Carnivale
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (312) 850-5005
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Union Avenue
- Directions:
- Bus: 8 to Fulton Market
- Best of Citysearch:
- Bar Scene 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10:30pm, Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11:30pm, Sat 5pm-11:30pm, Sun 5pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Carnivale – by Robyn Galbos
The Scene
Vibrant and colorful define this boisterous space on West Fulton Market. From the spacious main bar, double doors reveal the principal dining room's soaring ceilings, oversized, silk-covered lanterns and walls bedecked in reds, corals and blues; smaller dining areas along the perimeter and upstairs are draped with velvet curtains. With steady salsa tunes keeping the beat, efficient, black-clad servers cater to the mixed crowd of families and see-and-be-seen types.
The Food
Borrowing from several Latin American cultures, the menu slants toward red meat and seafood. For starters, fried whitefish mini tacos summon flavors of the Baja; seviches include silky scallops drizzled with curried coconut milk and crab in a smoky habanero cocktail sauce. Mama Mendez' arroz con mariscos is a hearty paella-style entree laden with seafood and chorizo. Whipped potatoes topped with corn salsa complement fork-tender braised short ribs. Chocolate tres leches--milk-soaked cake served in a mug and topped with sabayon--is pure decadence.
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Insider Tips
ParkingValet service is available for $5.
What to DrinkFour bars mean that a good cocktail is never far away. Specialty drinks include the Carnivale margarita, mojito, caipirinha and a HorchataTini: rum, B&B and horchata with a sugar and cinnamon rim.
When to GoWednesday nights, dance to live Latin music from 7:30pm to 11pm.
User Reviews for Carnivale
04/27/2008 Posted by ABC423
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
04/25/2008 Posted by Lynnchicago
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
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