My dad is in the nursing home just down the street for the next couple of days. Although I grew up in Rhode Island, I had never heard of this place. Small Wonder. It came into being over a decade after I left. Decided to come here because Yelp had pretty good ratings for it. I was not disappointed. The staff was very friendly and helpful as I went over the menu. Sat at the bar and chatted a little bit with the bartender Matt. The final recommendation was the chicken parm. They raved about their signature recipe. They have a right to do so. It was thick and flavorful and the pasta was cooked just right. Everything was so good, I may just come back for dinner tonight. Thanks guys. You made my afternoon. read more

Hands down our favorite restaurant. Nothing beats it! If you have celiac, gluten allergy or sensitivity or just desire the most delicious fine dining in the tri-state area, this is the spot. Best burgers in town, and gluten free!? Yes please!!! Also pork nachos are the best nachos ever, and we are certifiable nacho snobs. Can't wait to come back! Wish we could go every day. read more

We had a party of 4 and our reservation was cancelled at the restaurant in error. The hostess, noted that it was their error, and took it in stride getting us a table even though it was URI Parent's Weekend. Our waitress was the daughter of the hostess and the sister of the chef- She was OUTSTANDING - one of the best waitresses that we have ever had. The food was fabulous. We had drinks, appetizers and entrees ( and split a dessert) and were thrilled with our experience. I had the jambalaya which I loved - spicy, as it should be, but not overpowering. The nachos with pork were very good and enough to split. All in our party loved their meal! Plenty of interesting drink specials and the menu was extensive. This will definitely be on my frequent flyer list read more

Very nice setting. Roomy, clean, and well laid out. I got the Santa Fe Salad with blackened chicken. It was very good, but a bit small for the price. My BF got a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich and it was very flavorful without being too greasy. The home fries were just ok, they tasted a bit old, not too crispy, not too fresh. His mom got a chicken sandwich and she was very happy with it. Large selection of beers, read more

We had a great meal. So many options for special diets. My only complaint is the wait time to be acknowledged and seated. We were there on a slow day and still had to wait. The only other person waiting actually left out of frustration. read more

Dinner was excellent! Our server, Kate, was awesome. The fish and shrimp are fresh and portions for appetizers and entrees are generous. The sweet potato won-tons, calamari, Brussel sprouts were tasty and unique. There's a extensive menu and wine-beer-cocktail selection. Such a cozy, pretty place for small or large gathering. read more

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Great friends took my wife and I to Celestial Cafe....we already had apps and drinks some where else but we were here for the main course, Dinner supper what ever you call it and we were hungry.. I can cook and love food more than sweets. Asked the her recommendation because i wanted to eat 4 dinners on the menu , i went with the cod kale.....unbelievable flavor cooked perfect...my friend had the ribs which melted in your mouth...all at our table were happy and we can not wait to be back seated in Celestial Cafe. P.S. The owner chef came out to our table to see if everything was good. read more

Went for New Years Eve dinner. To start the night we had drinks and all I can say is they need a new bartender had to send drinks back they where awful! Then we had Appetizers, calamari and oysters that was good. Then we had entrees I had the eggplant tower which I really enjoyed and my husband had the beef Wellington he's potatoes where ice cold when it came out. Dessert was just ok there gelato was as hard as a rock and there lava cake had no lava. On a scale of 1-10 I give this place a 5 and probably will not return or recommend it to anyone. read more

Hands down our favorite restaurant. Nothing beats it! If you have celiac, gluten allergy or sensitivity or just desire the most delicious fine dining in the tri-state area, this is the spot. Best burgers in town, and gluten free!? Yes please!!! Also pork nachos are the best nachos ever, and we are certifiable nacho snobs. read more

Just love this place. Homemade chips ate amazing. Baked Brie OMG. Ordered a cappuccino. They waitress has no clue what so ever what she is doing. 15 mins for a coffee. Only 4 people In the place. read more

Celestial Cafe - Chips are soooo yummy - New American Near Me - Exeter, Rhode Island

Fantastic, heavenly food and cocktails. A gorgeous restaurant with a menu that is a mouthwatering wonderland. The waitstaff is exceptional; the atmosphere lovely. I could not recommend the Celestial Cafe more. It's amazing! read more

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This place could be easily overlooked based on its location, but it is definitely worth the stop. We came in for a couple drinks and dinner on Thursday evening. It was busy but not packed so we took a seat at the bar. We each ordered a cosmo to start and it was excellent! Then we had the house made potato chips with chipotle aioli and we ended up getting a second container of the aioli it was so good. I ordered the eggplant towers as my meal. It was a series of discs of lightly fried eggplant with a delicious ravioli between each eggplant disc. It was outstanding! My friend ordered the chicken eclipse which was a delicious combination of breaded chicken cutlets, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, and more. The cafe also has a great tap list with plenty to choose from for beers as well as an extensive wine list. The service at the bar was excellent and the mixed drinks were made perfectly. We had an excellent meal and food came out hot and fresh as we ordered it. We did not feel rushed at all so we ordered the molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert. I look forward to coming back here again! read more

Best food in RI. My husband and I always want to try "something new" but are always disappointed. Whenever we come here we are never disappointed. Everything I have ever had here is amazing. Definitely recommend! :) read more

Best hidden gem in RI. You have to visit Celestial Cafe. Top 5 restaurants. Came for Sunday brunch and it did not disappoint. My husband order the waffles with wild berry compote-he thought it was too good "they must be fake" and I ordered the tree hugger omelette with a gluten free biscuit. Chef and owners are very aware of gluten free/celiac and the menu has many options to choose from. You know it's an extra special restaurant when the chef/owner stops at each table to great each guest and to see how your meal was. We wanted to stay for dinner. Can't wait to go back. read more

Out in the West Rhode Island boondocks....a farm to table (as best as you can get in urban RI) that is an oasis in a sea of bad pizza and bad bar food. This place has great innovative stuff and cannot say enough about it. Not cheap. But I always figure you get what you pay for and you get that here. Friendly staff....not a long wait to be served (It was midweek) Portions are humongous and ingredients good. Their menu writer must have a PHD from Harvard in creative writing. Go there....you will not be disappointed read more

Really yummy! Split a kale caesar to start, and my entree was the scallop piccata risotto. The rice was cooked perfectly and the scallops were seared. The chef came to the table to thank us for dining with them and to make sure our meals were good which is a nice touch! We'll be back! read more

This was just so-so to me, but my husband loved it. The food was tasty, the service was slow. I like that they use local ingredients, but I've always felt like the quality is a little inconsistent. read more

I want to give more stars to this restaurant. It has so much potential! A group of 10 went for lunch on Sunday, and we had the option of breakfast or lunch menus. This was great for our group. In looking at the menu, they source a lot of their food locally. The real standouts were the calamari, the berry french toast, the berry mojito, the penne pasta with Alfredo sauce, and the "hot chips." The citrus calamari is some of the best I've had in a long time. Light and crispy with the unexpected, but delicious, addition of artichokes and roasted red peppers. The hot chips are freshly fried potato chips that come in their own basket. I would not recommend the cranberry pear salad. Best described as waterlogged and tasteless. I would also warn against the bananas foster chocolate bread pudding. They are individually made and mine was overcooked. Also, the ice cream seems to be homemade and was way too hard (this was true for all of the ice cream at the table). All in all, I would have rated four stars for the food and the service, but I had to deduct a star for the flies. Seriously! There were three or four flies around our table (not outside and no open doors or windows) that would not leave us alone. No one was doing anything about them either, so I get the feeling this is common or they don't care. Either makes me hesitant to recommend this restaurant to others. read more

Celestial Cafe - View from the parking lot. - New American Near Me - Exeter, Rhode Island

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Uncommonly good food and service. We shared 3 plates at the bar, Eastern Calamari app was rich, abundant, beautiful, and extremely flavorful with pea pods and broccoli mixed in with the crunchy calamari rings. The shaved root salad was okay, I was really looking for more of the pickled fennel than I found, and it was overall kind of bland for me. The shrimp and scallop risotto with artichoke hearts and capers dinner was large and delicious with more rice than the 2 of us could finish. Kate, the bartender/server was personable and efficient, on this very busy Friday night, she handled everything absolutely effortlessly. Celestial Cafe is a rare find, and by the looks of it, many people have discovered this gem. read more

Came for a baby shower in the back room. Great space for a small event. Lovely atmosphere, awesome wood tables. Food was excellent. We had frittata, potatoes, bacon and pancakes with blueberry compote. In general it's hard to rate a buffet but this was very good and the food was hot (always tricky with buffet). The hot water for tea was tepid but I like my hot water very hot, so I'm fussy with this point. I would like to go back again and experience the whole menu. Location is a bit out of the way but an easy trip from most parts of Rhode Island. Looking forward to going back. read more

The food and drinks here were fantastic. Attractive and clean restaurant. Tons of vegan options and even vegan dessert (which can be difficult to find). Delicious. They handled food allergies so well. We had made a reservation the week before, by email, for a birthday dinner -- as long as you realize that they are only open Thursdays through Sundays, reservations are easy by email. We all loved every drink and every plate we ordered. My fish was so fresh that I commented to our server, who said it had indeed come in from the docks. Our server was attentive, really pleasant, and very helpful with ordering for the various food allergies at our table. The appetizer and cocktails were memorable. The menu had so many great choices that it was hard to pick just one. Honestly the best meal from beginning to end that we have had in awhile, everyone commented. Delicious deserts, too. Even the coffee here was good. The chef came out and asked us how we liked our dishes -- there was very apparent attention to detail. Terrific choice for a birthday meal. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

My husband and I had an AMAZING farm to table dinner here last week. It was so far beyond our expectations. The presentation of each dish was beautiful but the flavors blew us away. And the desert: a blackberry cheesecake creme brûlée'. A tastebud explosion!! I loved the fact that all the ingredients are sourced locally and support the local farm industry. Make your way there for outstanding food. You will not be disappointed!! read more

Great food, good people! The menu is full of unusual but delicious options! Try the peach Marsala!

The worst restaurant experience I have had in a long time. Poor service, and worse prepared food. Went there last night for the farm to table dinner, chicken was red in the center, gross! Slowest server with a horrible attitude. They know everything was bad and no one came by to make amends, apologize, and make us feel ok. I have been there many times over the years, NEVER AGAIN, the staff and ownership is CLUELESS!!!kb read more

We went for the NYE dinner and were incredibly impressed! The entire staff was friendly and attentive, and our server had every course timed perfectly. We will 100% be back! read more

Decent well prepared food and service. Slightly pricey for what you get. I think breakfast brunches are better than the lunches.

Booked a party here last November in the function room. Sent emails and was told the arrangements were fine and food choices for the gathering were booked. Got there early and there were liquor boxes in the hallway on the way to the function room restroom. The restroom itself was not clean. I had to wipe down the sink myself. Waitress looked like she didn't want to be there. The food was the only decent part of the overall experience. At the end of the function we were paying the bill and we realized we were overcharged and gratuity was added after the tax on the bill. The waitresses argued with us that the arrangements we made ahead of time weren't accurate and the person I emailed was the "would be" future owner's wife and didn't know what she was talking about. The current owner was unavailable and we ended up paying the bill and i got the owners number. When I spoke to the owner, it was clear she was not fully involved in the day to day operation of the restaurant. She went on and on ad nauseum about her business and how they were all like family and how the cook and his wife were not prepared to be the future owners blah blah blah. In the end, she did refund some of what we were due. I asked for an original copy of the check and it was never provided which was shady. Myself and many of the people at the gathering have not gone back since. read more

Yesterday was our second visit to Celestial, this time for breakfast. It would be hard to find a finer meal. They use the best quality locally sourced ingredients, perfectly prepared, and presented as you would expect at a Michelin starred establishment, without the ridiculous prices. This is a local cafe, simply decorated, with a knockout menu. Every dish has a twist that sets it apart from the average. Our prior visit was for the monthly "Farm Dinner". This five course meal, including one adult beverage, has several choices at each course. Each dish was unique and beautiful. I don't think I have ever had a finer dining experience, certainly not for less than a hundred bucks per couple. The owner/chef makes a point of coming out to be sure that every guest is enjoying his or her meal. It is worth driving from anywhere in the state to enjoy this delightful restaurant. read more

Excellent quality food with local ingredients and the portions are huge!! The menu is very versatile, all types of foods. On another note, please update your wine list. There were NO organic biodynamic (low intervention) natural wines on the list. Also, no organic tequilas behind the bar? read more

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So glad a friend recommended Celestial because we probably wouldn't have ever found it. PSA: THE SWEET POTATO WONTONS ARE EVERYTHING IN LIFE YOU NEED. read more

Our go-to spot on Friday night's before URI hockey games. The food is always fast, fresh and delicious, the service is outstanding. Definitely one of our favorite places! read more

We love Celestial! Great food, cozy atmosphere!! Bartenders are great! Food is wonderful; just a bit expensive! read more

Love this place. Had read about it on line in one of the "best in every state" articles & decided to try it while visiting my daughter. Very friendly service. Food was very fresh & tasty. Large portions & reasonably priced. My favorite was the cheese plate & the blueberry pocket pies. I also like that it's pretty close to campus. Owner is the chef & very kind. read more

We really enjoy coming here for their creative dinner ideas and farm to table atmosphere. Food here is always great. Staff is attentive. Solid choice for lunch or dinner. read more

Giving this an one star, because you cannot give zero. My boyfriend and I gave this place a second chance--did not work out. Ordered a martini--the glass came barely full with no sidecar. Chicken piccata had a confusing flavor profile; the limoncello tasted like lemonade concentrate--contradicted with the capers. The chicken? Flavorless. My boyfriend's chicken parmigiana just as terrible; the sauce had no flavor. (If you know real Italian dining, you would know that the sauce is EVERYTHING) the apple pie dessert came lukewarm/almost cold. The pastry is rubbery and chewy, the ice cream not creamy at all. All can be excused if everything was reasonably priced, but all items on the menu are unbelievably expensive. Massive disappointment. Don't know what the hype is all about except maybe the locals have absolute no taste. read more

I had the ramen dish and it was awesome. I even had it to go and they separated the ingredients than needed to be kept warm from those that needed to stay cool until I ate it. It is attention to details like this that really impressed me. Take out that was gourmet and not soggy. A few weeks later my daughter and I went to the restaurant and ate to check consistency and once again we were not disappointed . If you find yourself in south county give this place a try and you will be impressed. Also the owner came by our table and we had a nice conversation about their farm to table. I was truly impressed. read more

Located in a hole-in-the-wall shopping center, Celestial Cafe is a very pleasant surprise. Love the bacon pork sliders! Very good. Also had the fish and chips. It wasn't overpowered by the batter which some places can do. The chips were actual potato chips and not French fries and they were done in-house. The beer selection is excellent and my friend, Linda D. had her favorite while I had mine. Overall, a good experience and I would not know Exeter would have a very good dining experience. read more

Yummy. Jambalaya is awesome. Will only get that when we go there. Pretty expensive though. I feel like the prices keep rising which is a minus. Service is great and the chef/owner is very friendly. read more

Just had the best time here. We were Celebrating my sisters birthday and it was perfect. Mark was amazing and helpful and funny. Food was seriously outstanding. Amazing selection for all of us. My husband got the filet and I seafood risotto. We had 2 vegans with us and they had so many options. Their dishes looked amazing. I wish we lived closer. We will be back and hope to get Mark if he is not traveling. read more

Went last evening for the first time. After reading the menu online, I was anticipating an interesting experience. Unfortunately, the food was ordinary. The cheese board appetizer looked like it was put together from lunchables! The burger was rubbery, the house made chips were tasteless and the chicken peach marsala was just ok. The real issue was the horrible service. Our waiter clearly forgot about us. An hour in, we finally got up from the table and tracked him down. The food arrived about 10 minutes later and had been microwaved to warm it up. It was blistering hot and almost inedible. read more