So good, service outstanding and very reasonable..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia N.
I haven't been to Celestino in over twenty (20) years, and, I have to admit, I really don't know why. . . Maybe it's because we don't live in Pasadena, but that shouldn't matter. My family and I go far and wide -- anywhere in Los Angeles, really -- for excellent food. We did make reservations for this particular occasion (my birthday) on a Tuesday evening, just in case Celestino was busy. Here's the rundown of what we ordered: a. Linguine with clams b. Chicken parmigiana c. Lobster tail with pasta/linguine (one of that night's special) d. Penne a la vodka I also ordered a Ciao Bella which is one of their signature mixed drinks. And I have to say, "WHAT A HIT! WE'RE COMING BACK TO CELESTINO!!!" Antonio was our waiter, and he was marvelous. He was knowledgeable of all the specials, and he was genuinely friendly and jokey -- if there is such a word. Overall, the restaurant's atmosphere was clean, moderately quiet, and classy. If you want to eat great Italian food where it's not "stuffy and staid", and the staff is wonderful, GO! to Celestino now. Don't wait another 20 years like we did.
VegasRick
I have eaten dinner with my family and lunch with business associates at Celestino's a number of times and it is always a wonderful experience. Even our grandkids love the food there. One of the most notable things is the seafood. It is always perfectly cooked, never overdone. I can always trust the servers to know their wines, they always suggest the perfect wine to complement the meal.
Linda
Outstanding solid consistently delicious food and service! One of the best Italian restaurants in Southern California I brought many friends there, and everyone is always remarking how fantastic the food is won't be disappointed if you go there!
Patrick M.
I will tell you what kind of restaurant this is. I saw a worker not wash their hands after they use the restroom. Do not eat here. I went into wash my hands before I ordered and eat, and when I see something like that, it makes me walk right out if they have no respect for themselves, they have no respect for their work or their food. I don't need to taste thier food, or experience the atmosphere less than one star.
Marnie R.
Wonderful food, good ambience, excellent service. Really enjoyed our first visit there. We will definitely be back!
Lobo
We had reservations and were seated within 5 minutes. The waiter (older Italian gentleman) was great and his assistant as well. They made sure water was refilled and we had clean utensils. The food was absolutely delicious. My wife and I tried the Risotto, The tomato and basil pasta, the meatballs, branzino and ended with a gelato. Everything was absolutely delicious. We loved that the food was spaced out for us and we didn't have 4 plates on the table at once. It was a great night. Parked around the corner for about 9 bucks. Will definitely visit again.
Valentine D.
Was a rainy Friday night, so we decided to eat pasta. First time in Celestino- walked in with no reservations but was seated right away. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. Ordered cacio cacio e pepe and added chicken to dish ( added breast chicken was $9). Food was pipping hot and tasted delicious. Ordered aperol spritz from the bar - refreshing taste!! For dessert we had the tiramisu. Highly recommend this spot for elegant Italian dinning.
Michel A.
Made reservations for Friday night dinner with my better half. Very busy when we walked in but were seated immediately, albeit in a remote location. The specials were shared, and we decided to order a baby artichoke and arugula salad with lemon dressing to share as a starter. We then opted to share a penne pasta with tomato vodka sauce followed by swordfish with lemon caper sauce with vegetables. She finished with affogato and I, a slice of lemon meringue tart. Although we were seated in a remote corner, service was attentive. We both loved the dishes we shared. Celestinos has a big menu, but then they have a long list of specials, especially different fresh fish preparations. Hard to go wrong.
Yi-Hsiang Lai
A nice place to have dinner with. The service could be a bit slow when it's crowded and there's no dedicated server for the table. However, the servers are very kind and are willing to answer any of your questions. The food is tasty and I enjoyed the dessert the most. The recommended white wine was also a plus to the pasta I ordered.
They charge for bread and sharing without informing the customer.
Alexandra Wong
The service left much to be desired.I expected more attentive service for our large party of 10. It was really hard to flag down our server, and he routinely disappeared for 20-30 minute periods between checking in with our table. Multiple servers passed by our table and not one server asked us if we needed anything.I can’t speak for everyone else I was with, but my fiancé and I were disappointed. We have both worked in food service and we understand busy nights are challenging, but in our opinion, our party should not have had to wait 20-25 minutes to receive our drinks and complimentary bread.The food was decent, but nothing special. Ordering a bottle of wine was more of a hassle than it ought to have been.For a better experience, I recommend Gale’s on Fair Oaks Blvd. The food and service are higher quality.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Sue O.
A lovely, old fashioned Italian restaurant with wonderful pasta, good wine list, a broad menu to cover every diet, and delicious dessert that isn't super sweet. The service is attentive and the ambience feels like a cozy Italian restaurant. They also do off-the-menu requests - for example, spaghetti alle vongole (my fav). This is our go-to whenever we need a good meal and also for celebrations; a definite family favorite.
MaryP
This was our first time at Celestino's and it won't be the last, the food and service was outstanding and the ambiance was amazing. The menu and specials cover all diets and many of the non-vegetarian meals can be made vegetarian. That is a huge plus for us! Homemade pasta, creative and delicious salads. Service was 5 star. Very attentive staff. Free parking behind the restaurant. We will be back and bring our family!
Monica V.
The food was great, but the service was even better. Thank you Mario and staff for being so friendly and attentive. The staff made the experience extra special for sure! I went with a group of just 3, and we all had the capellini pasta with basil tomato and parmesan, and the arugula artichoke salad - and it was all great. That is typically my go-to pasta. So while I don't have much else to offer as far as the any other food items, again....the service was fabulous.
So good, service outstanding and very reasonable..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I haven't been to Celestino in over twenty (20) years, and, I have to admit, I really don't know why. . . Maybe it's because we don't live in Pasadena, but that shouldn't matter. My family and I go far and wide -- anywhere in Los Angeles, really -- for excellent food. We did make reservations for this particular occasion (my birthday) on a Tuesday evening, just in case Celestino was busy. Here's the rundown of what we ordered: a. Linguine with clams b. Chicken parmigiana c. Lobster tail with pasta/linguine (one of that night's special) d. Penne a la vodka I also ordered a Ciao Bella which is one of their signature mixed drinks. And I have to say, "WHAT A HIT! WE'RE COMING BACK TO CELESTINO!!!" Antonio was our waiter, and he was marvelous. He was knowledgeable of all the specials, and he was genuinely friendly and jokey -- if there is such a word. Overall, the restaurant's atmosphere was clean, moderately quiet, and classy. If you want to eat great Italian food where it's not "stuffy and staid", and the staff is wonderful, GO! to Celestino now. Don't wait another 20 years like we did.
I have eaten dinner with my family and lunch with business associates at Celestino's a number of times and it is always a wonderful experience. Even our grandkids love the food there. One of the most notable things is the seafood. It is always perfectly cooked, never overdone. I can always trust the servers to know their wines, they always suggest the perfect wine to complement the meal.
Outstanding solid consistently delicious food and service! One of the best Italian restaurants in Southern California I brought many friends there, and everyone is always remarking how fantastic the food is won't be disappointed if you go there!
I will tell you what kind of restaurant this is. I saw a worker not wash their hands after they use the restroom. Do not eat here. I went into wash my hands before I ordered and eat, and when I see something like that, it makes me walk right out if they have no respect for themselves, they have no respect for their work or their food. I don't need to taste thier food, or experience the atmosphere less than one star.
Wonderful food, good ambience, excellent service. Really enjoyed our first visit there. We will definitely be back!
We had reservations and were seated within 5 minutes. The waiter (older Italian gentleman) was great and his assistant as well. They made sure water was refilled and we had clean utensils. The food was absolutely delicious. My wife and I tried the Risotto, The tomato and basil pasta, the meatballs, branzino and ended with a gelato. Everything was absolutely delicious. We loved that the food was spaced out for us and we didn't have 4 plates on the table at once. It was a great night. Parked around the corner for about 9 bucks. Will definitely visit again.
Was a rainy Friday night, so we decided to eat pasta. First time in Celestino- walked in with no reservations but was seated right away. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. Ordered cacio cacio e pepe and added chicken to dish ( added breast chicken was $9). Food was pipping hot and tasted delicious. Ordered aperol spritz from the bar - refreshing taste!! For dessert we had the tiramisu. Highly recommend this spot for elegant Italian dinning.
Made reservations for Friday night dinner with my better half. Very busy when we walked in but were seated immediately, albeit in a remote location. The specials were shared, and we decided to order a baby artichoke and arugula salad with lemon dressing to share as a starter. We then opted to share a penne pasta with tomato vodka sauce followed by swordfish with lemon caper sauce with vegetables. She finished with affogato and I, a slice of lemon meringue tart. Although we were seated in a remote corner, service was attentive. We both loved the dishes we shared. Celestinos has a big menu, but then they have a long list of specials, especially different fresh fish preparations. Hard to go wrong.
A nice place to have dinner with. The service could be a bit slow when it's crowded and there's no dedicated server for the table. However, the servers are very kind and are willing to answer any of your questions. The food is tasty and I enjoyed the dessert the most. The recommended white wine was also a plus to the pasta I ordered.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
They charge for bread and sharing without informing the customer.
The service left much to be desired.I expected more attentive service for our large party of 10. It was really hard to flag down our server, and he routinely disappeared for 20-30 minute periods between checking in with our table. Multiple servers passed by our table and not one server asked us if we needed anything.I can’t speak for everyone else I was with, but my fiancé and I were disappointed. We have both worked in food service and we understand busy nights are challenging, but in our opinion, our party should not have had to wait 20-25 minutes to receive our drinks and complimentary bread.The food was decent, but nothing special. Ordering a bottle of wine was more of a hassle than it ought to have been.For a better experience, I recommend Gale’s on Fair Oaks Blvd. The food and service are higher quality.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
A lovely, old fashioned Italian restaurant with wonderful pasta, good wine list, a broad menu to cover every diet, and delicious dessert that isn't super sweet. The service is attentive and the ambience feels like a cozy Italian restaurant. They also do off-the-menu requests - for example, spaghetti alle vongole (my fav). This is our go-to whenever we need a good meal and also for celebrations; a definite family favorite.
This was our first time at Celestino's and it won't be the last, the food and service was outstanding and the ambiance was amazing. The menu and specials cover all diets and many of the non-vegetarian meals can be made vegetarian. That is a huge plus for us! Homemade pasta, creative and delicious salads. Service was 5 star. Very attentive staff. Free parking behind the restaurant. We will be back and bring our family!
The food was great, but the service was even better. Thank you Mario and staff for being so friendly and attentive. The staff made the experience extra special for sure! I went with a group of just 3, and we all had the capellini pasta with basil tomato and parmesan, and the arugula artichoke salad - and it was all great. That is typically my go-to pasta. So while I don't have much else to offer as far as the any other food items, again....the service was fabulous.