Carmelo's Ristorante Italiano — Restaurant in West Vancouver

It's been about 5 years since I have been there. I was very much looking forward to it, I had been frequently in the past. Always had excellent food and great service.

Something has changed...is it just the cooks? Food was good, but not amazing. I had the scallop and prawn lemon risotto. Two Scallops and 3 prawns. Risotto did not taste lemon, but has a bitter flavour that I can't describe. Not unpalatable, but nota good flavour. Rack of lamb was enjoyed and so was the lobster ravioli. Desserts, baileys creme brulee...was fridge cold, the brulee was definitely done well in advance. Affagato...Soooooo disappointing! The last time I was there, yes a long time ago, they had a REAL espresso machine, and made fabulous espresso's...Now, its NESPRESSO ☹. Coffee with NO flavour. What a shame. I didn't realize it was a Nespresso machine, until I mentioned that the espresso was terrible. It wasn't removed from the bill. The small things that make a huge difference. Hope Carmelo understands QUALITY IS IMPORTANT IN ALL AREAS.

Atmosphere: it is nice, but we were seated by the door and with it opening and closing constantly, not the most comfortable on the cool evenings of winter.

Also they have a lamp that seems to flash multi colors, and is irritating when you are seated near it.

Will I go back... Yes, probably. A one off not GREAT experience is no reason not to give them a second chance, when history has been so good, but the passing years, have there been changes made to lower the qualities?

I would like to add an update to this review that I left recently.

Management at Carmelo's responded to me and asked me to reach out to them personally. I did so, and have had positive correspondence with them. I am really impressed with how seriously they take their reviews, and how quick they are to take action. Thank you Carmelo's!

I went to Carmelo's again this past week. To celebrate my wife's birthday. THEY WERE FANTASTIC ! My wife had the rack of lamb, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and I had the lasagna. It was very good. It is made in house. A very nice sized portion. If I hadn't stuffed my face with the delicious focaccio bread beforehand, I wouldn't have been quite so full.. of course there's always space for dessert. My wife had the tiramisu, excellent, and I had the chocolate cake. It was very delicious and kind of like a brownie.

I didn't have the affagato, although, I will give it a try next time. I was told afterwards that there has been an improvement.

It was a great meal with excellent service. Our server Andrea was absolutely lovely.

Thank you Carmelo's! I will be back and look forward to another...

This is our third time visiting Carmelo’s in West Vancouver. Make sure to book a reservation if you want to eat here as the restaurant fills up fast.

Our reso was for their first seating at 5pm, we were the first to enter the restaurant on this evening. You are always greeted with a warm smile and comfortable greetings from their staff. Andrea has been our waitress previously and I cannot thank her enough for the time and care she takes with us. Her contagious smile and bubbly personality really elevate our dinning experience and make us feel like we are part of the family. So Andrea, I hope you read this and know you are one of the best!

Onto the food. To start my partner ordered the fungi risotto and I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Every time we visit and my partner orders the risotto she expresses that it was better than the last, as we proceed to wipe the bowl clean with the fresh focaccia. The spaghetti and meatballs are delicious and full of flavour. The meatballs are cooked to perfection. The meal was nothing short of excellent.

For and entree we decided to split the scallops and shrimp in a lemon butter sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly, seasoned well, and the acidity of lemon compliments the rich seafood well. The dish is served with steamed carrots, broccoli, squash and brown butter sage mashed potatoes. The execution of the food is 10/10 every time we have visited.

As we sat there after the meal, we didn’t feel rushed to leave. Just another note of recognition to the comfortable atmosphere the restaurant and their staff.

I’ll leave it on this last comment; before we had even stood up and left the restaurant we had already made a plan with one another to return again soon.

Thank you again to the cooks and front of house staff who made our night....

Carmelo’s in West Vancouver is one of those places where you think, “Wow, I could become a regular here.” The food? Absolutely five-star. We ordered pasta, salmon, veal, and lasagna—and every single dish was outstanding. Fresh, balanced flavours, perfectly cooked, and plated with care. Honestly, the kitchen at Carmelo’s deserves nothing but praise.

Service on the evening we dined was also top-notch. The staff were warm, attentive, and made us feel welcome. On food and same-day service alone, this would have been an easy five-star review.

But then came the ambience. Dining during a heat wave, with the “air conditioner” humming away while the windows were wide open, felt less like an Italian dinner and more like a wellness retreat in a steam room. Our server knew it was hot—my sister-in-law even joked that she was using her menu as a fan. As the evening progressed, though, the heat level became impossible. Perhaps it was Carmelo’s attempt at immersive Mediterranean dining: “feel the climate of Southern Italy while you eat.”

Wanting to help, I phoned the next day to share some feedback. That’s where the experience soured. The lady I spoke with was abrupt and dismissive—her version of customer care was a flat “thank you for letting us know,” followed immediately by a hang-up. A little coaching in service levels would go a long way, because food this good deserves customer service that actually matches it.

So here’s the verdict: Carmelo’s serves excellent food—pasta, salmon, veal, and lasagna that could easily stand against the best. But atmosphere and follow-up hospitality left much to be desired.

Go for the food, because it’s worth it. Just don’t expect the air conditioning—or the phone manners—to be nearly...