Celeste

May I please have some parmigiano cheese for this pasta… waiter stares, picks up the phone, pauses then says no, and returns to the phone. What the F@*# kind of service is that? The food is mediocre, the space is way too crowded, the wait staff are rude and inattentive and the owner just creeps around clogging up what little room exists between tables. On the topic of the creepy owner, he is super impressed with himself and incredibly imposing. There are dozens of Italian places on the UWS, spare your money and skip this one. Oh yeah cash only, IRS are you reading this?

****Cash only ****. There is an ATM around the corner at the deli though. Great little restaurant. Very small, so very packed. The owner (I think) he walks around the restaurant and would check how u r enjoying your dinner. Pizza was great –not very thick dough and it was great!

I am in LOVE with this place! I ordered the tagliatelle gamberi verza pecorino and found the dish to be neither too heavy nor too salty like pasta in the States. Nevertheless, the sauce was very flavorful and the noodles tasted homemade.
The hosts and servers were very sweet and attentive. This would be a great place to bring one’s parents, a good friend, or even a date. Nothing crazy pretentious or fancy, but not necessarily a family restaurant either.

The first time I visited this place I was impressed. I visited with my boyfriend and enjoyed the calm atmosphere, delicious food and old-​school décor. It felt like a friendly neighborhood spot. The owner was friendly and courteous, visiting our table to check on the food more than once.
The second time I was with my sister and a female friend. The experience could not have been more different. Upon walking in, somewhat late, the owner walked up and hugged me, saying that my friends had been waiting for me. After ordering, the owner very literally stood above us, looking down our modest shirts, and said he «enjoyed looking at this cleavage.» Later, he sat down at our table for 15 minutes and talked at us despite our uninterested behavior. It was appalling. I live less than a block away but will never support his business with my patronage. In a city full of delicious cuisine, being accosted, touched and ogled would never be worth good food.

Scan through these reviews, and you’ll pick up some themes: good food, friendly service, and, in the case of young women without by male companions, creepy, untoward behavior on the part of the owner, who seems to feel he has lordship over all who enter his restaurant. I have several close female friends who have related the same distasteful experiences. Even in the company of my parents, his fawning mawkishness was uncomfortable.
Don’t support such a crude, unsavory establishment and proprietor. Jacob’s Pickles, across the street, is a much better bet! Check it out!

Went for dinner and fell in love with this restaurant. Had the ravioli definitely recommend it! Great service and cozy atmosphere. One of my favorite if not my favorite Italian restaurant in the UWS. Just be mindful is cash only, there are many ATMs around the block.

Terrific value — dishes with flair, on a red sauce budget. I had a fish soup social which was great, with all kinds of interesting ingredients with arms and scales.

This place is too cramped. They cram so many tables into the small space, I’m practically sitting on my neighbor’s lap. I asked if the chicken was chicken breast. He didn’t understand. I asked if it was white meat. He said, «All chicken is white meat.» Tried to explain white and dark meat to the waiter to no avail. Ordered it anyway. It was chicken breast. Food was ok but wouldn’t come back.

Super rude inflexible and inhospitable. Noisy and tables too close together. Should have paid attention to the other negative Unilocal reviews

My wife and I went here on recommendation from a friend who regularly comes to NY. Don’t let the menu that you can’t understand fool you. Just ask one of the friendly waiters or waitresses for a suggestion. I was recommended the shrimp tagliatelle and it was delicious. The pasta was really good and it they give you pretty good portions. Our waitress was really nice. I don’t remember what her name was but she mentioned she had moved from Italy to New York and she was very helpful and really kept up with refilling our water and coming to check on us.

went with friend for dinner, ordered the fried ricotta and spinach Apple salad to start. ricotta salad was great, not too heavy and comes with side of leafs ;)
we ordered the sea bass and crabmeat pasta that are the daily special, both looks great.
I ordered halibut, while the sides (spinach and roasted potato) are pretty good, the fish is a bit bland in the center, it’s alright since the tenderness is much appreciated.
the rigatoni bolognese my friend ordered is a little
disappointing, I pretty sure it’s a good dish but my friend just thought it’s a bit undercooked.

So good! Homemade pasta rules. :)
The girls loved their butter pasta. I had spinach ravioli and fried vegetables.
Also, the service was great!

This is an overrated restaurant. Food was average and service terrible. Our plates were taken before we were all done with them. They tried to take my friend’s plate when she still was working on half of her dish. When we ordered the desert we were asked by the waitress to please hurry up as there was a line outside. I wanted to let her know that we had ourselves waited into that line and thus should be entitled to have a nice experience but she had already left. She brought the check while we were just starting our desert.
There are TONS of other Italian restaurants in the area. Please do yourself a favor, don’t be fooled by the outside line and spend your dinner somewhere else.

Saturday night, no reservation needed. We waited 5 minutes before getting a table. The restaurant was noisy and cramped, but it had a cozy intimate vibe as well.
The service was quick, like really quick. Our entrees were out just as we finished the bread, maybe eight minutes. The bread was fantastic!
My girlfriend got the bolognese and despite not liking mushrooms, which are in the sauce, she devoured that dish as quickly as it took to be prepared.
I got the cheese and spinach ravioli, which was surprisingly small and did not fill me up, but it had a great slightly buttery taste to it. Would get again.
The place being authentic Italian, we decided to try the tiramisu. Not only was portion size ginormous, but it was served with fresh blueberries and was the best tiramisu I have put in my mouth. You could distinctively taste all three layers.
If in the area again, I would go back for sure, but I would be interested in what the environment is like on a less busy night like Tuesday. Bön appetite!

Avoid. I am sorry to report, we didn’t even get to enjoy what would have been a delicious meal because the OWNER refused to let our table of four have a comfortable table.
The restaurant was EMPTY save one table of four, with some kids. The two tables sandwiching that table were squished next to it – not enough room to pull the chairs back and one chair couldn’t pull out all the way because it kept bumping up next to a pole. We asked if there was another table available (there were literally at least 20 empty tables). They said the only other table available was the next to the door and the entrance ramp, which was right next to where they were bringing in wine and boxes. Keep in mind they don’t take reservations and this was a Tuesday at 5:15p. Not exactly a crazy rush. So the seating is totally up to the discretion of the owner, who was there.
The waitress asked him if we could have any of the other comfortable tables. We asked if we could get a table in the corner? No. In the window? No. He would look at the tables, look at us and shake his head no. If this was a Danny Meyer joint, a five star sushi restaurant or the lobby bar of the Mandarin Oriental: I would understand. But a mildly reviewed Italian place where you can’t seat four hungry New Yorkers? Buzz off. I feel bad for the wait staff who has to be around the terrible energy of a guy who has lost his way when it comes to customer service.
AVOID THIS PLACE. It’s just not worth it. Where did we spend our $ 200 instead? Carmine’s. Which I’m assuming will eventually drive this place out of business if they keep treating locals as poorly as they treated us.

Really enjoyed this neighborhood hot spot. The owner Carmine, is awesome. I had the margerita pizza and the broiled salmon. Both are excellent.
No credit cards.

Das Essen war o. k., aber nichts Besonderes. Allerdings war der Nachtisch recht gut: Tiramisu und auch das Gelato/​Sorbet.
Was mich gestört hat war, dass der Laden wirklich sehr laut ist.

It’s an OK restaurant. By now we all know I don’t quite like the Italian food here in the city. I love Italian food! Don’t get me wrong but I make better pasta than any of these guys. Even they use the same dececco pasta that you get in the market. If it were for fresh pasta well, that’s another thing.
The gnocchi is good as well as the mussels but I’m tired of the same copy-​paste menu in every Italian place: calamari, eggplant parmigiana, spaghetti and meatballs, penne alla vodka and I can keep going on. Come on guys! There’s more than that in the Italian cuisine. Fettuccine Alfredo? That’s not even from Italy!
Anyway it’s not a first choice for sure, maybe fourth. The place is too small and the guy next to you can eat from your plate with his tongue.

Came here on a Friday night with a friend and it wasn’t too crowded. They do expect your entire party to be there before being seated. The place definitely felt authentic and the food was good and the portions were large. I had the special that day which was a pasta with thick egg noodles, fried eggplant, red sauce, parmesan, and ricotta. My friend had the Marguerite pizza which was pretty average.
The service was good and the main host was very friendly. The place itself is not «pretty», felt a bit unclean, and had a fish like odor when we walked in. Overall, it was a pretty average dining experience.
Good place for dinner with family, friends, or significant others.

An average dining experience here at Celeste. Inside feels like a small Mom & Pop shop with lots of energy.
Pros:
1) Portion size– you are definitely served a nice portion for the price of the meal. I’ve never seen so much gnocchi on a plate. Portions are large enough to share.
2) Attentive staff
Cons:
1) Food was average. My rigatoni meat sauce was a bit oily while the gnocchi sauce was bland.
2) The bathroom scared me. It was old and dingy and I felt like I was in a seedy bar restroom.
3) Cash only.
While I was content with my dining experience here at Celeste, I definitely came in with expectations that weren’t met.

AMAZING food. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff.
There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Manhattan, but this one is obviously one of the best.
Their Ravioli is heavenly!

This is one of my friends’ (who is Italian) favorite Italian restaurant in the city. He’s been here several times as he used to live in the area, but this was my first time here.
Few quick important things …
1. They will not seat you until your entire party is there
2. If you don’t want to wait, show up right when they open, otherwise there WILL be a line!
3. Cash Only
4. This place is AMAZING!
They open at 5PM for dinner, and we showed up at 4.40pm. It was a rainy day, so there was no one ahead of us, but at around 5pm, there were 3 other groups behind us. Unfortunately, our entire party was not there, so we did not get a table right away. The restaurant was completely packed by 6pm with a line out the door. Luckily our friends arrived around 5.20 and we got the only round table that sits 5 people!
This places isn’t tiny, but they pack in as many tables as they can, so it’s a tight squeeze! Only a few people can be standing at a time, but they make it work. All the servers and the owner is incredibly friendly, helpful and nice.
Their bottles of wine are pretty reasonable as well as the price of their food!
The Food
Artichoke Appetizer — AMAZING, came with fresh mozzarella … so fresh it reminded me of when I was in Italy
Tagliatelle Special with Mushrooms — came with red sauce, didn’t have meat, but was still absolutely AMAZING! Noodles were perfectly chewy. Sauce was perfect. Everything was perfect! This was my favorite of the three pastas we got
Tagliatelle Con Gamberi E Verza — with Shrimp (first thing under pastas) — Also amazing. Generous amount of shrimp in dish, great flavors and noodles were perfect as well.
Cannelloni Pasta with Red Sauce — also very very good. In general, these noodles aren’t my favorite, but they were still delicious!
Tiramisu Dessert — I’m not a dessert person, but I took a bite and it was pretty good, not too sweet. Among the 5 people, we got two desserts and we finished it all!
Everything we got was amazing and so tasty. The place feels authentic, the food tastes authentic. The staff is wonderful and the prices are incredibly reasonable!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place, will definitely be coming back here again, and will definitely recommend to others!