Restaurante Italiano | Casa Carmelina — Restaurant in Orihuela

Tonight we have eaten at Casa Carmelina in Valencias, Villa Martin. We booked a table for 3 of us at 7.15 and were the first ones in the restaurant. Drinks were ordered and they came quite quickly. About 20 minutes later, the waiter came to take our food order. We ordered 1 starter to share then 1 of us had lamb shank, I had spinach & ricotta ravioli and the other prawns with garlic & olive oil. We were given 3 small pieces of bruschetta and some garlic bread which we didn't order but thought that was a nice touch. The restaurant started filling up quite quickly. One hour and ten minutes after we ordered the waiter came over to say they had run out of the mozzarella required for our starter with no apology or suggestions of an alternative so we decided to go with the main course only. About 20 minutes later, the main courses arrived. The ravioli was as described but was very rich and not particularly hot, the lamb shank was very good but served with a small amount of potatoes and no veg, the prawns came in a dish with 8 small prawns in their shells, most of which were very gritty as they obviously hadn't been cleaned properly and nothing else!! There was no option of extras on the menu so we assumed they would be served with something. Not once were we asked if everything was OK or did we want another drink. When we asked for the bill, we had been charged for 4 sangria when in fact we only had one!! This was challenged and the bill amended when we discovered we had been charged €3.60 for the bread we did not order. The total bill was €64.79 for a meal when we all came away still hungry. No-one acknowledged us leaving and to top it all, the waiter dropped a full plate of food on the terrace! Needless to say, we will certainly not return and definitely not recommend. There are so many fantastic places to eat in this area, dont waste...

A disgraceful, disappointing visit. A fine dining experience, a hidden gem? Definitely in the past. Mediocrity has arrived strong and fast, let me tell you… We are returning customers and all live in separate countries with rare opportunities to come together as a family. This restaurant used to promptly serve flavourful meals - and this has clearly come to an end. We have arrived for our confirmed booking at 19:00 - the gentleman at the reception was unable to find our booking without prompting. We have been sat and served reasonably quickly with appetisers arriving in the correct order. The pizza we have ordered has arrived lukewarm, the carpaccio was almost defrosted in the plate, but the pièce de résistance was vitello tonato - slices of fried pork covered in mayonnaise with anchovies! Sure enough, a fine dining experience calls for an open mind; we have kept it open until 20:55 exactly, at which point every single table around us has been served (not without delay). The second course was three sets of various pasta for each of us - they may have been good! When we stood up to leave and express our frustration on the way out, my guy at the reception had an honest attempt at gaslighting - saying it is impossible that we have arrived at 19:00, and even if we did, there was no chance for their food to be delayed by so long. Better yet, he suggested to go look for another restaurant and wished us good luck in finding anyone better. Allegedly, the food was only waiting to be served. We paid the full amount and left. What was missing? An apology, 83 euros for a meal that was very obviously late, any sense of an elevated experience. Worst birthday dinner ever. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you to avoid our disappointment and get a headstart - look elsewhere before even...

Terrible experience !!!! Four of us went Friday evening , we booked a table in case it was too busy . Only two waiters ( Un experienced ) were working . Holes in the table cloth . No finger dip provided with muscles . No black pepper brought round after main course served . We were asked to keep our used cutlery after a course ( we declined ). They brought us out some lovely bread and a small platter of butter each , which we hadn't ordered ........it turned up rather rudely on the bill at over €4 . Their was a tax charge on top of the bill . We had 2 bottles of house wine and a bottle of water and the bill came to €120 for the 4 of us . To be honest the food was only average ...if not below average . It was expensive prices at low quality service , food etc . We will not be going ever again !!! We used to go about 15 years ago and it was excellent ...this place does have potential but it seems like the owner is out for a fast buck !!! At this rate the restaurant will...