My husband and I celebrated his birthday at Celestino on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. We were seated on the patio, where the ambiance was absolutely perfect--elegant, relaxed, and ideal for a special evening. The staff provided exceptional hospitality, making us feel genuinely welcomed throughout the meal. Our waiter was attentive, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to have serving us. The bottle of wine we selected wasn't our favorite, but it paired nicely with our dinner. My husband ordered the Branzino with spinach and crispy potatoes, and it was perfectly prepared--fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. I had the Pappardelle pasta with four cheeses and freshly shaved black truffles, and it was outstanding. The pasta was incredibly thin, delicate, and perfectly cooked. It was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a long time. Celestino offers a classic Italian dining experience with excellent food, outstanding service, and a beautiful atmosphere. The prices are comfortably mid-range and well worth the quality of the experience. We will definitely be back and are already looking forward to our next visit. read more

How terribly sad I have been coming here for 20 years. Tonight was the last time. We were told we would be seated in 15 min. That turned into 35 then once seated we were ignored for 25. Yes they were busy but do not take the reservation if you cannot provide the service. My pasta was horrendous, our service never check on us, I went to use the restroom and it was the most disgusting experience I have had- especially since this place is always busy and could afford to maintained it minimally. I asked for the owner- who had stopped at several tables throughout our experience - to chat with us. 3 x I asked and he finally came when we were signing the check. He was immediately defensive and abrupt with me. When I said that frankly I found it unacceptable for him to stand in front of me with his arms firmly crossed and adjectively dismissing my concerns he became belligerent and stormed off. I now see that there are only 3.25 stars for this establishment which is truly sad. read more

I had a date night with a bunch of girlfriends celebrating birthdays and catching up. First time here and it was quite a nice experience. There's plenty of parking out back. There's a massive lot that shares with other businesses. I'm not sure if there's a fee during the day time but when I arrived mid week for dinner, it was free. Restaurant itself was quite nice. Seemed like the hangout for the Italian mob... lol.... So you know it has to be good. Mid week and it was pretty busy, also another sign that the place must be good. Menu, pretty much whatever Italian dish you want, they have. Their wine list was very extensive to add to the menu. Full bar also available. Service was great as every single member of staff were very friendly and attentive. If you needed anything, someone was there to help. Very good customer service. Of course bread and dipping oil was brought out to start. We took a while to order as everything looked great. Finally started off with an order of the burrata with tomato and arugula salad. WOW, let me say that was great. The cheese was so tasty and perfectly paired with the salad. Also two orders of the Cesar's salad which honestly was one of the better salads I've had in a long time. Simple but so delicious. And an order of the mushroom soup which was delicious. Entrees, there was a mixture of everything. The mushroom risotto, rich and creamy and very flavorful. The gnocchi, a classic Italian favorite which was pretty tasty paired with a cream sauce. There was also the lasagna which was recommended by the waiter. I believe it's not always available but a favorite. That too was quite flavorful. Very simple but delicious. The linguine with seafood. If there's a restaurant with seafood pasta, it's alway a given for us to try it out. It was good but not like a wow factor. Lastly, a steak with roasted veggies. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The veggies paired with it were great. Food was great, least favorite was the seafood linguine. The dish that takes the cake for me, the Caesar salad. Simple yet delicious. Also they brought out some panna cotta for the birthday celebrant with a candle which was a sweet gesture. Not only that, we also had an order of the chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream. Let say that went down very well and fast. Service was excellent and amazing. The staff were all very friendly and sweet. Food was enjoyed by all. read more

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Service at this restaurant is outstanding. I cannot praise it enough. It was exceptional. The atmosphere is very nice. Quite a beautiful restaurant. Otherwise, that's all the praise I have. read more

Was looking for a restaurant close to my house.This place was amazing. Wish I can eater there every day. Employees and Mangers where like family. read more

Celestino Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came here to celebrate a birthday for lunch, and what a lunch it was. Started off with some complimentary house bread that you can add olive oil and balsamic to. Ordered a bottle of Cabernet and off we were. I had the server recommended veal special ($68) which had an amazing mushroom sauce. I think this was the clear winner in comparison to the ribeye steak the birthday boy had. Though $68 was the most expensive dish compared to the rest of the menu, and quite a hefty price tag for a lunch, the veal exceeded my expectations. The mushroom sauce complimented it so well, I will admit I can't help but think that was a really good chop. The decor inside is very old fashioned, dimly lit. Service was really good, and I'm torn giving this restaurant 4 stars instead of five, but I can't see this as a 5 star must go to restaurant. I would likely rate it 4.4 stars. The spacing between tables is pretty small, I imagine if it was incredibly busy, you could hear every conversation. read more

Celestino Restaurant - veal special $68 - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came here with our friend to celebrate his birthday, and wow -- what a surprise! We never even knew this restaurant was here, but we're so glad we decided to dine at Celestino. The food is amazing. We especially loved the ravioli with burrata cheese and the vodka penne pasta, both absolutely delicious and full of flavor. Service was great, attentive without being rushed, and the dining environment feels truly five-star. Another plus: free parking in the back, which is rare for Pasadena! read more

This place is very good! The front of house is ran amazingly. Their timing is impeccable! It is everything that you would expect from a place that charges 2 to 3 times the price for far less quality. You can certainly tell when a place prides themselves and they certainly do, they are well oiled and run extremely smoothly. The food is good Italian- and not all pasta - established. The only criticism I have is the calamari special was somewhat over dressed - but that is somewhat to be expected. This is one of the most underrated places in Pasadena and LA county. As for those who complained about the panna cotta. You simply don't understand what panna cotta is - it isn't flan or crème brûlée. Excellent job. If I were dishing out Michelin stars this place would get one. read more

A classic Italian cucina in old town Pasadena. Celestino is old school hospitality and new school innovation. Service is nonpareil and the menu adds some interesting curves to some old favorites. My pappardelle bolognase with pheasant as the featured protein had me sleepwalking towards that heavenly aroma. A flat out five star revelation.Never sleep on the restorative powers of pheasant. read more

Came here unexpectedly with my 83yr old friend Bob. It's always tough cause well he's 83 lol. The Hostess-sat us outside as it was perfect SoCal weather, and we arrived just before the lunch rush. Bob really wanted spaghetti and I am glad we came here. Lots of parking behind the building. The waiters were attentive and polite. The drinks were brought out quickly and the service was fantastic. Dining with an elder can be challenging yet the staff were patient and not condescending. The salads were brought out , along with bread and everything was evenly spaced out. The Ravioli was delicious and Bob enjoyed his spaghetti. The restaurant is very nice and I wish I'd taken more photos. Great food and excellent service, what more can you ask for read more

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We haven't been here in years and sort of forgot about it. But we were taking some out of town friends for dinner, and an in town friend recommended it. So glad we went! We all loved our meal. The restaurant has a big outside patio, several smaller offshoot rooms but we were seated in the fun main room. Our server was incredible...so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We brought our own wine (only $15 corkage fee!) and although they have a great wine list, we were happy it was an option. We started with a delicious beef carpaccio, wonderful crisp Caesar salad, and the spinach, pear and pecorino salad. Mains were an amazing cacio e pepe which has added saffron, lamb bolognese with cool garganelli pasta, duck ragu with parpadelle, and the bistecca della Fiorentina. The pastas were cooked perfectly and were so good! And the steak was a win too. All in all, a very delightful meal! We won't wait as long to visit again. read more

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Authentic Italian food with Italian owners. Excellent seafood and creative pasta dishes. Free parking in back is great too.

The seafood risotto was incredibly fresh -- each bite bursting with the delicate flavors of the ocean. Perfectly cooked rice, rich and savory with just the right creaminess, paired beautifully with tender shrimp, scallops, and calamari. The dish was both comforting and elegant. The service was amazing, attentive without being intrusive, and the ambiance made the whole dining experience truly enjoyable. My son absolutely enjoyed his Ravioli and we shared the Branzino. I highly suggest that you order the Branzino. read more

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Excellent service. Our gentleman server knew every dish and ingredient on the menu and pronounced them and the specials all from memory. Always enjoyable to be treated to real professional wait staff. The food was great. I got beef carpaccio which was paper thin and very tasty. My main was pappardelle pasta with mushrooms. Also perfect. Ambiance is an Italian bistro with an open kitchen and a small bar to your left as you enter. We were a group of six and had a round table which was nice. We arrived at 6pm on a Friday with a reservation and by 645pm every table was taken with a line out the door. We would return when in the area. Mark & Nancy. read more

I was in Pasadena for a conference this week and tried Celestino for the first time. The 7 of us all ordered different dishes and we were all very happy with our choices. We all tried a little bit of everything and let me say that every single one of us cleaned our plates! We even used the delicious bread to soak up and eat up every last bit of the sauce! Our favorite main dishes were: Risotto Funghi e Mascarpone, Gnocchi della Casa con Fonduta al Tartufo, and Ravioli di Spinaci e Ricotta al Pomodoro e Basilico. We tried just about all of the desserts and our favorites were: Torta di Pistachio, Torta Chocolate, and the Sorbetto. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The food came out very quickly. My team and I spent the next two days talking about how great the dinner was! I cannot wait to come back here again! read more

Service was great but unfortunately the food was just fine for me. And my drink was not great either, I didn't finish it. Nothing to rave about. But it's worth a trip for others to try! read more

I recently had the pleasure of dining at this cozy Italian spot for a holiday party and it was a great experience. The ambiance was warm and inviting, perfect for a holiday party where we were seated in our own room The service was excellent, our waiter was attentive and made sure our glasses were always full and that we had everything we needed throughout the evening. The food was served as a set menu for the event. The carpaccio was amazing. The filet mignon was a bit too peppery for my taste. The restaurant has their own dedicated parking area at the back of the restaurant. This is a huge plus, especially given how challenging parking can be in busy Pasadena. read more

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Will not come back ever again. This is the second time we have made a reservation days ahead. The first time we arrived on time and had to wait 90 minutes for our table. Yesterday we arrived on time again and once we waited 15 minutes just to check in, we were told it would be at least 60 minutes until our table was ready. How can a restaurant consistently not be able to honor the reservation times for their customers? This just shows me they don't prioritize customer satisfaction. read more

Celestino is a cute little Italian restaurant on Lake in old town Pasadena with a small private parking lot in the back. It can be hard to find if you're not looking for it, as we have driven up and down Lake for years and never noticed this restaurant until we were referred by a family member to try out our for my husband's birthday tonight. Pros: The menu is inexpensive in comparison to other restaurants of is kind in the area and seems like it's been here for decades. They have a variety of homemade pasta dishes and the staff are very friendly and give you a full rundown of the specials which are not listed on the menu. I actually went with the special ravioli stuffed with beef in a mushroom sauce. My husband LOVED his seafood pasta (linguini mare) Cons: My dish was kind of bland, needed more salt although it had a nice presentation. The parking situation is a little weird where it looks like it's a $6 plus 50 cents service fee to park but then once inside there are many signs that say complimentary parking for Celestino patrons, kind of confusing. The bread that was brought out was $3 and we didn't actually order it, but we did enjoy it. I just wish it was something you have to ask for if you are going to be charged for it. Overall it was a decent dinner and I'm glad my husband chose well for his birthday meal, perhaps I will try something else next time and have better luck. read more

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Well heard about this Italian restaurant and it's supposed outstanding food. What a disappointment. Ordered a spicy Bloody Mary and a cosmo for drinks. Spicy Bloody Mary needed alcohol and the spicy ingredients were nonexistent. Cosmo was ok. Ordered rack of lamb chops split and cooked very well done with NO sauce. Plate came with Lamb chops barely cooked and blood red and cold inside. See picture. Companions fish plate was edible. Sent the lamb back and on its late return came with cold vegetables and chops drenched in a terrible pepper sauce. Waiter said when the kitchen gets busy the cooks get things wrong and that he was sorry. Service was barely ok. When seated the waiter put a small plate with four small slices of plain Italian bread on the table which upon receipt of the check found they charged an extra $4 on the bill. A total mediocre meal. They ought to send their cooks to Olive Garden to learn what good tasting food is and how to prepare it. In the end a terrible experience costing over $140. Should have gone to Olive Garden. read more

Celestino Restaurant - Shows $4 charge for table bread basket with 4 small slices - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Background On Visit: Year after year after year, Celestino would participate at the Masters Of Taste Food Festival. Thought to myself that I would finally come into the shop to try out their food at the restaurant. Credit Cards: They're accepted. Restrooms: They have restrooms available. Location/Parking: Free parking on Hudson! There's also meter parking up front along S. Lake Ave.. Ambiance/Decor: Ambiance was okay, but wished the lighting was better. Had to use my cell phone's flashlight to see the menu. It was quite loud inside also. So I had to project my voice higher when I was talking. Service: Service wasn't great. Waiter didn't give a heads up that there was a splitting fee and told us that there is free refills on bread, but in actual reality, it was not. We ordered another order of bread thinking it was free and refillable. Also, it took a while to get our check. After seeing the check, I was fuming. We just paid the check and left without complaining to the staffer. Food For Thought: 1) Fruite De Mari: Thought the dish was good. The seafood was fresh and the sauce was quite addicting. I was having a great time layering the spaghetti on top of the bread that was ordered. 2) Eggplant Parm: No complaints about this dish. Celestino For Thought: Probably won't come back, but hope this review doesn't deter other from trying out the shop. read more

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So I'll start by saying I'm usually a very generous reviewer. We sat in the back as part of a larger group and I quite liked being away from the main room by the kitchen. The table had a couple starters bufallo mozzarella, tomato and arugula, calamari, arugula salad, and a pear, goat cheese and beet salad. Then for main course the table tried so many things I was privy to taste the Osso bucco with saffron risotto which was yummy, along with the pheasant both had a very home like taste, I however, had the whole Bronzino, which was pretty mediocre and unfortunately fairly fishy. The desserts were also subpar. Our server was OK but spoke very fast and we had a hard time catching what all the specials were . I might try the place again, but might is the keyword read more

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A cozy Italian restaurant with friendly staff and good food. It's not mind blowing, but it's good. I've visited a few times over the course of 10 years. My most recent visit was last weekend, and I will say that they are consistent with the quality of their dishes and service. While a reservation never hurts, we've come on a busy Saturday night without one and had no issues being seated. The food comes out in a timely manner and the menu has a wide variety of options to choose from. Menu highlights: Spaghetti with meat sauce - my children loved it. Pumpkin Tortelloni- absolutely delicious. I love having it in the fall. Could do without: The meatballs with red sauce. A little bland, and undersized. read more

Celestino Restaurant - My kids loved the spaghetti with meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Service was quick, friendly and great! Made reservations for 21 people and got seated right away. Food was delicious!

Went here 3 times in past 2 weeks. Once for a business lunch, once for a gathering amongst 12 former high school classmates who haven't seen each other for 40 years, and once for a birthday celebration. I have been coming to Celestino's for over 15 years and have never had a bad meal. Very authentic Italian cooking. My favorites at this restaurant include grilled Branzino fish, pheasant Pappardelle, linguine seafood, squid ink risotto, carbonara pasta and many others. For the birthday celebration, my birthday girl got a special requested entree not on the menu -- fettuccine Alfredo with truffles. It was rich and delicious. Service was very attentive. Special thanks to waiters Mario & Nicholas, and the support staff. Place can easily accommodate large groups. Nice ambiance. Easy online reservations, and easy parking in the rear. read more

Good food excellent service We enjoyed everything I highly recommend this restaurant read more

The service at Celestino is genuinely good -- the staff is attentive and polite. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. The food quality is around 1-2 stars at best: the dishes are not tasty, and the ingredients don't feel fresh. Another major downside is the shot they bring you at the end, which completely knocks your head off -- definitely not something I enjoyed. My final rating is 3.5 stars, and I won't be coming back. Sorry guys, but it is what it is. read more

Had my best friends birthday dinner here about a week ago. Was my 2nd time here and the birthday girl and other guests had never been here before. Service is EXCELLENT! Staff is incredibly attentive and we did not have to ask for anything. The casual ambiance of the restaurant was lively and fun, with bright lighting, upbeat staff, and spread-out seating. The aroma of fresh, quality ingredients is evident as you walk throughout the restaurant. Not sure if the bread and cheese is made on site like their pasta but everything here is delicious. Only regret I have is we did not take pictures of our food. Everyone really enjoyed everything from drinks and appetizers to dessert. We had a Caprese Salad and Calimari Steak for starters, our entrees included Rib eye steak with veggies. The rib eye was covered in pesto and all I have to say is WOW it was a total game changer! We also ordered salmon with veggies, pasta in vodka sauce, and one of the daily specials. I don't remember what it's called but it was pasta with sauce, mozzarella and ricotta wrapped in eggplant. For dessert we had cannolis, lemon meringue tart, and panna cota! Celestino's can get very packed so I do recommend making reservations. Keep in mind the number of people in your party, food prep based on restaurant being busy, and the time they close. I did not and we were the last ones in the restaurant at closing time (10pm on a Friday) and the staff kept peaking into the dining room because they were ready to go. This was the only thing I didn't like but certainly something I'll keep in mind next time. read more

Really good Pasta! A little bit of an old school feeling which is nice. pretty straight forward menu Waiter had really good suggestions, we ended up with a duck ravioli and a pappardelle special, both delicious, we were stuffed! Paired with a californian wine we never had but will try again for sure. Wasn't too busy outside so we enjoyed a evening dinner that we could actually conversate. But still good for groups if you want that experience. read more

If you are looking for a pretty good Italian restaurant to eat at in Pasadena, this is definitely one of the places you should consider. While not the best in town, it's certainly not the worst. Across the street is Uovo which is, quite frankly, almost impossible to beat in my opinion. But this Italian restaurant has what Uovo does not: more variety. The service is also quite good and very attentive. I think what makes this restaurant stand out is that it is more traditional and Uovo is perhaps more modern Italian. The decor and atmosphere of the restaurant is perhaps showing its age but not to the point where it's a problem. In terms of recommendations, on this particular visit, I had the Lobster Linguine and my girlfriend had the Fettuccini with Duck ragu. Both were very good and I would order wither one again for sure. Can't say for sure either of these will be available in the future since they were specials. read more

Celestino Restaurant - Lobster Linguini - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Celestino is my favorite Italian restaurant. My husband and I have been coming here for 20 years, ever since moving to Pasadena. For all those years I ate pasta - which is wonderful here. But then I finally tried their steak. It is consistently tender, properly cooked, and delicious (something I cannot say for Ruth Chris, Flemings, or Arroyo Chop House. read more

We just finished a dinner meal at Celestino's. We tried it upon the recommendation from a friend for authentic Italian. We took our daughter for a casual family meal for 3. The dinner started out great with bread brought to the table and a friendly waiter. My daughter ordered spiral pasta with 4 cheeses which she said tasted like basic mac n cheese; my husband ordered penne a la vodka which was delicious and I had a pasta with mushroom and shrimp pasta that was nice, but nothing to rave about. It all turned sour when we were asked if we were interested in dessert. We asked what was available and the waiter said he would bring something special, so we were expectantly excited. He brought two dishes that almost seemed as if he was bringing it as a courtesy since we weren't given any other options. We ate both and both were delicious. However, as friendly and gregarious as he was the whole time, he then brought the check and quickly scurried off. We looked and saw that not only both desserts were charged, bread was charged at $2.00 per person even though they just brought it to our table when we were seated. If given a choice, we probably would have declined a dessert. We thought that this was poor and shortsighted customer service, because we would have returned and shared our experience with friends. Instead, a casual dinner turned out to be an expensive meal along with a poor review. We felt as though we were "scammed" for a higher bill. Instead of choosing to return with family and friends, we will warn others not to come to this unscrupulous establishment. read more

Celestino Restaurant - Unexpected charges for bread and dessert - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Good food I had rabbit the sauce was very good Good service with polite & attentive waiter Have been several times We will return read more

5 stars for service, perfect for private event I went to Celestino for an organized dinner and the service was exceptional! I was so happy with my menu selection and the private room that was available to us. We had a fixed menu and I chose to indulge in the filet mignon, sauteed spinach and potato wedge. I'm so happy with my choice, absolutely delicious option for dinner and particularly conducive if you need a private room for a function or presentation. read more

Celestino Restaurant - Filet Mignon - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had a great and amazing time here at Celestino in South Lake, Pasadena with my family. We were celebrating our parents 26th Anniversary and they loved it a lot. The food was so good that we finished every single thing on the plate. The service was amazing and the staff were very welcoming and kind and sweet to us. The ambiance here was a little loud just because it was busy... but hey that's fine with us. It's good business if there are a lot of customers enjoying the delicious food made by the chefs. I would definitely come back here for more Fillet Mignon. To me, it was so juicy and soooooo gooood that I would have gotten seconds or even thirds. But thank you so much Celestino for an unforgettable dining experience. read more

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Superb server, attention to detail and personable. Small portions but delicious. Amazing wine selection. A great experience.

Good Italian food. The guy is really Italian and the texture of the pasta is just right. They charge us $7 for the bread. It's good bread but don't assume it is standard free cost. read more

First time here. Very attentive staff. I had a reservation and was sat right away. I parked on the street but there is parking available in the back. The bread was not complementary. $2 per person. It was served warm with olive oil and balsamic. The red risotto was made with beets. It was good but it could have used more seasoning or salt...but what MADE the dish was the melted goat cheese in the middle. SO YUMMY! The sauce with the tortellini was cheesy and good. Parmesan cheese added on top upon request. Corkage fee is $20. read more

Celestino Restaurant - RISOTTO CON BARBABIETOLE E FORMAGGIO DI CAPRA - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Full disclosure that this happened years ago. Food was taking too long to come. When I followed up, waiter dared me to complain to the manager. Really disrespectful and bad service. Never mind the food quality. read more

Went here for a birthday celebration. Parking is easy behind restaurant. Spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchi, pesto pasta, spinach ravioli and risotto. . Everyone was happy with what they ordered! Bread and oil and vinegar, mushroom soup, salad with beets and goat cheese. Then dessert. A fun night out. Tables are close but we had a big round table by the front and our waiter was busy but super attentive. read more