First I want to shout out the hotel, Royal Sonesta Dupont Circle for a great stay and offering this beautiful restaurant in their establishment. Three stars is because the wait time for service after being seated was a little unappealing. We waited at least 10mins, which I found to be odd because it was not busy at all. I will say maybe understaffed. The food was pretty great and enjoyed, but no options for turkey or chicken breakfast sides. The girls loved the pork bacon though . Now as far as prices go, expect 10-30 pp and the low range is for sides only. Definitely worth a try. We missed the happy hour and promo for a glass of wine with an entree, but stil well enjoyed. read more

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*Updated Review* Love this hotel bar/restaurant since first visiting last year. We stayed at Royal Sonesta, so coming here was convenient. The service is still amazing here! Everyone is so nice. Thanks Aziza (I know I butchered his name) and Raheem. The happy hour specials are great. Love the ambiance. I really need to come more often. read more

Certo! - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Had dinner here while I'm my business trip. Not too crowded. The environment was nice overall. The service from the waiter was very good. He was engaging and friendly and attentive. The food tasted good. It was a good experience overall read more

Certo! - Pasta with Sausage - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Warm and inviting atmosphere, and a delightful, engaging waitress wearing fun earrings to inspire conversation. Very good food. By the time we left the restaurant was packed with patrons obviously enjoying themselves. read more

This spot was a disappointment. The quality for the price tag just is not there at all. And for such a progressive area of such a progressive city, they should have some vegan options. I am giving the two stars for the incredible service from Bony - I hope I got his name right - that was what was on our receipt. He was professional, attentive, and fun. He was definitely the highlight and made up for the poor quality food. Recommendation - avoid the potato hash, it was undercooked quartered potatoes. Focus more on the mimosas or something you don't eat. ;) read more

Certo! - Avocado toast fail :( - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Food: 4* Service: 4* Ambience: 4* Location: 4* Had an event here while staying at the hotel. The food was good not great. Although the precious reviews said it was great. But maybe it was an off night. I ordered the NY strip (not my favorite cut) medium rare. It came out well. When I asked to have it medium rare they said it will be another 15 minutes. Fine. Second time it came out medium. Are it as my party had already finished their meals. Other than that, a good experience. read more

Certo! - NY Strip Steak - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Our server should have 10 stars, she was amazing. We has a drink spill and she brought us another lemonade on the house, so NICE! I got the steak, and it was perfect. The potatoes and asparagus were cooked just right, potatoes tender and a little crisp on the asparagus. Steak A Drink B It was fruity, but it was kind of sour. service A+ read more

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Went here later in the evening for an Aperol Spritz and was convinced by the bartender to try their Signature Margherita Pizza. Listen, when it comes to pizza, you do NOT have to tempt me with a good time. Lol. So I was convinced and so glad I was. The pizza was, chefs kiss delicious! 10/10 would recommend. Cheers to a great time! read more

Certo! - Signature Margarita Pizza - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is fine for a convenient (if expensive) meal or drink if you are staying in the hotel but I wouldn't bother if you are just looking for somewhere to eat in the dupont circle area with so many great options! We stopped in here once for breakfast, once for dinner, and twice for drinks because we were staying in the hotel. $18 cocktails were tasty but felt spendy as to the surrounding area. They have some nice/interesting specialty cocktails and a decent selection of small batch whiskeys. I think our favorite cocktail was the one that is like a black Manhattan + walnut liquor. They make a lot of their own liquors, syrups, & bitters in-house. Fun! Wine & beer selections were just ok. Oddly-- the bartender did last call at about 10 to 10 and then asked us to leave right at 10-- which felt abrupt but I get it, everyone wants to go home. For dinner I ordered the winter soup, which was $15/bowl and was advertised as a white bean and squash soup in a vegetable tomato broth. My bowl of soup included exactly 1 bean and no squash. Other than the single bean, it was all broth. Otherwise, my husband's pasta looked hearty and the salads were decently fresh. The pizza felt like the best deal. We also had breakfast here which was similarly hit or miss. The quality/execution of the food doesn't really live up to the price & white table cloth ambiance. read more

We stopped here for their advertised cocktail hour. I loved the city entrance and the vibe looked great inside. They have $9 classic cocktails and we were excited to try something new. We told our server the kind of liquor we liked and asked for the bartender's choice. This was met with a strange look and a reminder of what classic cocktails are. So we ordered tequila sodas. We were very disappointed by the service. Strange vibe, we felt like we were bothering the staff by being there. We were disappointed by getting the same tequila soda we would get at the club. They had some yummy sounding happy hour specials and the pasta on the menu sounded good too. After our disappointing happy hour drink experience I'm not sure if we'll be back, but if we ever do I'm hopeful the food will be better then the drinks. read more

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While staying at the Royal Sonesta, I had an opportunity to partake at Certo! a couple of times and absolutely loved the space. Not only is it cute and roomy, but the bar was pretty vibrant and fun and there's a lot of extra back rooms that allow for more of a smaller private gathering. Service here was absolutely wonderful. Every bartender was very welcoming and knowledgeable. I did have the opportunity to try a couple of items to include the muscles which were really good and the pizza which I topped with arugula and onions. Overall great experience and I'll definitely be back. read more

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The food was not bad, but for the price the service was not great. We had to get up to ask for condiments we asked for again, water, and the bill. read more

Certo! - House-Made Meatball Sliders - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Dined here during our stay at Royal Sonesta, and everything was delicious at a reasonable price! read more

Certo! - Spaghetti Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food is awesome. Never would have thought their pizza and pasta is great. Nice looking place as well. And the cocktails are great as well. read more

Certo! - Amazing Pizza - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was good, service was great. The bartender was super friendly and polite. We had some quick happy hour bites to eat and everything was good! read more

Stopped here for Happy Hour! I highly recommend getting the pizza with the blue crab, artichoke and spinach chip! Combine the 2 for perfection in my book! read more

My picture doesn't do justice but the Lobster Ravioli was gorgeous and delicious! My server was also so nice and very professional. The ambiance was relaxing and peaceful . My cravings were satisfied and will definitely recommend this place. read more

Certo! - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Exceptional food, chill atmosphere. Great private rooms. Will definitely visit again.

Came with my parents for a later dinner and the atmosphere was nice with a friendly greeting. The calamari was on point. The lobster ravioli was great. And if you like wood-fire grilled pizza you must try it. It will not disappoint. read more

Great food with excellent service! At first was a little scared to try but turn out to be perfect place to stay and try the dinner. The meatball sliders was so soft and warm perfect to start the apertivo. We also try the bruschetta trio that was also great with different flavors each. The whole roasted fish was soooooo amazing and I also love love the beef short rib. I can't say much more but you have to give it a try for yourself. read more

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Ariel rocks! Great evening "in" for our first night at the Royal Sonesta. Definitely coming back before we head back to SC! 10/10 read more

Certo! - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is one of my favorite restuarants! Entertained and had dinner with HelmsBriscoe Associates this week. Enjoyes Certo! Spring 2023 Menu! For starters...we had House-Made Meatball Sliders, Bruschetta Trio and the Signature Margarita Pizza. The Bruscetta Trio appetizers is my #1...crab and avocado/heirloom tomato and basil/spring pea with ricotta and mint. All the entress sound amazing which made it hard to choose one. I decided to go with the SKATE (fish)...seasoned with lemon, dill, italian parsley served saffron & blistered heirloom cherry tomato risotto...OMG...so delious. Many thanks the leadership and staff at CERTO for a outstanding dining experience and congradulation for deliving an tasty spring menu. Make sure to add CERTO! to your list of restaurants to visit. You will enjoy! read more

Service was great but food was mediocre. I ordered the margherita pizza and wasn't thrilled about it. There are other restaurants in the area that I prefer but this was the most convenient option at the time. read more

Nice modern restaurant with great food, service, and ambience! Very attentive staff.

Three of us had a really excellent meal here. We had all had the seafood risotto, the bruschetta, drinks and dessert. The food and the service was exceptional. We would love to come back here again the next time we're in DC. read more

Nkechi was our server and she was FANTASTIC. The food was excellent, the ambiance is good & the service was second to none. Will absolutely be back. read more

The food was exquisite and amazingly delicious. The wait wasn't long either. The waiters are nice and fun. The restaurant itself is very nice and fancy. read more

Great experience! New menu! Saffron Seafood Risotto was awesome! Ariel was my waiter! Great service! read more

Certo! - Saffron Seafood Risotto. Awesome presentation great flavor, wonderfully executed . Areil was my waiter. Great vibe! - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had a nice dinner here, service was very good, food was lovely. The portions are large. We had the chicken cacciatore and mussels, both were flavorful. The place has a nice ambiance. read more

Possibly the worst breakfast I have ever had. If you want to spend $100 on frozen waffles with bacon and toast + nasty coffee, go for it. We just needed a quick, easy breakfast before heading out to a meeting, but this was one of the most shockingly bad meals ever. Everything tasted like it was prepared the day before and refrigerated/frozen. Vile. read more

Delicious food and wine and the staff went out of their way to talk to us and make us feel welcome and at home!

Everything we ordered was fantastic. Meatball sliders are awesome. The house salad is as good as they get. The linguine with clam sauce was light and delicious! I wish I lived near here. Ariel is a great waiter and the host was equally anxious to be sure we were happy. Overall a wonderful place for dinner. read more

My daughter and I stopped for dinner after a super long day. I ordered butternut squash ravioli and my daughter ordered pizza. Both were excellent-- along with a lovely glass of Pinot Girgio. NKechi, our server, was excellent and the cherry on top of our wonderful dinner. read more

There is an old-fashioned tinge to Certo, and yet it is modern, friendly, clean, relaxing, and efficient. The servings are generous and exceptionally tasty, whether you have pasta, some seafood, or the New York strip. Or you can sit at the bar and have a conversation with Nkechi, D.C.'s absolutely best bartender. She has an incredible memory for customers' names. I walked in recently for the first time in a year (I live in California), and she remembered me. That is why, even though Certo is in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, there is a touch of the neighborhood establishment to it. It is simply very friendly and relaxing. A good place to eat and drink near Dupont Circle! read more

I am staying at the Royal Sonesta which is where Certo is located. Today my husband and I decided to stop by Certo for some drinks. When it came time to pay, the waiter returned our card saying it had declined. Knowing there's no reason for it to decline & also knowing the chip on this card fails frequently, we explained to the waiter that it may need to be swiped. He said he'd tried 3 times and would ask the manager if the card can be keyed in. The manager came by shortly after and without any greeting or introduction starts saying "the card decline I try 3 time" we asked if he's the manager he said, yes. We tried to explain the same thing to him and not 2 words in he turned his back on us and walked off. The only thing I got to say that he heard while waking off was "can it be keyed in?" To which he rudely replied "I can't do that!!" 2 minutes after the waiter returned with our card. SURPRISE! The card DOES work. On our way out I stopped by the bar where the manager was to explain that his behavior is UNACCEPTABLE. This man had the audacity to step from around the bar to stand in front of me in a confrontational manner. I have NEVER experienced such atrocious behavior from a manager. read more

Food and service was great. Ariel was our waiter and he was courteous and very nice. We were told they just reopened so it was nice not having a 2 hour wait. read more

we stopped in on the evening of April 22nd about 20 minutes before closing and our bartender was fantastic. although she was closing she let us stick around and have drinks while she closed up shop and it was the perfect end to a really great day. she was nice enough to look the other way when one of our party brought in some much needed food because the kitchen was closed. At the writing of this I've already packed the receipt away and am typing in the lobby but ma'am, you know who you are. Thank you! read more