Overrated and over-priced food. Service was horrible. This place is too crowded and way under-staffed. I have had better pasta at a Sbarro.

I'd been to Sette Osteria which is why I went there looking for dinner on a recent trip to DC. Unfortunately while the location is very well located near Dupont Circle, the food was very disappointing - particularly so given the prices. I had the grilled vegetable plate (peppers and eggplant) for an appetizer. The contents of my plate were apparently immediately removed from the refrigerator - it was cold, not even close to room temperature. Thick raw slices of garlic were dumped into the vegetables to make up for the fact that they sure as heck weren't grilled that day. It might have even been last week. Since there were so many pizzas listed on the menu I thought I've try one out. I asked for the spinach and ricotto version. The pizza arrived on a cold plate and so was only lukewarm. The crust was bready, chewy and tough. The spinach was thinly scattered in an unartistic manner while the ricotto was applied heavily and thickly using an ice cream scoop. Very disappointing. They don't have any inexpensive red wine. Where's the chianti? I had an $11 glass of mediocre wine. I will never come back. Blech! read more

The pinot noir we had was great, but the wine list was lacking in selection of lower priced options. The advertised happy hour pizza and wine special is only for the bar, which they should also have made clearer. Our calamari sauce was so spicy it should really have been labeled fra diablo. However, the calamari were lightly battered and perfectly crisp, and almost didn't need any sauce. The thick slabs of pizza crust style bread were unnecessary, though if I'd had pasta they would have been an excellent vehicle for any left over sauce. However, I went with the pizza margherita, which was absolutely wonderful. I couldn't help myself from eating the whole thing, even though I swore I'd be good! It had a perfect light char, beautiful bright pieces of basil and the cheese was not overwhelming. I would definitely go back for the pizza! read more

Great brunch place near the metro with a large amount of options. Busy at times, but always able to get a seat quickly and the service is always good. Coffee is stellar. read more

This restaurant has wonderful, crisp pizzas with fresh, interesting toppings. The wait staff is great and the best thing for this review is that they were open on Christmas Day--a nice alternative to Chinese food. They are a nice neighborhood restaurant with lovely outdoor seating in nice weather. read more

"Insipid" is not a word one encounters much any more, but in the case of Sette Osteria, it applies perfectly. The food, though generally well made and well presented, is bland, lacking seasonings where you'd expect them, and needing salt when you wouldn't expect to need to add it. There were three of us who stopped in to Sette for lunch earlier this week; we each ordered something very different, and shared portions with each other. Friend #1: Soup of the Day (Squash bisque with cannelloni beans, with a garnish of crispy proscuitto), and a plate of three assorted bruschetti, one with chopped tomato, one with olive tapenade, one with chopped mushrooms. The soup tasted like baby food with canned beans added: blendered blandness with a hint of sweetness in the squash puree, the beans adding a bit of bland texture, and only the proscuitto adding interest and some taste. The little bruschetti were serviceable. The best was the olive tapenade; the worst was the tomato, that tasted like it was made with those tomatoes that come three-to-a-white-plastic-tray, wrapped in cellophane when they are still green, and left to ripen while in transit to the grocery store -- no taste, tough, and hard. Friend #2: Lasagna, a stack of several large squares of wavy, somewhat overcooked lasagna, drenched in tomato sauce (looked like it was poured over the pasta) the color of a Halloween pumpkin, with bits and pieces of meat that seemed to be ground beef. It reminded me of the sauce that comes in all Chef Boyardee canned pasta products: orange and sweet. The lasagna was bland and overly sweet; there was only a hint of cheese in one or two of the layers. Me: I ordered a good-sized personal pizza called the "Verdona": oregano-flavored ricotta cheese, spinach, black olives, capers & fresh mozzarella. My first bite had virtually no taste. I'd expected a rush of oregano at the very outset, but there was none. I asked the waitron who had delivered our food for grated cheese, which she brought and added for me. Only a marginal improvement in the taste. I finally had to salt the pizza, and add flakes of crushed red pepper to get something going on my palate. The saltiness of the capers and black olives (both fine, quality ingredients, but a little more of each would have helped) were welcome little bursts of flavor. The baby spinach had been put raw onto the pizza; it was cooked unevenly and its presence on the pizza was only visual, not gustatory. The crust was thin, bubbly and chewy, as it should be, but too sweet. All in all, not that bad, and reasonably priced at $10, but it left much to be desired. We shared a half-liter carafe of a house red called "Mezzo di Montepulciano" ($20) (literally "mixture of Montepulciano [wines]" -- i.e., mixed wine from Montepulciano, Italy, rather than a wine made from the varietal Montepulciano grape). It reminded me of a full-bodied, old-vine zinfandel -- dark and fruity and very enjoyable, but WAY overpriced at $20 for a half liter, which works out to about $40 a bottle. For that money, the wine should have been much better quality, or served in a larger quantity. What was disturbing about the wine, however, was the unsightly deposit of sediment at the bottom of the carafe, which showed up in the carafe and in our glasses when we poured out the last of the wine. We brought this to the attention of our server, who said he would tell the manager, and took the carafe and one of the wine glasses with him as proof. The waiter came back with the bill, with no apology from the manager, and with the wine still on our bill. This is just wrong, and we reflected our disappointment in the tip. The waiter should have been more assertive with his manager about this. I think that the variety in the cross-sampling of the foods we tried at this meal allows me to conclude the following: If you want to take your children or teenagers out to an Italian restaurant where they will love anything on the menu, I think this is the place. It is not an Italian restaurant for grown-ups who know Italian food. The food is bland and sweet, and does not challenge or overwhelm in any good way. If ever there was a restaurant that was the McDonald's of Italian food, this is probably it. read more

Great neighborhood Italian. Me and my wife keep it as a staple in our restaurant rotation. The staff is great and treat their customers so well. The chicken parm is out of this world. read more

Excellent pizza. Nice, crispy crust, and fresh mozzarela. Make sure to order with tomato sauce for $1 extra to avoid a dry experience. The pizza prices were fine at about $12. The prociutto, arugula and garlic on top made very happy, as did the cilantro! The lemon zest salad was refreshing and understated. I didn't like the $4 iced tea in a big bottle (Republic of Tea brand). Well, the ice tea tasted fine, but I didn't want to pay that much for it, and ordered ice tea b/c I love refills. My compadre paid $3.25 for a coke. So, I'm not stuffed, which is fine. The place was busy and has a nice, outdoor porch. They seated me promptly and not too rushed. read more

I so agree. Blessed by great real estate, this place is OK for pizza but I have not had much luck with the other items on this menu. They have a lot of competition and I wish them luck:-)!! read more

Let me start by being kind: the outdoor patio is a nice space. Other than that, this place completely disappoints. Everything we had - and I mean EVERYTHING from app to dessert - was weak on flavor. The dishes looked nice, but it was like we were eating fake food, the kind they put in window displays. The staff were nice, but incompetent. They brought a wrong dish to us, which admittedly can happen. But mine, though the right dish, was lukewarm. Instead of whisking the dishes away, they left us sitting at our table, staring at the food. I had to ask twice for them to reheat my dish. Our waitress seemed nonchalant about the whole thing, though the manager gave us a free glass of wine and apologized. I eat here once a year, and have regretted it each time. read more

i ordered the caprese salad and have to say any non-chain restaurant that serves tasteless, white on the inside, mass distributed tomatoes in September should be ashamed of itself. I enjoyed the pizza though. read more

It seems like Italian restaurants love to overcharge in the area. But Sette Osteria had amazing food at great prices. My wife and I ate here recently and really enjoyed the food. We had the mussels in saffron, and the penne alla Russo. Both were delicious. The tiramisu was also great. Don't forget about the Sangria - wonderful. read more

I used to like this place but the bar service has declined, they stopped making my pizza, and they dropped the outstanding Republic of Tea tea. I doubt I'll be back. read more

I have been here a few times. Based on the fact that I didn't pay any time prior to yesterday, they get three stars. That I had to pay dropped them a star. I enjoyed the food I had here. I think I had gnocchi for dinner that was paid for. And yesterday, I had bread outdoors along with gazpacho which was delicious. Also, my friend got the grilled calamari on a 'bed' of lettuce which really was basically a whole salad. Their wine is delicious too and varied - there was not half carafe of pinot grigio on the menu but he offered it yesterday anyway. That said, this place really just charges too much for what they are, I'd say. read more

This won't be as detailed as my other reviews, because, frankly, I didn't like Sette. It didn't fail spectacularly enough to be memorable in any particular way, but everything about it was pretty 'meh'. I figured 2.5 stars would be good for Sette, and I'd therefor round up, but Yelp calls 2 stars 'meh', so 2 it is. We three tired adventurers arrived without reservation at maybe 7 or 8 on a Saturday evening at the end of September. Mostly because it was near the hotel at which my parents were staying. The food was better than Olive Garden, but clearly devised and executed using the same techniques. I had a seafood linguine that was, I don't know, OK? It had noodles and it had seafood, but was kind of watery and flavorless. I came with my parents, and one of them had a pizza, I think, which, again, was OK. I guess. I can't remember what the other had. I did order a wine I liked that was reasonably priced, so they get that as a positive. While the food was slightly on the plus side of meh, the ambiance and service was slightly on the bad side. Service was slower than I'd liked, but not so slow that it was suspicious. The restaurant itself was pretty cramped. Many tables packed into a big room in square formation with not much clearance between. One end of the room was dominated by a bar with a pizza oven and between two and six large televisions that were playing sports. That is a huge pet peeve of mine. Live televisions should not be visible to a dining room of a restaurant that has neither 'sports' nor 'bar' in the description. Final Thoughts Go if you must, but find another place if you can. read more

We always have a great time here! Mehdi is very accommodating and Nour, our server, was awesome! We will definitely ask for him next time. The pizza is fabulous, you can always find something you love on the wine list and the salads are yummy. We love to sit on the huge patio and enjoy the weather. read more

We tried this place on a Saturday night and had a group of 5 so it took us a while to get a table, which is understandable. But they told us it would be a 20 min wait when we checked in. About an hour later we asked for an update and were given a pretty cold response from a pretty unfriendly hostess. Unfortunately, in the end it took over an hour and a half to get a table. The Food: I tried the ravioli special (mushroom and ricotta cheese in a white sauce). It was very so-so. The mushrooms were pretty bland and tasted a little like the canned kind you would get at the grocery store. The portion was also pretty small, and I ended up asking for more bread since I was actually still hungry. But, the waitress never brought anymore though. She was not very attentive overall. I kind of regret not getting a pizza, which actually looked pretty good. My wife had the eggplant parm and she said it was good but certainly not memorable. She also tried the brushetta and said that was good too, but not really worth getting again. She said she has no interest in ever going back. We really like Italian food and realistically if you are in the mood for Italian, keep looking, there is definitely something else. read more

Unfortunately, DC is not known for outstanding Italian food. Sette Osteria is a fun place to get some pasta because of the outdoor seating right in the middle of all the foot traffic in Dupont Circle. It's a people watching spot to be sure. And the food is solid. Like I said, I've yet to find a great Italian spot in DC, but Sette fits right in the middle of the pack. read more

Overall, we enjoyed our experience at Sette Osteria. However, the selling point was the fabulous weather and being seated on their outdoor patio. The patio was 100% occupied with only one or two tables inside were occupied. I think we would have had a much different experience if we were inside. There's nothing like a beautiful warm crisp summer evening to set the mood. So a plus for the location. But it ends there. I do have to comment that when I made my way to the restroom which passes through the kitchen area it smelled terrible. Like an old dirty fish market. It was very off putting. They do serve seafood, but I can't imagine it should reek that badly. I can't help but wonder if it was a sanitary issue. Be warned and I recommend getting a table outside if you decide to dine here. Our server was pleasant and we had no complaints. She was pleasant, attentive, and we didn't have any issues. They brought out a generous bread basket that was a cross between pita and focaccia. Not as thick and pillowy as focaccia but not has thin as pita. It actually might just be pita. I was hoping for some warm crusty baguette but this isn't that type of Italian restaurant. The bread did come with sides of parmesan and dried red pepper flakes. Which we added to some olive oil that was already sitting on the table to make our own dipping sauce. For my meal I got the seafood linguini with a fresh tomato sauce. The portion was just right. It had an array of small shrimp, strips of calamari, and a few mussels and tiny clams. It was nice and delicate, didn't have a strong seafood odor (like I smelled earlier) and the fresh tomato sauce paired well. Not too overpowering or salty it was good. Overall I enjoyed my dish but I wouldn't say it was my favorite or rush to order it again. It was well done but nothing extraordinary. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian restaurant in DC but it's not the worst either. I wouldn't overlook it but I wouldn't put it on my must see list. It's good and if weather and service continues to be good then I'd happily return for a good decent meal. read more

We had a very dissapointing experience in this allegedly Italian restaurant Sunday evening, the staff seems to be utterly clueless, the host dash manager had a a dispute with one of his staffers- very unprofessional. The so called eggplant parmesan was unrecognizable, as it was so mashy, you would not know what you are eating. The beet salad was very underwhelming, please don't slice the beets- it's just wrong, cut them in cubes. Sangria is just red wine plus seven up plus few cut up apples. read more

I wouldn't use this as my "whoa" restaurant, but it seemed like a good, reliable meal. the group had a few apps and entrees and then went across the street to teaism for salty oatmeal/salty chocolate cookies. read more

Came here with some family the other week. As is typical in DC, it was difficult to find parking during rush hour, but we got lucky and were able to find a street space close to the restaurant. Our group had the prosciutto flatbread, the gnocchi, and one of the special flatbreads. My cousin got the special spinach gnocchi, which he said was extremely good, but I was surprised to see that it was ~$10 more than the standard gnocchi on the menu. My mother raved about her flatbread, which had some sort of steak on it that she said was very tender. My prosciutto flatbread was delicious, as well -- every bite of the meat was phenomenal. This is a cute little restaurant in Dupont Circle that has some tasty dishes. read more

This restaurant is a pretty good Italian place and to be honest it's probably my second favorite Italian place in DC. The atmosphere is great and I love that there's always plenty of outdoor seating. The food here is constantly solid but nothing to rave to all your friends about. The lasagna is alright but the seared swordfish is better. The one desert I recommend is the warm chocolate cake served with the vanilla ice cream. read more

Slightly overpriced when it comes to pizza, but every one I've tried has been delicious so I don't mind treating myself once in a while. The pizza is large and can be split between two people if you supplement it with a salad and/or appetizer. I love the fried calamari - it's very fresh and lightly battered. read more

Lasagna was very good, but portion was small. Prices are high. They have a nice outdoor seating area which is enjoyable to watch the people on Connecticut Avenue and R St walk by. Waiter was a bit slow and restrooms could use a good cleaning, but I like the restaurant. read more

The authentic Italian (as in what they actually serve in Italy) pizzas have great thin crusts but this cheese-lover was OUTRAGED to be given a pie where actual slices had NO cheese but only a brief afterthought smear of tomato sauce on a piece of bread. My ridiculously overpriced $9 small glass of wine failed to calm me down. read more

There isn't a lot of affordable, really good food around Dupont (surprisingly), so I'm doubly glad friends introduced me to Sette Osteria. The food as well as the atmosphere are authentic; you have confidence in anything you order (in my experience), and you can enjoy a convivial meal and conversation without rushing or pushing. The carbonara is perrrrrfect, so I've gone back for it, but other pasta dishes have also had exactly the right consistency and balance. The caesar salad is addictive, also authentic, with just the right undertone of anchovy. I haven't tried the dinner main dishes, but there's a great selection of appetizers to share, and at lunch excellent sandwiches, including a robust grilled vegetable sandwich that is more satisfying than a lot of meat dishes. And for some reason, I've found it hard to get a really good Negroni around here--it seems like people mess with the basic simple formula. Sette Osteria offers a Negroni that's like a little vacation in Italy. I wish there was a place like this on every block. read more

I love this restaurant, it makes me feel like I'm back in Milano. The food is very good and so is the service. I often have the mozzarella and tomato salad with basil and olive oil. I also like their arrabiata (hot & spicy) pasta and their spaghetti al carbonara is delicious as well. Their deserts are very good and they have cappuccino etc. A lot of Europeans seem to frequent the restaurant so that's a good sign. If you come around 11:30, it's empty and easy to get a nice table. It gets more crowded around noon. read more

Wonderful service and menu. I recommend the pizzas, and the wine selection was great. We loved it so much we came back for dinner two nights in a row. read more

This place wavers from 3 to 4 star quality based on whether they are offering happy hour late at night. The worst thing about them is that they do not offer it consistently, but at one golden time in history, they did, and this review is just for the happy hour experience. When offered, they deserve big props for it because the HH deals are available after 10, even on Fridays. Nice. If you want to save a few bucks, it's a great spot. They have several food options available, but I just went with drinks. Their red sangria is top notch, maybe the single best in DC. It packs a punch, and the flavor is a perfect balance between wine, booze, and fruit, and there's even a pleasant hint of cinnamon in there. Well done. You have to sit at the bar to get it. When we went the bar was packed, while the dining area was mostly empty, so the people have their priorities straight. It's not a great atmosphere to linger in, with the bustle of a restaurant swimming around you, but for great drinks this cheap, it's worth a visit. We stopped in a couple weeks ago and were told the late night happy hour is unavailable at the moment but that they would be bringing it back at some point in the summer. If they do, it's four star worthy. read more

Sette Osteria never lets me & my friends down when we are in need of a happy hour - not even on Sundays! Decided to come back here to check out the food options and we were not disappointed. Favorites from the small plates were the calamari and the beef meatballs - mmm, mm good! Before the dishes came out, small servings of parmesan and red crushed pepper were provided, which are both essentially the way to my heart. The bartenders were hospitable and prompt just like the last time I was there, and I definitely will be returning here probably sooner rather than later. read more

Disappointed by the size of the entree salad. It was barely a starter salad. 4 tiny shrimps with 3 small scallops on barely a few leaves of salad. And all of this was priced at 19 USD! Idem for my husband's Tuna Salad (which was canned tuna, ..really?!) In addition, it took forever to get our Sunday lunch. Sorry to say,... Last time. read more

We had such a great brunch and loved the bottomless mimosas! It was a cozy place near the window and the tart was great. The avocado was so fresh!!! We had Valentyna as our server and she was fantastic read more

Have only had pizza here but it was surprisingly good. Recommended by some friends from Rome and they were quite right. Can't speak for the rest of the menu. Convivial atmosphere, if a bit too loud for my tastes. read more

This place was awesome! In a town where good customer service is an anomaly, Nora took care of our table well. Among bottomless bellini/mimosa brunches, this place shines. Refills were aplenty, the food was top notch, the staff was great and the patio can't be beat. I'll definitely be back. The only ding I could find was that parking was bad... pretty obvious though in this area. Thank you for a great time, and restoring my faith in customer service! read more

There's nothing like a great happy hour and Sette is right up there with the best of them (Vinoteca, Circa, Bar 7, JoJo's, so many great places). $5 wines, $6 flatbreads and much more. Today we grabbed a few glasses of Chardonnay and a margarita pizza. You probably won't find a large group between 5-6 but if you want a nice glass of wine and something tasty to nibble on, Sette is a great place. My only complaint is they sometimes hold team meetings right around happy hour so we had to wait. We go quite a bit so we didn't mind but a new patron might be a little annoyed. Also, there is usually a bartender that's a true DC foodie it's fun to pick his brain. read more

I had a perfectly pleasant time last night at Sette, a standard Italian restaurant located just a stone's throw from the Dupont metro. I appreciated the quality of food as I have yet to find a really decent Italian joint since moving from New York years ago. Good pasta, good service, good prices (for DC anyways), and lots of wines available by the glass. After perusing the menu and finding it difficult to choose between so many delicious sounding pasta dishes (always a good sign), I settled on the Cavatelli D'Indiavolata (mini pasta shells with spicy Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and parmesean). I was a little disappointed that the sausage was ground rather than sliced, but I really appreciated the flavors and the heat nonetheless. The portion was sized perfectly; not too small, but not too much where I felt it was overwhelming. The price point was also pretty reasonable at $15 (and I enjoyed a nice glass of Nero D'avola to go along with it for $10). As for dessert, we split this terrific vanilla mousse with creme brulee, fresh berries, and lemon sherbet (a great ending and just sweet enough). For sure a welcome change to the typical Italian desserts. Overall, I really enjoyed myself here and think this is a great venue for a date, business lunch, or a change from the hustle and bustle of 14th Street. Definitely will be coming back again soon. read more

The only good thing about this place is the outside seating. Watered down coffee, the cocktails taste like syrup, snooty waiter, and I found a hair in my food. Avoid. read more

Sette had the best customer service, and most delightful attitude, I am not sure there is a better brunch spot!

I went back and got the same thing, but it was super oily! The whole thing was basically drenched in olive oil. Yes, the clams are still in their shell, but the oil was just too extreme... read more