Carpe Diem Restaurant & Caterers

1535 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204, USA

Address:	1535 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204, USA
Phone:	+1 704-377-7976
Site:	carpediemrestaurant.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–11PM 5–11PM Closed

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 7

Ellen Sheppard

Forget "Seizing the Day." Instead, sieze a cocktail here; it may well be the best part of your day! Ive been to this long-time, much loved Charlotte eatery several times through the years (its been in several different locations, but in its current one for over 10 years.) Ive always been enchanted with it as a lunch or dinner spot; this time it was for drinks and apps with a BFF. It was even better than ever! Parking anyhwhere on Elizabeth Avenue (territory of Central Piedmont Community College and Novant/Presbyterian Hospital) is reliably a hassle, but thankfully, Carpe Diem has a lot behind and one directly across the street, plus if youre lucky - on-street. I got an on-street space admist afterwork traffic this Tuesday: Score! I had to put a few dimes in, but since you only have to pay until 6 p.m., 20 cents was a small price to pay for front door real estate! My friend had already gotten us a perfectly sized table in the lounge area. Perfect because it nicely accommodated our drinks and two apps but didnt feel like we were supposed to be ordering dinner! The lounge area is near the bar and is so comfy! Lighting addequate for menu reading but soft enough to be relaxing. Music was perfect - the kind where you are vaguely aware there is "happy" feeling music in the background, but doesnt interefere with your thoughts or conversation. It was "1/3 off all cocktails" night so we each got adventurous. Mine was a "Makers Man" because i love Makers Mark, though I was a bit uncomfortable ordering such a gender-specific cocktail! A first sip I feared it was a "shudder cocktail" (the kind that makes you shudder) and the waitress offered to "soften" it. But at second sip a subtle vanilla and lavendar suffusion was noticeable and i enjoyed the nuanced taste so much i ordered a second - a rare treat for me! For apps we ordered the Cauliflower Flatbread Pizza ($10.50, described as house made naan bread, pickled garlic spread, caramelized shallots, roasted cauliflower, Swiss cheese, Merquez sausage) and the waitress helped us narrow our 2nd choice down to Mediterranean Meze Plate ($12: falafel cakes, crispy chickpeas, minted onions, curry aioli, smoky eggplant olive-pappadew salad, lemon-tahini dressing.) My companion was put off by the sausage on the pizza but i thought both plates were excellent. You cant go wrong with the meze plate - there is something for everyone. We stayed for two hours - a long time to linger over two cocktails and two apps - but we never felt at all rushed. The restaurant had steady in-and-out traffic, but never felt crowded or full. Carpe Diem retains its place as one of very my favorite go-to places for a lovely, low key evening.

Chris Bishop

The service was great! The lady that waited on us, was on her A game. The food left a lot to be desired. The Mushroom Bolanase with Oyster Mushrooms, plain and boring. The Taglatel pasta was clumpy, and sauce didnt penetrate the center of the clump. You couldnt taste the mushrooms in the sauce. It was a dish that got your hopes up, and left you hanging. The last time I was there I had the fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, and Asparagus. The chicken was flat tasting, and had very little seasoning in the crust. It was extremely crunchy, well cooked, and moist in the center. You could get better fried chicken at Bojangles, and for a lot less money. The potatoes were real potatoes, but at least a day old, and cold in the middle. The asparagus was cooked to perfection, but untrimmed. We would hate to put the staff out, by asking the to prep the asparagus. I am a chef and would die before, I would let these dishes out of my kitchen. When the plate goes out, you should have pride in your work and put your best efforts forward. The margins in this restaurant are fat, and the quality should reflect that. Dont break your neck to get there. This is a good place for a great restaurant, to bad hasnt happened.

Randy Mills

I found this place listed on my boarding pass from Continental of all places and picked it because of the name. It sounded interesting. I called the number to make sure I had the location right (the road in front is closed for construction) and Teresa guided me in through the construction mess. The service was great with (Ellen) and several other staff came by to make sure that drinks were full and to take away used plates. It turned out to be one of the best meals I have had in a long time. I started with the house salad with a dressing that was similar to ranch but had some kick to it! Then on to one of the specials which was a filet over a bed of Yukon mashed with grilled asparagus. The seasoning was excellent and the portions were a full meal. All in price (with tip) a little more than $50 and worth every penny! Hard to imagine finding a better meal this trip. Thanks to all at the restaurant!

Anonymous User

My husband and I went to Carpe Diem for our 1st anniversary. When making the reservation through Open Table I wrote "it is our first wedding anniversary" in the notes section. The minute we got there and told them our name, we were greeted with a "happy anniversary!" from both hostesses. The service continued to be absolutely amazing throughout the entire night. The hostess took us to our table, which was a romantic table for two set in a private alcove, and had been sprinkled with champagne confetti. Our server, our bus person, and every Carpe Diem who approached our table therafter wished us a happy anniversary. My husband and I each had one of the specials- I had swordfish and he had filet. They were both to die for! we will definitely be going back and recommending Carpe Diem to all of our friends and family.

autumn henninger

Food was amazinggg. SO and I split the steamed oyster appetizer, both got the goat cheese salad, and I had the beef fillet and he had the venison entrée. Everything was simply delicious, especially the steak. Done medium well, seriously the best steak Ive ever had. We both ate well past being full, it was just too good to leave anything behind. Wine list was extensive and cocktails were made good and strong. Only reason Im not giving 5 stars was there was some obvious damage to a few areas of the walls that deff hurt the overall atmosphere. Somewhere as upscale as this should be able to keep a pristine interior finish. I would absolutely go back.

Eric Hann

Made reservation for my wifes birthday based on reviews. The atmosphere was nice and waiter was good, but overall experience was terrible. I ordered the venison cooked to chefs recommended temperature, which was told was medium/medium rare. Three small pieces arrived and were barely rare. It was like cutting through a rubber ball. Everything else on plate was too salty to eat. Wife ordered scallops, which were 4 quarter sized scallops and overlooked Brussels sprouts. You could see more of plate than food. Finished evening with a finger of overpriced single malt and chocolate martini, which wife said was made with Hersheys syrup.

Vee G

The food and service here is top notch!! Overall, a great place for a date night! We had the trout and beet salad... AMAZING!!! Everythining: drinks appetizers, entrees and dessert was really wonderful!! My only complaint, theres a huge flower pot in the middle of the room that was very banquet-like and distracting.. In general, the restaurant could use a definite change in layout to make it more cozy.. It felt like the tables were haphazardly placed and everyones sort of crowded in.