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Celeste

Name: Celeste
Address: 21 Bow St, Somerville, MA, United States, 02143-2933
Telephone: (617) 616-5319
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.8

$31 to $50

Peruvian

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2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 20 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Great for outdoor dining
Great for creative cocktails

It’ll be hard to find a restaurant as welcoming and lovely as Celeste. The Union Square spot feels like a party hosted by your very cool artsy friends, who just happen to make the best ceviche in town. Every dish here is tantalizing—throw in pisco-heavy drinks and a psychedelic cumbia playlist, and you’re in for the very best of Andean culture.
Recently included in The New York Times Best restaurants in Boston, Chef JuanMa and co-owner Maria Rondeau have been nominated for James Beard Best New Restaurant Semi-Finalist, Esquire's Best Restaurants in America, and Eater's Best Restaurant in Boston.

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: Somerville has stellar Peruvian restaurants, but Celeste has always stood out from the crowd; Eater Boston named it restaurant of the year when it opened in 2018. That's because chef and owner JuanMa Calderon is recreating the recipes he learned from his mother and grandmother in a cosy and sleek space that will make you feel like you're eating in Calderon and his partner Maria Rondeau's home. You can expect some of the best ceviches in the city, the Andean stew carapulcra with pork and chicken, and colourful cocktails that celebrate Peruvian spirits and drinks like pisco and chicha.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Peruvian, Home cooking, Seafood
Hours of Operation
Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–23:00 Sun 17:00–21:00
Phone number
(617) 616-5319
Website
https://celesteunionsquare.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
21 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143-2933
Area
Somerville
Parking details
None

seco de cordero con frijoles US$28.00
cilantro lamb stew + creamed canary beans with rice
sudado de pescado o berenjena
steamed fish or eggplant Peruvian-Chinese style with rice
- -US$26.00
- -US$23.00
locro (+ pescado frito + 7) US$23.00
black mint. squash, Java beans + potato stew with rice
camar6n al ajilloUS$27.00
shrimp scampi Peruvian style with rice
scallops con pasta a la huancaina US$29.00
seared scallops with fresh squid ink fettuccine + huancaina
lomo saltadoUS$28.00
stir-fried sirloin beef (8oz), tomato, onion, soy with rice
tacu tacu a lo macho (o de verduras) (+ pescado frito +7)
carapulcra US$26.00
/neon stew with potato, chicken, pork, peanuts + Porto with rice

SIDE

frijoles canarios** US$6.00
creamed canary beans

DESSERTS

suspiro limei'lo / dulce de leche custard US$12.00
suspiro limei'lo / dulce de leche custard (gf,d) mousse de lucuma / lucuma: Peruvian native tree fruit US$11.00

gf option: please inform your server to make necessary adjustments/ gt: gluten free / g: gluten / d: dairy / v: vegan /veg: vegetarian

* consuming raw meats. poultry, seafood, shellfish may increase risk of foodborne illness before placing order, please Inform your server of any food allergies

please note: 20% gratuity applied to tables of four or more

please note: 3% kitchen appreciation fee applied to checks. graclas for your support

What 37 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.3Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Celeste is a must-visit gem in greater Boston, offering "excellent" Peruvian cuisine with standout ceviche and "perfect pisco sours." The cozy atmosphere and attentive service enhance the dining experience. While some dishes could be improved, the overall quality and unique flavors make it a favorite for many.

37 Reviews

A
Ann
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really cute place with a laid back vibe. Amazing food and the staff was aweome! Would go back in a heart beat!
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S
Sebastian
Charleston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorite restaurants in the greater Boston area. Never disappoints!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville
3 reviews
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on 7 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
The pictures online give an expectation higher than what reality offers. The place is in dire need of renovation. It’s super tiny. The food is neither great nor terrible. The ceviche was good but the other food didn’t go together and was less than exciting. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves but I would never go back.
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A
Ahmed
New York City
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 5 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Food is good there . I would go again for sure. Not a big menu on drinks
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P
Paul
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 26 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
My second visit to Celeste was as good as the first. Excellent meal over all. Attentive friendly service. Nice thoughtful wine selections on the short list. Love it.
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P
Patrick
Nashville
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 19 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolute gem! Delicious food, great cocktails and natural wines, attentive service. Ceviche is on point.
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C
Carlos
Greater Boston
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on 15 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing Lomo salteado, the best one I have tried ever. I am a loyal fan and will come back for more
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M
Mary Catherine
Coastal Georgia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 12 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Celeste was a complete surprise! It's a local, hole in the wall restaurant situated on a side street of Boston. The service was impeccable and the menu was incredible. Servers were very attentive and you could tell that they take pride in their restaurant. I will definitely be going back!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 11 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
FACTASTIC Peruvian food: drinks, chicha morada, causa con camarones, PERFECTION!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 7 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service was beyond GREAT. This place was a gem and will definitely come back.
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FAQs

Celeste is rated 4.8 stars by 37 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

23 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 20 times today

21 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143-2933

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
Somerville
Hours of Operation
Dinner Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–23:00 Sun 17:00–21:00
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Peruvian, Home cooking, Seafood
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Website
https://celesteunionsquare.com/
Phone number
(617) 616-5319

Celeste

Make a booking

Why they're an Icon

Dining areas

Additional information

DEL MAR

ceviche de blue cod* US$21.00

ceviche mixed seafood (blue cod, squid and shrimp)*US$22.00

ceviche de palm and artichoke heartsUS$18.00

ceviche de shrimp y mango with maracuya infusion US$19.00

APPETIZER SPECIALS

pupusa de camar6n y queso + camaronesUS$16.00

yuquitas rellenas de verduras* US$15.00

CAUSAS / spicy potato terrine

causa de avocado and tomato US$15.00

causa de tuna tartare*** US$18.00

causa de shrimp US$16.00

SALADS

arugula salad with salsa criolla (lime, onion, tomato)US$12.00

arugula salad with lime/parmesanUS$13.00

ENTREES

seco de cordero con frijoles US$28.00

sudado de pescado o berenjena

locro (+ pescado frito + 7) US$23.00

camar6n al ajilloUS$27.00

scallops con pasta a la huancaina US$29.00

lomo saltadoUS$28.00

tacu tacu a lo macho (o de verduras) (+ pescado frito +7)

carapulcra US$26.00

SIDE

frijoles canarios** US$6.00

DESSERTS

suspiro limei'lo / dulce de leche custard US$12.00

suspiro limei'lo / dulce de leche custard (gf,d) mousse de lucuma / lucuma: Peruvian native tree fruit US$11.00

gf option: please inform your server to make necessary adjustments/ gt: gluten free / g: gluten / d: dairy / v: vegan /veg: vegetarian

* consuming raw meats. poultry, seafood, shellfish may increase risk of foodborne illness before placing order, please Inform your server of any food allergies

please note: 20% gratuity applied to tables of four or more

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Celeste restaurant rated?

Is Celeste currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information