Carnivale

Carnivale is restaurant full of vibrant colors, lively music and delicious Latin cuisine. I absolutely loved their guacamole & raspberry mojitos! more

Sweet and simple. First time visitor to Carnivale and last. The restaurant looks great visually .. but thats it. This place is alll fluff, especially for the price. This is a so called Spanish and Central American type of orgy cuisines from many places around the world. Luckily I have had to visit a few of these countries. Example, Cuba, Nicaraua, Mexico, Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. I myself being from Nicaragua and a restaurant buff, I went to eat here with high hopes and expectations of unique flavors while holding true to their heritages flavors. Pricing was a bit high compared to other ""foo foo"" places. I ordered the Churasco which was $32 bucks, my wife ordered a NY Strip that was $38 bucks. Totally dissapointed with Churasco, thi is NOT a traditional Nicaraguen style Churasco .. we do not serve our churasco with sweet potatoe puree and with a goop of green stuff, which I can only assume is the Chimichuri sauce, which makes the dish. Chimichuri is actually parsley, olive oil, garlic and vinegar in a tasty colorful spread, not sauce. The NY my wife had was, well not as tender and juicy, and even smaller thant my cut of meat. The drinks were reasonable for the area and again ""foo foo"", but that was expected. The Ceviche was not a traditional ceviche, I ordered the shrimp and it was pretty, hence my title, but thats about it. Tasted too much like corn. I was expecting something different, but ateast having a citrus flavor as the foundation for a good ceviche. Very small portion as well. And desert, well .. nothing Latin about the selection. Not even a flan .. but the did have cotton candy selection?? Really?? Cotton candy as desert? Well atleast I can say I was there, I tried it and never going back. Total bill for 4 people with no desert and 5 drinks.. $237.00 and still hungry as a group. If im gonna pay that much, im sticking to Fogo De Chao, or Spiagga. more

Me, my wife and our 7-year old daughter had a terrible experience! The server was snotty. She gave my wife an attitude when she told her that my daughter has food allergies. She didn't even give suggestions on good alternatives. \r \r The food was okay, but the service is the worst I've experienced. I don't think we'll go back there again! more

GREAT!!! FOOD Me and my Girlfriends loved it, LADIES NIGHT OUT Pros: Great Waiter Cons: WAIT TIME more

I was very excited to go to Carnivale but turns out it was a huge dissapointment. My fiance and I had made a reservation for 10:00p.m. and didn't get seated until 10:45p.m. on Valentine's day. By the time we ordered, the specials were gone and the waitress was not very friendly..... she looked bothered that she had to wait on our table. The food was ok but for the price it is not worth it. I had the short rib which had alot of fat on it and the seviche was pretty good however. The decor is the best part of Carnivale. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone and considering that I saw it on Check Please which I love , the number thing that a customer wants is good service and this place needs a course on great customer service! more

I went in for Fathers day with my hubby and son! I wanted to show him a good time since we hardly ever go out. My friends had told me about this place and I thought ""hey why not"" Well the entire time I was there I was bothered. The music was much to loud to have conversation and I was bothered by my server during the entire meal. I understand you want to check on us but ever few seconds is just ridiculous. Also, there was this manager that kept yelling at the servers (or maybe she talks too loud) I dont know but it was horrible. The food was decent but nothing spectacular. I can make better rice and steak. There are much better places here in Chicago that are worth the money! Never Again Pros: I like the colors Cons: Ridiculous Staff more

I went to Carnivale for my birthday with 3 of my friends, and I am so happy we did! The space is gorgeous, with a lot of interesting photography all over, including in the bathroom. Service was great, from the moment we walked in, and our waiter was very helpful in explaining the menu. I especially liked that they buy from local farmers. Their signature raspberry mojito is worth the hype, and the caipairinhas and margaritas are very good as well. We had the guacamole to start, which was a very generous serving, with a really nice amount of spice, and it was very fresh. I had the pernil for my main course, which is shredded pork with a rum glaze, and it was fantastic! It was served with rice and beans and fried plantains, which were also excellent. It can be VERY difficult to find well-made plantains in Chicago, but Carnivale does it. The portions were very generous, as well, which is often not the case in some upscale restaurants. They even brought out a birthday dessert for me, which was tasty, but not as tasty as everything else. I didn't really care at that point, though, since I was stuffed already. I would definitely recommend making reservations here, though, because it was pretty busy, even on a rainy Thursday night. Pros: service, decor, food, drinks Cons: dessert more

I have been to Carnivale several times and loved it each time!!! The food is great - it is a bit pricey - but they also only use produce from local farmers and fish in sustainable ways - The slightly higher prices are justified. I would highly suggest making reservations - I made the mistake of not making reservations and had to wait. I totally disagree with the other posters - i thought the service was great. My waiter was attentive and very nice Pros: Great drinks, atmoshpere, great food, great music Cons: can't really think of any - maybe the price more

I went here for a friend's birthday. The decoration, color and overall presentation of the place is great but not the service nor the food. Overly priced menu with nothing special. The food selection is something I can make at home and somewhere I can find cheaper. I love the space but the service sucked! The servers were rude and the bartender more rude but I did go back for the Mardi Gras event just recently, it was great! Pros: Decor and Great Events Cons: Service and Food more

If I could give this place negative stars, I would give this place -10 stars. Here is my experience at Carnivale.... \r \r Me and my Fiance had made reservations for Carnivale for 9:30pm for a party of 2 for Friday January 18. I got there at 9:25 all excited because I have heard so many good things about Carnivale. On arrival me and my fiance checked in with the hostess. She looked on her screen for Smith. She said all that she had was Smith party for 7. The hostess handed us the pager anyway and asked us to wait by the bar. After 30 minutes my fiance went to the counter and asked the host if she was going to page us anytime soon. She said that she is just waiting for a couple of tables to clear. Another 15 minutes and still nothing! We patiently waited and waited and waited for a total of 45 minutes. Our reservation was at 9:30 not 10:15! After having enough, I returned the pager to the host. I told him that the wait time was RIDICULOUS. 45 Minutes?!?! He took the pager and said, ""What do you think that you are doing? I was just about to page you."" Page me???? ""My reservation was at 9:30!!!!"" I said to him. He replies, ""No I see here that your reservation is at 10PM for Smith."" \r \r I can't believe that they changed my reservation without even telling me. They could have at least notified me that there was a mistake or apologize. I threatened to leave and it didn't even phase the host. He just shrugged and turned the other way. If that's the host's attitude can you imagine what the upper management's attitude is like? \r \r Carivale's wait time and the snobby hosts and hostesses is absolutely ridiculous. If you like snobby hosts and having them mess up your reservations then Carnivale is the place to be!!! Pros: Nice decor, people watching Cons: Snobby hosts and long wait times more

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Carnivale. The ONLY complaint I had, TOO noisy and therefore, I had a hard time hearing the waiter. Otherwise, MUCHO fun, food was great, waiter was Superub and even the bathroom ladies, no WAITING in line. Need I say more. more

We took my friend to Carnivale for her bachelorette party. It was perfect for the occasion--big, loud and festive. The food was great too; everyone was able to find something they liked. I had the tuna and was very impressed. The drinks were fun too and the service was attentive without being obnoxious. Carnivale is a great place for groups. Pros: drinks, space, food Cons: loud more

I was taken here on a date. They didn't have any tables in the dinning room but we were able to score one in the bar. The food was incredible! We ordered a bunch of apps, both those that looked good to us and server recommened. The empanadas were fabulous! We had something with pork that was amazing! Great avocado, which can be iffy in the Midwest. I can't say enough good things about the food. And our waiter was great. Attentive without being overbaring. However, it was very loud and very smoky. That's the only downside. Other then that, GO! But make a reservation. The dining room is stunning. Pros: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD. Good drinks too. Cons: Smoky and loud. Very smoky and very loud more

My Girlfriend and I went to Carnivale early afternoon on a wednesday. The seating was fast, and the customer service was great. Stay away from the beans and rice they have a gritty cuman flavor. However the rasberry mohitos are off the chain. Early arrival or reservations are highly reccomended Pros: Atmosphere Cons: uncomfortable seating more

You have to try this place ! Based on experience and traveling extensively to Miami for business, the Latin food here is the best north of Miami. Our server Anne, was very helpful with the wide array of incredible sounding offerings. We started out with Pupusa (don't let the oxtail scare you off) and the Ropa Vieja, very tasty. For entrees, we narrowed it down to the Mama Mendez Arroz and Pernil (rum glazed pork shoulder) both of which did not disappoint. The bar drinks were very good as well, wide selection of tequillas. We will definitely be back for the live jazz night. If you are a fan of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba you owe it to yourself to check this place out. Pros: Very eclectic Cons: Not recommended for a quiet dinner more

After eating at Carnivale on many occasions, I highly recommend eating here at least once. From the stylish atmosphere to the tasty raspberry mojitos, it is a great place to eat and have fun. For starters, I would recommend the quacamole that always comes out perfect. On my last visit, my main entree was the Paella...........which was excellent! It was one of the best I have tasted in the city. Be prepared to wait long at peak times if you do not have reservations, but if you do.......the bar area is great for a drink or two. Pros: Great food, stylish surroundings Cons: Drinks can get pricey more

We went on a Wednesday evening with a small business group (5 people), one of whom was a few minutes late. The restaurant would not seat us until we were all there, which I know is a common practice, but it's irritating, overwrought and very New York in its heavy handedness, especially for a Pan-Latin place like this which claims to be big on fun. After that, it was mostly positive. The (vast) dining room buzzes, and the decor is bright and most striking. We were seated in one of the upper level areas, high above the main floor, which made for some good people watching, but was rather like eating in the nosebleeds at a hockey arena. Our server was polite, super-efficient, very knowledgeable about all aspects of the meal and we certainly didn't want for anything. My colleagues who had the mojito and raspberry mojito were also impressed. My dish, the paella-like Mama Mendez Arroz con Mariscos was simply the best meal I've had in 6 months. Brilliant. Make reservations in plenty of time, and don't try calling for cancellations. They rarely happen, and the attitude of the person on the other end of the line will leave you wishing you had never had the audacity to suggest that someone might cancel from Carnivale... Otherwise it's a great place - just make sure you all arrive together. Pros: Excellent food, bright and breezy atmosphere Cons: Sourpuss front-of-the-room staff more

I honestly cannot believe how amazing this restaurant is (and it gets better every single time I go there!) My friends always joke that I rave about this place, but now every one of them that has tried it loves it as much as I do! From the second you walk in the door and see the trendy, vibrant, original decor, you can't help but be in a good mood (which is made even better once you try their signature raspberry mojito!) So far, nothing on the menu has disappointed! For appetizers, I definitely recommend the Empanada, the fish tacos, and their fresh guacamole (that has made even my friends who swore they'd never like guacamole change their minds!) For an entree, the Arrachera (grilled skirt steak and onions,served over seasoned beans/rice) is a definite winner! This place is awesome for all types of meals: Great for a date because it's great food/atmosphere without being unreasonably expensive. Great for a family dinner, because Carnivale's chefs bring out unique South American flavors in the types of comfort dishes whole families would enjoy. And GREAT for a night out on the town with friends! (one small hint: Make reservations in advance, because I'm not the only one who loves Carnivale!) Pros: FANTASTIC FOOD/GREAT SERVICE Cons: RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST...BUSY BUSY PLACE! more

I went to Carnivale based on the recommendations of our friend & the hotel concierge. I walked in and saw the ambiance and energy in the large main dining room and was really looking forward to being seated & enjoying my experience. However, I was highly disappointed when the hostess seated us upstairs in a small, dimly lit, back room, not in the main dining room. If I wanted to dine in a small, quiet restaurant, I would not have come here. The management was not polite about reseating us and gave us no option other than to leave, which we almost did. Our entrees were good, but the mood was ruined. Had I known, I would have requested to be seated in the main dining room when I made the reservation. Pros: Good portion sizes Cons: No option of where to sit more

The mojitos are nuts, the entrees are bananas, and the desserts are official. I went here with a group of friends, and they seated us quick, service was great, and the price was decent. Despite a close friend getting so tipsy that his girlfriend had to cut his food for him, the night was a success. more