Cellar Restaurant The

Family of four, walked in with no reservations and not dressed for fine dining; we were seated right away, did feel a bit underdressed however the staff treated us great. Had we come in later than 5:30 I’m not sure that we would have been seated in our beachy attire. The food was superb! Aged beef appetizer — polenta app– rabbit rigatoni — Chardonnay and la Segreta (deliciously bright and crisp) shrimp with pasta in pink sauce– snapper and shrimp with rosemary, dried figs and another snapper dish, dessert was tiramisu — chocolate molten cake wth hazelnut ice cream. Highly recommend

Warm and friendly, yet romantic and intimate. The food was beautifully presented, delicious, and appealing. Wait staff was courteous and knowledgeable. Had an extensive wine list and excellent décor for a small space. Lovely!

Food is good, I didn’t think anything exceptional. What surprised me, there were four of us, two had birthdays the evening we were there. After knowing we spend a lot of money for small portions for diner, I asked if they did anything for birthdays-​I was shocked when our waitress said no and verbally wished the two a Happy Birthday! They couldn’t bring out two dips of ice cream (no candles necessary)!! We dine out several times a week-​I would not return to The Cellar, pricey, small portions and very unfriendly.

Good Taste Alert! When you call and they say «You must dress appropriately-​no shorts, flip flops, or tank tops.», you know this is going to be an experience in only the finest of dining!
On a birthday beach weekend near Daytona, my husband wanted to take me for a memorable meal so, we turned to Unilocal,mais oui, and found The Cellar, an award-​winning gourmet Italian restaurant. The actual building was the seasonal home of former US President Warren G. Harding and is in the National Historic Registry so when you dine here, notice the portraits of the Hardings which hang the stairwell.
Ambiance! Isn’t it romantic?! Tiffany Windows adorn the brick walls of the downstairs «cellar» dining room and are backlit so there is a glorious warmth that embraces folks as they enter this very intimate space. Wine bottles are also stacked and displayed to add to charm and Italian authenticity. Beware, it can get quite loud when packed to capacity with diners.
Food! Sam Maggio is a grad of the Culinary Institute of America and this Italian restaurant of his has a boatload of awards to prove its excellence and his chops as a chef! We had a delightful pesto shrimp appetizer with garbanzo bean salad that made me want to lick the plate y’all! Then we had to try a pasta course as all their pastas are made in house, so we had the Fettucini with rabbit– again I was ready to put my face in the bowl– the sauce was savory and light and the rabbit so flavorful! For our main entrees, my husband had the lamb shank with risotto and I had veal scaloppine with sun-​dried tomatoes, artichokes, pine nuts in a white wine sauce. My entrée came with the most scrumptious scalloped potatoes made with heavy cream and Italian cheese-​out of this world! The chef’s veggies were carrots, squash and green beans all cooked to absolute perfection in a stellar butter sauce.
Vino! Their wine list is like a Bible (huge!) and it’s won awards, too, so be prepared to Über when planning transportation so you can get serious about your wine tasting when you come to The Cellar.
Service! Well of course these folks are top notch! I will give kudos to put hostess who graciously took photos of us in front of the building as we waited. Randy, our server, was a complete joy-​very energetic and attentive. Lastly was a second Hostess (who may have been the owner’s wife?) who comped our chocolate mousse which was a little salty– she had an accent and was dancing from table to table making sure all the guests were enjoying their evening.
I will be thrilled to return!

An intimate, romantic and luscious experience! For a special occasion (ours was a birthday) or to satisfy a craving for really fine dining, «The Cellar» is sure to please. On our Memorial Day weekend visit, this restaurant was busy and all tables full but the kitchen and waitstaff were totally up to the task. Our Duetto Verde and Veal Veneto arrived within twenty minutes of ordering, both steaming and filling the large plates. That was perfect timing to begin enjoying a reasonably priced ($ 38.00/bottle) Bolani Pinot Grigio. The obligatory bread basket was oven hot; the multi-​grain portion was flavorful and hearty enough for a meal itself with the accompanying velvety clean tasting extra virgin olive oil. Our meal selections would earn praise from even Chef Ramsey-«molto delizioso!» If you’re not acquainted with restaurants converted from, say an old house, factory, railway car, etc., you might feel initially uncomfortable. We are and didn’t. It’s a little tight but we call it cozy and after all, you’re here (probably) to celebrate, be well served and get an outstanding meal and that’s what you’ll get. Finally, we questioned our waiter if the house comped deserts for birthday celebrants as some lesser restaurants do – he sheepishly responded «no». Minutes later, a kitchen staffer brought over small but elegant dish with a single scoop of vanilla ice cream — WITH A LIT CANDLE! and two demitasse spoons. BRAVO! PERFETTO! A well done ending for a delightful evening. I risk praising «The Cellar» for fear of making our future reservations a challenge but go anyway — GODERE! (enjoy)

This is place is by far the best Italian restaurant I have ever eaten at. The wine selection is out of this world. The homemade pastas are beyond amazing. Both the pesto and tomato sauce with veal, pork, and beef were out of this world. The ambience is perfect for a romantic dinner with your partner. The service was amazing as well. If you are thinking of trying this place do it, you will not be disappointed.

Are you kidding me! FANTASTIC! Vincent was perfect waiter. Presentation was wonderful, entrees were superb, cooked correctly and in just right amount. Had lengthy wine list with ton great choices. Amorone was ours and we enjoyed two bottles among four of us. Surroundings felt like small Venetian restaurant. Recommended by my doctor, and I must say he is brilliant! We will return!

This maybe one of the better restaurants in Daytona, but from a culinary perspective that doesn’t say much. The place is stuffy, from the judgemental owner to the born again patrons and the outdated décor. The ceiling downstairs is probably 6’6″ so it’s a little claustrophobic, especially without windows. The wine selection is very good. The mozzarella caprese was delicious and fresh. The carbonara had good flavor, but the pasta didn’t taste freshly made. I had the snapper with a shrimp and lobster sauce. The fish was cooked well, but the sauce lacked in flavor. It was almost like a bland gravy. The chocolate flourless cake may have been good if it hadn’t been microwaved, which completely ruined it. The service was very good. There were hits and misses. Overall, I probably wouldn’t come back just because of the whole vibe and the rude owner.

We stumbled on this place by chance. I was a little concerned being gluten free, but they did have a few options. I ended up going with the risotto with lump crab, shrimp, peas and tomatoes. Usually when you get risotto it’s 90% rice and very little meat. I was shocked when my meal came. It was almost all crab and shrimp and just a little rice. It was SOOOOOO good! Hubby had veal scallopini and he said it was probably one of the best he’s ever had. They were very helpful and knowledgeable about gluten free which was a relief to me. It’s a little pricey, but oh so worth it.

They had good food and it was a very nice location. I’d go there again but I think you just a little bit overpriced. I will say the presentation was very good and their staff is very polite keep it up!

Very quaint historical home of a past president. (Sorry I forget which one). We sat in the dining room upstairs. We had a work dinner and we’re kind of loud. Wish we would have sat downstairs. Upstairs is for serious date nights. The food and service were the draw as the staff and meal were top notch. Bread was awesome too!

This was a fine meal And we would certainly attend The Cellar again. Clearly it was our Daytona-​area best meal (also most expensive).
Ambiance and service very good. My only reasons for not rating 5 stars is as follows:
1. Overall selections are too heavily weighted to overly rich, creamy sauces — both pastas and meat /​fish dishes. Better balance with lighter alternative would be welcome
2. The starch side was a rich, creamy, strong-​cheese lyonnaise-​like potato which did not complement the more delicately flavored fish dish. When my wife raised this an an objective, no alternative was offered.
3. Veggie side. Fresh zucchini & carrots very nice but when I asked for an alternative — green vegetable (s), none offered. Waiter stated «…this is the vegetable choice», Period
Worth a visit
I

Very disappointed, I was excited to find out that Daytona Beach had a fine dining restaurant so we thought we’d give it a go. The area and the place itself looked like one of the nicest places I’ve seen in Daytona which was good. We were seated downstairs at the dining room had an Italian feel to it. One of the problems I found was that the place had a weird atmosphere. I don’t think any music was playing or if it was it was very very quiet. You could here everyone else’s conversations including the serving staff discussing what they’re doing the next day and that one of them had taken an order that he knew the kitchen had non left of. I don’t think that server even needed to go to the table and explain about the problem as the whole room could hear.
The menu looked fantastic we chose the beef carpaccio and the stuffed peppers to start. The stuffed peppers were above average with some good flavours. I found the carpaccio to be disappointing, I found it had not a single bit of flavour apart from the cheese shaving on top.
For entrees we got the carbonara and the risotto. The carbonara was good and I enjoyed it. The risotto was poor, it was very runny and lacked enjoyable flavour.
The tiramisu was great to finish with.
The wine list was fantastic and had a great selection from a $ 7 glass to a $ 1000+ bottle.
In my opinion the food is overpriced for small average dishes ($ 130 for 2 appetisers, 2 pastas, 2 glasses of wine and a tiramisu). I’d personally rather either go to somewhere in Daytona that I’m expecting to be average and pay much less or from now on if I was fine dining I going to St Augustine or Jacksonville.
Maybe I’ll try again in a year.

It states that this hole in the ground of an over-​priced resturaunt opens at 5:00 pm.
The place was locked up & did not open untill 5:10pm.
One of the owner’s, who seats you, discriminates from disabilities. When I tried to show her the paper work, she stated, «It is against the law for me to look at any of your paperwork.» What an ignorant, discriminating witch! I don’t care what anyone says, but discrimination is legally wrong and she is lucky I am not filing a lawsuit agaist her! Go elsewhere if you are looking for a place to eat that that does not dicriminate & are not rude!

5 Stars for intimate, fine dining where you may not expect it.
I’m not saying Daytona Beach is devoid of good restaurants, but this is the impression you get when driving along the coast. At a certain point, you may be looking for more than pizza or fish tacos. In this case, The Cellar is a shining beacon that kindly asks you to take Daytona seriously. And after that meal– I’m listening.
We called for a reservation for that same night and luckily got in, but only for seating upstairs. From the moment we walked up until we stumbled back out (in a state of food euphoria), we were impressed.
The service is top notch. Friendly, knowledgable, ready to change your white cloth napkin to a black one as soon as you sit down (for those of us who tend towards darker attire– this is pretty great).
The menu will make your mouth water, as will their wine lists. I went with the halibut special which included black risotto, smoked a beautiful fillet of halibut, a lemon caper sauce, mushrooms, and even a slice of smoked salmon on top of the fish. It was the special all right! Wow. What. A. Dish. Though I worried it would be too many elements, they all paired beautifully. Below the halibut was a special surprise– a sautéed tomato. It is this type of thoughtful addition that characterizes the dishes at The Cellar. Sometimes complex, always balanced.
My compadre got the duck and we couldn’t help but share bites between «Mmmmm“s.
For the dessert we shared the Italian imported Chocolatissimo. Again, a fine dish which was warm, creamy, and addictive. It was the perfect end to a satisfying meal.
If and when I’m back in Daytona, you can bet I’ll be dining at The Cellar (at least once… But, heck– probably every night).

«Daytona is a culinary wasteland.»
Thats all I had read for 3 days worth of online reviews listing all the bad restaurants in Daytona Beach, but on a recommendation from a friend on Unilocal,we decided to give the Cellar a day in court. Man what a surprise!
I guess it helps when you arrive at a restaurant with no expectations, but we knew when we walked through the door and down an award decorated staircase and into a very intimate and well appointed basement, that we were in for a treat. The variety and selection on the menu is something you would expect to find in NY or Boston’s North End. We started with the best carpaccio I’ve had in 20 years. For dinner I had a filet topped with a terrific morel mushroom sauce with a side of homemade gnocchi that was out of this world.
The wine list was excellent but we opted for a couple of glasses of Chard and laughed as we watched the waiter eyeball his pour right to the top of the glass. Needless to say, you get an honest pour at the Cellar, same goes for the Vintage Port I had for dessert that was reasonably priced at only $ 12. Total cost before tip…$ 119. An outstanding value, and a wonderful dining experience.
BTW, I was also impressed by the clientele who were mostly wearing blazers and sport coats. The Cellar is not stuffy or pretentious at all, you can tell that some of these folks just enjoyed dressing the part for dinner at a truly fabulous restaurant.

When the going gets tough… some pray, some play, some stay put and hold their breaths… Me? I wear my highest and most uncomfortable strappy shoes (residue of my catholic school education: self-​flagellation as a form of atonement). Suffering can be beautiful somehow. I leave the room feeling as tall as Heidi Klum and I enjoy a great meal at a fancy restaurant.
The Hilton Daytona had fried my nerves like freshly caught calamari. The place felt as appealing to me as Amity Ville amidst Jaws frenzy. Have I ever mentioned how much I relish beautiful things? Oh, the good life! So different from that «life is good» one mutters under one’s breath. I am a self-​declared hedonist.
Searched the internet and found The Cellar. Even the name (I have discussed the importance of names and their meaning in another review) spoke poetry to me. I was picked. Intrigued. Excited. As I brushed the red lipstick against my lips, I imagined the bit of burgundy from the wine already staining them deliciously.
The gray wooden historic home stood out in the corner. A stream of white lights outlining the basement windows. The glitter of forgotten Christmases. The little red door coyly opened as we walked inside and were lucky enough to be seated downstairs. A tad unreal. Heels unfelt cushioned by the thickness of the carpeted stairs that smelled of history. Sepia pictures stared at us as we descended. President Warren Harding, a snow bird, flew from Ohio to spend time in this house during the winter. The Cellar is so many things: it is intimate. It is inviting. It is romantic. It is elegant. It is sophisticated, but above it all… the experience is sublime.
Even when all of the tables were full of patrons, the whispers joined in the sense of sacredness. Isn’t that one of the aspects of the sublime? That sense of surprise, of fear, of awe when confronted with the power of unexpected beauty… Thomas, our lovely server, patiently explained and described each dish we wanted to taste. The Green-​eyed Foodie is always the most confused and overwhelmed. She orders last and under pressure. She covers with her hands the fluster on her cheeks. She asked lots of questions and became entangled in the wed of possibilities. We opened a bottle of Triga from Alicante, Spain. A combination of 85% monastrell and 15% cab. Bold and solid. Dry and spicy in the end. Many flavors unveiled throughout the many glasses.
As appetizers we enjoyed the Carpaccio di Manzo and the Polenta con Salsiccia e Porcini along a bread basket that smelled freshly baked and tasted of a mother’s love. Nourishing and comforting. The polenta was creamy and the flavors of the corn, the sausage and the mushrooms could be found distinctively. After torturing Thomas with more questions and details, we managed to order: Fettuccine con Ragu di Cogniglio (Bolognese made with rabbit and its broth, no tomato sauce) and Perciatelli Carbonara (like a long bucatinni or thick spaghetti with pancetta (italian bacon), onion, parmegiano, prosciutto, salami, cream and one egg. A bit too salty for my taste because Chef was so generous with the amount of the prosciutto and the salami. It came craftily decorated with one delicate rose made out of prosciutto. A tangible proof that food can definitely be fleshy, sexy and romantic.
We also ordered the Osso Buco D’Angelo con Risotto alle Verdure. A three-​hour braised lamb shank that fell off the bone as easily as clothes peel off with sensual intention or recklessly on that very first time. It was bedded on vegetable risotto. The night’s special was possibly the most enigmatic and sophisticated. Too many glasses of wine later, I can barely recall that it was fish, a lovely potato and cheese small cake, a bed of risotto nero (squid inked), and an incredible saucy compote of fruit with a hint of lemon. I had never seen those green eyes as wide with excitement as she ate and we agreed she had chosen well after all.
We finished with a glass of Malbec Malamado, a tiramisu and the most incredible bread pudding we have ever had in our lives: Torta di Pane (Italian bread baked with vanilla chips and chocolate chips in the middle.) It is served warm with vanilla ice cream. By now, the room was empty. The servers smiled at us as they dried the wine glasses and put them away. We had all become friends now. They could tell we were beyond delighted by our giggles and our food trading/​bargaining with each other moments.
As I told the owner… at that very moment, right there, my trip to Daytona made perfect sense. In the big scheme of things, of life, of the universe… there had always being a space for me set at that table. As I walked out on my very high heels… They did not hurt as much… I had never felt as tall.

Came here based on the Unilocal reviews and completely confused. The positives are that parking was easy, small intimate date spot or small group, bread comes out fresh, wine list great and reasonable, carpaccio delicious and the waiter was awesome! The cons, for a «authentic» Italian place we were underwhelmed. The pepperoni ipitti was not what we expected, very bland and not bursting with flavor like we expected. We ordered the meat ravioli and gnocchi. Seamed like my gnocchi was heated up via microwave, inconsistent in temperature and little overlooked and the meat sauce lacked flavor. The ravioli meat stuffing was pretty tasty but the pasta didn’t seem fresh almost like it was made ahead and frozen and they heated it up and again the sauce was bland and underwhelming. I would not come back based on the food. The service was great and if the food had more flavor I would give it a try again but would have to be convinced. The food gets 2-​stars and the service gets 4-​stars – overall 3-​stars

A tad overpriced but very enjoyable. This is a classy place (can’t believe I just used the word ‘classy’ to describe a Daytona beach restaurant! It’s not all strip club buffets and fried seafood here after all!). It’s located in a gorgeous historic house and has a nice, romantic atmosphere perfect for a date night.
For the appetizer, we had the prosciutto stuffed peppers and the prosciutto with pear and melon. I’m glad we went with two prosciutto appetizers because the meat was fantastic. I’ve seen prosciutto wrapped melon at many places before but this was the first time I’ve seen pear and prosciutto. I highly recommend this combination. It was actually a lot better than the melon.
I got the goat cheese ravioli for my entrée. The goat cheese was excellent, I wish the tomato sauce had been a bit more flavorful. Overall, I really enjoyed the dish though the portion was kinda small for the price. fir dessert, we got the chocolate cake which was rich and delicious. The hazelnut gelato paired wonderfully with the cake.
In summary-​very good food and wonderful ambiance!

Food was excellent here and I consider myself a bit of an Italian food snob. We ordered the polenta and mushroom appetizer which had a great flavor and was the perfect portion to share.
For my main course, I ordered the eggplant rigatoni… sooo good I could’ve licked the plate! The light tomato sauce was so good and you could tell the pasta was homemade. Even though I was only visiting, I would definitely eat here again if I’m ever back there for work!