Carpe Diem

Really lovely little spot on the UES. Unassuming, a small bar with some locals sitting by there. food was really nice, service was pretty good for a slow night

This place is tricky. The food is right there but just not above and beyond. The wait staff is kind of over nice to where it’s annoying and the host will just stare and my wife and talk to her like I’m not standing right next to her. The menu is limited but everything on the menu is good just not amazing. I want to like this place so bad I’ve been there 3 times but I think I’m done now. Sorry I tried.

I love this place. Great, fully stocked bar where I like to sit with a friend and catch up on life and never get hustled out. Tables are great for a romantic date and a group of friends looking for a fun restaurant on the UES, they are few and far between. The Italian cuisine is simply TO DIE FOR!!! The sea scallops are awesome, the filet, and come on, the pasta is a calorie splurge but well worth it, I wish they bottled that marinara sauce. And I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the calamari, de-​lish. The staff is friendly, but never on top of you which I like– I’m also not shy when it comes to hailing the waiter for something I need. Overall a great neighborhood place that has a liveliness to it while maintaining a cozy intimate setting.

Great service, very good, interesting food and perfect martinis! The interior is charming but the people watching is even better. All around great place. We will be back!

Bravo, bravo bravo
Best Italian in NYC

My 3 year old daughter ordered a Shirley Temple and they served her a whiskey and soda. That after we sat for over 15 minutes without even being given menus. Guy sitting next to us sent two drinks back because they were not the drink he ordered. Maybe they served him a Shirley Temple. We walked out after they served my 3 year old hard alcohol. Unacceptable and they wouldn’t take responsibility for their error.

WOW!
My husband and I were planning on picking up a few things from Agata & Valentina when we walked by Carpe Diem and it caught our eye. Cozy outside tables on a quiet block lured us over and the menu got us to sit down.
We split the artichoke salad to start. Yum! Very fresh and accented perfectly with the white truffle oil.
My husband ordered the special veal scaloppine and it was AMAZING. Hands down one of our top five favorite dishes in nyc. I wish it was on the every day menu because I’d always order it.
I had the gnocchi and it was delicious. The gnocchi melted in my mouth and the sauce was delicious and simple.
Servers were extremely attentive and took great care of us. We’ll be back for sure.

Thrilled to have a solid, authentic Italian spot on the Upper East Side besides the more-​of-​the-​same restaurants on second ave. Having just opened in 2010, this place offers excellent food and top notch, attentive service. Carpe Diem is located on a quiet, tree lined street with ample outdoor seating. It’s not directly off the street but tucked away from the sidewalk making it desirable to dine outside.
With several enticing menu options to choose from, I highly recommend the tuna tartare, the penne buttera, and the veal milanese. We shared everything and it was perfect. Can’t wait to return.

Fantastico!
A small oasis tucked into East 78^th Street, Carpe Diem is simply delightful, plain and simple.
Past 6:30, this place filled up quickly. (Trust me… make a reservation.) The tables are fairly packed together, but I never felt a sense of impeding claustrophobia. Some may call it «cramped», but I call it «cozy».
The staff was very attentive. While waiting for my aunt and friend to arrive at the restaurant, a typical 5 p.m. torrential downpour doused Manhattan with some much needed rain. However, while waiting, the bench outside of the restaurant was soaking wet, causing me to pace the sidewalk. A waiter came out and wiped the bench dry for me. Brownie points for that alone! Common courtesy is a beautiful thing. As the meal went along, attention was always paid to filling water glasses, taking orders properly, and checking regularly to see if the food was to our liking. Never intrusive, but always at attention, even as the restaurant was filled to capacity.
The food? *mwah* Delicious! I started off with a salad of arugula, pears, and fontina cheese which all complimented each other nicely. My main course was potato gnocchi in a red sauce with basil and buffalo mozzarella. Dessert was the creamiest, most delightful piece of flan I’ve ever consumed, complimented with caramel gelato and blueberries. A gastronomical delight!
Be prepared to have some available credit on your credit card for this place, but I can attest that it is absolutely worth every damn penny.

An aggregate of my internal monologues during several Carpe Diem experiences:
Crap, it’s busy, I hope they can seat us. Oh, they’ll seat us right on top of that other couple. Wonderful.
Wow, everything sounds so tasty. It’s a good thing we have 30min to decide what to order before a server acknowledges our existence. And, at least I have the sharp knees and elbows of the people I’m wedged on top of to keep me from dozing off.
Great, the waiter came, and we’ve put in our food order. Wine arrives. Cool. Props on the list, and we picked a good one. Appetizers arrive. Delicious, but where’s the rest of it? The portions are tiny even by European standards. Entrees arrive. Excellent! Dessert orders placed, dessert arrives. Also excellent! Check arrives. Immediately regret the decisions made in the previous two hours.
In short, bring money. Expect a beautiful yet cramped atmosphere, iffy service, and great food and wine.

I found the place extremely noisey. That is too bad, because the food was good and the service very pleasant. The tables are a bit close together. If it weren’t for the noise factor, I would go again. I wish the owner would put some sound proofing on the ceiling.

I’m thrilled not to have to trek downtown for this kind of Italian food. The food is authentic and well-​balanced (as is the wine list). The restaurant is small and can get noisy, but since reservations for dinner are recommended, I’m sure mentioning the concern might help you get a corner table.

Funny how little touches make such a difference. The restaurant was too cold for two of the women at different tables, the bread was vanilla and the service professional but cool. On the other hand, the food was delivered in a timely fashion and was quite tasty. There are lots of choices for northern Italian on the upper east side.

I live in the area so I frequent Carpe Diem quite often, so this review is well overdue.
The atmosphere is perfect in my opinion. It has that lively «New York» vibe but with a neighborhood feel. It has a wonderful balance.
Thursday — Saturday is definitely busy, but the service is to a «T» no matter if it’s your 1^st or your 50^th time. You are always treated like an old friend when you enter the door.
I have to admit, I haven’t eaten everything on the menu but I have my favs. For apps, don’t miss the caesar salad, tuna tartare, or any one if the app specials of the night. For entrees, the simple angle hair pasta with their house red sauce is perfect (and I think a regular house red sauce says a lot about a place). I’ve loved every fish dish I’ve had — most have a nice light lemon/​olive oil sauce. The bolognese pasta is very meaty and will not disappoint. I haven’t had the meat dishes but they look and smell awesome, and satisfy every patron that I’ve seen eating them.
The desserts are not to mess with. Every one of them will pleasure any palate and I recommend ordering more than one.
Carpe Diem is a spot to grab a great meal at the bar by yourself, ideal for a nice second date or even for a group outing — but I do recommend a reservation if you are going that route.
I hope u enjoy this spot as much as I do!

This is a neighborhood place first and foremost. The food is absolutely great! Pasta is out of this world and the Osso Bucco is some of the best in New York. If you want to have a nice, quiet, romantic dinner than this is the place!

To Start: Carpaccio Palmito ($ 16)
To Savor: Saltimbocca ($ 25), Parpardelle Pasta with seasonal Mushrooms ($ 24)
To Sweeten: Poached pears ($ 10) and cappuccino ($ 4/​each)
**DEAL ALERT: Tues-​Fri, 50% off all food items for lunch**
Usually, I’m scouring Unilocal for new, tried and true place to dine. Although on New Year’s Eve after walking for a couple of blocks toward a Unilocal suggestion, I figured I should follow my instinct when I saw the chalkboard display outside Carpe Diem. And thus, I did, «Carpe Diem.»
GREAT FOOD and GREAT DEAL!
I’m weary of Italian establishments; we make pizza and pasta very well at home, why should I pay $ 20+ to have someone else prepare it? At Carpe Diem, it’s quite a unique menu, which is what drew me in. You will definitely find your Italian basics/​favorites, but you will also find specialities that tantalize and mesmerize your taste buds.
The carpaccio palmito was such a delight: thin slices of raw beef with accents of avocado and hearts of palm, topped off with drizzles of white truffle oil and a dash of pepper and salt. The dish was prepared well, clean flavors and presentation. I could not ask for a more interesting, yet simple plate!
Saltimbocca is again new to me; the veal was prepared with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and onions in a tomato-​based braising sauce. Quite delectable! The veal was tender and all together, the dish felt light (in a good way, where I’m not bloated and keeling over!). It was perfectly portioned!
My boyfriend had the special pasta of the day and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Again, perfect portions and light savory flavor!
We shared the poached pear in red wine and each had a cappuccino. The pear was cooked very well and served with a side of vanilla ice cream. Another great, yet unique dessert!
Service was great and for the meal that we got, it was really a steal! Our total came out to be $ 45!
So, lesson learned. We mustn’t rely only on Unilocal; the place you past by may be a treasure waiting to be found (corny, I know!)! Glad I found it and would be happy to return!

Food was delicious. I had one of the fish specials — red snapper — which came with tons of great veggies incl sliced artichokes and spinach on the side, which was cooked perfectly! My mom (who raved about the décor and the staff) had one of the white truffle specials and sopped up every last morsel. The ambiance was wonderful and the staff was attentive and friendly. Oh, and a great wine list to boot!

Food was ok. You will get terrible service, unless you know someone here.

Food was good and service acceptable, but overall noise level of restaurant was very high making it close to impossible to have intimate dinner with a loved one!
Not sure why so many «hot establishments» are more concerned about the color of their store-​front (attract customers) and less concerned about basic experience that a paying customer might have (maintaining customers). Felt like I was eating dinner at Penn Station during rush-​hour.
p. s. — I live just one block away and would love to frequent a 5-​star establishment, but can’t say I’ll return given our experience. May give them one more try, but not sure.

Great food! Staff was friendly. Food was amazing, fresh and tasty. I highly recommend this neighborhood spot!