Insider Pages Reviews for Celestial Restrnt The

1 Stars: Overpriced and Undersatisfying (by by cincysomm at Citysearch)

by cincysomm at Citysearch — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:37:40 GMT

My husband and I who are new to the area were very excited to dine at the Celestial. Upon arrival, the maitre'd was clueless about our reservation. We ended up having to wait a half hour for our table, even though we had a reservation. And it wasn't even busy! We waited in the lounge and enjoyed the beautiful chandelier and view that the dining room has. The girl who got our drinks for us was condescending and rude, and seemed to know nothing about the menu; she even called my husband's first drink ""Jim Bean"". We saw her on her phone the whole night and her outfit left nothing to the imagination. When we were FINALLY taken to our table, we'd hoped for a different experience. Unfortunately, we were again met with a rude server. My husband's ""steak"" was overcooked, side dishes were bland, and I left my salmon because it smelled like it was 3 weeks old. To top it all off, we saw roaches crawling around in the service area and immediately asked for our bill. Management was unfriendly, unkept, and old. Save yourself $150.00 and go to a real Cincinnati steakhouse whose food reflects the high prices.

5 Stars: Wonderful Anniversary Restaurant (by by INMYBELLY at Citysearch)

by INMYBELLY at Citysearch — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:18:18 GMT

To start with The Celestial is known in Cincinnati to be the most romantic restaurant, so I was hoping the food and service would match the reputation; and it did. I am not a big steak lover but my husband is, so I was going out on a limb making reservations at a steakhouse. To my surprise there are just as many alternative entree options as there are steak options. I started off with the some sampling of the raw bar and my husband had the lobster bisque, WONDERFUL!!!!!!. The crab stuffed salmon I had for entree course was outstanding and my husbands Cowboy (bone-in rib-eye) was eaten to the bone, so i would say he enjoyed it. We shared a chocolate torte that had happy anniversary written in chocolate on the plate much to our surprise. The service was a refreshing non rushed pace you don't get much anymore. We dined for two and a half hours and our server David made us feel like he was enjoying our company as much as we were enjoying dining looking over the best view in Cincinnati. I only came for our anniversary but will be back for any reason i can come up with now, Love this place!!!

5 Stars: Overall Great Steakhouse (by by Foodzzy at Citysearch)

by Foodzzy at Citysearch — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:33:31 GMT

I fly to Cincinnati about twice a month with a stay of about 3 days each time. I have tried many different steakhouses in and around downtown and have found myself returning to the celestial more and more each time i arrive in Cincinnati. The view is spectacular and I have never had bad meal; even though i stick to the nice cuts of beef. I have always had impeccable service and the wine list is quite amazing. Keep up the good work!

1 Stars: Horrible service (by by scau at Citysearch)

by scau at Citysearch — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:41:29 GMT

Went to Celestial to celebrate 50th birthday with friends from out of state. Our waiter from the beginning was un welcoming and once he brought us a glass of wine dissapeared for 50 minutes!! We waved down a waitress to help find our waiter, she took our order,yet we still did not see any food or any other drinks for 30 minutes. We complained TWICE to the manager, yet it did NOT get us food any quicker. If it ha d not been 10 pm at night we would have walked out and found another restaurant. Once we got our food, the soups were cold and the entrees were incorrect. Then to top it off the rude waiter tossed the menu to the birthday guest and said pick something and we will put a candle in it. Needless to say we tossed the menu back, paid the ridiculosly high bill ( even with a small percentage taken off for our wait) and left never to return again. We had superior service earlier in the weekend at Mitchells seafood. Don't waste your money here \r

5 Stars: Went for the view but returned for the food & service (by by Alpine68 at Citysearch)

by Alpine68 at Citysearch — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:14:41 GMT

I have been to the Celestial several times for dinner dates, special occassions and business dinners. We have never had a bad experience. The food is always wonderful, the wine list is great and and the service have always been polite, knowledgable and attentive. Please keep up the great work!!

1 Stars: NOT BEEN BACK (by by PRICEME at Citysearch)

by PRICEME at Citysearch — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:43:20 GMT

mANAGEMENT SAW RUDE BEHAVIOR OF EMPLOYEES AND NOT DO ANYTHING. eMPLOYEES BRUSH OFF CRUMBS OF TABLE,ONTO FLOOR. NOT CLEAN IT UP. EMPLOYEES RUDE TO FEMALE TABLES.INTERRUPT,RUSH TO GET RID OF,RUDE LOOK,AND EXPECT A TIP. nOT VOLUNTEER TO WAIT ON,GIVE MENU,GIVE FOOD,DRINK,DRINKING GLASSES,SILVERWARE,NAPKINS,BILL,WALK AWAY WHILE FEMALE GUESTS ARE TALKING TO EMPLOYEE.FEMALE GUESTS HAD TO GET OUT OF CHAIR AND ASK WAITER TO COME BACK TO TABLE.AND CONTINUE JOB. GAVE ORDER KNEW IT WAS WRONG AND NOT VOLUNTEER TO CORRECT IT.GAVE FOOD AND DRINK RAN AWAY. NOT COME BACK,VOLUNTEER TO GIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE.GAVE BILL ,RAN AWAY AND NOT COME BACK. GAVE RUDE LOOK TO FEMALES,NOT LEAVE A TIP. NOT WANT TO WRITE DOWN FOOD ORDER,DID ANYWAY.

1 Stars: Horrible Service!!! (by by KKH at Citysearch)

by KKH at Citysearch — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:17:21 GMT

The service was terrible! I've gotten better service at Applebee's!!! The food wasn't so great either! I wouldnt recommend this restaurant to anyone! Try Morton's instead, they have incredible service and exceptional food!

4 Stars: The view is amazing, food wonderful, but service iffy. (by by Suzette40 at Citysearch)

by Suzette40 at Citysearch — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:58:43 GMT

I have eaten at the Celestial just a handful of times due to it's very high prices. It is definately a restaurant for splurging or special occasions. The food has always been wonderful, and the view of the Cincinnati skyline might be the very best in the city. The only draw back is the service. You never know if you will get a good waiter or not. Sometimes the service amazing, and other times you're mostly ignored. When my husband I went to dinner for my birthday, my husband had to actually get up from our table and go looking for waiter. My husband had speciffied that he wanted a special birthday dessert brought out as surprise when he made our dinner reservations. After we had eaten our dinners he kept waiting for a desert to be served, but nothing ever came, and the waiter never came by to check on us. After waiting a long time, my husband made and excuse and went looking for the waiter. My recomendation is if your service starts off badly, just leave before ording food. Chances are you gotten one of the bad waiters.

5 Stars: Great food and service (by by theshipleys at Citysearch)

by theshipleys at Citysearch — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:26:49 GMT

The food and service was wonderful. The view of cincinnati was breath takeing and very plesant. For anyone that decides to go there, they should try the rackof lamb and or the New york strip mmmm yummy. The lighting was so romantic and a great place to go for your anniversary.

1 Stars: Horrible Service (by by Cincinnatired at Citysearch)

by Cincinnatired at Citysearch — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:19:58 GMT

My girlfriend and I were treated so poorly that I couldn't stay on principle alone, even though we were both starving. It was that bad.

2 Stars: Would not recommend it........ (by by mehrtash226 at Citysearch)

by mehrtash226 at Citysearch — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:40:50 GMT

This restaurant is a very nice and romantic restaurant to take your significant other to. My girlfriend and I enjoyed the view a lot, but as far as the food goes.. it could be much better. I much rather go to some place such as Outback Steakhouse. Our server also did a very poor job serving us. The server failed to ask for our drinks, keep up with refills, and check on us periodically. Everytime my girlfriend asked the waiter a question the waiter laughed at her and made her feel very dumb. When the waiter brought some steak sauce out for my girlfriend, my girlfriend had food and her mouth so I thanked the waiter and he looked at my girlfriend and said ""thank you"" in a smart way. After we were done with our dinner, we had to wait over 15 minutes for the waiter to return with the bill; altough he saw us looking at him waiting on the bill. I really would not suggest this restuarant just because of my exprience. Our bill ended up being $90 dollars. which paid for nothing but frustration. It really ruined our anniversary night.

5 Stars: Great food and view!! (by by BabyHawkey at Citysearch)

by BabyHawkey at Citysearch — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:13:47 GMT

Very romantic place. Amazing view. The food and service was great. Come here, you will not be disappointed,

5 Stars: Great Steakhouse (by Kimberly B.)

Kimberly B. — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:02:00 GMT

They have a fantastic raw bar and live music on the weekends. The most romantic restaurant in Cincinnati and the best view. I recommend the Kobe Wagyu filet.

5 Stars: Wake up Cincinnati! (by by vmcnees at Citysearch)

by vmcnees at Citysearch — Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:00:00 GMT

I have had the opportunity to dine in many fine establishments around the country, and after being quite unimpressed with Cincinnati's options, I was pleasantly surprised by The Celestial. The new spring menu is innovative and creative. I applaud the chef for not settling with the old time stand by's. If you want your Courdon Bleu and Surf n' Turf don't come here, but if you want something truly unique and delicious The Celestial is the place for you.

5 Stars: If you haven't been... (by by shelleyb at Citysearch)

by shelleyb at Citysearch — Thu, 25 Mar 2004 09:00:00 GMT

You must go!
Initially, the service made us immediately feel that we were in fhe finest establishment.
Although the menu was amazing, we decided to try entrees and wines recommended by the chef and our server. Not only was every course delicious, but so beautifully displayed.
When I'm in Cincinnati on business, I do not dine anywhere else. I have recommended Celestial to friends and business associates, and have gotten the highest complements for my referral. Thank you!

4 Stars: Diamond in the Rough (by by diningcritic at Citysearch)

by diningcritic at Citysearch — Tue, 09 Mar 2004 09:00:00 GMT

Well, with other restaurants around town throwing around their so-called prestigious awards, a cursory selector of dining establishments might just skip over The Celestial. Do not make this mistake.
The service was not to my standard, but it was exceptional by Cincinnati's standards. The wine room is beautiful, I was graciously invited to visit it by the Maitre D' who did everything RIGHT (don't expect that anywhere else in town, unless you are Mr. Lindner).
The food was very good as was the wine, a decent selection and very well presented.
Highly Recommended!

5 Stars: Best French you can get! (by by marina3029 at Citysearch)

by marina3029 at Citysearch — Tue, 11 Feb 2003 02:57:01 GMT

Some of the best food I've ever had on this continent. The porcini mushroom latte was fab - as was the duck. My husband adored the fois gras - lovely. Dessert was almost too much. Wine list is extensive, most are expensive, but you can find what you want. Reservations are not recommended - they're necessary, I'd say. And I think the pricing info is low - We bought a $50 bottle of wine and 1 dessert and we spent $325 easily. Go if you want to be pampered. Plus the bar is GREAT!

4 Stars: great view! (by by midwestskidude at Citysearch)

by midwestskidude at Citysearch — Fri, 20 Dec 2002 05:26:58 GMT

they took away the best meal (a mound of dover sole lightly dusted with flour and pan seared) the rest of the menu is decent. the view is great and the staff has always been wonderful (even when i wasn't in my 30s) very romantic. as usual, if the view is great the food rarely matches it. too bad i'm a sucker for a great view.

5 Stars: A Special Night (by by cseibert at Citysearch)

by cseibert at Citysearch — Thu, 21 Nov 2002 17:10:35 GMT

The Celestial made the evening I dreamed of for my sweetheart's birthday. He did not want a fuss and ""no singing waiters."" The Celestial handled it with a style and class that was perfect. It pleased my sweetheart. He loved the wine and the food. The view was wonderful, even though there was a bit of a glare from the lights. I wanted it to be elegant, stylish and high class and the staff and resturant itself met all of my challenges. It was a perfectly romantic even that I hope he will always cherish. Thank you.

3 Stars: Not what you think it'll be... (by by blakesomers at Citysearch)

by blakesomers at Citysearch — Thu, 07 Nov 2002 18:40:17 GMT

Great view overlooking the city. However, the restaurant has recently overstepped its bounds in trying to compete with ""The Maisonette,"" Cincinnati's only 5 star restaurant. In so doing, they have stepped past where their chefs are comfortable and have degraded their food product. However, the ambience is truly wonderful. Go for the view; stay for a drink; then go eat somewhere else. My choice for view + food in Cincinnati? La Primavista... Better view, excellent food.

5 Stars: Dining in the Heavens (by by griffin at Citysearch)

by griffin at Citysearch — Sat, 12 Oct 2002 09:19:42 GMT

The Celestial may have the best view in town, but I think that takes second place to the creative beautiful and tasty cuisine. Though it is somewhat pricey, I've always believed that you get what you pay for and I feel that holds true here. You can tell that they spend a lot of time and love on each dish. The extensive wine list offers selections for all tastes. The service was friendly but professional and courses were spaced to allow us time to enjoy each others company and the beautiful view. Truly a heavenly experience.

3 Stars: Good but not great (by by bpacker75 at Citysearch)

by bpacker75 at Citysearch — Mon, 30 Sep 2002 02:00:49 GMT

The view from Mt. Adams of the city is excellent (especially at sunset). Unfortunately, the service left plenty to be desired. Our server was standoffish and lacked the pleasant but not too pleasant attitude that you expect at a restaurant where dinner for two with wine will easily cost you $175. There were also timing issues with the meal. In fact, our server had to turn around and deliver our entrees back to the kitchen because we were still working on our first course when meal arrived. As a result, my seafood pasta dish was somewhat gummy. If you want a great dinner and the service that you should be afforded when enjoying fine dining then either spend the money on Maisonette or check out one of Jeff Ruby's Restaurants. Or, go to Bella downtown. You'll have some really good food for at least half the price of Celestial.

1 Stars: Faux pas (by by nosticenkei at Citysearch)

by nosticenkei at Citysearch — Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:51:28 GMT

No wonder I couldn't stand this restaurant. First, I'm German. Second, this is a German town. Third, no one likes to be this snobby, certainly not 'real' French. Maybe it's a Midwest matter of life that one must act more important than they actually are. Skip this one and choose the Riverfront. And for romance, we would have been more turned on at a morgue, which is ironic considering the stuffy, geriatric nature of this faux-French-fiasco.

4 Stars: Good but... (by by luuis at Citysearch)

by luuis at Citysearch — Mon, 09 Sep 2002 00:19:17 GMT

Unfortunately I have to rehash what has already been said. Snooty waitstaff, the busboy was the only person under 50, and $42 for a bowl of pasta was excessive. We were seated near the kitchen and didn't get anything resembling a view. There was preferential treatment given to other diners but not to us (seating, food extras). However dessert was incredible and inexpensive. I had something called a Study of Creme Brulee: 5 different mini Brulees. It was exquisite! My advice is to keep looking though- the attitude towards service rubbed us the wrong way.

5 Stars: 10 (by by jreymansr at Citysearch)

by jreymansr at Citysearch — Mon, 05 Aug 2002 20:49:28 GMT

It is as romantic as it gets anywhere else in town.

5 Stars: 9 (by by shelbby at Citysearch)

by shelbby at Citysearch — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 14:34:16 GMT

This is a knock her off her socks romantic restraunt.

3 Stars: If you like boring and stuffy (by by buddy5 at Citysearch)

by buddy5 at Citysearch — Mon, 17 Jun 2002 09:00:00 GMT

Amazing view at the bar. After that it's boring and cincy stuffy at it's best. if you want old, this is your place. it is god's waiting room...