Celeste

The treatment the mananger gives to its costumers...may ruin your night. Service are always pushing you to finish quickly and complain when you ask for more food or drinks...! When I asked for an extra appetizer they told me that I could not do it because there are strict rules for ordering that you have to follow...basically order everything in the fisrt 5 minutes and then live...terrible service.. Cons: sevice more

The worste treatment ever had. The owner is a jerk that desrespect his costumers. He scremed at my eldery mother when she asked (after an hour of waiting) how long we need to wait. Maybe he was too stressed, however he is not mature enough to run a business. Pros: food, price Cons: service, service, owner more

you cannot enjoy your meal without being disturbed every 5 min. until you pay and get the hell out of there! ridiculous. you will feel almost miserable. WARNING! DO NOT GO THERE. more

I had the same experience as the person below (same night too i guess!). i had been before and loved it. our waiter was fine till our plates were taken away then it was rush rush rush. one of us still had wine, so the others tried to order dessert drinks, but the owner told us no because there were people waiting and the waiter said if he served us more he would be fired. ridiculous. i'm a waitress and would never say such things to a customer. i think they felt we should have ordered more food, but i was stuffed after cheese, salad and pizza! so we sat there for a long time with nothing in front of us, shocked. i am never going back and telling everyone i know not to go there. Pros: cheese Cons: rude, nasty, jerks more

We went to Celeste for dinner and ordered a bottle of white wine (placed on the table without ice). We had no sooner put down our forks and finished our entrees when the check appeared. Now, I know better than to linger at a busy restaurant over a glass of water or a last few sips of wine. But we had a lot of wine left. We tried to drink as quickly as possible without actually making ourselves sick. Nonetheless, about 10 minutes later the waitress came over to our table and announced that could we please pay and leave, as many people were waiting. I was shocked. We paid our check and left. On the way out, I approached the manager, who said ""I'm sorry you feel that way, but there are a lot of people waiting."" This has NEVER happened to me in 10 years in New York. more

I live around the corner from this place and every time I go the food is fantastic. Yes, there is a long wait but if you know this then you can just get there ahead of time. The service has always been great and although there is always a wait, I never feel rushed to get out of the restaurant. The menu is small so if you go more than once, you should try one of the specials - they are always fantastic. The process to put your name on the wait list can be a bit stressfull but the owner always seems to notice you and when he gets a chance he always comes over. This is really a great find - espcially for those who live close by! Pros: food, atmosphere, service Cons: wait, cramped more

In a city filled with Italian restaurants, it was refreshing to find one where the owner visits your table, speaking of his recent trip to Italy to collect cheeses for the platter you have an option of ordering. From the fried artichoke to the homemade pasta, there isn't a dud on the menu. Expect the authentic experience of ""Ciao"" being shouted across thye room, as the owner recognizes one of his regulars. You won't pay the hefty price of a trendy Trattoria, nor will you be disappointed. It's worth the wait there usually is since there are no reservations. Bellisima!! Pros: Food, Staff, Everything!!! more

The wait for a party of 5 on a Friday around 7pm was 25 minutes. The owner (Carmine) bounced around to chat, but on busy nights, be aggressive in getting his attention to put your name on the list. The dining area is very small but generally feels warm and welcoming. Pass the pizza and go for the pasta; thats what stood out during our visit for its fresh, homemade taste and $10 price tag. After dinner, the real fun was sipping coffee while Carmine took us on a journey around a cheese plate. Admittedly, there were some tastes we wouldnt mind skipping in future, but it was fun. By telling the wait staff ahead of time that we were going to order coffee & dessert, then ordering both at once, we avoided the rushed feeling some other patrons have mentioned. One warning cash only! Pros: Pasta, Price Cons: Cash Only, No Reservations more

I can't understand why this place is so popular. I've tried 3 times. The pastas with tomato sauce are okay, but the pastas with olive oil are so DRENCHED in oil and butter i felt like i was choking. They really mess up a simple dish like spagetti a la vongole which is supposed to be light. Cons: Food more

I went to Celeste knowing it was going to be good, but I was absolutely bowled over by everything from the food to Carmine himself. The warmth and ease was the perfect complement to the stunning food (try the fried artichoke!) and the perfect pizza, finished off by a delectably perfect (and smuggled!) cheese plate. Trust Carmine with your entire meal and you won't be sorry. Pros: great service, the cheese plate, comprehensive wines Cons: crowded more

The food is relatively good for what you pay. The place is crowded and they have a rude and annoying policy of bringing you the check along with the cheese, hoping that you clear the table as soon as possible. If you order a desert or coffee after the cheese, they will tell you it's not possible since they have already brought you the check. When you say you didn't ask for the check, they speak with the owner, and say that this time they are going to make an exception, however, you must eat fast since there are people waiting! The food is not worth this treatment! You are better off somewhere else. I am certainly not going back! Pros: Inexpensive Cons: Bad service, Unpolite, Cash-only more

Love the well-priced authentic food here. Excellent cheese plates too. Wish the space were less cramped but I suppose that is the trade-off for keeping the prices so low. Pros: authentic food, friendly owner Cons: menu never changes, cramped, noisy more

I have been to Celeste several times, and always take my friends here from out of town for a NY ""local"" restaurant. You must order the cheese plate! Carmine comes around and tells you in detail about the cheese, the origin, the flavors to expect. The specials are always good, but if you order off the menu, I like the raviolis or the shrimp pasta. Yummy! And yes, it's worth the wait! Pros: inexpensive, great food, service more