The Carrisa

Christmas at the Carissa offers a truly enchanting holiday experience, brilliantly blending festive cheer with culinary innovation. As someone who has visited this gem twice this season, I am deeply impressed by its vibrant atmosphere and the unique twist it brings to food and drinks, perfectly embodying the spirit of the holidays.

The menu, curated with a festive theme in mind, is both intriguing and diverse. The dishes, though fittingly seasonal, might not cater to all palates, as I found some to be not entirely to my liking. However, the quality and creativity behind each item are undeniable, making it a culinary adventure worth embarking on.

What truly sets Christmas at the Carissa apart are its drinks. Expertly crafted, these beverages capture the essence of the holidays. Their ability to adjust the sweetness levels without compromising the flavors shows a commendable level of skill and attention to detail. This thoughtful customization enhances the overall dining experience, making the drinks a must-try.

The ambiance of the Carissa, bustling and lively, adds to the allure. It's a testament to its popularity and the joy it brings to the community during the festive season. The chef and staff deserve praise for their excellent work and the festive spirit they infuse into each aspect of the dining experience.

Christmas at the Carissa is a five-star over all experience in big groups especially for those seeking to immerse themselves in the holiday spirit through innovative cuisine. While some dishes may not be to everyone's taste, the adventure of trying new, seasonally inspired foods is worthwhile. I eagerly recommend any pop-up event hosted by the Carissa, as they consistently deliver a blend of culinary excellence and festive charm.

Aside from the Christmas decorations, this place is a nightmare. I made a reservation for 7pm and we stood in the lobby and waited to be seated for 45 mins. The food was a let down and the alcohol was over priced. The service is terrible and I felt like the people working were rude and didn't show any concern for their job. We had to keep reminding them to check on our table and each time the response was "5 more mins. The people sitting at your table stayed longer than expected. " They made no effort to make up for how late they were or even find us another table. There were 4 groups that got seated before us even though our reservation was earlier than theirs. I was at least expecting an apology and a discount on the food. It was so expensive! This place has so much potential, it is just obvious it is not well managed at all. Highly don't recommend.

What a fun holiday bar. If you want something festive for the holidays this place is it. Fun holiday drinks great atmosphere adorable decor. Even had little ones with us and the out is in a cozy area with couches and the kids had a great time too. Love the ski lift chair too.

Great service from hostess, bartender, server, and bar back. The food was good. Drinks were delightful. It is an experience, and definitely the atmosphere will put any grinch in the Christmas spirit. Had a blast listening to music and sharing in the experience.
Rod and Hammer fun at it best.

Kris was so awesome tonight and truly went above and beyond for my group and I. This guy should get a raise!

Food and drinks were waaaaaayyyyyy overpriced, tiny portions, and gross. The gingerbread cocktail was God awful. Don't go here.

We enjoyed a fun time with seasonal drink offerings and appetizers. The service was Friendly and responsive. Thanks for a fun evening.

Here is the best place to have drink with friends and family for holiday gathering.
During thanksgiving we had a great dinner at Novo and saw this place with all holiday decorations but we don’t have time to try it.
Today we are on the way to SoCal again and decided to check out this place.
It’s around 2pm so we only ordered drinks and took a lot of pictures
The waitress is the same lady work at Novo, she is friendly.
I ordered avalanche spritz and latte for my daughter. We both enjoyed the drink and had a great time.

The ambience inside was lovely. We got to see it briefly as we were led out back where it was not so lovely. Food and drinks were mediocre. The prices exorbitant for what we got. Really $22 for 3 meatballs? Even Wagyu does not command that high a price. We have cocktails all around SLO and these were the most expensive we've seen. Other places make much better at a few dollars less. The thing that really gave it a 1 was a credit card surcharge added after we had been given the check. I bet most people don't even notice the difference between the original check and the one they sign. Felt very shady. The manager offered to comp a drink but we had already paid and were walking out the door.won't be going back and canceled a reservation for next week.

Was really disappointed with the service, servers didn’t really check on us, and we asked for the check waited like 20-30 minutes just to ask for it again. Will not be coming super disappointed. It looked super cute at first: (

Great Christmas decorations. The people that did the decorations and the wait staff put us right into a holiday mood. Great job Carrisa!

Dominic and Mike were exceptional, very friendly and professional!
We are in SLO just for one night and we had a lovely service in Carrisa,
Thank you guys from Spanish girls

Had reservation on Friday for 10-12 people, we arrived early, to enjoy awesome atmosphere and a few Holiday beverages, We made our way upstairs to the game-room loft and enjoyed a few games of pool until everyone arrived. Table was ready on time and service was spectacular. We ordered 5-6 items for each end of the table which allowed everyone to enjoy a taste. I highly recommend the Lobster Gnocchi and flatbread. For desert we shared the Cookies, served in a festive holiday jar. Thank you for making our FriendsGiving a success.

Upon first entrance, I was super excited to try this restaurant. The decorations for christmas were up and beautiful and the space looked phenomenal. Sadly, that was the only positive about our experience. The food was extremely over priced for how small it was. The oysters were the smallest oysters I have ever seen and given the price of $26 for half a dozen I would have expected something more substantial. There were also pieces of shell in them and I literally choked so hard, tears were streaming down my face. The meat pie was tiny and the meat was dried out. I ordered a well vodka sour and somehow that was $13. As for the service, utterly horrible. The hostess was so sweet and she sat us and brought us water but then it was about 10 minutes until we saw our server. My drink came out after the appetizers and once the appetizers were on the table we never saw our server again. We literally sat at the table with empty plates for about 25 minutes and no one checked on us at all. Finally a different server asked if we were doing okay and we let her know that we just wanted the bill. She said she would let our server know. Another 10 minutes goes by and a manger (at least that’s what I think this guy was) asks how we are doing. Again, I inform him that we simply just want the check. Of course once that happened, about 30 seconds later our server came running out with the bill. I literally never leave reviews for restaurants, but I have been in the service industry for several years and this was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. The server was blonde. Wish I could give a name but she didn’t even bother introducing herself when she came to the table. Just wanted to get our order and leave. Do not recommend this restaurant at all. I know the decorations look awesome, but everything else is atrocious.

Came in for a quick drink, took too much effort to get someone's attention to be seated. Finally got seated near front. Never had a server approach. Got up to ask about ordering and got barked at by apparent server who just kept sayywe needed to check in with the hostess. She didn't even listen to what we were asking/saying. Hostess walked by and saw what was happening yet made no attempt to correct the server. We left without ordering. Not the customer service ambassadors to have if you want to stay in business.

The chips n onion dip were horrible but the service was wonderful, great people great atmosphere, drinks were great! Just the chips n dip bad

Absolutely terrible service. After waiting 2 hours for our table we were met with instant attitude from the hostess and our server. Don’t try to walk around and take photos while at a reserved table, they will give it to another reservation. Will never be back and can’t believe how rudely the staff treated us.

The Christmas as Carissa is amazing! We had to wait 40 mins for a table but it was a Thursday night and made sense due to the farmers market. The vibe was festive, the drinks were good! Will try to make the brunch next time!

Christmas at the Carissa bacon wrapped dates and yummy Christmas cookies candy cane drinks