Food is always amazing. Decent portions and I haven't ordered anything I wouldn't order again.

The food was really bad. The sandwich was bland and uninspired. The veal Marsala was very salty, I couldn't take more than a few bites. The spaghetti that came with it was overcooked, and did not taste like fresh made pasta. The only thing that was good was the cannoli. I recommend to avoid this place. read more

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What an unexpected and delicious gem! Had dinner at Nostra Cucina tonight and was wow'ed by the food, the service, and everything in between. Jose guided us through the menu and we loved what we ordered but then he brought the one dish we had wavered on (baked ziti!) and we were wow'ed all over again. This is such a great find. We'll be back! Thanks Nostra Cucina!! read more

As the adage goes - "better ruins everything." I have a real skepticism of Italian food simply because when I was a kid, Italian was "box pasta and a jar of generic ragu." I grew up in the suburbs too - so "good" Italian usually meant Olive Garden. Nostra Cucina is the closing argument. This place is tucked away amongst some brownstones outside of the capitol. It has white linen tablecloths and exposed brick. It looks - to be fair, pretentious. But there is no host to impolitely dismiss you from the premises (Hello Cafe Berlin around the corner). There's some guy who looks like Chumlee from "Pawn Stars" who says "sure, sit where you would like" and then proceeds to come to your table and hand you menus and answer questions unassumingly, confidently, and helpfully. He's not wearing anything but a tee that says "Nostra Cucina" on it. I'm from Boston originally and these guys look like they run a "House of Pizza" but... They serve ridiculous food. The garlic bread is hands down the best garlic bread I ever have had. The butter doesn't overwhelm the sweetness of the bread, the garlic isn't acidic. Add in some mozzarella and some marinara and it's like a reperfected bruschetta. We ordered the tortellini and we asked for the meat marinara. That was when I learned that their "regular" marinara was cooked on pancetta base but we could also have the ragu that was cooked the same but with pork and beef added in. Great inside baseball and that sauce was the best I've had. Italian cooking is pretty simple if you know how to cook, and people who know how to cook can do incredible Italian. Add in excellent service and a welcoming venue - save yourself some trouble and enjoy a meal here. read more

Small local family restaurant. Maybe a dozen indoor tables, not clear if outdoor is open, but some tables outside. Cesar salad was fresh/crunchy but pretty basic. Baked ziti (no meat) was a huge portion, had a nice (maybe vodka sauce or cream/tomato) sweetness to it. Calamari were well-seasoned but didn't travel that well (user error!) read more

Nostra Cucina, Nostra Cucina... Okay.... I actually came here on a whim. I had uncertain plans with a friend I flew to DC to visit, so I basically waited all day to eat. I planned for he and I to get pizza from a downtown eatery, but I couldn't really wait anymore. So I hastily found and contacted Nostra Cucina for the Fettuccine Alfredo I was craving. I ordered it with salmon, coming up to around $30. I've been to Washington twice before, neither time deep in the District, and neither time as an adult. So I'm seeing that so many of these really great establishments are in neighborhoods, with outdoor dining and everyone happily doing their own thing. Nostra Cucina is exactly that: an Italian eatery nestled in a quiet neighborhood with patio seating. The restaurant was unusually busy, per the guy on the phone, so it took my order about an hour to finish. He called me back to let me know it was ready, and I took the two-mile, twenty-minute drive up the street to pick it up. The place was clean, the service friendly. I dug into it coming back to my Airbnb, getting full just in time for my friend to make it into the city after being stuck in traffic all day on I-95. I got our pizzas downtown about 30 minutes later, but I continued my pasta the next morning while getting ready for my flight back home to Houston. The pasta was still rich and creamy, the grilled salmon with the perfect hint of lemon. It also came with complimentary garlic bread. I highly, highly recommend Nostra Cucina. Given the rather reclusive person I am, the peaceful outdoor seating would make a perfect date night. read more

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First time here we did wait a long time but probably because of low staff. The bar was about half stocked so I couldn't order a margarita or a Moscow mule but the food was delicious. I'd definitely come back and probably pick up the food instead of sitting outside. The aperol spritz was tasty and light got me just right. All the noodles were fresh and chewy. I loved loved loved the pasta. I know I will be ordering from here agai. read more

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Nostra Cucina is a nice small hole in the wall Italian restaurant in Capitol Hill. Located on D St NE this restaurant offering plentiful serving of yummy Italian dishes like Lasagna, spaghetti, Chicken Parm, brick pizza and more. Wait staff are helpful and the taste of food is consistent. With CoVID they remove their indoor seating and open some outside seating. Great for delivery or take out. You will not be disappointed with their food. read more

The food was mid and the service was worse. The manager seemed uninterested and unhelpful making the singular waitress serve the entire restaurant rather than helping. read more

Nostra Cucina is a Capitol Hill neighborhood gem. Although a small restaurant by seating capacity, their food packs a hefty punch of flavor. You'll immediately feel welcome by their friendly staff, usually including the owner and manager. The ordering experience is a conversation - you'll talk about your preferences and experiences with Italian food and the waiter will advise you. I recommend starting with the fried calamari appetizer, featuring a delectable homemade marinara sauce, followed by chicken parm, eggplant parm, or chicken piccata. The chicken and eggplant parms comes with freshmade pasta, of which I recommend the spaghetti. As a NE DC resident, I've tried most of the menu and can say confidently that everything hits at Nostra Cucina - except some of the pizzas. If you're looking for a casual, no frills, Italian restaurant in DC, Nostra Cucina should absolutely be at the top of your list. read more

Nostra Cucina - Meatballs Spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Our meal was terrific; the Veal Marsala had great flavor. Enjoyed the outdoor dining. read more

If you are in DC area this is an absolute must for great chicken Parmesean, lasagna with meat sauce and house made fettuccine Alfredo. Not pictured is phenomenal olive bruschetta and a very nice Chianti. The food very much outweighs the service but that was not bad. Our server was great but the other servers could use some polishing. Nice neighborhood. Quiet read more

Nostra Cucina - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Hands down the best Italian food I have had outside of Italy. Absolutely excellent. It's a small space, but in that lovely neighborhood family restaurant kind of way. read more

It's such a difficult time right now with everything that's going on. So I'm keeping that in mind instead of the fact that it took two hours, two phone calls to get our rather expensive meal. I get it, it's busy and not enough employees and then third party companies are out there making things harder for restaurants. This review then is strictly with the quality of the food and I found it very average. I've been wanting to come here for a long time so when we finally got our food, I felt pretty disappointed. I ordered chicken parm, chicken alfredo and calamari. The calamari was all soggy because it was placed in a foil and plastic container. The chicken parm was a large portion, but the tomato sauce tasted salty and bitter and almost tasted like tomato paste. The pasta that came with it was way overdone. The only decent item was the chicken alfredo, which is something I typically wouldn't get, but the chicken was tender and it was easily the best part of the meal. I'll give them another chance in the event that they were having a really off night. read more

Nostra Cucina - Chicken parm, calamari and chicken alfredo- all average - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We got the veal parmesan and the meat lovers pizza. Both were very flavorful and sizable portions. The veal parmesan was a new rendition to me but I really liked it. The setting is also very quaint and cute. Would highly recommend :) read more

Nostra Cucina - Meat Lovers Pizza - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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4.5 stars What a lovely surprise! After their revamp, Nostra Cucina is back with high quality, homemade pasta and pizza on the Hill. They are still carryout only, although they have limited outdoor dining (no waiter service) where you can drink and eat. The caesar salad was fresh and largely portioned (and the dressing is on the side and vegetarian, no anchovies), the eggplant parm was exceptional, and the fettucine alfredo was also good. You can really tell that the pasta is homemade and cooked perfectly. The desserts were pretty good, but the weakest of all of the things we ordered. The tiramisu was more cake like and not soaked, and I found the limoncello cake to be nothing exciting. I'm not a cannoli person, but I can appreciate that they had a solidly authentic one. I was eating with vegetarians, so I'll have to come back to try the chicken parmigiana and the lasagna (my usual go tos). Overall, I'm happy to have another reliable neighborhood spot! read more

Great food and ambiance! It's an old school neighborhood Italian restaurant. Super cozy and classic dishes done well. I want to keep going back. read more

Extraordinary meal! After a crazy day at the Capital, arrived starving midafternoon. Pleasantly surprised by the attentive, welcoming team at a time when focus is usually on prepping for evening service. Calamari was tender and marinara, flavor punched. Wedding soup was classic and delicious. Manicotti was beyond extraordinary. Packed with flavor, creamy texture, beautiful pasta. Cozy space. Highly recommend read more

Great red-sauce Italian food! Simple, unpretentious and totally delicious! Excellent service and relaxed comfortable atmosphere!

I don't know why restaurants try to exceed their reach and accommodate customers for which they have no hope of serving like tonight when the server forgot to place my order when he placed my friend's! He served my friend her meal, but where was mine? No word. He cleaned up adjacent tables and answered questions from customers waiting and said nothing about my order. Only when I approached management after 15 mins. did I learn the order was never placed. Unbelievable! I can't comment on food quality since I received none, but the service? What would you call it? read more

We saw this online and was instantly excited for a new Italian spot closer to home. I ordered for pick-up to bring home, and food was packed nicely. The bread that came with our meals with hard like it was old. Our meals were just okay- lacked a lot of seasoning and that authentic Italian taste. The kicker was the cannoli, which was empty in the middle and bland. Sadly, this will be our first and last time there. read more

Nostra Cucina - Cannoli - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Food was amazing, prime location and ambiance. Service was good and attentive. Would recommend

Small neighborhood restaurant. Great service and food! The Pizza was the best. We will definitely be back. read more

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Delicious pizza, similar to New York style. Excellent flavor and consistency, highly recommended. read more

Nostra Cucina - Pepperoni Tomato Basil - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Excellent food, good portions, and the staff is friendly! I cove all there foods, especially the chicken Caesar salad along with an aperol spritz. AMA place! read more

Almost tastes like your mom, if you had an Italian mom, is in the back cooking this food for you. We shared a small supreme pizza and what I loved most was the cracker thin crust. You don't immediately feel like you've gained 20 lbs after eating pizza. We also shared the pasta Bolognese which was very rich and delicious. Their aperol Spritz was surprisingly delicious because they use a small amount of lime juice which really adds to the flavor. This is a tiny spot with maybe a dozen tables. Great little intimate neighborhood spot. read more

Very nice small restaurant on D st, however, the food were delicious. Little bit long wait for our main entree but worth it. Nice friendly staff. Tried for garlic breads, you won't be disappointed! read more

We went here last night & had a lovely time. I had the spaghetti Bolognese & liked it very much. My husband had the cannelloni & was very happy too. We shared the fried calamari appetizer & had slightly different reactions. I thought it was OK but sort of rubbery, while Tom was a big fan. One concern is that the restaurant is so small that the experience can change dramatically depending on how many people are there. Last night was great because there weren't a lot of folks. If that one big table had been filled, though, things could have gotten loud very quickly. read more

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Cheese tortellini with creamy marinara was out of this world. 10/10 - could not more recommend more highly. Will absolutely be back.

This restaurant is a small place, and it felt very intimate. The food was great; the service was even better. I like these guys! We will be back! read more

Large portions! My favorite was the Chicken Parmesan. Very flavorful, and the chicken was perfectly cooked. Not the biggest fan of the garlic bread since they weren't as fluffy. They were more toasted and hard. The Fettuccine Alfredo wasn't too bad. I really enjoyed the zest, but it could use more salt. I was pretty disappointed with the grilled chicken that we added to the alfredo. They were way overcooked. Very hard to chew, not that flavorful, dry, and too thin. read more

My friend took me here for lunch. The Owner/Chef made a special salad for us - it was so good! It has romaine lettuce, avocado, grilled shrimps, anchovies and garlic. Everything is so fresh, especially the shrimp. If you want great Italian food, this is the place to go in DC. read more

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Recently ate here. This restaurant is in a set of row houses and easily missed. I had the meatball sandwich and the chicken parm. The meatballs really were good. They do not take one meatball and slice it thin to make the sandwich. They seem to have used four decent sized meatballs that were well sauced. The chicken parm was a good sized piece and well prepared, also well sauced. Neither sandwich was sauced so much that the bread was soggy. Both sandwiches came with fries, which I did not understand. I did not care for the fries at all. They weren't crispy or good. They were soggy, seemed overly oiled and just not good. There is an option of a salad which is what I will do next time. There will be a next time. I thought the sandwiches were good and I understand the good reviews. As I said, I won't do the fries again. read more

Lasagna with meat sauce. Hot, good sauce, cheesy will order again. Bolognese and wedding soup good. Parking difficult to find d. Will revisit. Servers pleasant. read more

So I read a recent review talking about the sauce tasting salty and store bought and I was NOT expecting it to be great but it was close by. First of all, the portions are so big that it can prop a door open in a storm! I make my own sauce and turn my nose up to people that buy jars of sauce. This is not store bought sauce! This was incredible and delicious and I didn't want it to end. I got the chicken parm and highly recommended it. read more

Nostra Cucina - Chicken Parmigiana Spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The wait was insanely long for food on a Friday night... I'm talking 45 min to get any drinks, or our appetizer. We debated leaving but the staff was so nice and just really overwhelmed by all the to-go orders. By the time our entrees arrived, we had already been there TWO hours -- and no one even came to check on our drinks for refills. Lovely food and great leftovers, just super short staffed when we went on March 31. Would only recommend eating here if you're not in a rush to be somewhere shortly after. Very cute place, and again the food is yummy -- but not worth the crazy long wait. 2 hours is a long time for dinner, without any drink refills or ordering dessert. read more

The eggplant parmesan sandwiches were really good, and the staff was kind and helpful.

I want to like my local Italian, but this is just Olive Garden's pretentious cousin. The pizza is good, but not much else. The calamari wasn't fresh. The wedding soup was from a can. The cannelloni was a cheesy accident. Tell me, why? I just don't get it. Who wakes up and decides that we MUST HAVE another forgettable Italian/Chinese/Greek restaurant? Hmmm, let me see.... Yes, another mediocre ethnic restaurant with average ingredients that are carelessly mingled? How does this happen? Why does it keep happening? Is it a tax write off? Is it a front? Did something happen to the chef? Is the chef actually the owner's felonious nephew? It is Capitol Hill cafeteria food. read more

Seems like they prefer to just do takeout. Tried to get a table and waited for 10 mins as they took care of carry out. Then told us they could not sit us inside, despite open tables, but we could order and eat outside but they could not tell us how long it would be to get food. I understand being busy but not welcoming at all! read more

Ordered takeout mulitple times over the last few months. Food was always great! Easily accomodated my vegetarian diet. Eggplant Parmesean was my fave! Large portions - good value. We continue to take out and eventually eat in. read more