Celeste Ristorante

Authentic Tuscany cuisine we did not expect to find in Salt Lake City. The choice of menu and the execution was spare, simplistic and extremely to the point. We love this bold unyielding confidence from the chef. The food reminds me of food cooked by my Tuscan friend's father, who hardly ever put more than 5 ingredients in a dish! More specifically we love love love the carpaccio. The daily special pasta in summer truffle tasted divine. An update here, we went back to the restaurant again and the pasta dish with pesto and shrimp is the crowd favorite.

I'd love to do 5 stars but 4 is where it ended for a few reasons. But first I will say that the food is really really good and worth going to try. I just hope they make a few changes. We ordered a few different dishes but we are a big party and asked to order several of the same dishes to male it easier. We had the special that was (I cannot remember) but it was very very good. I'd recommend it. The seafood pasta, also really great flavor Gnnoci And ravioli. The issue with the ravioli was (you'll see in picture) was the sage butter sauce was more like pasta water and the sage I don't think was even cooked. So the ravioli by itself was great the sage butter sauce (pasta water) was a huge disappointment. I cook sage butter sauce all the time and this was not it. So I hope that gets fixed. Second the desserts were lack luster for sure. The tiramisu was good but not great and the fruit taste was the best. There was a custard something don't get it not amazing. They were won't of the chocolate tart. So sad. I'd love to see other dessert options. Even a Gelato. The food is worth the visit. We will go back. But because of the dessert and sage butter sauce I had to take one 🌟 away.

Outstanding!! This family run restaurant has it all... incredible service, delicious pasta, and an atmosphere that makes you feel like the dishes are being specially prepared for you in someone's kitchen. Come here hungry and try a lot of the menu. I came here with my partner and we split three pastas. This was a fun way to try more food, every single dish was some of the best pasta I have ever had. Don't skip on dessert either. We opted the tiramisu, but the chocolate torte came highly requested so we will have to try that next time. This is a great place to bring family, go on a date, or fill up on a pasta after a day on the slopes. Seriously, go here.

I wish I had known about this place earlier. I've never been to Italy, but I have been to some good Italian restaurants in the Bay Area, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake (Per Noi, Nuch's, Sicilia Mia, Valter's). They say this is authentic Italian/Tuscan food, and I have to believe them, because it is best, homiest Italian food I have every had. If you want to know what it's like to have an Italian grandmother who's a good cook, this is the place. Before I go on, please know that you will probably need a RESERVATION – they are only open from 5-8:00 Tuesday through Saturday. Now back to the food ;-) The presentation is fine, but understated. It really seems to be all about flavor, quality, and authenticity here. We had Melanzane Alla Parmigiana (eggplant parmesan) as a starter, and it was amazing. I think I could have eaten multiple servings of it. It was a different style - NOT the thick, deep-fried slices of eggplant swimming in marinara. Rather, the slices were super thin and layered - so more au gratin style, I suppose. At any rate, it was delicious. We also had the lentil soup (Lenticchie), which, as you'll see in the pictures, is deceptively ordinary looking, but was also delicious, and so healthy. We also had the Insalata Di Spinach, the Pesci Spada Griglia, and the Ravioli Incavolati. Every thing was wonderful - we ate every last bit. We didn't see a dessert menu, and I don't see one on the website, so here's what they had available when we dined there. Tiramisu, Crostata Di Frutta (a custard and fruit tart completely covered with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries), a Mille Foglie (i.e., a Napoleon), and Panna cotta. We had the tart and the Napoleon, and both were delicious. The service was friendly and efficient. They weren't playing music, which is nice, because it makes it so much easier to talk. Also, ample free parking - so much easier than dining downtown. Can't wait to go back. This is truly a gem.

We were told about this place by some friends and family and would definitely recommend it to others. This is the closest thing we’ve had to authentic Italian food in Salt Lake. I would say it’s better than Valter’s and about 1/2 the cost. We stayed with the Burratta, then shared a shrimp pesto (shrimp on the side because my wife doesn’t care for it) and the season truffle risotto, and then finished it off with a raspberry/blackberry fruit tart. We look forward to going back and trying some of their other dishes.

Absolutely amazing! The food was exquisite and the service was beyond amazing. I can't say enough about this place. Our bottle of wine was set to chill next to our table and we tried so much wonderful, authentic Italian food. If you want great food and an amazing experience you need to try this place. We will definitely be returning to try more. I had stuffed tortellini in mushrooms and sauce and the other person with me had giant shrimp. The mozzarella appetizer was soooo good and you can taste the authenticity of it. My next trip I want to try the filet mignon. If you like italian and want great service this is the place you need to come to. If you want to go Friday or Saturday you will need a reservation. Tuesday through Thursday not really. We went on a Thursday and luckily got a table.

To be fair, hats off to this mom and pop restaurant for making it through the pandemic years. When we went here 2 years ago, the food was fresh and inviting, the flavors blending together in a welcoming way. But something happened in those 2 years and the result was that 5 of the 6 of us were disappointed in our meals and thus the ding of several stars in the rating. So let's jump to the usual owner rebuttal of "authentico" regional cooking. Having eaten in both Sienna and Florence, all of my group had had a chance to experience a variety of Tuscan food so we did have something to compare this "authentico" food to that which we had in Italy. The meals we were served were not the "authentico" we remembered. Take the swordfish "steak" which was priced at $29. What arrived was not really a swordfish steak like you would view at a fish market, but rather one which appeared to be sliced in half like a thin-cut pork chop (see picture). The piece proved a bit overcooked and tasted a bit "fishy," not something you'd expect in a fresh piece of fish (my wife didn't finish it). The linguini seafood dish (Alla Pescadora) was also far from what we were served 2 years ago. Take a peek at the tiny mussels and what appears to be shrimp and you'd think these came from a bag of seafood mix. Indeed, when I asked to not have the shrimp (which I'm allergic to) and instead a bit more calamari, i was told that the "mix" is marinated together and thus unable to be separated...hmmm. Where were the fresh mussels bursting open in their shells? Where were the shrimp looking pink and well, looking like shrimp. Marinated perhaps, but lacking in flavor. So because I couldn't get the dish without shrimp, I chose the basic Celeste spaghetti which was...basic. So by now, the owners are likely feeling their blood pressure rising a bit so I'll jump to the good points. My one friend enjoyed his shaved truffle pasta, and the desserts were as good as anywhere, as was the service. And we totally get that keeping a restaurant going during these difficult times is indeed a struggle and again, hats off to them...trying to retain workers both cooking and serving at any restaurant is likely still sporadic at best. So you have to acknowledge that perhaps we arrived on a day when their "usual" was anything but; perhaps the chef was a last-minute replacement. Read the other reviews and for the most part, the majority are quite pleased...and by 8:30, the restaurant was indeed nearly full. So each of us in our party give Celeste the benefit of the doubt. That said, we'll let another few years go by before we return to see if things have changed back to what we remember. Butter and cream and tomatoes can do wonders, and we've experienced it here before...but not this time. Unfortunately, on this night at least, we left disappointed, ready to try the many other recent eateries in this field of "authentic" Tuscan cooking.