Our order came out wrong... And what we got was horrible. Usually the Kartabar pizza is awesome, the one with the figs and a light sauce. Â Also, we almost always have decent service but it seemed like this night we had a server that was clearly not interested in serving us in a timely manner. I would say we will not be back anytime soon...
Review Source:I love the allure and ambience of this college area restaurant. Â The martinis are to die for, the food is scrumptious. Â The watchful eye of the manager is invasive and an insult to the hardworking waitresses.
Not only are the cocktails mixed to perfection, but the service has always been ideal. Â The waitstaff has always been ok key and done a fantastic job. Â Strangely.. I've never seen a male server... only bus boys.
Today... I experience the best service Kartabar has ever given me from server, Ashely. Â She was FANTASTIC! Â ...you all know that I can be harsh, but she was perfect. Â She was personable, gave advice about the menu, and was even able to offer a vegetarian's point-of-view - in my opinion, it doesn't get any better than that.
So.... why only 3 stars you ask? Â Well... if I could rate this place on my server AND food AND drinks ONLY.... it would be 5 stars.. However...
In the past, I've experience less than mediocrity. Â For example.... I would order a "Stoli Razz" on the rocks... something I drank every day for years... and I would be served some bottle-shelf raspberry vodka instead. Â Of course I would tell them that "this isn't stoli" and they would insist... really? Â If you don't have it... it's cool... I'll get something else - it's not like I would have walked out - but now... I feel that I should have.
Back to today...
When we sat down we asked to sit outdoors. Â After 20 or so minutes it got a little chilly... hello, it's New England... so since it wasn't busy we asked if we could sit at the high-top next to the open window. Â "Of course!" she said! Â ...so we moved in... and we were enjoying conversation and martinis. Â Then the wind came and blew my friends glass over and it shattered on the ground... no big deal I thought... Mama always told me "No sense crying over spilt milk"... Â Anyway... our waitress came over and told us it was no big deal... but the manager... (maybe he doesn't realize how well his voice carries through an empty restaurant at high noon) tells her "DON'T GIVE HIM A FREE DRINK!" ...... really? Â We weren't going to ask for one but wtf....
Next... our food comes out and YUM!!! Â Love love love it!
Our waitress is again taking great care of us and we are complimenting the bartender when my friend turns in his chair - and since our table was virtually 12"X12" knocked his dish onto the floor... Â Oops.. Â Whatever.. Â He ordered another and paid for it.... Â Which is good since the manager then abruptly made it clear not to replace the pizza.
Then, perhaps he thought he was charming or funny or idk what... but he decided to pay our table a visit and apologize that our waitress put us at such a small table and since there were TWO of us he would have suggested a larger table..... Um... How many people come to lunch ALONE that you would put them at this table??
Anyway.... I really enjoyed the food. Â I really enjoyed the drinks. Â I really enjoyed my waitress. Â However... I don't know that I feel comfortable enough to go back here.... Â There is a bad taste in my mouth about the way the POSITIVELY great staff is treated... and the rumors of sexism appear to be true. Â Thank me for the 3 stars. Â I'll try again in another 2 years....
This restaurant is subpar all around.
The lunch menu is typical americana - burgers, pizzas, salads, and paninis. Â Nothing unique or interesting. Â Since everything is served on bread or has dressing with unknown ingredients, kartabar is not gluten free-friendly. Â That being said, the servers were good about asking the chefs if the fries were cross-contaminated with flour products (they are), and they were happy to sub grilled veggies for them.
Service leaves a lot to be expected. Â Our tables were dirty when we sat down, and our servers kept forgetting to give us the extra napkins we had requested. Most importantly, we were there with a job candidate and the attire of the servers was inappropriate - club-worthy but distracting in a day-lit restaurant. Â A little class would go a long way.
As I see it, the only good thing about kartabar is that it is rather empty at lunch, so there is room for even very large groups.
Good place to go with a group...nice music...nice mature crowd and good service most of the time my last waitress wasnt to nice or helpful but im giving her the benefit of the doubt everyone has a bad day...I would definitely go again and i definitely recommend you to go to this spot...
Review Source:This was my first experience with the restaurant seen in Providence and It was definitely a good one. The service was great, and our waitress was very attentive and knoweldge about both the drinks, as well as the menu. The ambience was very laid back but chic. We started with the Calamari and the Bacon Wrapped Scallops to start, both very well prepared and delicious. For dinner I had the Sesame Tuna, while my partner in crime had the Kartabar pizza. The Tuna was good but not great, I wouldn't recommend someone go there to get this dish; however I wouldn't not recommend it either. My friend had the Kartabar pizza and this was very good. She ordered extra Balsamic Sauce to drizzile over the pizza and this really took the dish from good to great. Happy yelping. K
Review Source:I loved it here! My cousin and I went to Thayer St. to have a cocktail and walk around. Â The owner, Phillipe, greeted us and sat us at the bar, where we meet our super friendly bartender named Malinda. I had a fantastically refreshing cucumber martini made with Organic Cucumber Crop Vodka & I think it was a cucumber Hendricks gin- could be wrong- but it was delicious! I loved the atmosphere, there was a Halloween party going on later that evening that Malinda invited us to and the whole placed was decked out. Great spot!
Review Source:What a cute & cozy bar in Providence. Â
Our server Karla was very sweet and helpful. Â Drinks was good & service was fast. Â Owner Philippe was there on the night and he came over and drink with us, that was very nice of him. Â
I heard the food was good there, cant wait to go back to try them all!!!
My first foray into cocktails. Their martini list is something over which I've drooled for years, and continue to daydream about... it's unparalleled in its offerings and flavours. From the flaming espresso (real flames!) to the more fruity/citrus-y drinks, Kartabar does it all, and does it to perfection.
And the calamari! How could I mention Kartarbar without singing praises of its beautiful calamari? This is THE benchmark for fried squid. Imagine golden, crispy pieces of calamari, drizzled in fresh lemon juice, paired with scrumptious pieces of fried yellow banana peppers... it's amazing. Every. Single. Time. I've still never found a place that does calamari quite like Kartabar.
They've also got an awesome selection of food (including plenty of veggie options) at amazing prices. Something I definitely appreciated while I was a student. Plus, it just all tasted good. (Highlights: their tomato basil soup... omg. do it. you can thank me later; caprese wrap; all of their pizzas.) I was never disappointed with anything I got here. Good service always adds to the experience, and I've always had an excellent time here. In fact, one of my sorority sisters used to be a hostess at Karabar, so, obviously, they choose quality people. :o)
There's a ton of seating options here, ranging from high tops, circular cushioned booths, and outdoor seating, as well. If you've got a private party, there's a small back room behind the bar area, too.
It turns into a nightclub-y scene as it gets later, which is also pretty fun. So, really, in one day you could go from taking your family there for lunch to having drinks with a date in the evening to dancing with your girls at night... all at Kartabar. Now that's what I call a home run!
Solid food, great location if you live on College Hill / go to Brown, but the service leaves something to be desired. The food can take a very long time and they are not the friendliest. It is one of the only restaurants you can go to in the area that makes you feel like you're having a girls night out, though!
Review Source:After my husband and I went shopping on Thayer Street in Providence on Saturday night, we headed home to drop off our bags only to head back to Thayer for dinner with friends! A group of five of us all met at Kartabar, a College Hill hot spot with plenty of on-the-curb seating as well as tables by huge open glass windows, perfect for taking in the summertime Thayer Street scene.
Kartabar is a seen and be seen kind of place for sure. Serving up Mediterranean-esque cuisine, but also with plenty of American comfort food staples like grilled pizza, pasta, burgers and sandwiches, Kartabar is a place I used to frequent quite a bit in my early 20s as a student at Brown. While it is a restaurant by day and night, it also turns into a lounge/club after about 11 P.M. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. My bff and I spent many, many a night at Kartabar- if fact, she even met her now-husband there!
But this time around, we went for the food, not the dj and dancing! We made a reservation for seven o' clock and showed up a bit early. Â We were seating in a side room by one of their bars (not the main one). It wasn't really a bar people were sitting at at that time of day, but I am sure late night it becomes quite popular!
While we were not seated directly next to an open window overlooking the street, we still had a spot pretty close to the window. It was a gorgeous day- the sun was shining in behind me!
The restaurant had an awesome vibe. It was busy but with a light, airy atmosphere. Clearly people were there to kick back and relax, soaking up the funky Thayer street ambience. I was really digging the experience!
As far as the food- we were all pretty hungry and ordered right away. Most of us skipped the app department and zeroed in on the main course. I ordered two components: first a poached pear salad with greens, walnuts, raisins and a raspberry vinaigrette. It also came with blue cheese, which I requested to be left off. I noticed they had roasted beets on one of their other salads, so I asked if I could add those also, and the waitress happily obliged. Â Let's not forget the onion strings which were generously heaped on top of the while thing!
The salad definitely hit the nail on the head as far as decadent, delicious vegan salads go! The poached pears were infused with cinnamon, which added a perfect touch of sweetness that went well with the golden raisins. The walnuts provided the necessary crunch factor, and the beets were just an excellent addition. Of course, the onion strings brought a new level of flavor and saltiness that took the salad over the top. Â The raspberry dressing was also very flavorful- a little went a long way! The salad was pretty big too- not that I didn't devour the whole thing!
To accompany the salad, I also ordered fries. I asked if I could do a mix of their sweet potato and regular fries, which again, they had no issue with. I already knew Kartabar fries are amazing, and they didn't disappoint this time around! Crispy on the outside, seasoned with herbs and creamy on the inside, I can't honestly decide if I liked the sweet potato fries or regular ones better!
I ate most of them drowned in ketchup (though they did come with some kind of aoli which I avoided due to the dairy thing!).
Everyone else loved their meals also it seemed- my husband downed his burger in record time! The food at Kartabar, at least for someone like me who doesn't eat dairy and limits gluten, is really good- clearly they are willing to make changes to their menu dishes to accommodate those with dietary restrictions with no issue. I am pretty sure too if you called ahead and asked for more of a custom entrée (rather than just a salad/side combo) that was vegan or gluten-free, they would cook up something delicious. I was pretty impressed with Kartabar overall- great vibe, creative and tasty food, a helpful and plentiful waitstaff and a cool atmosphere! I was really glad to be able to have the summertime Kartabar experience this past Saturday night! It's definitely one I would recommend if you want quality food in a prime people-watching spot.
With only 5 tables outside, my friends and I were lucky to snag one on such a beautiful day in Providence.
Less than 5 minutes after sitting down, our waitress came over and offered us water or a specialty cocktail, since it was happy hour and all but we are boring and stuck with water.
Since we had been walking around all day, we were starving and stated off with the fried calamari as an appetizer. It was not too crunchy and not too chewy - really really good and that's because I am pretty particular about my squid!
There were too many options on the menu that made my mouth water but I decided on the Pesto cream gnocchi with chicken. It was delicious, creamy and seriously this  portion was large enough to share between two people!
Service was great, my water glass never went empty and our waitress came by to check on us every 10 minutes and the food pretty good.
I cannot comment on how the place is when it turns into a full out bar but I suggest going in the daylight, sitting outside on a pretty day and ordering the calamari!
After four years of living in Providence, I finally made it to Kartabar for the first time. While it wasn't bad, I can't say I've been missing out by not trying it earlier. The service was good, especially considering I went with a group, but the food was lackluster.
I opted for the Caprese Wrap, with plum tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, onions, greens, and sweet balsamic glaze. I was disappointed that it came wrapped in a tortilla and amounted to little better than what I could have made myself in the cafeteria. I requested mashed potatoes instead of fries (for an extra dollar), which was a great choice. (It's hard to go wrong with garlic mashed potatoes!) Including the extra charge for the mashed potatoes, the wrap was $8-- not a bad price.
A friend ordered Lobster Ravioli with pink cream sauce, which he reported as not very special, particularly for the price ($15).
If I went back, I would try the Cappelli di Angelo, pasta with house marinara and Reggiano.
Kartabar....what in the world happened to you? I was in town for a few days to show off my little daughter to my in-laws and wanted to get some drinks here because I am a fan of your martinis. When I lived in Mass years ago, my husband and I would come here for some drinks and apps and I always had a great time. The food was always tasty, the atmosphere had a buzz, and the clientele were well-dressed and classy.
My my my have the tides come in or what. We came in on Friday and I swear I thought I was on the set of Jersey Shore. My eyes were hurting from all of the orange, fake tanned folks in there. And my ears were bleeding from the obnoxious chatter that filled the room. The attire definitely went down hill. Gone are the days of simple, flattering fitting clothes. Replaced are the baggy jeans, baseball caps with a flat brim worn on the side, and ghetto gold chains.
When our waitress was done talking with her friends, we were able to get in a few drinks which were ok. It would have been better if the drinks were more consistent. My friend ordered the exact same drink I had and hers was 2 shades darker.
That said, If we ever head back to RI, I would not stop in.
Went there for late lunch/early dinner around 4pm. It wasnt busy at all, We got seated right away. Service was good and fast. We enjoyed our time.
My friend had the Beef Carpaccio and the other one had the mussels in red sauce (they are available in white too).
I, myself had the littlenecks they cooked with dry vermouth. Oh my God. So so so yummy.
The other appetizers were good too but mine was the best!
Hmm all entree came with mashed potato, they were a little bland.. But my lambshank was good, fall of the bone tender.
Balsamico chicken is not
bad and their fish dish are awesome.
3 people, overall 145$
Happy, full, satisfied people that is. Will be coming back.
Yes! A $6 burger with cheddar cheese never fails, especially in the low-light ambience Kartabar has.
I have eaten at many a restaurant on Thayer. It is a quiet gem during the day and pretty busy at night.
Last week, they played R&B from the nineties while serving me a drink I created: Coconut Rum, RedBull and a splash of Cran. Try it, they'll make it right. Good service and ambience, 4-stars.
Kartabar is alright. I stopped by here on a Saturday afternoon to read outside. The bartender was extremely friendly, and there were plenty of spaces at the tables outside and inside next to the window.
I ordered a gimlet to sip on while I read. The drink was $9. Yikes! Was steep given the ambiance and nearby alternatives.
I wanted to like this place - i really did. My room mate had flying reviews for this place so i decided to go for a brunch adventure here. The food was alright, nothing too special, a decent veggie pocket but my friend's champagne sea bass was disappointing. The whole plate was covered with butter.
The service was borderline poor. I asked to be seated outside and the waitress said ''if you really have to..."
I love this place because they have super chill music from around the world. Their food is pretty good and the atmosphere is nice. They have some outdoor seating (not a lot--like 3-4 tables).
The bruschetta is OMG good. Not your typical bruschetta... it is creamy goodness. What I hate about this place is some of the clientele. If I wanted to go to North Providence I would.
If you want a lil posh dinner in the city this is your kinda place
Kartabar looks like a wannabe upscale eatery at first. Â The dark decor, fun-looking bar, and wide open windows promise a great time, but not necessarily great food.
I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying much more than the ambiance.
Now... I've only been to Kartabar twice, and both for lunchtime eats. Â So I haven't tried some of the more expensive entrees. Â But the sandwiches are affordable, accompanied by really great fries, and give you exactly what the doctor ordered. Â The tuna steak sandwich is great. Â The tuna is simply grilled, thick cut, and have all the usual fixins. Â The fixins are admittedly pretty standard--but the ensemble is just clean, well-crafted, and well seasoned. Â The fresh mozerella and tomato sandwich is also very good. Â Exactly what you would expect and hope from a mozerella and tomato sandwich. Â No surprises. Â No fake punches. Â Just right.
Overall, I plan on going back to Kartabar often. Â When I'm in the mood for a well-rounded and satisfying sandwich with fries, it may even be the first place I'll go.
Kartabar's pull was more about the al fresco element than the food for me. It was a glorious, sunny day and all I wanted to do was lunch outside. Thayer wasn't as crazy as it usually is, so things were pleasant.
The service was great - our waitress was sweet and attentive. Having never been there, she helped me put together my order with ease and a smile. Sweets.
I've gotta keep it real: their fries were AMAZING. I would go back for these alone. Seriously, kids - I don't know what they do to them, but I could have stuffed my face with these all day long by the bushel. Seriously good eatin'. The other items were ok. We had a burger and the grilled chicken skewers, both were nothing special, but we ate most of it.
I will go back here to gorge myself on their french fires, and perhaps a cocktail, as their menu was teeming with them and had it not been mid-day, and were I not a light-weight, I would have imbibed. The inside is gorgeous and I can see why this is a very lively night spot. perhaps I should go back for the full-on bar effect, but until next time, Kartabar is A-OK with Trippple H.
KartaBar
I like to come here when it's slow and not over-run with the college th-sat evening crowd. This would probably be a weekend during the day.
The food is good, and the service is friendly. Nothing to write home about, but decent.
The ambiance is lounge-y and depending on the day, the music is either upbeat or mellow.
For me, this is a good spot to come for meeting up with girl friends.
Kartabar is best for: Â lunch on a weekday, or drinks in the evening. Â It isn't overrun with students and usually is even quiet enough to have a good conversation over a work lunch (although the music volume has been climbing up and up each time I go there).
If they ever have the special calamari appetizer with reduced balsamic vinegar, get it.
Visiting on a recent Sunday evening, Kartabar seemed a bit unsure of what it wanted to be. Â Lounge? Â Sports Bar? Â Club? Â Restaurant?
Lounge - the motif is certainly that of a nice lounge - good use of contrasting colors and textures, lighting to match, and a very comfortable vibe. Â
Sports Bar - ok, this is a stretch, the only reason i even mention it is because they did have a projection screen going with the Steelers/Jets AFC Championship game. Â It seemed a bit out of place given the general atmosphere and decor.
Club - another stretch, but a DJ did appear about halfway through the dinner - the music then got a bit louder (not distractingly so, but enough that it couldn't be ignored). Â I could understand this on a Friday/Saturday, but again, it seemed out a place on a Sunday evening, especially since the place was far from full.
Restaurant - the menu has serious options - i went with a pasta dish that i was very satisfied with, my date with a pizza that she seemed to enjoy. Â Prices were very reasonable.
It may sound like i'm being critical, but i very much enjoyed my visit to Kartabar. Â Service was quite friendly, and I would certainly make a return visit. Â But i would be sure to try a different night of the week, when it's not exhibiting a bit of multiple-personality-disorder.
Very excited to see that Kartabar is being renovated this week!
Visit early enough to eat and then stay for drinks. I haven't had a bad time yet!
Bartenders are friendly and you'll get to know them quickly. Try an Espresso Martini on the rocks.
At about 10PM, it becomes more of a bar atmosphere and the tables will start moving to make way for a dance floor. Most come here for the bar scene but the food is really under appreciated!
It's small enough that you won't be able to have a conversation later in the evening. The music is just too loud.
Parking on Thayer Street can be tricky. Never been and had to pay a cover.
Initially hesitant to try this place due to the "Jersey Shore" type crowd, but glad I did as turns out they have the best veggie burger and french fries in Providence. They put two really nice pieces of grilled zucchini on the burger which is a great touch, and they don't use those terrible, mushy Dr. Praeger's burgers with the whole peas in them either.
Those sensitive to over-cologned men take note: on a recent visit, the gentleman working behind the bar was so drenched in cologne that he managed to engulfed the entire bar area in a toxic cloud of stank. It was suffocating. You might want to sit at a table far, far away from the bar, near a source of ventilation, to avoid a similar situation!
No waiting on a Saturday night. Very dim. Â Attentive staffs
Food was ok. Â Champaign sea bass was a bit too oily. Â Comes with a side of broccoli and carrots and a scoop of mash potatoes. Â The mash potatoes is where I take out a star. Â It was not hard and tasted like packed mash potato. Â
Can hardly taste the alcohol in the tropical sangria.
Overall: it's ok
The douchebag quota is extraordinarily high here on weekends and late  nights, but the food's surprisingly good.  I love the tomato-basil soup, also the hummus.
The wine list is small, but conservatively priced and the cocktails aren't half bad. Â This is a good place for some lower priced eats and a few drinks, especially in the summer (outside dining, window wall that opens completely).
Just the mention of "Kartabar" makes my skin bristle at the recollection of the nonstop parade of dragon-motif shirts, excessive hair gel use, gut-wrenching techno and orange faces that I can only presume to be suntans.
Oof.
I've obviously never got around to eating there -- the "nightlife" was enough of a taste.
Providence was small, and had a quaint, historic feel to it. I loved spending the weekend there.
Thayer street is one of the spots tourists visit because it has cute shops and restaurants. We walked there from our hotel and found this place as the lucky winner to our What's For Dinner Tonight contest!!!
The decor is absolutely fabulous. It's modern, chic, versatile. You could go with friends for a cocktail at the bar or go out on a date with your Sweetheart. Our waitress was hitting on my gf and I I think, which was fine cuz she was cute too. Haha. The service was friendly. :)
The food was excellent. We had the Caprese, tomato-basil soup (which was excellent) and I had gnocchi. Cooked amazingly without it being too potato-y. Gnocchi gets like that sometimes if it ain't good. I recall us having drinks and then some wine but I forget specifically what we got, but I do recall them being shaken/poured to perfection. If I ever find myself in RI I'm making a trip back here.
Good food, GREAT soup. Â The soup is an incredible deal that comes in a face-sized plate/bowl, well-spiced and hot. Â In one of these ubiquitous mid-class restaurants that tries to do everything, they don't crap any of it up. Â Crab cakes are delish, risotto was a little hard but nice and creamy, go to Paragon for pasta, steak was good. Â Deserts were all ok--I would pass--especially on the fried ice cream, which got the batter all wrong.
I had issues with how dark it was at the tables (seriously, I had a few issues seeing my food), but the music is catchy.
Good for when you want something that feels a bit classier.
This may seem like a pretentious bar from the exterior, but once you walk inside it's very welcoming. Â It's kind of euro, and the music is good at night. Â Don't come here in a baseball cap and sneakers, it's just not that type of place. Â
The food is excellent and the prices are great. Â I use to come here a lot when I was an undergrad living in Providence. Â I still try to make it down to Providence just to come here, it's so good and probably one of my favorite restaurants.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
