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Keep an open mind, bring your thick skin and enjoy! Keep away from the Owner .

Cute little spot where the food tastes like my last trip to Italy. Prices are amazing for NYC. It's a tight space where you can hear the next table's conversation which for some can be charming. The food arrives at the table in a short amount of time so it's easy to have a whole sit down dinner in about an hour. If you go later in the night they don't seem to mind if you linger. But for the quality, at that price, you understand why they are quick to turn tables over. So good, I will be back! Just not when I want a long slow meal or if I've had a bad commute earlier that day and could not bare to be in such a tight place.

It's a shame, really. Celeste is one of the best Italian places in Manhattan. However, as other reviewers say, you will be treated only as a quick win of cash. Dined there yesterday. Went to catch up with an old friend, and decided as we finished our entrees that we'd stay for another glass of wine. The manager said no, that we were not allowed to stay unless we ordered more food. Pathetic, especially given a dessert is $6 and wine for two was going to be $20 (bad math on his part). Recognize he wants to have other people come in, but he should realize that he just took two long-term fans of the restaurant and literally kicked them out. May as well just set up a takeout counter if he doesn't actually want guests.

$2.00 for parmesan cheese? Honestly? What's next - $2.00 for butter. And rude waiter to boot. Mediocre food. Not rushing back to this crowded little place.

On one visit, the entire restaurant was disrupted when a man began shouting at management, exclaiming that he’d never been treated so rudely in his life. He’d brought a friend for her birthday and after 20 minutes of waiting to order, they complained, only to have management tell them they should just leave. It was shocking, but I assumed that there must have been two sides to the story. Ironically, five months later, I was there for my birthday with friends and I was treated similarly. Know this -- when you show up at Celeste, you are just a body with cash, and nothing more.

We stumbled upon this place last Friday on our way to a different restaurant in the neighborhood! I've had my fair share of Italian food in NYC and several cities throughout Italy and the pasta at Celeste ranks amongst the best I've had - ever! I wasn't crazy about the 'zuchini flower' appetizer but everything else was excellent! Very nice atmosphere, too, great prices. We - along with another group of people we overheard outside the restaurant "will definitely be back"!

The food here is ok, but not great. Although it is fairly cheap. The service is terrible -- a waiter put my leftovers underneath another tables dirty plate. When this was pointed out the waitress just smiled. no apology was given, no reference to the situation at all.