Carciofi Pasta & Lounge

We tried to walk in to carciofi on a Friday night around 6 and they were too busy to take tables without a reservation. The host was friendly and suggested their sister restaurant less than a block away but that's another review for another time. We made a reservation day of for Saturday night and were able to get in easily. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy on Saturday so I'm not sure if there was just one large party holding up the kitchen on Friday. The dining room is small and there's maybe seating for 20ish people when the patio is closed. The charcuterie board was great and we both ordered fresh pasta. I had the linguini in pesto sauce with chicken sausage. For the price (under $20) I had enough food to take home a lunches worth of left overs. We really enjoyed everything about this restaurant and look forward to going back.

Great meal at Carciofi in Prospect last night. Great cocktails, all pasta made in house, friendly and prompt service. Best Cacio e Pepe I've had in quite a while and my wife really enjoyed her Aglio e Olio Artichoke Pasta.We had Honey Goat Cheese Schmear on French Bread and Smoked Salmon Bites to start. Both delicious. Tiramisu was light and fluffy! We enjoyed a nice bottle of Chianti Classico but would be nice to have another 10 items from Italy on the list.Cute spot; will be back!

Menu selection is very limited and consists of mostly basic pasta dishes. Food: Three StarsTasty but not amazing. Very basic fare without a lot of choices. The calamari was a very small portion but the main courses were of fair size. No table bread provided. Service: Four starsGreat. Our waiter was responsive and friendly. Ambiance: One Star Very cramped, tight seating. Not really a place you want to go and have a nice conversation because you are literally sitting right next to your fellow diners. Lighting was very poor red lighting, three groups were using their cell phone flashlights to see the menu while we were there. There are two doors at each end of the restaurant seating area and in the wintertime the frequent cold breezes when the doors are opened are very unpleasantCost: Two StarsPoor for the appetizer due to the small size. Wine: A fair price. Entrees: Higher than you'd expect for basic fare. If you want something complex, you have to add to the dishes and each addition has a cost. A plate of rotini with mushrooms, sausage and meatballs cost $25 for a medium size bowl. My wife had a bowl of noodles with Bolognese and roasted vegetables for $21. Neither comes with a salad or soup, those are extra. Other factors: 0 StarsBeware that there is a 4% Kitchen Support surcharge which was a surprise to us when the check came. Maybe its written someplace on the menu, but we didn't see it (maybe due to that poor lighting) and it was an unpleasant surprise.I'd love to support this restaurant, but their Kitchen 4% surcharge, menu item suggested $8 to buy the kitchen a round of drinks (Two cost items related to the kitchen. Don't know what that is about, maybe they need a raise), and then the obligatory tip was very annoying to my wife and I. We felt like we getting nickel and dimed for our experience. We won't be returning which is a shame because the Carciofi has a lot of potential if done right.

Carciofi is exactly what Prospect needed. It's the perfect restaurant for a date-night or girls night. Last night we ordered the charcuterie board, smoked salmon bites, and house salad to-go and everything was 10/10! The charcuterie board is the perfect portion & a really great value for the price! Highly recommend

Every time at Carciofi is a fabulous experience. The people are attentive and informative. The food is fantastic. My favorite is the Parma Rosa homemade spaghetti with mushrooms. The tiramisu was light and creamy. Yum!

We ended up here on Christmas Eve after an incredibly disappointing experience at a different restaurant where we had reservations. Everything about our experience was wonderful from the second we walked in the door - Kian greeted us warmly at the door and was polite, engaging, and fun to chat with as our server. The food was delicious and ambiance was cozy and perfect. Will definitely go back and have already encouraged friends to go as well!

We have now eaten at Carciofi twice. Both times we started with the bruschetta (heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, on great toast) and the calamari (fried, with spicy marinara dipping sauce). Both were great. Last night with another couple, we also ordered an amazing cheese and charcuterie board: Three great cheeses and delicious cured meats, with a half-dozen varied condiments and delicious toast slices. (It is very generous for four people.) We probably should have stopped there, but then we would have missed the fabulous pasta. They have some specialty pastas and other entrees on menu, but we have each time opted for the build-your-own-pasta: Your choice of four homemade pastas (made fresh daily), six sauces, and the option to add meatballs, chicken, shrimp, roasted vegetables, etc. Everyone loved their choices, so much so in fact that several had their leftovers for breakfast.The wait staff is very young - our server last night was still in high school - and they are all very friendly and enthusiastic, which to my mind makes up for their lack of polish.The wine list is not extensive, but adequate; it has a wide array of decent choices by-the-glass, and few nice by-the-bottle selections.We will definitely be back - frequently.PS: If you are just looking for drinks and appetizers, there are a couple of seating areas with couches, lounge chairs and coffee tables that would make for a cozy, casual setting.

Pasta delivered was hot & delicious, good size portion. Right on time. We'll be ordering from them again for sure!

We went to Carciofi tonight and had the best time. The food was amazing, the ambiance was wonderful and the service was phenomenal. We loved all the dishes we had. The queso goat cheese app andbruschetta app was really good. Our server recommended it. The limoncello vodka lemon juice martini was delicious. I loved the spicy marinara with meatballs and the tiramisu. There were four of us and everybody in our party were very happy with everything about the night. We will definitely be back.

We had the most delicious make your own pasta meal to go. The zoodles, veggies, and sauce were so great. We can't wait to go back.