Ristoranti Celestino

In bitwin running to museums we stopped for lunch at ristorante celestino, right pass the punto vechio, thought seeing some good reviews and with being pressured in time to make the next tour it will be a good option… place was EMPTY and we as the only ones in the entire place grabbed a table for four… the piccolo (assistent waiter), comes and asks me to move to a 2 person table as we are only two… I look at him… look around and tell him the only place I’m moving to is out of his restaurant… than I as km him about their ragu meat contant… he goesvto ask and… never comes back. lol…we ordered a Milanese veal chop and traditional Florentine pasta filled with ricotta and spinach… after 50 minutes… and asking 3 times… we got our food… food was actually decent, but worst service we ever encountered… not to mention paying 20 euros for a tiny thin chop and…4 pre frozen fries… what a shame…

The vegetable soup and veal pizzaiola were better than everything similar I’ve had at italian restaurants in the US. Also, no copperta, no servizio, no tourist tricks.

C’est Manuel qui s’occupe de moi. Précis dans ses conseils, il m’aide a concocter un menu adapté à mon goût: apéritif local, melon, tripes à la florentine, une demie bouteille d’un excellent Chianti (je suis en train de le boire!).
J’ai dû demander des tripes sans fromage, aucun problème, et en plus elles sont excellentes.
Bref, très bonne table.

Très agréable moment passé avec des plats délicieux et des serveurs très sympa
Détours romantique à conseiller

Our original dinner plans got a little messed up since it was a holiday and a lot of places were full. Our concierge ended up getting us reservations here instead and it ended up being a very nice meal. We sat out in the piazza and were serenaded by musicians with accordions and acoustic guitars. We had a nice glass of chianti as well as still and sparkling water. My Aunt and I ordered one of the fresh pasta’s this one with cognac sauce, tomatoes and greens. We also got the veal with porcini mushrooms to share. I tried some of my other Aunt’s minestrone soup which was bright with fresh veggies. I also tried my Dad’s arugula and artichoke salad which was amazing. Artichokes were in season of course. I’ve never had raw artichokes before and these were crunchy and leafy.
Our main courses didn’t come for a while I was getting a little impatient, but they finally came. When they came out though some dishes were cold. My veal and mushrooms got cold fast and the side spinach we got was cold when it hit the table. They probably let the dishes sit while waiting for other entrees to finish, but some of entrees came a little later so that was weird. The veal was good I just had to eat it quick before the heat left it which was easy. Best veal ever, not chewy or gristly just tender. Our pasta was the hottest thing on the table it was steaming. Really fresh yellow pasta in a creamy sauce. I also tried my Aunts seafood plate and Dad’s lamb. Great dishes. My Aunt’s swordfish was the best though, she got the best plate.
Dessert was tiramisu and it didn’t disappoint. I was still kinda hungry even after dinner, but that tiramisu topped up my stomach. I almost couldn’t finish it, but I did, I had to. I also tried my Aunt’s apple sorbet was was like snow ice and sweet and sour apple. Really refreshing desserts. Desserts are a must here. I would give this place five stars if some of our entrée’s didn’t come so cold. Still a great Italian meal.

I’m hesitant to write a review only because this is my hidden gem I send all my Florence-​bound friends too. If it blows up in popularity, well… I suppose that’s a good thing. :)
I’ve had several wonderful visits to Celestino. Mushroom risotto to die for, bistec Firoentina to make you want to sit for days. That, and their house red is delightful.
Our waiters have always been attentive and patient (some of us were learning Italian while we frequented this place), and let us languish for as long as we want. We’ve also closed the place down a few times.
The owner is around and he drops in every now and then, which is always a hoot.
A wonderful, solid experience, in the heart of tourism, but without the «oh God, all the tourists go here» feel.
The good: delightful food.
The bad: yeah, you’re in the city center, food is pricey.

Das Restaurant wurde uns empfohlen weil wir eine echte Bistecca Fiorentina probieren wollten.
Der Service war nett und hat uns gut beraten, die Bistecca (500−600g) war ausgezeichnet, ebenso wie die Dolci.
Preislich war das Restaurant auch im Rahmen. WLan gibts umsonst, war aber ein bisschen instabil.
Absolute Empfehlung, da komm ich gern wieder!

No brainer. Our waiter Stefano was wonderful in helping us navigate the wine and menu. We had a great time.

Celestino was arranged by our hotel concierge and the experience was great. Our family of four had a nice table waiting for us with excellent service. We ordered appetizers, pasta dishes, deserts and coffee and each course was flavorful. Excellent dining experience.