Celestial Cafe — Restaurant in Exeter

3 strikes you’re out. Had eaten here twice before. I spaced out my visits because I always found the food a little lackluster. But the owner was so nice and presentation of food was unique enough to keep me trying. So I did. Until my last recent visit. The “hostess” had a puss on her face from the second our party entered. We even tried to joke with her to lighten the mood. No such luck. This is a miserable person and an unfortunate choice to greet customers. We had a reservation and the restaurant was very far from busy. Yet she kept us waiting in the doorway for over 20 minutes for no apparent reason. When we were finally seated we passed through a sea of dirty tables and found our table to have dirty glasses. Which the same sour person took 20 more minutes to fill with water. Which she also poured messily missing glasses and onto the table. Nonetheless we tried to make pleasantries with her as we really wanted to enjoy our evening. She then abandoned us for almost another 30 minutes. Never introduced herself. Nothing. We asked someone if they could kindly send her over. This clearly upset her and she actually accused us of being aggressive- because we asked for drinks. Amazing. She was so absolutely absurd that we decided to just leave. She told us she couldn’t care less if we left. We went down the street to Back 40 and had an amazing experience with amazing staff. We laughed all night and happily spent lots of our hard earned cash. And, as usual tipped quite generously. We also made sure to tell everyone about our experience. On a last note, Miss congeniality also made a point of telling us when we asked to speak to the owner that she didn’t care because she was related to her. I wonder how happy that owner, who we remember fondly, is that this relative is literally taking money out of her pocket. This is a small town. Word travels fast. Be careful Celestial. Too much good competition to treat your customers like...

It was my second visit to Celestial Cafe, and my only regret is that I have not returned sooner. To celebrate the return of my nephew from deployment, we had a party of 12 guests. The server was pleasant, attentive, and we never felt rushed even though we may have overstayed our welcome since everyone was so eager to catch up with one another, especially my nephew. We went for brunch, and the food was excellent. Unfortunately, I only recall a few of the dishes I photographed and their brunch menu is not available online. I enjoyed a delicious waffle with berries and strawberries on top along with a scrambled egg. You should pass on this if you are not a fan of overly sweet foods. Despite being amazing, it was very rich. A classic eggs Benedict was ordered by my husband, while my nephew ordered an omelet that referenced "an Italian food". The name of the omelet was unusual and I wish I could recall it. Nevertheless, he declared it to be delicious. My niece enjoyed the tree hugger's omelet. We all had a wonderful experience. It is important to note that if you are making reservations for a large party, they are only open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additionally, there are only long tables available, so it is unlikely that you will be able to have a conversation with everyone in your party. If anyone is concerned about accessibility, we had a friend attend who just had foot surgery and was very comfortable using a knee scooter. There is a focus on serving brunch and lunch at a price point of contemporary casual dining. I would like to return in the evening to try some of their mouth-watering dinner dishes. To conclude, I would recommend that you visit this charming establishment that has a romantic bistro feel and serves flavorful and...

The fact that the Celestial Cafe folks are still going strong after the many challenges of the last few years is testament to their enduring commitment to producing quality food using locally-sourced ingredients.

One evening a year or two before Covid, about halfway through a five-hour road trip, we stopped in for an early dinner. Things were quiet and we had a chance to chat with Chef Branden Read's mom, who shared the story of how he ended up opening the establishment. To get the whole story, you'll have to stop by at a quiet time and hopefully catch him to hear it first hand, but you should be ready for disappointment, for there aren't that many quiet times these days.

Having been eating here since 2010, I can speak with the perspective of long experience when I say that the food has been consistently excellent -- creative, frequently updated and well-executed. The Baby Back Ribs (a menu staple, thank goodness) are simply superb, just falling off the bone. The cabbages in the slaw and the cucumbers served on top are home pickled, light on the vinegar and delicately sweet. The bread pudding dessert is phenomenal, but with generous portions, perhaps get a helping to go? It's still fantastic the next day, as are the left-over ribs you'll surely be taking home with you.

A hallmark of a good place is staff longevity. Several of the servers have been there at least as long as I've been visiting,

With the fairly recent addition of event space next door and an outstanding bar area, this is one place I wish we could visit more often. Bravo Chef, keep up...