minestrone soup - Delicious!
House Pinot Griggio - Very good!
Pasta Arrabiata - Delicious!
Sea bass (Special of the day) with risotto and roasted veggies - Loved it!
Chocolate hazelnut cheesecake - yummy!
Coffee - pretty good
Side of chicken for the dog - he gobbled it up!!! Â
The warm fresh bread they serve is amazing!
Our waitress, Christina was amazing!!! Â She was helpful, friendly, professional and super nice! Â Best service we had in a long time. Â Thank you, Christina!!! :-)
For a person that's lived in Italy, this is very Italiano. Â The food was great, service was awesome and I have nothing to complain about. Â Will be back for sure!!!
Bravo Carbonara Trattoria Italiana!!!
We had the most divine experience at Carbonara! My boyfriend and I went for a special dinner and every aspect was perfect. Our waitress made recommendations on the wines and both selections were fantastic. Although we loved the Caprese, Â and our entrees (I even loved the bread!), Â the dessert; the chocolate mousse was exceptional. We agreed that this was hands down the best dessert we have ever had (and we eat out a lot at a lot of high end restaurants). It was PERFECT. Service was great and the entire experience left us feeling extremely impressed. Definitely coming back to try more dishes and have that dessert again!
Review Source:Spent valentines day at Carbonara. Â The antipasti was fine, but the lasagna was mediocre, at best. Â My wife had veal Marsala and she complained that the meat was tough.
Sorry to say, it was a disappointment. Â Adios Carbonara, I will spend half as much and return to Sonny's on El Camin Real
Carbonara has been a local institution in San Clemente for many years, although I can't really understand why. Â My wife and I visited last night on a $20 for $40 Groupon, and hoped it would be better than we remembered. Â Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case.
While the calamari appetizer wasn't bad - lightly breaded but lacking seasoning, the meal went downhill from there.
My wife ordered Capellini alla Checca and I ordered Spaghetti Carbonara. Â I specifically asked if the Carbonara was good and the waiter highly recommended it.
First - the salads... Â mine came with supposedly house-made Caesar dressing that tasted of nothing but vinegar and more vinegar. Â I can't comment on my wife's balsamic vinaigrette.
The problem was in the pasta dishes we ordered. My wife's Capellini alla Checca was covered with masses of chopped Roma tomatoes, but nothing else. Â No high quality olive oil, no basil to speak of, no garlic - just masses of tomatoes.
My Carbonara was weird to say the least. Â It was literally swimming in cream soup! Â The bacon seemed to be thrown in raw as it was gummy instead of crispy and bacon-y. Â I couldn't tell if there was an egg yolk in the Carbonara, since it was lost in the soup. Â Carbonara should be relatively dry, with the egg yolk coating the pasta - this was overcooked pasta cream soup with gummy bacon. Â Here's the weird thing - the cream soup didn't taste all that bad - it just wasn't anything close to Carbonara. Â Considering the Restaurant is named Carbonara - that's pretty much unforgivable.
One final note - the waiter forgot my wife's second glass of wine - it literally sat there on the bar waiting to be picked up. Â By the time he realized it, she didn't really want it.
Carbonara suffers from a misconception of what some restaurateurs and/or chefs think Italian restaurants should be. Â If the sauce calls for tomatoes - let's load on the tomatoes... Â if it calls for cream, the more cream the better. Â Good food is all about layers of flavor, balance, etc. Â Carbonara overwhelms its dishes with one blaring note - the wrong one.
Went here with my wife for a 'date night;' I mention that because that is really the best outlet for the restaurant. Â Very romantic inside at night with low lighting, dark traditional Italian feel. Â The staff were friendly and the food was good. Â I got a rice dish (which is hard to cook - they did a god job). Â It was risotto for those curious - hard to find on menus at a lot of places. Â Nothing really knocked my socks off but no complaints either. Â The location is right on the main drag in downtown SC, and other reviewers have mentioned that the decor, buildings, and equipment are a little worn and old, which I could see, but it didn't detract much from the experience. Â I would go back.
Review Source:My wife and I finally cured our curiosity by going to the Carbonara's Trattoria. Â We were promptly seated and the waitress and other staff were attentive. Â We decided to try a few dishes: Filet Mignon and Seafood Risotto. Â The restaurant was mildly busy, but not too bad that evening. Â The food came out roughly 45 minutes after we ordered. Â The filet came out well done, butter flied, and it looked and tasted like a hamburger. Â We brought this issue up with our waitress and the chef promptly prepared another filet. Â The seafood risotto was pretty good, but there was a heaping amount of risotto and not so much helping of seafood. Â The final food portion of the bill came out to be $74.00. Â Not sure if we'll go back any time soon.
Review Source:Never been to this restaurant before. The ambiance is not the greatest, but it was very crowded so they must have a lot of regulars. A lot of large groups of people. Our waitress was great.
Now to the food. The food was hot, a plus. I ordered spaghetti carbonara. Â The menu indicated it had some cream, but it should have been called spaghetti alfredo with pancetta. No egg yokes touched this dish. Although for what it was it was hot and good.
Two people in our party order the lasagna and it was very tasty. Not many layers maybe two but the sauce was good and the so was the filling.
The wine list was average the usual suspects la crema for pinot, some nice chiantis.
The desserts were great, but as I've said in previous posts don't usually have complaints about desserts, the standard fare-gelato, creme brulee, etc. hard to screw up if you have a competent pastry chef.
For the money its a good find. I would have rated it higher except for the carbonara. Don't go for the ambiance.
Carbonara is a family favorite, but this review is for a wedding reception they recently handled for us. Â The catering by them was planned for our home, with 2 days notice we were rained out and they graciously switched our group of 90 to the restaurant. (So we had the entire restaurant to ourselves) Â Christina could not have been more accommodating, helpful or cheerful. Â She made every effort to make the day as close as possible to as planned. Â The servers were gracious, the food hot, delicious and plated beautifully. The dessert trays lovely. Â The salad dressing was enjoyably light, salmon and chicken perfectly cooked, and the tortellini was a special hit with all. Â All our guests raved about what a wonderful day they provided in a warm friendly environment. Â Do not miss this restaurant when you are in town.
Review Source:I don't like writing this type of review. I really don't. But we were disappointed by this restaurant on most fronts.
We were using a coupon, but I don't think that's what caused the probs.
First, the restaurant entrance and general interior wasn't as clean as you want to see. The cheap silverware had spots of caked on food. It was probably sanitary because they run those dishwashers at extremely high heat. But, still, not what you want to see.
The focaccia-style bread was stale and tasted like day-old bread.
On the positive front: the waiter was really good. Very polite, attentive, etc.
On the negative front again: the salad was droopy and the caesar dressing tasted blah.
They can't help this, but it made our experience difficult: there were very loud talkers at the little bar. Some riddled lady talking waaaay too loud. My right ear hurt.
The risotto was meh. The sausage in it was delicious. But the dish didn't taste like real risotto.
Dessert was their "love cup" which consists of whipped white chocolate mousse in a caramelized sliced almond cup in a pool of sweet white sauce. I washed it down with a cup of their luke-warm, mediocre coffee.
OK... to end on more of a positive note... the location is great. Easy to park on the street, great after-dinner walk.
Our food was cooked perfect!  Calamari fritti just right - succulent  and tender.  Linguini and red clam sauce with a good amount of garlic and lemon to make it taste just right - I requested them not to be shy with these seasonings. Chicken picatta - cut with fork soft and sooo flavorful.  Kids had penne and meatballs which were gobbled up too.  Pics of plates coming!
Bread was a big let down though  as it tasted mass produced and  pre packaged ( pushing itts expiration date).  They did serve it with a nice oil and vinegar though.
Service was very good. Â Our server was anticipating our needs well and was delightful. Â One star above, just for her.
Place had a nice atmosphere - I wish we could have eaten in  the open air center portion of the restaurant, but there was a party going on.  We sat inside and the noise kevel was pretty high when the restaurant filled up.  Our kids raised their voices accordingly :)
With the party, there  was a line to use one of the two small bathrooms.  Bathrroom was not as clean as I would have liked.
Overall, we had some good food and a nice time before taking a walk on the beach down the road. Â We will be back for sure.
An absolutely fantastic Italian restaurant. I just visited San Clemente for the first time this past weekend and went to Yelp for the best food in the area. While Carbonara only had a 3.5, I tried it out anyway because it was close to where I was living. Also, I check in on some forums on Reddit and people who live in the area said to try this place out. I'm glad I did.
The funny thing is that my food was the most disappointing in my group. I had the Penne Arrabiata (which is why I'm only giving this place four stars, sorry...) I've had better (try Bossa Nova's in L.A.) However, everyone else in my group had some fantastic food. The carbonara is obviously great, but so was the four cheese pasta.
I don't usually get dessert at restaurants, but I was in the mood this time. And I'm so glad I was. I had the vanilla gelato and it was AMAZING. My friends had the mango dessert and the chocolate moose. Both were also very good. Highly recommended.
This place was entirely disappointing from the moment we sat down til the moment we left. Our server was incredibly inattentive--took 15 min to come back after we were seated and just plain forgot my glass of wine. Bread was tasteless and cheap, salad was limp lettuce with bland dressing, penne alla vodka was not good. Ingredients weren't fresh and overall service was a huge bummer. Will never go back to this restaurant.
Review Source:Having only eaten here a few times over the last three years, I'd have to say Carbonara is, for us, more memorable for the company at our table than for the food or ambiance. But if you're a regular, maybe it's your fav' spot? I sense that it can be good to very good. But for us, this evening, it was adequate, but not on par with "really good Italian fare."
While the servers were pleasant, the kitchen, this evening, couldn't serve my Italian sausage hot. It was cold and went back to the kitchen for a replacement. And our pasta entrees were served "warm." My linguini with chicken in white sauce was served with noodles that looked like they sat for a bit under the heat lamps in the pass. I doubt the owner was watching the food leave the kitchen.
The consolation? We four, this Saturday evening, benefited from a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> $25 gift certificate that I purchased a couple hours ahead of our 730p dinner for only $3. It made our meal a very tolerable $15 per person; no booze, just the entrees, which include a simple salad, and the "house bread and water." (same thing they serve at L.A. County lockup, right?)
With all the Italian restaurants in South Orange County... and the world for that matter... I doubt we'll return any time soon. But please, don't pass up Carbonara if you're in San Clemente. It's in what I like to think of as a quaint little village shop building, sharing space with a few other businesses.
As hard as it is to run a restaurant business, I feel for any restaurant owner. They were busy tonight, and I doubt the kitchen was at their best. But to be fair, and only because their prices are very reasonable, I suggest you give 'em a shot and judge for yourselves.
This is my favorite restaurant in San Clemente. Â They have a great wine selection and I love love love their entrees! Â I've never had anything here that was less than amazing. Â I also joined their email list and received a coupon for a free dessert...a very nice touch :) I suggest eating at Carbonara's every single time I have a date night with my husband because I love it so much!
Review Source:I never miss a chance to dine at Carbonara's when I am in San Clemente! I can always count on the good food and great service. Last week I had to go with the Halibut since, owner Tony let me know that it was in season, fresh and had just arrived that day. Oh yes! By far the best choice on the menu that night! Seared halibut, served with artichokes and tomatos over a lemon risotto. Yummy!
Review Source:We had an enjoyable evening with another couple who were visiting from the Midwest. Â The atmosphere was great in spite of our loud conversations and laughter, service was good and the food was fine. Â I requested a substitution to an entree which was handled without a problem. Â We even had a friendly chat with Tony, the owner, who happens to be from my old neighborhood in Chicago. We'll be back.
Review Source:Good Italian food find in a cozy comfy environment.. Â I've just recently moved to San Clemente and have realized it's hard to find good Italian food around here. Â I've tried a few others in the area between San Clemente and Mission Viejo and so far this is the best. Â I think it's been around for many many years.
Review Source:On an evening out with the ladies we tried going to the cellar for wine and gossip. Being that it was a Friday night every single restaurant/bar down del mar was packed. We opted to try Carbonara, and it happened to have 1 available table waiting for us. We had a blast! Our waiter was extremely helpful with picking wines and entrees. The prices were decent for a fancy italian restaurant. And the portions were huge! We defintely will be going back to try the many other options on the menu that all sounded amazing
Review Source:Italian food at its finest! Â If you are looking for a romantic or even fancy Italian meal then this is the right spot. Â The service is always outstanding and the food is delicious! Â It's a bit on the pricey side so for me it's more of a special occasion kind of place. Â And you must not leave without dessert!!
Review Source:Great upscale dining. But this place dose not forget what town they are in. Lay back surfing town staff does not for get on the details. Food selection is the prime in downtown SC. Prices are fair and atmosphere makes you feel at home.
The owner of the restaurant has participated in countless community events with not only his time but in donations.
ENJOY
IF YOU READ THIS REVIEW, YOU WILL SEE I AM NOT "LOW-BALLING" THIS PLACE.
I have eaten here quite a bit. Â I have lost count. Â Maybe 20-30x. Â There was a time when I would have given it 5-Stars -- 4 at least.
I would say that sometime in '07, maybe '06, -- the service and food has taken a nose-dive. Â Very sad because there was ambience, a great acoustic guitar player from Argentina and their various steaks, pastas, and their version of oysters rockefeller, was straight up top-notch.
Ahhhh the good ol' days... Â Another reviewer said the mashed potatos seem out of a box. Â Agree... Â The quality has plummeted. Â The service is now "out of a box" as well. Â I mean when they decided to suck, they decided to go down in all aspects of the restuarant. Â They must have had a team meeting with chants of "WE'RE GONNA SUCK! Â WE'RE GONNA SUCK!"
So what drove me to a 1-Star? Â The "Service." Â Their service used to be great and I tipped accordingly--like 25-30%. Â Half of my working life I have interacted with "the public" in some sort of capacity, so if anyone is sympathetic to Joe Waiter or Jane Waitress, it's me.
How you have one of ONLY three tables in the restuarant take almost 15 minutes between our "still looking" at the menu and the waitress' return trip to see if we're ready is beyond me. Â Holding on to memories past, I gave the new server the benefit or the doubt. Â Maybe she's a rookie, maybe somethings going on in the back... Â whatever. Â THEN, AND I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP, the drinks that the waitress finally brought had a "not so right" taste to it...
I had the fortitude to take two more slugs of it to make sure it was as gross as I thought it was. Â Why if it was so disgusting? Â I think I had to retry it because my memories and visuals of the nice ambiance before me was not syncing up with what my taste buds were registering. Â With my best poker face, to make sure it wasn't just me, I looked across the table and got the same reaction. Â So it wasn't just me. Â I paired this together with what I perceived as a Diva attitude waitress and it all added up. Â We walked out -- never to return. Â When we told her what we thought in code, saying "these drinks taste 'funny'" we got a shallow and caddy "Really?" Â It was as authentic as a 1$ DVD of a movie currently in theaters that you could on a street corner in Thailand.
Sad. Â I want to clarify too... Â I never got snide, rude, holier-than-thou, short-tempered or anything. Â In fact I wasn't overly nice or condescending. Â I played it right down the middle leaning heavy to the polite side. Â I have no idea what set this (censored) off. Â Some people probably don't like seeing others having a good time. Â Maybe I looked like her "ex" or something? Â Who knows and who cares.
I aint going back and I advise the reader do not go--your time and money is too valuable.
My wife and I love this place. Â It's best feature is a toss up between the entres and the ambience. Â Every Friday or Saturday we've been there, there has been great low key music. Â It's cozy inside, and the three tables by the window give you a romantic view of Del Mar. Â The food has always been awesome except one time we had bruschetta that wasn't toasted well. Â Everything else has been great. Â I usually get the ravioli which has a tangy and fresh sauce, and great ravioli. Â It is tucked in on the side of Del Mar, near the top of the street, and is worth a visit for a great Italian meal.
Review Source:i guess it's one of the few places where you can have a nice dinner for an occasion in san clemente.
I had the Taglioline Caprini. Sauteed fresh chopped roma tomatoes, spinach and sundried tomatoes with garlic and olive oil tossed with linguine pasta topped with goat cheese. Â pretty good. Â The bake rigatone was pretty good too.
see pics!
I would give it 3.5 stars if available. Â :) Â If you are interested in having an affair with a married person...this is a place to go. Â No one will see you. Â Food is excellent. Â No music at all though. Â Not even in the background. Â Service is good, but hours are odd. Â So make sure you check the hours. Â I forget what they are. Â They close between lunch and dinner. Â Dumb. Â But it really is a yummy place to eat and relax. Â Vino is grand.
Review Source:Hmmm...I'm giving this place three stars because I have mixed feelings. Â
Upon entering this establishment I was charmed by the coziness and the energy of the restaurant, like that of a mom & pop- shop. Â Every table was filled and there was a short wait to be seated. Â I thought for sure I was in for a savory meal.
That wasn't my experience. Â I ordered the VITELLO SALTIN BOCCA ($19.95 Veal layered with prosciutto, provolone cheese, and fresh sage). Â The entre was served with mashed potatoes that tasted like they were from a box, steamed vegetables, and a soggy side salad that was drenched in dressing. The dish resembled that of a mediocre wedding reception buffet.
However, I had the chance to talk with another patron while waiting in line for the ladies room (one stall located outside of the restaurant). I asked her how her meal was. Â She said she had a pasta dish, licked her lips, and said it was really delicious.
There has to be something great about this place to be so crowded. Â Maybe I ordered the wrong dish? Â Maybe it was an off night? Â Dunno (shoulder shrug).
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