Ceia Kitchen & Bar - Wait staff Review

If you re anywhere North of Boston and need a next level culinary experience (not just a meal), go to this restaurant. Fun staff, excellent choices with Brave, cool choices on the menu.

We were here on September 26, 2013. This is a really great restaurant! We had duck confit, and my hubby had a hake soup with shrimp and scallops. The broth was amazing. The duck was extraordinary. Absolutely coming back for more as soon as we can.

Very good dining with excellent ambiance, especially if you can sit outside.

Wow - very small portion for steak frites. Maybe if this was a filet migeon, but it wasn t....

The food is wonderful, my group had the amazing burger, the fish special and I had the pasta tasting. The special was the least favorite, but it was still pretty good. We also had phenomenal butternut squash soup and the burrata plate. It wasn't my favorite burrata, but it was good, the cheese itself was different than I've had before, softer and more contiguously creamy throughout. Our sever was immensely charming and truly helped the night feel special.

Excellent service, high quality and perfectly prepared food, great drinks, and cozy atmosphere. Will definitely return!

On a trip up to Newburyport we decided to stop in Ceia for dinner. The food was fantastic. We had sat down right at the bar since it was just the two of us. I'd recommend a reservation though. We just got lucky to find a seat when we arrived

One of my top 5 restaurants in New England. I eat here regularly, and there's a creative seasonal menu with great mains and small plates, excellent cocktails, and always friendly staff. They'll course everything out the way you like and split plates for you if you're sharing.

Dog friendly, great location, good food. Fries could be crisper.

Excellent staff, but 3 out of 4 orders were over-salted

..I haven't been there for many years because of a bad experience. I complained to the owner but got no response. Much time has a lapsed. So I thought I'd give it another chance.

The restaurant seems darker and less inviting. The halibut and the tuna were very tasty. Looking at other written other reviews, it reminded me, that my tuna were two pieces very expensive two pieces. The wine was delicious. The waitress was excellent. The holy experience was very good at it deserves four stars but not five. I wish I could do better but I cannot; less but not least prices were outrageous. Reading a few more reviews, I recall good the service the delivery food was somewhat slow. And the menu choices were somewhat sparse.

It is a restaurant that requires that you are willing to spend I considerable amount of money. So it's not a restaurant that is affordable to the average person. At least that's my opinion. If you have a special occasion it is worth consideration.

And the next time I have such an occasion I may consider this restaurant. As I would recommend to others.

This is a fantastic spot in downtown Newburyport with a beautiful wine list and equally palatable food options. The rotating menu never fails to disappoint with an offering for almost any taste.

During our visit to Newburyport, we were out exploring the gorgeous little downtown area and stopped in to wet our beak. Great service and drink menu. I look forward to experiencing their menu in more dpeth next time!

Everything about my experience. The atmosphere, food, service, was great! Expensive for what we got but would go back for a special occasion any day. The flavors melt in your mouth. Loved it!

We arrived 5 minutes before the restaurant officially opened, but we were graciously provided seats. However, 20 minutes later we had to ask if we could order drinks. We also had not been given menus. Another 15 minutes went by and still no server. We had to ask for our drink bill and promptly left. Bottom line, the restaurant does not open on time as advertised. Absolutely no respect for their customers.

Very delicious, although limited, Vegan, GF & Vegetarian choices - right down to their GF corn muffins. I did not try their bakery items. Employees & wait staff super & accommodating. Will definitely return. My only wish is there were more of their whole food choices on the board.

Good food, nice service, beautiful restaurant. But a little pricey for the area. The cheapest plate is a $17 burger.

One of my favorite restaurants. Everything I've had here has been great.

My wife and I tried Ceia on the final evening of our honeymoon in July 2014, after trying many other establishments in Newburyport. It's probably good we waited until the end of our trip because we loved the food, and it would have broken the bank to eat there every night! But we are sure glad we went.

We thoroughly enjoyed every morsel, and were completely satisfied. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, knowledgeable on the menu, and had very good suggestions. It was the middle of the week so it wasn't madly busy, though I see how it could get that way on weekends.

If we ever have the chance to be in Newburyport again I'm sure we'll be back. To this day my wife and I think back to that meal fondly, and we wish we could find a meal that wonderful in our home town.

The service was slow and the food was terrible! The waitress was kind enough to comp the meal. I will never go there again.

Great drinks and food. Had a dozen oysters. My only complaint is that they were dry. There was hardly any brine in them which we enjoy. Not awful but below expectations. Will definitely be going back.

Ordered 2 burgers took an hour. Got food poisoning.

Excelernt atmosphere an awesome cuisine in the heart of charming Newburyport Center.

Great place to dine when in Newburyport! They offer different twists on their offerings! Unique tasty offerings!

Service was good. Food was very slow. Food presentation was great. The ribeye was burnt on the outside, but was still a very tender prime cut. It happens. Mentioned to the server about it to tell the chef to be careful. Manager then made it a point to passively confront me. Why confront your patrons? Will give this place another shot next time in town and hopefully give it 5 stars. Awesome atmosphere by the way.

Wonderful service and excellent annexation of wine. Memorable appetizers.

Very good atmosphere. Food was excellent: delicious, beautifully presented, fresh.

My sister and I had fantastic service and had some great wine and appetizers. Our waitress Kelly had some great recommendations and really made us feel taken care of.

Had brunch there today... presentation and service was good. Soup of the day (some kind of creamy beet-potato was really tasty). Unfortunately, both my and my wife's dishes suffered from an overabundance of salt... and we're both salt lovers. A bit too much manchego cheese in the omelet and just too much salt in the other ingredients (potatoes and dressed arugula salad) on the plate.

New years eve pre set menu was DEVINE. Staff attentive. Your elder family may have trouble reading the menu with the low lighting. Best octupus ive had since coming back from santorini. Great date night spot.

Amazing food, atmosphere, and staff as a single person looking for actual table not a bar seat to treat myself, they were the only restaurant in town to welcome me and they treated me like gold

Lousy and I will explain. If we care so much about where our grass-fed beef comes from before we eat it, we should also equally care about how our restaurant owners are treating the human beings that work for them. Ever watch Bar Rescue or Restaurant Impossible? Any place that treats employees badly should be avoided at all costs. If the owner cares so little about her restaurant and the people that help run her business does she really care about it's customers? Get off your butt and run your restaurant, don't sit at home texting your manager. Stay away people.

3 of our 10 member received their meal 20 minutes ago. The rest of us are still waiting

Food, service and drinks always delicious. Whether for a burger, brunch or special occasion - great spot.

Amazing food and service. Prices are reasonable for the quality that you receive. Great place, best restaurant I've been to in a while!

One of my favorite restaurants in Newburyport. There are always interesting featured wines and beers to accompany a well thought out menu.

Great outdoor seating. Excellent staff. Wonderful food. We've been twice this summer and it's been our only outdoor dining spot in this new of a pandemic. I'd greatly recommend all around.

My partner and I had dinner here for the first time over the weekend after hearing great reviews from our friends. They did not disappoint!

Great atmosphere, perfect location and fantastic food.

Pricey but OK food. Have only tried it four times. Reluctant to return again.

This is a small restaurant but their ability and knowledge to customize foods for allergies and tastes is extraordinary! I cannot do lactose and have never been to a restaurant that I cane meat Risotto. They made me a Non-Dairy Risotto that was a delicacy I have. It had at any restaurant. The staff are happy and externally knowledgeable on the foods they serve and I would go as far as to say our waitress felt more like we were in her home and she the hostess. The pride and caring atmosphere in here is a welcomed treat. If you are in the area this is a must stop.

Love Ceia, whether at the bar or at a table. Each floor has it's own individual atmosphere so you can mix it up over different visits, unless you just happen to really enjoy talking to the freindly staff at the bar. Always find something interesting to choose on a regularly updated menu. Wine menu is short but has some rare gems and a great selection by the glass.

I love this place. It's the best spot in Newburyport to get lunch or dinner.

Nice rustic atmosphere, great service and good food.

Pleasant Saturday lunch. The fries were particularly good as were the mussels and scallops, the signature burger and the lobster roll. The room was relatively quiet even as it filled with patrons.

Three of five wines I requested were out of stock. Octopus was out. Lobster bisque had no lobster meat at all. Service was very good.

Delicious! The restaurant is really cute and the service was excellent

nice atmosphere, relaxed, cozy 3 story, excellent service. They let us sit for 3 hours and visit with an old friend on a Saturday night! Food was good but portions are small and the wine is very expensive. Recommend you have your drinks before you go! Not suitable for budget conscious dining.

Honestly, the best meal of my life. Chef Paul is a genius. 15/10, would absolutely recommend.

Love you guys!!! We couldn't help ourselves but to split the burger, even though we only came for a drink! It's literally *the best* burger around. Hope we see you guys again soon!!
Lilla and John

Excellent the food is great. Waiter was very professional, helpful and friendly And the service is good.

A little pricey for the amount of food one gets. It is still good.

Food that is presented as if it is fancy - and priced as such - but is actually only average. Nice looking place. It's a pity

Wonderful staff, amazing food and lovely charming atmosphere.

By far, one of the best kitchens in New England. And, their sister restaurant (Brine) across the street is equally fantastic.

Celebrated our 1st anniversary dinner at Ceia this past weekend. The entire staff was amazing. Outstanding food and even better service. They truly made it a special evening for us. It has really become a special place for me and my wife, and we can't wait to go back for many anniversaries to come!

We had dinner there on a Sunday evening before a Firehouse Theater performance. They offer oysters for $1 each on Wed and Sunday - they were absolutely delicious! Then had agnolotti with duck confit and mussels. It was so good - one of those meals you remember and want to go back for

We went here for New Year's Eve and were seriously disappointed. I rarely, if ever, write reviews but in this case felt it may provide some insight for others. The hostess forgot that we had checked in and left us waiting for 30 min after our already late reservation. I'm not one to get irritated often but the ONLY job of the hostess is to check people in and seat them...not too hard. Then they ran out of the item I really wanted. The appetizers we had were good but nothing dazzling. I ordered the rack of lamb and understand that there will be a healthy amount of red when served correctly. Mine was inedible. I question if they cooked it for even 30 seconds. I sent it back and my husband and I shared his dish which was again OK but not outstanding. Overall, our waitress was great but I found the food expensive and pretty average in creativity and taste. I was surprised that people rated this so highly when I found nothing exciting.

Perfect atmosphere. Mixology and gourmet food. Gluten free options too.

not an armature for going out to eat...
Food was ok.. Ended up eating, paying, and going out to eat somewhere else because we were still starving.. And I am not someone that eats a lot to begin with!
I wouldn't go back

Ceia Kitchen & Bar Newburyport, MA 4/12/2016

My server this evening was Paul who was great with recommendations and quick to replace my flatware between courses

Let me start by saying that good bread is typically an indication of good food Here they make it daily in house and feature a blend of Portuguese sweetbread and sourdough This served warm with a whipped honey butter topped with a red pepper flakes Very very good



The main tonight would be the Chefs Pasta Tasting Menu Experience four courses of pasta handmade by our chef daily highlighting both innovative and classic preparations. Enjoy for the table more than individual.

Course number one Spaghetti Caciocavallo The Italian cows milk cheese is melted right into the vegetable stock and butter Loved it!

Course number two Chili Fussilli Bright chilies are infused into the mixture along with tarragon and shrimp Top this with smoked oats and burnt sugar

Course number three Gnocchi This dish is cooked with chicken stock, lemon and butter until brown Mixed with braised oxtail, thyme and topped with hazelnuts crumble

Course number four Pork and marscapone ravioli mixed with king oyster mushrooms, mushroom stock glace and topped with espellette...

And for dessert Flan... Custard, Burnt Carmel, Citrus Supremes And of course my signature cappuccino To be honest, it was more like a really good pudding than flan This restaurant does everything really well but flan is something they need to learn I would still have it again though because as I said it was delicious The cappuccino was perfect in every detail

This is a really great restaurant. The second story dining room features seating for 26 people and if I lived remotely in the area I would rent it out for a private party It's THAT good!

Very interesting mixes of tastes and textures. The brusselsprouts and bacon appetizer was out of this world, and their wine list is stupendous. Everything we had was a separate mmmmmmmmmmmmmm moment. One restaurant where I'd say the price is worth it for the incredible food experience. Our waitress was exceptional and treated us like queens.

Thanks Ceia!

Top notch food, service was amazing - very safety mindful during C19.

Meals did not taste good.
Service was good.
Over priced
Wine was good
Menu very limited

Went here last Saturday night. Service was awful. The burger was great but it took a very long time to arrive. I'll never go back.

Cute, European cafe! Came for brunch and had the roasted mushroom frittata! Table shared a fresh beet salad with a wonderful creamy drizzle of aoili. Definitely try the sticky buns with bourbon caramel sauce! Exquisite!

This is a nice European restaurant, with European appetizer portion sizes. Apart from the sizers, they were delicious with beautiful presentation (see my photos). I had the burger, and was not disappointed. Or was flavorful, juicy, and unique. The prices are reasonable, service fine, clean and cosy.

Ecclectic food, great wine list. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Loved it!

Excellent dinner. We were there on a snowy night and it was quiet, which was good for us. The octopus and scallops were great. Great service also.

Even if you're not a foodie- try a familiar favorite, the cheeseburger. The Ceia burger will destroy all other burgers. You actually may not enjoy other burgers nearly as much after you try this one. Which means, eating less burgers! So, going to Ceia for their incredible burger with delicate fries and flavorful, dressed greens- could actually help you lose weight.

The food was great. The service could stand to be better. They were a bit slow. But really enjoyed the food.

Ceia delivers again and again, I can not get enough!

Wine selection is amazing and always developing.

Ceia's Sister Restaurant Brine is the one two punch for the taste buds, culinary bliss found daily and serving late, my next visit is on the calendar, can not wait...

Stopped in town to walk around and grab a bite. Would probably have walked by the non-descript front, but I commented to my wife that this is where all those good smells were coming from!
Best hamburger my wife ever had! Mussels were really excellent. Zagat rated. Must make this a place to eat when in the area!

My sweetheart and I just had an excellent dinner here. The farm lettuce salad, prosciutto and roasted duck were all delicious. Our waiter was professional and authentic. Highly recommend.

This would be a perfect spot for a romantic night out after a day of strolling around Newburyport; it's dark and cozy and intimate. I was treated to a complimentary tasting with a small group of bloggers, and there was a lot to like about the food. I found some of the ingredients a bit challenging in each course (I have a few food hang-ups that get in the way often, like mushrooms and beans), but I tried everything and enjoyed nearly all of it. Particularly good: a flaky cod filet and an ultra-rare hunk of beef topped with a bit of lobster. I wouldn't make a special trip out from Boston just to visit the restaurant again, but I'd likely include it in my plans if I found myself in Newburyport for other reasons.

This place is the most overrated restaurant I have been to in my life. Whoever rated this place a 27 must've made it out of the grog for the first time in their life for a different meal. The burata salad had frisee which was flavorless, and salted beats but over the top salted. The wild salmon had bones, and was a mess of flavors that don't go together at all . Our waitor was great, food was piss poor. The fact that zagat rates this place a 27 makes me question if this rating was paid for.

Ceia location becames to be Brine.
Great service from Karin and the food options and quality were awesome.
We love Brine and Ceia.

The best attribute about this wine bar is the wine, it's very good. The worst thing is the pretentious expensive food . We only went here because it was the only place serving past 9pm. We wish we had gone out earlier and gone to the restaurant of our choice !

Really well executed brunch fare. Had eggs bene with lobster. Served on scratch made buttermilk biscuit with prosciutto ham, tomatoes, hollandaise sauce and lobster claw meat. Mesculun green salad and home fries. Mimosas made with fresh squeeze oj. Everything is top notch.

We had a wonderful meal last night. I had a beet salad and my wife had a venison sausage for starters, both were excellent. We both had the hanger steak for the main course, nicely done, flavorful. The serving size was not too big but adequate. We finished with a chocolate tart and a lemon cake.

We both enjoyed our dinner. The restaurant is a bit noisy and our table was a bit cramped. And as the other reviews noted, I wouldn't go there if you had theater reservations as the service is attentive but leisurely.

Overall, it is one of the best meals I've had in a while.