CASH ONLY! It still escapes me that restaurants, especially those in the heart of the city, can continue to operate on a cash only basis. We made the simple mistake to not look beforehand and found ourselves running to the bank three blocks away. The restaurant itself is quaint and manages to pack a lot of tables without suffocating its patrons. My first major gripe with Celiste was the hospitality. There was no sense of welcome (with the exception of the manager/owner who checked up on us on two separate occasions). The remaining staff come off as cold and uninterested. I actually had an awkward moment with one of the busboys when I asked for butter for my bread. Did I ask a ridiculous question? Because it certainly felt that way from his facial expression. Next time, a simple "we don't have butter" will suffice. Now for the food. We ordered the spinach walnut salad to share. Very generous portion but a bit to citrusy for my liking. The entrees were mediocre. The linguini with clams was average, nothing that would encourage you to come back nor offset you from visiting again. The ribeye special, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. Zero flavor! Now I see why they only have 5 portions prepared for the day. I was one of those unfortunate gunny-pigs who got suckered into ordering it. read more

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Reliable neighborhood Italian despite the harried service and crowdedness. Let the owner tell you the story about how he brings over the cheese from Rome in his suitcase. Pretty classic. read more

Celeste - Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Small, Loud, Casual, Excellent Value for NYC, Very Good Food. Friendly Owner, Cantankerous Servers. The Salmon dinner with Spinach and Potatoes is excellent. Tube Pasta with Red Sauce and Basil is very good. (Not homemade pasta.) Green Salad is fresh, dressing could use improvement. Table bread is awful--needs an immediate change. Chicken Parm here does NOT contain any red sauce per our server. You cannot get a side of pasta and red sauce per our server--must order entire pasta dinner. We got stuck with this aggressive female server last Friday night that needs a serious attitude adjustment to try to nice her up. Aisles so tight that my arm was hit dozens of times with servers racing up and down. Not a romantic venue--it's a going out with a regular or friends venue for Italian food on a budget. Menu choices are limited and Red Sauce choice minimal so check the menu before coming. Service is speed fast. They need to turn over tables on Fri and Sat night. They will not seat incomplete parties. I would go again for the Salmon and Red Sauce pasta. read more

I got the burrata and the pesto gnocchi - loved flavor of the burrata and the texture of the gnocchi :)

Come for the Pizza, Stay for the Wine! You know you've chosen the right pizza place when you can smell the pizza cooking and there's a guy in the back tossing the dough old-school. One of the things I miss about NYC is the Pizza. I live in the Boston area and I've tried just about every "best in New England" joint and none compare to what you can get at the average pizza place in NYC. Not that Celeste is average. Far from it. We ordered the Margherita Pizza and the Quattro Stagioni, which was sufficient for four people (after starting with the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese, of douse). Thin crust, just enough cheese so it makes a string from slice to your mouth after you bite in to it. We finished with the Tirimisu which was quite heavy and filling and missing a few lady-fingers. One special bonus is the rather extensive wine selection by the glass and which was attractively priced. We were lucky to avoid the long lines as we came during the Portugal - U.S.A. World Cup game and Celeste has no T.V. Oh well, lucky for us! We'll definitely return on our next visit and wish we could take a pie home! read more

Celeste - Tirimisu - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Best pasta in NyC! They offer the best warm apple cake my first stop everytime! Great selection of drinks as well

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. read more

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. Bon appetite! read more

Celeste - Spinach ravioli - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Food good but owner made an unsolicited antisemitic remark. I was eating the fried artichokes and I complimented him. I told him that the dish brought me right back to my memories of Trastevere in Rome where they are famous for artichoke a la Judaea. He responded by saying that he doesn't fry in brisket fat. I thought that strange because I am an Italian Jew and I know that we never ever fry artichokes in brisket fat. EVER! At first I thought I was hearing things but my boyfriend heard it as well and thought his remark was particularly nasty. Dont go to this restaurant. The best revenge for someone like that is to hit them in the wallet. read more

Unless you are a local to the UWS, this restaurant may very well miss your radar, as there isn't a sign to announce it's existence. That being said, you will always know when you come across Celeste by the huge number of patrons waiting for a table outside of the restaurant. It's easily an hour to two hour wait during peak times and they don't take reservations. On my second visit, we went during off-peak hours and were seated immediately. Yay! The food is worth the wait! It's fresh and full of flavor. I've been here a couple of times and ordered the pizza margherita, spaghetti alla vongole, gnocchi alla sorrentino, and vitello al limone. For dessert, we had the tiramisu and torta di mele (apple tart). Overall excellent (although if you have to pick between the two desserts, pick the tiramisu)! Portions are perfect. - not too much and not too little. Cash only, and be prepared to love your neighbor: they really pack the seating area since it's a small restaurant. read more

My and my friend Tamar reunited in this restaurant after not seeing each other for 7 years. We randomly chose this place because it was close, quiet and closed later than the rest of the places around. First impression was super positive: the host and waitress were sweet and had a beautiful Italian accent. The place is very woody looking and when seated inside, it almost feels like it's located in Europe rather than in New York. We took the margarita pizza and a salad - both were so delicious! We couldn't finish a sentence without having another bite. The salad was fresh and light, and the pizza was flavorful and authentic. As a dessert we took (I think) the Torte Di Mele and it was divine! I let her have the last bite just because she's visiting haha. I'm definitely going to revisit and definitely recommending. read more

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Oh man, I had such high hopes for this place given that they make their own fresh pasta and the prices are extremely reasonable. We came around 5:30pm and were seated immediately (didn't get busy until much later). The service was so awkward, and the tables were SO CLOSE TOGETHER; I totally understand this on a busier night but there were only 2 other parties in the entire restaurant. This was a Wednesday. I ordered the mushroom with goat cheese & small salad as an app - it was EXTREMELY salty and the mushrooms did not taste fresh. What a waste of $15. Move on to the spinach & ricotta ravioli (freshly made) with butter & sage... if you want to gain 20 pounds and feel like a complete waste of space after your meal, then please by all means get this dish. It was tasty, definitely, but I had to drain the butter off the side of my plate. It was just WAY WAY too much. The pomodoro that they serve is actually pretty good, I will admit. But it was fairly basic. Tomato sauce with unique noodles. Oh, don't forget that they are CASH ONLY. read more

Celeste - Greeseyyyyyy - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious, authentic, nice portions & very fresh. Suggestions: sexy cheese plate, artichoke salad with shaved Parmesan, gnocchi, Spaghetti a la vongole, butternut squash ravioli w sage cream sauce. Great bread! Crazy busy & usually packed. Might be a line outside. Waiters are knowledgeable but a bit rushed.Very small inside but in an intimate "watch your neighbor's eat "kind of way. Excellent wine list. Bathrms are typical NYC tiny. Overall- I luv it! read more

Tiramisu is TO DIE FOR! Intimate restaurant that was PACKED on a Thursday night, Celeste does Italian right. I took my roommate out for her birthday here, and everything from the service to the food was on point. We shared the Quattro Staggioni pizza and a pasta special I forgot the name of. We ended our meal with Tiramisu for dessert, and it was SPLENDID. So moist, flavorful, and light. It was one of the best Tiramisus I've had in the city. Whatever you eat, make sure to finish your meal with their Tiramisu. TIP: CASH ONLY! BE PREPARED TO WAIT UNLESS YOU GET THERE EARLY! read more

If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. We called in advance to make a reservation and was really excited to try this place since we hardly venture up to UWS. We sat down and ordered the shaved baby artichoke salad, the gnocchi, and the famous ricotta flat noodle pasta dish. We were starving since we just worked all day and as we dug into our baby artichoke salad, I noticed a LONG, THIN BLONDE HAIR embedded into the salad. It wasn't on top of the salad, it was actualy MIXED INTO the salad. You couldn't pull it out because it was so well mixed into it. Mind you, my mother and I are Asian with thick black hair. The woman next to me, also Asian with black hair, and the other woman next to us was Italian and had dark brown hair. It was not ours and we pointed it out to our server, who immediately told his manager/owner. The manager took it away, and then YELLED back at me that it was black hair and that it wasn't from his kitchen staff. He made excuses and kept yelling at me that it was ours and that it wasn't from his kitchen. Listen, I get that you make errors, but don't yell at your customers and make a horrible situation even worse. There was no apology and then he continued to yell at me and that there was nothing he could do. Honestly, I was so hungry and tired and truly wanted to eat there and all I wanted was for him to say that he was sorry and that he would make it right. Rather, I got chastised and felt disgusted by his attitude and lack of customer service. Everyone around was appalled at the manager's behavior and also demanded that he apologize to us. He did not, so we left. It's a pity because the food looked good and it seemed that it was a local joint. I'm usually not one to write reviews but will do it when I feel that it needs to be voiced. Celeste, take care of your customers because they are your bread and butter and don't be passive-aggressive to your customers!!! I could have interpreted this situation as RACIAL and GENDER microaggressions, but I didn't and won't. Perhaps the manager (owner?) just had a horrible day and took it out on his customers, but know that your lack of customer service and empathy has put your business on the line. Not worth the hype. Save your precious $ and go somewhere where they will treat you with respect. read more

6:30 on a Tuesday, almost completely empty....7 oclock and it's packed. Food: Quattro Stagioni Pizza (4 quadrants with each quarter containing prosciutto, mushrooms, tomato artichokes and mozzarella): Very well cooked. Pizza is thin with a thicker, slightly doughy crust. The toppings were also well done, flavorful, and not overcooked. Gnocci Alla Sorrentino: The gnocci itself was well-cooked - soft and doughy - but the marinara sauce was a bit too bland. Dessert (we splurged and ordered 2): Pastiera (grain and ricotta cake with orange blossom water): I did not like this dessert. The cake was very dense, a little on the dry side, and was very reminiscent of Chinese mooncake. The orange blossom water made it taste like eating bath soap. Tartufo limoncello (lemon gelato with lemon sorbet inside covered with candied sugar): This was okay. The candied sugar added a nice texture, but it was essentially just lemon ice cream. There was supposed to be a frozen sponge cake somewhere but I did not taste it. Overall, an OK meal. Not terrible but not fantastic either. read more

Celeste - Tartufo al limoncello - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Celeste has its problems. Yes, it's incredibly loud and crowded. Yes, the service leaves quite a bit to be desired. No, you can't make reservations (and the waits can be long) or play with plastic. But, the food is amazing and it's very reasonably priced. Two people can get starters, entrees, dessert, and wine for under $100. I generally order the chicken livers (amazing, amazing, amazing - I dream of these chicken livers now that I've left NYC) gnocchi, and cheese plate. The gnocchi is as close as you'll get to my Italian great-grandmother's. I've tried the thinly sliced beef dishes and had the pastiera and a couple pasta specials as well and everything has been delicious. I don't think you could go wrong with anything on the menu. Carmine's cheese plates are great...even if you can only hear and understand 10% of what he tells you about the cheeses. read more

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. read more

Celeste - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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The restaurant is cramped and you are seated right next to other people, but the food is very good. The owner is from Rome and is very nice. The food is Italian, not Italian American. No heavy red sauces and food smothered with cheese. The food is reasonably priced and very tasty. The lamb chops are very good, and the pasta dishes good as well. The pizza is very popular, but I don't order it because there are so many great main dishes.There are specials every night. It is very casual and good for kids and small groups. read more

Authentic northern Italian. Start with the artichoke salad and do not miss the linguini with clams. Insider tip, ask for the hot oil on top if you like a little heat. Try a bottle of the Chianti if you're drinking - it's affordable and a classic. read more

It may look like your average neighborhood spot, but Celeste is anything but, or more than that! I wandered in with a date night, and was immediately greeted by the friendly staff and incredible aroma and the "spartan" decor atmosphere, even it could be a perfect place for a "sybarite" :-) The food is authentic Italian and I felt home in all hedonistic pleasure that all plates give to our palate. The owner is a formidable wine conosseur. You should try to come back more than one time to taste different seasonal and regional meals. (Desserts are also gems). read more

An absolutely delicious place to eat. The waiters there were so kind, and the wait for food on a Wednesday night was extremely short. The restaurant is quite small and cute. I went with a group of 8 girls, and it felt like we got all of our food within 10 minutes. The pasta I got was so savory; the shrimp on it was absolutely delectable. All of the girls I went with LOVED their food. This is definitely a restaurant to check out. read more

I heard this place is always packed, and it definitely was, even for a Monday night! They don't seat you unless everyone's there (since it's so packed), but we didn't have to wait much when we got there, so yay to that! They start you off with some bread and olive oil, nom. I had their rigatone bolognese pasta, which had huge pasta tubes to 'em with some meat sauce and mushrooms. After I had them load it with some shredded cheeese, it was pretty tasty. The servers are all really enthusiastic and super friendly as well! read more

yum yum yum yum...very good Real Italian food and not pricey at all. Dinner at 6:30 and the place was packed.. i mean subway car during rush hour packed. This small shop that looks like a pizzeria but its a very nice, cozy restaurant is actually very good. Not good for more than 4 people, wait times can be long, but good o take a date out and eat great food and not break your wallet. Lots of older people go there for the fancy food to drink with San Pellegrino water bottle $6. I had one of the daily specials, Chicken breast with baked potato on a bed of asparagus that was actually very very good. I dont even eat veggies and i was eating mine like if it was a piece of meat. Also ordered the fried calamari but those were just ok. Definitely a place to re visit, bring a date and have a great night. PS: place is very tight, 1 bathroom for both sexes and servers speak italian or seem to be pushed to speak italian to keep the authenticity. The owners always walk around asking if everything is ok which i like.. Happy patrons = happy pockets full of $$$ read more

Neighborhood place with authentic touch and feel. Service was average as well as the food. Here's what we ordered: -mussels (special): large and a good portion. Tasty broth which was delicious and served as a perfect bread dipping sauce -side salad: fresh and average -burrata & tomatoes: fresh and simple -veal (special): tender, juicy and soft -tagliatelle con Gamberi E Verza ($9.50): eggnoodles with cabbage, shrimp and pecorino. Per the diner, the dish could have used more shrimp but other than that it was okay Cash only. They will come around with extra cheese, but if they feel your dish will not go well with their fresh grated cheese, they will actually decline your request for extra cheese! That's authentic! read more

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It is a wonderful restaurant, I have never been happier. the owner is a nice, professional person. all of his recommendations are the best. I know many restaurants and this for me is the best in New York. thanks to all the staff but especially to The owner. for making me feel like in Italy read more

Looking for amazing Italian food? This is the place! Make sure to bring CASH! This is cash only. This is a great place very small and close knit. I enjoy every meal I have here. This is the type of Italian restaurant you do not need to tell them what wine you want. You just tell them to bring you whatever wine they suggest and it will be perfect for whatever meal you may have. I will always go back to Celeste. read more

Ah I love this place next time I'm trying the pizza. Yes, this place is CA$H only just FYI. The fried artichoke is to die for, not super greasy and heavy. I got the spaghetti bolganese which was the special for the day I was there and the sauce was super fresh. Yes you are crammed in the restaurants like sardines, I am starting to think in Manhattan where space is at a premium that seems to be the norm. The service is good although they do try to get you moved out quickly. read more

Decent quality and accomodating staff. Although they pack you in, it's somehow not as umcomfortable as you'd think. Love the hostess who ran the place the two times I ate here. She seemed to know what every single person was doing even while 15 others were waiting on queue. She even noticed that I had a sad look on my face when I forgot to ask my server for Parmesan Cheese on my pasta and thru hand signals managed in the sea of this busy atmosphere to ask me what my problem was and have the situation resolved in less than a minute when she personally maneuvered her way to us to personally rescue us and grade some parmesan greatness on our dishes. No better pasta place in the upper West Side to eat at for a reasonable price. Look forward to coming here again. read more

I LOVE THE WAFFLES! I didn't even desire any toppings after I had a bite of these waffles. The items I had were delectable and I came just before brunch began, so, lots of room not having to worry about getting shoved or tight squeezed meals. Will come back again. read more

This place is amazing, and it deserves all the hype. Great food and friendly people. We ordered the spinach ricotta ravioli and the special pasta of the day (Bolognese) and the appetizer of the day (fried zucchini served over greens with sardine dressing). Everything was great. The waitress was friendly and helpful, and the owner was incredibly friendly. The food is authentic and cooked perfectly. The reason why Celeste gets a bonus star is because the prices are reasonable. The daily specials are a bit pricier (the bolognese was $16 for example), but the regular pasta dishes are around $10/11. This is great by new york standards, and I was glad to have a fantastic italian meal for a reasonable price! It's crowded and busy, but the wait wasn't too long. We came on a Sunday night at dinner time and waited 15 minutes. If you're looking for a quiet, romantic place where you can spread your legs, this probably isn't for you. But with friendly service, delicious food, and the hustle and bustle, this is a great place to get your Italian fix. read more

Experience: Squeezed in between two different tables at the front of the restaurant. Forget having a conversation here, between the claustrophobic table spacing, the frantic waiters, the creepy flirting of the owner, and the general noise, it is impossible to hear your company. -I saw two things here that I have never seen before in a NYC restaurant: 1. The owner asked a couple who had finished and paid for their meal to leave as they needed to seat new guests. 2. The wait staff and the owner perpetually nagging the couple to our right "Are you finished?, would you like this wrapped to go?" This occurred probably 10 or 15 times within the span of 10 minutes. Food: Disappointing. Given the high volume of positive reviews on Yelp, we had high expectations. The food was mediocre, at best. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. Unless that is, you enjoy being rushed through your disappointing meal while listening to the owner flirt about his "juicy and sweet prosciutto" AVOID. read more

3.5 stars. I enjoyed my dinner here, but from the other reviews I read I think it is slightly over-hyped. Food was definitely good, but not out of this world, write home to mom about. I go the gnocchi based on reading a review on it, but it was a bit bland to me. I think I enjoyed our caprese salad the best. Service was friendly and attentive, although I did notice like other reviewers that the owner did tend to hover around, which was a bit uncomfortable and took away from having an intimate dining experience. The bread they brought out as well was super brittle, and I would guess a day old, which is not to my liking. I find it hard to believe, but we had a really hard time finding a great Italian place in New York and I had higher expectations for this place based on reviews, but it was good, not great. Maybe I just need to go back and try more dishes. read more

Celeste - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I have no idea why this place has 3.5 stars. Yes it is cash only and a bit small, but the food is excellent. This place is exactly what you want when you think of casual authentic Italian food. The four of us started with a margherita pizza which was perfect, nice thin crust (but not too thin) and very fresh and flavorful (lots of fresh basil). I had the tagliatelle with shrimp and it was delicious. It tasted a bit like shrimp scampi. The noodles were fresh, the shrimp was cooked nicely, the cheese was tasty and the cabbage was a nice addition. Others got the paccheri, ravioli and gnocchi. All were delicious and happy with their dishes (the ravioli in particular were wonderful, but as is the case with ravioli everywhere, there could have been more). The prices are fair and the service is fairly quick. I would definitely go back. read more

This was my favorite dinner during our trip to New York. We visited after walking through the Museum of Natural History. Be sure to bring CASH! The artichoke salad was deliciously dressed w/lemon juice, olive oil and Parmesan. I enjoyed every bite of my tender gnocchi. It was tossed in a very tasty, smoky tomato sauce. Hubby had the best pizza in NY! It was a thin, crisp quatro stagioni with each topping owning a quadrant. The crust was crisp all the way through to the center. The man working the wood fired oven certainly had talent! This pizza was just like the non-tourist pizzas in Italy! We had all this, plus a glass of wine for $46. It was an excellent, reasonably priced dinner with excellent service. As other Yelpers have noted, the table widths are very small and the space between tables is very narrow. We almost didn't find this place. There's no large sign hanging outside, and several businesses are at the address. Look for the restaurant with the big glass greenhouse-like front.. read more

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I ordered: Medaglioni di Vitello al limone - breaded chicken cutlet with capers and crushed almonds with side salad Vermicelli alle Vingole - thin spaghetti with steamed open baby clams, garlic and olive oil Special of the Day - "Fish of the Day" Food wasn't breathtaking, but the host outside was spectacular. His attitude to his job made the customers smile. You know it was a repeat customer base because he knew everyone by name as well as the kids. Its a very small venue with a lot of flavor. Although the lights are dim and the mood is romantic, it is a family restaurant. read more

How is this place not rated five stars?!? Locally owned by an Italian family and it truly feels that way. The service is very personal. It reminds me of being in Italy. It's affordable and good. I would highly recommend one of the fresh pastas or brick oven pizzas. read more

Celeste - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Stay away! We stopped by to pick up some food to go. When I saw extremely bare decor consisted of nothing more than a few tables picked up on Bowery in a hurry, that alone should have given me a hint..Unfortunately, we went ahead with the order. It was 5pm, the restaurant was empty, ours was the only order. Fried artichoke dish was a big disappointment, it consisted of six very small pieces of artichoke and a big bunch of fried parsley ( $0.69 cents per bunch?). Dish should have been called fried parsley. Arugula in Arugula salad was way past it's prime, yellowish and slightly wilted. Pasta Bolognese was nothing to write home about, pretty tasteless and dry. Staff looked like they didn't care much. read more

Had an amazing meal with totally fresh ingredients and wonderful service. Squash blossoms were good, mussels were amazing. Check out all the specials with farm to table ingredients. The red beet ravioli was especially different and wonderful! Clams were garlicky fresh with vermicelli. And the lasagne bolognese was hearty and wonderful. read more

I would highly recommend the quattro stagioni! We tried it as the reviews suggested, and we loved all four of the quadrants of pizza! The thin crust was perfectly crisp and not burnt, and the cheese was nice and stringy. It's a good portion size for two, but we'd also ordered calamari as an appetizer - it wasn't the best calamari I've ever had, but it was still good. The ambiance was cozy and romantic, but a little too tight for my taste. We were so close to the table next to us that we might as well have been seated together. read more

Celeste - quattro stagioni - Italian Near Me - New York, New York