LA Food Review｜Pasadena Italian Restaurant Celestino

📍 Address: 141 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA South Lake Avenue is one of my favorite little streets in Pasadena. Unlike downtown Pasadena, it’s less crowded, easier to park (free parking next to Macy’s with plenty of spaces!), and has a charming mix of boutique shops, cozy cafes, and tasty eateries — a bit like Shanghai’s Wutong District vibe. No wonder the upscale grocery store Erewhon chose this location! This time, I visited the Italian restaurant Celestino, just an 8-minute walk from the Macy’s parking lot. Walking there at night, I passed beautiful Christmas light displays, reindeer decorations, and festive trees — Pasadena really goes all out for the holidays. 🎄✨ The restaurant’s decor gives off a fine-dining feel, but prices are reasonable — around $30 per person for a generous portion of pasta. We went with a group, so I only snapped photos of what my husband and I ordered. The middle photo shows everyone’s dishes — all delicious! My husband chose the Ossobuco with Saffron Sauce — a tender braised beef dish (softer than steak). One note: adding vegetable sides costs an extra $15, so consider skipping them. I had the Linguine Mixed Seafood — a slightly spicy tomato-based seafood pasta. Really tasty, huge portion (I was the last one to finish!), with a good variety of seafood: shrimp, scallops, clams, and squid. The “spicy” tomato sauce was mild enough even for someone like me who doesn’t eat much spice. If you’re celebrating a birthday, a Hawaiian server will sing Happy Birthday in Italian — they did it for two nearby tables, adding a fun, festive touch! 🎂🎶 After dinner, there are plenty of ice cream shops nearby for dessert, cute stores to browse, and lovely lights for photos. If it’s chilly, you can pop into Macy’s, TJ Maxx, or Ross, check out Erewhon, or grab coffee/boba in Float Pasadena alley. The area feels safe, upscale, and lively — I once even stumbled upon a nearby anime convention with cosplayers handing out stickers! For a moment, it felt like being back in Shanghai. #LALife #LosAngeles #LAFood #PasadenaEats #ItalianFood #DateNight #HolidayVibes 🍝🛍️