Carmine’s in Downtown Bellevue.
The Smeraldo family brought Il Terrazzo Carmine’s white-tablecloth Italian across the lake in 2016 — veal scaloppine, a glass wall onto Downtown Park, and four hours of free parking behind the building.
Carmine’s is Old Bellevue’s big-occasion Italian: a tall, rustic-modern dining room in the Park 88 building at the south edge of Downtown Park, with a wall of glass that folds open onto an ivy-edged patio facing the lawn. Inside it is white tablecloths, a counter along the kitchen, and a room that handles a business lunch and a Saturday-night anniversary with the same ease. It is the restaurant Main Street points to when the table is bigger than a trattoria can hold.
The Smeraldo family announced it in January 2015 — DBN broke the story — as the Bellevue sibling of Il Terrazzo Carmine, the Pioneer Square institution founded by the late Carmine Smeraldo. His sons Carmine Joseph and Philip opened the doors in September 2016 with the veal scaloppini that made the original famous, and ten seasons later the patio is still on our best-of lists and the parking deal — four hours validated in the garage behind the building — is still the best in the neighborhood.
Cantinetta up the block is the tighter, pasta-first room; Carmine’s is the one for veal, a longer wine list, and a party of ten. Both belong on any short list, and where each fits is in our guide to the best Italian restaurants in downtown Bellevue.
What to Order at Carmine’s
Classic Italian in the Il Terrazzo tradition — veal, risotti, and long-simmered sauces; these are the plates that define the room.
Scaloppine di Vitello al Limone & Capperi
Thin-sliced veal with lemon, capers, and polenta — the Il Terrazzo Carmine classic that came across the lake with the family, and still the plate to judge the kitchen by.
Rigatoni Bolognese
House-ground veal, pork, and beef simmered with tomato and red wine. The Sunday-supper pasta on a menu that otherwise leans white-tablecloth.
Ossobuco
A center-cut veal shank braised in wine and sofritto over fettuccine al burro. Slow, rich, and the reason to come with an appetite and a second glass.
Risotto Tiberio
Dungeness crab, crème fraîche, chives, mushrooms, and a thread of truffle oil — the Northwest plate on an old-country menu.
Carmine’s Original Tiramisu
The family recipe with chocolate sauce and chocolate crumb. If the table is split, the trio of cannoli covers everyone else.
Carmine’s Through the Years on DBN
DBN has reported on downtown Bellevue since 2005. This is Carmine’s’s story as we covered it, as it happened.
Il Terrazzo Carmine Owners to Open Italian Restaurant in Downtown Bellevue
The Smeraldo family, owners of Pioneer Square’s Il Terrazzo Carmine, announced a Bellevue room at 88 102nd Ave NE with glass walls opening to a park-facing patio.
Owners of Il Terrazzo to Open Bellevue Restaurant, Carmine’s, in September
Signage went up and the opening slid to September — just off Old Main, against the south side of Bellevue Downtown Park.
Carmine’s Restaurant Now Open in Bellevue
Rustic-modern room, white tablecloths, and the famous veal scaloppini, run by Carmine Jr. and Philip Smeraldo.
The Best Outdoor Patios in Downtown Bellevue
Ten seasons on, the ivy-edged patio made DBN’s spring list as the pick for quiet dinners.
Browse all Carmine’s coverage in the DBN archive.
Getting There & When to Go
Park 88 sits between Downtown Park and Main Street, with the rare Old Bellevue perk of a validated garage.
Getting There & Parking
- Drive: Park 88 garage, entrance behind the restaurant on NE 1st Place; Carmine’s validates four hours free for lunch and dinner guests (first come, first served; get the QR validation at the front desk). A flat-rate curbside valet runs at dinner. Street parking on Main Street and 102nd Ave NE is the backup.
- Light rail: 2 Line to Bellevue Downtown Station, then a roughly 15-minute walk south and west to Downtown Park’s south edge — see our light rail guide
- On foot: From Bellevue Square, walk south down Bellevue Way and cut through Downtown Park to its south side; from Main Street it is a two-minute walk up 102nd Ave NE.
Best Times to Go
Saturday dinners book out; reserve a week ahead and ask for the patio in summer. Weekday lunch is the neighborhood’s best business table and the easiest reservation. The patio fills first on warm evenings and empties in the shoulder months, when the glass wall closes and the room turns cozy. Sundays the restaurant is closed.
Make It a Night
Old Bellevue is a walk-everywhere block: pair dinner with a loop of Downtown Park right outside the patio, a Main Street happy hour before you sit down, or Cantinetta for the next Italian night when the party is smaller.
Good to Know
As of August 2026: lunch weekdays, dinner Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Four hours of validated parking in the Park 88 garage for lunch and dinner guests, plus a flat-rate curbside valet at dinner. Private dining ranges from a private room to the top floor to the entire restaurant — contact the events coordinator listed on the official site. The pizza and wine lists change seasonally.
Carmine’s FAQ
Does Carmine’s Bellevue take reservations?
Yes. Carmine’s books through OpenTable, linked from the official site, for lunch and dinner. Private dinners, the top floor, and full-restaurant rentals go through the restaurant’s event coordinator, listed on the official site.
Where do you park for Carmine’s in Old Bellevue?
The Park 88 garage, with its entrance behind the restaurant on NE 1st Place. As of August 2026 Carmine’s validates four hours of complimentary parking for lunch and dinner guests, first come, first served, and offers a flat-rate curbside valet at dinner. Street parking on Main Street and 102nd is the backup.
What should you order at Carmine’s?
The veal scaloppine al limone is the signature and the Ossobuco is the splurge. Add the Rigatoni Bolognese or the Dungeness crab Risotto Tiberio for the table, and finish with the original tiramisu.
Is Carmine’s Bellevue open on Sundays?
No. As of August 2026 Carmine’s serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sundays. Confirm the current schedule on the official site before you go.
Is Carmine’s Bellevue related to Il Terrazzo Carmine in Seattle?
Yes, same family. Il Terrazzo Carmine in Pioneer Square was founded by the late Carmine Smeraldo; his sons Carmine Joseph and Philip opened the Bellevue restaurant in September 2016 at Park 88, next to Downtown Park, and run it today.