Having been to Nostra Cucina prior to covid and ordering takeout/delivery from them several times recently I can definitely say the food is still delicious and quality is the same. The homemade pastas are so good but I think where they really shine are the sauces. I've had the red sauce and Alfredo sauce, both awesome. The portions are also massive: the meatball sandwich was ginormous and the entree salads are truly it's own meal. So what I'm saying is that Nostra Cucina has the perfect pandemic comfort food :) read more

The food is phenomenal and Jose and Lou do a great job. I go there every time I'm in DC and I've used them for catering as well. They did a great job. It's been a while since I've been to town but I was thrilled to see they are still operating for takeout and delivery. Tonight we had a caprese as a starter (which is the best) and I had fettuccini alfredo and my daughter had spaghetti with meat sauce. It's a family owned restaurant and I look forward to being able to dine in again as it's a great spot. I recommend it to anyone who wants the best Italian on the Hill. It's a hidden gem. read more

Nostra Cucina has generous portions of delicious food! Easy pickup and great for the whole family. We have ordered take out several times and each time it was fantastic. read more

I got delivery and the food was outstanding. Eggplant Parm for me and Fettuccine Alfredo for my wife. Rounded out with a big Greek salad and some garlic bread. The price of everything was very reasonable and they delivered directly and very quickly. It's nice not to be gouged by a third party delivery service. Awesome experience. Support this local neighborhood restaurant. read more

Stumbled upon this little gem while visiting our daughter for Family Weekend at Catholic University. It was within walking distance of our hotel, so we gave it a shot. We were not disappointed, in fact I would say it's probably the best Italian meal we have ever had. Pasta was all fresh, piping hot and full of flavor. Staff was very friendly and accommodating, we were so happy to get a table for 4 on a busy Saturday night. We will surely be back and our daughter at CUA plans to bring her friends for dinner as well! Perfect neighborhood restaurant! read more

This place is the definition of mediocre. My boyfriend and I are visiting from the west coast and decided to get delivery from here for dinner, because of the great reviews. We were disappointed and surprised to find the food to be very unimpressive and extremely overpriced. $20 for a dry and bland fettuccine pesto. Somehow it was both dry and oily at the same time. My boyfriend had the meat lasagne, which was also $20, and was also disappointed. We also tried the calamari, which was an extremely small portion for $14, and the mozzarella garlic bread, which was probably the best thing we had during our dinner, which is saying something. Both my boyfriend and I are generally not one for chain restaurants, but both agreed that we would have been much better off just going to Olive Garden if we wanted Italian food, than ordering from this restaurant. The food and price would have been much better. read more

Although this place has a new name the food is tremendous. The pizza is off the hook, something about the cheese makes it perfect. Calamari was delicious and so was all our pastas. Great for kids and has a great friendly atmosphere. Highly recommend. read more

Nostra Cucina is my new favorite little neighborhood spot. Formerly Bistro Italiano, Nostra Cucina has turned the space into a quaint Italian joint with a wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches, pastas, and other entrees. Bonus fact: A Literri legacy family members have transitioned here to run the place! The bruschetta, fried calamari, and caprese salad were incredible. The tomato sauce is homemade which serves as an amazing base for almost every dish there that requires it. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, both of which are made in house. I also tried their lasagna, pasta primavera, and their bolognese, all of which were so flavorful and well seasoned. Portions are substantial and you get the feeling of an old world Italian trattoria mixed with a new world American corner kitchenette right in the heart of DC. I would recommend making a reservation because the cozy space fills up quickly. Service is extremely helpful and friendly. I recommend! read more

Found this place on Yelp. We were hot, tired, and hungry. One of my kids wanted Italian so we rolled the dice and picked this place. Now I feel like I should play the lottery! This is clearly a neighborhood favorite as the place was busy with take out orders. Due to the pandemic we were seated outside but the street was quiet and the vibe was chilled. They had one guy working the phone, takeout, and tables. He was amazing and didn't let anything slip between the cracks. The menu is a simple fare. But there's some complexity to the flavors. It seems like they add some love into each plate. From the sandwiches to the pastas and meats to the sauce each bite was delicious and satisfying. It made me wish we tried the pizza. Instead my family of five enjoyed the chicken parm, a meatball sub, Caesar salad with added salmon, sausage spaghetti, and the cheese tortellini with a meatless cream sauce that rivaled many of dishes I've enjoyed in Italy. Even their French fries were hot and delicious, seasoned perfectly with spices and salt. Each meal was passed around because the portions are more than what you'd expect for the price. And we have some leftovers to take home to enjoy tomorrow. Long story short, expect a great meal for a great value. read more

If you love good food and great service, this is your place! Our group of 5 had a large pepperoni and sausage pizza, eggplant sandwich and the fettuccine alfredo. The staff was very courteous and attentive. read more

The Bolognese is a MUST - seriously the best sauce I have ever had, the garlic bread and marinara sauce was delicious. This is a destination when you come to D.C. !!! read more

excellent food; pasta and many sauces made in house; very friendly and helpful staff. we dined in; great cafe feel; only a few tables; good wine selection especially for size; definitely recommend read more

Searched for "Italian restaurants" while I was in DC and this popped up. Decided to try and I was not sorry! The food was fresh, hot and tasty. They make the pasta in house which is a plus! Huge portions, my fettuccine could have been easily shared by 3 people. We ordered the cheesy garlic bread, fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and the baked manicotti and then the cannoli for dessert. Do NOT skip on dessert and order one or two cannolis. That was the best cannoli I've ever had. Creamy filling, flavorful and a crisp shell- what more is there to say??? This is a small restaurant so you might have to wait for a table but definitely give it a try!! read more

Super friendly with great sandwiches . 10/10 would recommend to anyone coming through.

Cute little italian rest just off Capitol Hill! The place was very nice and welcoming. Menu is varied and everyone in the party loved what they had. read more

Found this cute gem while in the area and looking to do some carb loading before a running race. The calamari was delicious but the bruschetta was a bit olive forward. Not bad, but I'm used to a more tomato based version. All of the pasta is made in house and you can tell. I had the meatball spaghetti and it was very good. The restaurant is very small so I wouldn't recommend it for large groups. Definitely a great place to eat if you're in the area! read more

The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the length of time it took out food to hit the table. Otherwise, the service was great and the food delicious. Kids ordered a pizza and it was just how we like it with a thin crisp crust. I got the lasagna primavera and my husband the chicken parm, both classics and nicely done. read more

What a fantastic spot! Called the restaurant directly to place an order for delivery, bypassing the third party delivery apps. Got the house side salad, which had a fantastic dressing; the cheesy garlic bread with deliciously sweet marinara dipping sauce; freshly made fettuccine Alfredo with grilled shrimp and broccoli, which was rich and creamy and oh so divine; and the tiramisu, which-while not house made-was also tasty! Delivery was fast-just about 30 minutes! I will definitely be ordering from Nostra Cucina again! read more

Absolutely delicious food every time! We had a phenomenal take out meal after a long day of moving. I kinda like calling to order and speaking to a real person! Delivery was great with everything packaged well. We all enjoyed chicken parm, eggplant parm, spaghetti Bolognese and spaghetti with Italian sausage. The salads were fresh with yummy dressing too. Nostra Cucina is the place NOT to be missed. read more

Great restaurant, small and cozy atmosphere. The waiters were kind and attentive. Everything we had was delicious. Best eggplant Parmesan I've ever had! The calamari was good too, a little small but good. The Bologonese was amazing, and so much food I had it for leftovers the next day. Book a reservation if it is on a weekend, overall will be back! read more

Everything you want from a cozy neighborhood joint- a welcome addition to the DC restaurant scene! Plus the homemade pasta dishes are not to be missed! read more

A wonderful little gem!! Had the caesar salad, veal picatta and a pinot..delish!! Will DEF be back!! Service was awesome! Nice atmosphere. A date night must! read more

This wonderful authentic Italian restaurant makes you feel like you stepped into a trattoria in Italy. Inexpensive for the high quality. Sausages, pasta, pizza dough, sauces....everything is made on the premises. It is an authentic Italian family type of restaurant. Food is made to order. Service is friendly and welcoming. The small restaurant is attractive and quiet. What a find! Because it is small, make sure to make reservations for dinner to ensure that you will get a table. Hidden gem!!!! read more

Fantastic food and AMAZING customer service. I have celiac and they cooked GF pasta for me at special request. Best Italian I've had in years! read more

Chicken in the chicken Parmesan was good however the pasta and marinara in both the chicken Parmesan and meatballs had a funny, odd taste to it. Garlic bread was stale. I would not recommend this place at any price let alone what they're charging. read more

Picked up take out since this spot is not offering dine in right now and was pleasantly surprised! A delicious veggie lasagna and some calamari both came nice and hot. Tiramisu was disappointing, but the desserts were just prepackaged in the fridge so can't be certain how fresh they were. Staff were very friendly and called to let me know my order was ready. I would give them a shot once dine is open as well! read more

We had been hesitating about this place because we thought it was the same as a stuffy old restaurant that did not get good reviews, but THIS one is new and it is great!! We live nearby and order from them often. We have had mostly pizza and apps, but we have seen the other pasta dishes and they look fab, too. Looking forward to trying more here. Good local Italian eats and friendly staff. read more

Been there before and had the chicken parm twice. Never disappointed. Tried the pizza last night and was unbelievable. Must try.

Amazing food, and really friendly staff. Jose is the man. Prices are very reasonable too. Highly recommended!

Boom! Five stars. Swung in here due to the stellar Yelp reviews and this place exceeded the nice words already placed here. Beyond the delicious food, the owners (Jose and Luis) could not have been any nicer to us or to our three children. We were treated warmly and the family showed tremendous patience with our young boys. As for the food, roll with the garlic bread, calamari, toss in a Greek salad and any variety of pasta & pizzas and you should be set. Beyond that, prepare yourself for a memorable meal in a cozy atmosphere among owners who are bound for great success due to their humble and hard-working beginnings. A true success story on so many levels. Thank you! read more

I can see the charm and why so many love Nostra Cucina. Love the ambiance of this place. My friend had Cannoli which he said was the best he's ever had! The service was also fabulous and every one was friendly. Go and check Nostra Cucina out - you'll be happy that you did. read more

I discovered this spot before COVID and loved their food! Ordered from them and their food is still top notch with huge portions. Totally worth it. Highly recommend for hill staff lunch. The owners and staff are amazing! This is a great place to support a small business owner! read more

This restaurant is one of the best that I have ever had. I was visiting to the area from South Florida and looked on Yelp and took a chance..I'm so glad that I did. Their pizza is amazing, pasta and sauces (gravy for my fellow Italians) is phenomenal. I would highly recommend for out-of-towners and for those in the DC area. Amazing service as well. Make sure to call ahead for a table. read more

Loved this place! Simple, classic Italian American. The staff was all really friendly and attentive. We got the Greek salad, calamari and manicotti and they were all excellent. The salad was really fresh and great quality, the calamari was crispy and the manicotti was very flavorful and not too rich or heavy on the cheese. The marinara sauce is tangy and great. We'll definitely be back here all the time! read more

Seriously delicious food, one the best pizzas I've ever had. Also tried their linguine alfredo, and even though I'm not a huge fan of alfredo sauce I would order it every day if I wouldn't get fat, it's that good. read more

Great neighborhood spot! Pick up was super very easy. We love their pizza and calamari.

I've visited this restaurant multiple times and I've never been disappointed. Always good food and service. Fresh made pasta, sauce and meatballs are outstanding. Their meat lasagne is outstanding. Large portions with plenty of sauce to dip your bread. The calamari is made to order, light and tasty. These guys are doing it the right way. They could pack a place twice this size easily, but they're keeping it simple, fresh and tasty preparing things daily. read more

Came here on the faith of the reviews and they did not disappoint! The food is AMAZING. Definitely has that homemade taste that is missing from so many DC area Italian spots. I had the manicotti, my date had the meat lasagna, and we split the cheesy garlic bread. EVERYTHING was excellent and we'll probably be back to try more of the menu because so many other tasty options caught our eye. The portion sizes are fantastic for the price. The wait was a little long but I didn't mind at all because I know it's because everything is made to order and handmade in house; no qualms about waiting for quality. My only disappointment were the drinks. It's not a full bar. Nice quality alcohol but just basic juice mixers so some standard cocktails aren't available. And the drinks we got were WEAK. But I don't feel this is enough of an issue to take off a star. They had a nice looking wine list but I'm not a wine person. All in all, it's great restaurant and you will not be disappointed. Unfussy, down-to-earth, delicious food, pleasant service. Really cute spot for a date night but also a good vibe for a large family dinner. Also, definitely recommend making a reservation because the dining area is tiny and was PACKED. Had we shown up sans reservation, I'm not sure when we would've been seated. And for those that care, it's not exactly a quiet restaurant. Might have trouble hearing the people you're with. read more

The eggplant parm dish was delicious!!!!! I'd definitely come back again for it. Their red sauce is really flavorful. The chicken parm was eh. At first glance, it looked better than the eggplant but the chicken was stringy. Greek salad was way more interesting than anticipated -- in addition to the basics it had green peppers, spicy banana peppers, and the dressing was delicious. I'd go back just for the salad. Cannolis also worth getting. read more

We had dinner there on Friday night and it was totally full. We were able to make a reservation at 4pm for 6pm though. The service was good, and the place is cozy. Unfortunately the food was pretty bad. We ordered a lasagna primavera and the spaghetti with a "meatless marinara". On both dishes the sauce was basically tomato paste from a tin can. There was no other flavor or consistency, and it even tasted a bit tinny. I think the ownership recently changed so maybe they forgot to do a taste test on the vegetarian sauce? Not sure, but a jar of Ragu with a box of store bought spaghetti would have tasted far better than what we got. It's a shame because the location and ambiance are nice. read more