Celestino Ristorante & Bar

I saw the mixed reviews on this restaurant and had to throw my two cents in. My wife and I really enjoyed our visit. The rabbit polenta was awesome. I also just really enjoyed the atmosphere - the owner and his family were there speaking in Italian or English with thick accents. The service was great. I actually prefer to sit inside away from the street noise - it enables the suspension of disbelief that you are no longer in Pasadena.

Posted 02/17/09

I ordered black and white tagliolini with scallops at this restaurant. It was very tasty and light. Everyone in our group was happy with what s/he got. We waitied for a while for bread and wine because the waitor was very busy. That was the only bad thing.

Pros: The food is good

Cons: Slow service

Posted 12/15/07

My wife wanted to try this restaurant for her birthday so we visited it last Friday night. We had reservations and were seated immediately upon arrival. The service was good, and the ambience was nice (we sat in the outdoor patio because the front patio seemed too noisy). My wife had the angel hair pasta with tomatoes which she liked, and I had the spaghetti with seafood which tasted good. But four hours after the meal, I was violently vomitting for several hours. Since Celestino was the only restaurant I'd eaten at all evening, I have to assume it was the seafood spaghetti that caused my demise. My wife called the restaurant the next day to inform them of what had happened so that they could check their seafood supply and nobody else would fall ill. Nobody returned her call. We will NEVER return.

Posted 10/21/07

We expected high prices and very good food, and Celestino met our expectations. The wait staff was very fast, and the menu was bigger than I expected - I had a hard time choosing, and that was before the specials were read. I went for the gorgonzola risotto, and a bowl of mushroom soup. It was filling and very flavorful, although the risotto was a little runnier than I would have preferred. We also had the calamari friti appetizer, which was light and very good. Overall, I was impressed, but the price is a little prohibitive to come here too often ($35/person after tax and tip.) Definitely a place I would take my wife for a special occasion.

Pros: Good Food, Nice Restaurant Atmosphere

Cons: Price

Posted 08/21/07

I read lots of nice reviews about Celestino, and I had gone there once before with a friend. The first time was pleasant. However, the second visit was a disappointment since I looked forward to having risotto with squid ink, but got long grain rice instead. It tasted more like fried rice with squid ink than what the menu indicated: risotto with squid ink. We were hoping for a quiet, romantic dinner, so you should try going on a weekday since on a Friday night, it got a little noisy. The wine selection was also a disappointment. The Sardinian Grenache could have been better used for cooking with its high acidic content than for sipping with dinner.

Cons: Vegetables were soft.

Posted 11/30/06

This placed is jam packed for a reason. This is a terrific restaurant. The selection, preparation, and don't forget taste, are wonderful. Yes, it's a little pricey and conjested but the service was charmingly "old school". Overall this has been my favorite dining experience in LA and I'm sure to return. Perhaps others have had an off night or perhaps they let one small aspect ruin their entire evening. BUT this is a place worth travelling out of your way for. I've dined at NY's best establishments and this place is on par! I went during prime time-dinner Saturday evening. But please stay away...this place is busy enough and I'd love to have less people there when I'm out with my date.

Pros: service, quality, variety of choices

Cons: too popular!

Posted 06/04/06

Went here for a special occasion, as we usually do with this restaurant, but were underwhelmed. Seating was prompt and the restaurant had a nice bustle for 6.30 on Tuesday. We ordered a couple of glasses of champagne, which were flat, and though promptly changed on request, a restaurant of this quality should have noticed. The wine we ordered wasnt available and we were brought an alternative for the same price which we were assured was more expensive, though it was not on the list so we couldnt compare the prices. Appetizers were moderate, scallops a little bitter perhaps, and the souffle too rich. My wifes main course of red beet risotto was colorful but bland; the langoustine tagliatelli was very good and I would recommend. Desserts were of the quality we had expected for the entire meal. Overall not bad, but for the price and reputation I expected more.

Pros: Ambience, Desserts

Posted 05/23/06

After reviews we tried last night. Don't sit outside at dinner time, it is very noisey from street traffic. Service was very good, but the food way below my standards. We had two first courses: the mushroom souflee, which was good, and the beef carpaccio which had a too strong lemon sauce. Otherwise it was average compared to others. We had rabbit(meat good, gravy non-descript and Oso Bucco, a huge piece in brown gravy on a very runny bed of saffron rice. The meat had a strong after taste. With one glass of wine and a 20% tip for the good service, the meal was $88.00. Not worth the money and definitely of below average quality. I eat good Italian food weekly and this just didn't compare.

Pros: Street Parking, Service

Cons: Noise on Street, food

Posted 05/09/06

Nothing but good to say about our dinner here on a Wed. night. even at 6 PM restaurant the restaurant was bustling. The owner circulates; wait staff very attentive to all! Pumpkin tortellini were scrumptious; my langoustino and pasta tasted of the sea even tho they were a bit skimpy on the crustaecean itself. All pasta is home-made. Many Italian wines on list. This place has a loyal following. Many come pre-theater as well. Highly recommend for a NICE night out...

Pros: service, parking in back, food

Posted 01/19/06

I do not know about the mixed reviews I read here on service. Our dinner last night in the totally full restaurant was just right! SNAPPY and EFFICIENT SEVICE by our knowledgeable waiter topped off our meal. Tomato/bread soup was properly balanced, not too sweet; pheasant/morel with home-made pappardelle was rich and creamy; pasta with scallops and saffron sauce was deemed delcious; and spaghetti with fresh sardines/raisins/pine nuts is a Scicilian favorite. They have stayed true to their roots by keeping these dishes on the menu. It had been 5 yrs since we'd dined here. I would say the service was excellent, the food very good and the menu is expanded. HURRAY. I will most certainly return.

Pros: menu, good service, parking

Cons: noisy

Posted 12/21/05

Had a great time with friends until table clean-up. The waiter dropped a fork, along w/sauce and noodle, on top of my friends head. Then he spilled another plates sauce on my other friends brand new AlbertaFerretti top and a white Dior bag. We thought someone would handle this situation immediately, but not until we asked for the manager. The manager insisted arrogantly that accidents do happen, &insincerely recited an apology. He offered to take care of the cleaning bill, but my friend had to leave the states the next morning &the white bag didnt look repairable. After she told the manager, he again recited his so-called apology with his indifferent &artificial attitude, made an additional offer for free desert, but we just wanted to leave the awful experience behind. After this perfect demonstration of horrible customer service, I recommend others not to suffer the dreadful dining experience Celestino offer.

Cons: Service

Posted 07/19/05

What a nice find! Extensive, reasonably priced wine list and varied menu. Contrary to prior postings, portions are more than adequate. This isn't Claim Jumper! Service was friendly if a bit slow.

Pros: Extensive menu, Extensive wine list, Friendly service

Cons: Slow service

Posted 03/17/05

We went here for New Year's Eve, mainly because they were one of the few places that were still taking reservations the day of. In retrospect, that was a very bad decision. Horrendous service, took almost 2 hours for food to be served. Didn't have any wines we wanted. The wine they served had gone bad (smelled horrendous), but the waiter said it was just how their Chiantis were, and suggested we try a California wine instead. We had to sit in overflow seating, which was basically a cheap conference room. At $50-$100 a person, I expect FAR, FAR, FAR more than this.

Posted 01/03/05

Expect to find some very good Italian food (the mushroom souffle appetizer is very good) coupled with horrendous service. I have been to Celestino's many times and I used to have fairly good service. The hostess they have right now is a disaster. A 7:45 reservation will mean that your table is given away repeatedly until you finally get seated at 8:30 in the back next to the bathroom (where it will smell) -- they will also attempt to leave the back outside door wide open (when it is very very cold) so as to let you know that you are not wanted. Fine, if you don't want business, then why stay in business. This place has gone down hill big time. I would never set foot in it again and I would advise all to stay clear of its uninviting/snotty-for-no-reason attitude towards its own customers.

Pros: Good Food

Cons: , Terrible Service

Posted 10/17/04

The food is fairly average at this restaurant compared to other italian restaurants I have tried in LA. Dinner for my girlfriend and I came out to $70 for 2 "small" entrees and a overpriced half bottle of wine. The portions were very small and I left the restaurant rather hungry still. We had a bottle of wine that was a special but was not told the price and turned out to be more than we would have liked.

However in all fairness the service was excellent and the atmosphere quite charming. I recommend interior seating since the decor inside is tastefully done. I'm still unclear as why so many people enjoying dining outside since the street in front of the restaurant is a very busy/loud street (Lake) esp around dinner time.

Pros: Service, Decor

Cons: , smalll portions

Posted 09/27/04

Celestino is consistently good- rarely great. It's a pleasant ambiance, and the servers are helpful. My biggest gripe is that it's not particularly kid-friendly. We ordered a kid's pasta with butter, it came in a small bowl and was $13! We asked the server and they reduced it to $11! Given our overall tab, we thought this was cheesy. Otherwise the food's okay, and it can be pleasant sitting outside on a nice evening!

Pros: Parking, Pleasant

Posted 08/23/04

From the food to the service, everything is the best. No matter what is on the menu, if you would like to add something to the dish or otherwise change it, it's a snap and when you ask there is no attitude.

Posted 12/03/02

Unless you're a regular, be prepared to be seated in the back hallway and mostly ignored. After we'd ordered, we heard our waiter at another table of regulars, telling them the specials that he hadn't bothered to mention to us. Food was good, but not great. But the poor service turned me off completely.

Posted 11/07/02