Carne Mare

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

An Italian Chophouse on the Manhattan Waterfront

Carne Mare is Chef Andrew Carmellini's Italian chophouse, set on Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport. The concept is straightforward and confident: prime cuts of beef and fine seafood, interpreted through an Italian lens, in a two-story space with unobstructed views of the Manhattan waterfront and the Brooklyn Bridge. Wine Spectator recognized the program with its Best of Award of Excellence in 2023 — a fitting distinction for a restaurant where the wine list is as considered as the menu.

The space was designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio. The ground floor opens up with indoor and outdoor seating, a wrap-around bar, and a wood-fired oven. A grand staircase leads to an upper dining room lined with banquettes and an open chef's kitchen — the kind of room that feels both animated and unhurried.

The Menu

Chef Carmellini and Chef della Cucina Dwight Sanon shape a menu that moves logically from the sea to the fire. Things begin with raw bar selections — east coast oysters sourced from Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Virginia — alongside carpaccio, traditional antipasti, and a Wagyu Beef Tartare finished with tonnato and gnocco fritto.

Housemade pastas hold their own as a course worth lingering over: a Spicy Lobster Spaghetti in sugo all'arrabbiata, Artichoke Raviolini, and The Don "Lasagn'" with dry-aged beef bolognese and parmesan fonduta. Italian specialties extend to a Salt-Baked Black Sea Bass cooked in lemon leaves and a King Prawn & Scallop with Pete's sambuca sauce.

The steakhouse heart of the menu offers prime Black Angus strip, center-cut filet mignon, and boneless ribeye for solo diners, while the sharing cuts — a 30-Day Dry-Aged Tomahawk dubbed "Il Buttero" and a 40-Day Dry-Aged Porterhouse styled as "Bistecca Fiorentina" — carry the Italian chophouse concept through to the plate. American Wagyu appears in a Gorgonzola-Cured Striploin, and the porchetta-spiced, 12-hour Prime Rib of Beef is offered in limited availability. Contorni read like a proper Italian side menu: Heirloom Polenta with herb caprino, Mushroom Marsala with porcini crema, and a Twice-Baked Potato with black truffle and fontina.

Atmosphere and Occasion

The setting on Pier 17 makes Carne Mare equally suited to a long weekend brunch — with tableside Bellinis prepared with freshly squeezed fruit juices — and a serious weeknight dinner. The bar program is inventive without being precious, with house cocktails like the Granita (Campari, grapefruit, limoncello, prosecco) and a thoughtful spirit-free selection. For groups, the space accommodates private events and large parties, with outdoor seating available when the weather cooperates.