Carmelo — Restaurant in Lyon

waow waow waow!

I recently dined at Carmelo in Lyon, and I must say it was a remarkable experience! From the moment I entered, the colorful and cozy atmosphere enveloped me. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with charming details, vintage flair, and a multi-room space that feels both intimate and lively. The eclectic decor immediately puts you in the mood for something special, and Carmelo delivers!

For my meal, I started with the Beef Tartare, which was fresh and flavorful, served with a perfectly balanced seasoning that complemented the texture of the meat. It was a bold and delicious beginning to the dining experience.

Next, I enjoyed their famous Pasta with Truffle, which was pure indulgence! The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the truffle sauce was rich and creamy, with just the right amount of earthiness. It’s a must-try for truffle lovers, as it captures the essence of this decadent ingredient in every bite.

One of the highlights of my meal was the Puglia Primitivo Wine. I ordered— Castellanovo Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. This wine had a deep, intense red color with notes of ripe dark berries, cherries, and a hint of spice. Its full-bodied flavor and smooth tannins made it the perfect pairing for both the tartare and the truffle pasta. The balance of fruitiness and earthiness in the wine complemented the dishes beautifully, enhancing the overall dining experience.

My waiter, Antonio G., was simply fantastic! He was incredibly friendly and warm, and despite dining alone, I never felt isolated. Antonio took the time to sit at my table while taking my order, making me feel like I was sharing a meal with a friend. His attention to detail and personable service added so much to the experience, making it truly memorable.

The menu at Carmelo is extensive and well-curated, offering a wide variety of classic Italian dishes. Everything is prepared with high-quality ingredients, and you can taste the authenticity in every dish. From antipasti and pizza to secondi piatti and dolci, there’s something for everyone. I especially appreciated how many of the products are imported directly from small producers in Italy, ensuring an authentic Italian dining experience.

Overall, Carmelo exceeded my expectations. The combination of great food, an excellent wine list, charming decor, and outstanding service makes it one of the best Italian restaurants in Lyon. I highly recommend visiting this gem whether you’re a local or just passing through. You won’t be...

We were really excited to dine here after reading the reviews. Unfortunately our experience wasn’t as great as the 5* reviews & here’s why: • we had reservations & when we arrived we had to queue on the reservations section of the entrance. We waited approximately 10 mins outside until we were at the front of the queue. • we were seated in a small tight corner - a table for 3. Two seats were on the long couch/bench & one wooden seat outside the table. •the plates on our table were all broken (see photos) for a restaurant that charges a pretty penny for their food & service I wouldn’t expect to cut myself on the plates Im dining on. • our waiter, Marvin, was ok but he was more focused on the bigger tables & didn’t really pay us much attention. He forgot to bring us our water & napkins - we had to wait for our main meals. •we had a small round table and had empty bottles that took up space on the table & we had to move them to the display behind us because no one came to collect the used bottles. •the restaurant is set out so that if they can put a table in any space that’s what they will do. This makes for very very tight spaces. This became an issue because one of our party has a hidden disability & the servers, wait staff, patrons who walked by our table consistently knocked into their chair & made their meal really uncomfortable. •the food - we ordered starters - croquettestar & the burrata. They were decent, nothing to write home about. For mains we ordered the crazy San marzano which was brought to our table near freezing! We ordered the mamamargarita which was good & the truffle pasta for 1 which was also good. •atmosphere - the music is just too loud at the back of the restaurant. You cannot simply just have a conversation with your party because you’re competing with the loud music. When a popular song comes on the wait staff start singing and some patrons join in. This may sound like fun but when you’re trying to have a relaxing meal it’s simply too much. Over all I’d say this restaurant was a...

It’s giving me Olive Garden/ Bucca di Peppo vibes.

Food was mediocre. Did not even come out hot. We had the seafood pasta it was bland and cold. No seafood flavor to be had. It was also on the drier side with very little sauce. Eggplant had mozzarella and some sun dried tomatoes served room temperature on hot plate. Truffle pasta was heavy, but cooked perfectly al dente. Bruschetta… I’ve never had one like this is my life. It was cheesy with pieces of the same sun dried tomatoes drizzle with pesto sauce. Pizza was the best dish.

Atmosphere is beautiful. Fun and exciting. A very loud place. Do not go here if you want to have a conversation.

Service was rushed because it’s such a busy restaurant. As soon as we sat down our waiter asked us where the 4th person was and that we should send them the menu to order. We were confused at first with this comment. Come to find out, you basically have to order all the food at once because they have about “500 reservations a day and cannot add food after,” per our waiter. I’m not sure if it was a language barrier. Maybe we would have to wait for food longer?

As we were reviewing the restaurant on the app, the waiter saw that we were unhappy and told the manager. She was so kind to speak to us and explained that the eggplant is served room temperature due to the burrata. She asked why we did not send the food back so it could be made again. We explained that we were already disappointed with the flavor. So asking for a new entree would not have changed our experience. We had already paid for the food and getting ready to leave. She reversed the charge and apologized. We did not expect that and appreciated it. She came to the conclusion that the food was meant for the French palette and not Americans. I truly believe that Italians would probably say this is not Italian food. I cannot believe how busy this place is. We had such great food in France so far. This was our first disappointment. It’s too commercialized for...