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All Reader Reviews of...
Celeste
502 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10024
nr. 84th St.
212-874-4559
| 6.1 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Terrible service - arrogant owner and personality-less waiters
epicuriousnat from 10023 | Posted on 11/17/09
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It is very sad that such a cozy restaurant has such TERRIBLE service. The owner/manager is a very arrogant person who thinks he can mistreat people. Today we went and we were two people, but a friend called and said she´d join us so when the waiter came we told him we were not ready to order. His immediate reaction was to tell the manager, who came back to us and told us we had two minutes for our friend to arrive or else we should leave (notice that there were 4 empty tables in the place). After that we order bread and they just said no. DO NOT GO THERE if you think you deserve respect.
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and to think we waited in line for this abuse ...
hofame from 60047 | Posted on 11/7/09
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yes, the owner was insufferably obnoxious and overly attitudinal. Unpleasant. Worse than that though were the simple pizzas. Having lived in Italy I know Italian wood-fired pizzas. They were a friend of mine. And let me tell you, Celeste's pizzas are not authentic. Not at all bone-fide, especially put up along side, say, Da Ivo's in Rome. Something more on the order of the ubiquitous mall-centric California Pizza Kitchen pizza. My Nepoliatana was overly salty (yes, I know capers and anchovies are, by nature, salty) and the sauce was pedestrian and skimped on. They were utterly unremarkable pizzas. Worse yet, though, was the sewage smell emanating from along side the right-hand wall (as you enter) where we sat. What was that? Two words; don't go.
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RUDE EGO-ITALIAN ACCENTED WAITER
foodiedl from 10024 | Posted on 7/8/09
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WARNING STAY AWAY EGO-ITALIAN ACCENTED WAITER!! I I have never been treated so badly by an EGO- ITALIAN ACCENTED WAITER EVER! my wife and I ordered food to go after 35 minutes we asked EGO-ITALIAN ACCENTED WAITER about our order..he never PUT our order IN ..ok fine, after another 25 minutes we walk in and hes sitting with his friends drinking WINE! HE STILL had`nt put our order in.. in very ARROGANT WAY HE SAYS HES BUSY and the kitchen made a mistake 10 minutes passes EGO-ITALIAN ACCENTED WAITER STILL HAD`NT put or order in the guys in the kitchen say in spanish he is lying he does this ALL THE TIME
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Disappointing
suze from 10011 | Posted on 5/22/09
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My son & I looked forward to the 2nd visit to Celeste as we so enjoyed the food, and there is a lack of good restaurants on the Upper West Side. When we went again, the wait staff was very pleasant, helpful, but the manager abrupt, even when recommending wine. The meal began with a very good appetizer (artichokes, thinly sliced Parmesan), but my son was disappointed with his entre - a pasta with shrimp, especially as the portion was very small. He was embarassed to mention this, but commented after to the waiter, politely asking for perhaps another small side dish. The waiter referred the request to the mgr, who did not come to the table, and rudely denied the request. On leaving, my son commented on how small his request was, but the mgr dismissed him in a very rude fashion. Granted, we should have mentioned the portion when he received it, but we were polite and calm - the mgr was nasty and uncompromising. I would never go back to this restaurant. Who needs attitude and rudeness. The manager was not there the first time we went.
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Pricey but worth it
krodster from 11102 | Posted on 5/19/09
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I used to go here often with a boyfriend for our "special" dates. The food is always fantastic (we once saw a guy leave a $50 tip he loved it so much!) and the wines delish. Although it can get a bit noisey in the small space and there is often a line (no reservations allowed) it is certainly worth the wait. great location.
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Excellent Italian Food
axlearn from 10024 | Posted on 5/5/09
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We waited around 10 mins on the sidewalk- better than expected. Once in, we were promptly served w/ bread and a nice dipping oil. The olive oil was more of a middle eastern consistency/flavor. To start, we would recommend the fried artichoke. The dish is fantastic, unique and flavorful. Beautiful pieces of lightly fried parsley accompany the artichoke. Amazing textures- we thought it was crispy and great. As a main course, our favorite is the thinly sliced filet mignon(rare). For dessert- Tortufolia A' Lemoncillo- sorry 'bout my butchered spelling- it is to die for! Seriously. The wines were good and glasses were well priced. Take a date here... she'll love it. I did.
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Continuous Great Experience
hokie024 from 10023 | Posted on 3/20/09
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I have dinned here aprox 12 times and have had nothing but a wonderful experience each time! Yes they do not take reservations or credit cards, however, dinning at this restaurant reminds me of my travels in Italy through the decor of the cozy restaurant and the great family style personality of the staff. I have several friends from DC who visit me and specifically request to visit this restaurant every time.
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Great value
Mberlin80 from 10016 | Posted on 2/22/09
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The daily specials were excellent, and the homemade ravioli with spinach were tasty. The meal was accompanied by a wine recommended by Celeste's owner, who was more than happy to chat about Italian cuisine and vino. I'll go back the next chance I get.
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Decent Food, Poor Service
daniellemulligan from 10023 | Posted on 12/20/08
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Considering I read the great food reviews here, I was expecting wonderful Italian food. I was really disappointed. The pasta and pizzas are good, made fresh, but nothing to write home about. All the reviews about the service and owner (WHO IS AWFUL) are correct. As a lover of Italian food (and someone who has tried many Italian restaurants in NYC), don't waste your time.
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If grit could talk...
excellentcrab from 10027 | Posted on 12/19/08
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The owner has his head seriously stuffed into his rectum. The food's OK (nothing special, though -- the cozze would have merited a whole extra side plate for the piles of grit they came with), but the way the owner swans around the room, affecting quaintly kitschified southern Italian charm (the overdone "va benes", the simpering hand gestures) and spurning even the most simple request for details about his cheese plate ("I only describe if it's been ordered") speaks of an arrogance that the kitchen frankly doesn't warrant. It's a decent, cheap Italian - but that's no reason for the owner and waiters to pretend they're prima donnas hitting the culinary high Cs. Some call this authenticity; I call it a lack of better options on the Upper West Side.
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