Sette Osteria

Pizza Margherita was lovely, loved the dough but the server was forcing us to leave tips as she said she only gets paid 2$ per hour. That was the down part of last night dinner

Really consistently poor service, in particular with online orders. The system was down when I arrived at the schedule pick up time. The manager even asked if I sent the order to the correct restaurant - I had. They started making food when I explained to them what I ordered. We gave this place a third chance after buying a raw salmon salad in 2022. Things have not improved. The place was dead on a Sunday evening - 3 tables in the whole restaurant. Much better food nearby, and much better service. The pizza base tasted like a frozen premade one.

A great Italian restaurant in Dupont Circle. We have been coming here for over 5 years and the food is always great.

Sette has been around for eons for DC, this is where we had our very first date 20 yrs ago. Over the years this establishment has retained consistency in creating delicious Italian cuisine. The ingredients are always fresh, the portions are ample, and the taste reminds me of what my friends nonna made when we visited. It’s a nice casual vibe w some upscaleness to it. At moment, it’s going through some major interior renovations so your options are Al fresco, period. Albeit, this is a place I’m glad it’s survived the many times of DC.

Our party consisted of three 11 year olds, and two single moms in their forties. Two of the children had a plain cheese pizza (margherita minus the basil), another had spaghetti and meatballs, one adult had gluten free spaghetti with Bolognese, and the other had fettuccine with Bolognese.

The children loved their pizza and compared it to Pizza Paradisimo, commenting that they preferred Sette Osteria's version better. As to the Bolognese --- both adults agreed that something was off. After discussion, it appeared that cheese had been added to the Bolognese, thus altering the flavor in a negative way. At one point in the very center of the dish, there didn't appear to be any melted cheese and the flavor was much improved. A suggestion to any future visitors is to confirm if cheese is added after the Bolognese is mixed with the pasta*, and if so, to ask that it be omitted! The dish was a bit bland and disappointing. (The best stateside, big city Bolognese on a budget is found in Little Italy at Amici in NYC! No cap.)

We also shared the bread basket and dipped pieces in oil and others in Sette's Alfredo sauce. The Alfredo was very thin but enjoyed as the bread was cut appropriately for dipping and eating.

Service was attentive and our water glasses never went empty.

*The fettuccine pasta was the perfect amount of thickness and chewiness. Would say it was cooked correctly and enjoyed.

Years ago when I first moved to DC, this was my go to place. There were fewer options for good food back then. I tried Sette again last night and it was just as I remembered. I ordered my previous favorite dish Scialatelli. It was a little goopy but not bad. Same with my friend’s bolognese. The outdoor seating is fantastic. They’re undergoing a renovation right now so there’s no indoor seating. It’s a great neighborhood restaurant. I live a 20 minute walk away so it’s just far enough away that I don’t frequent DuPont circle restaurants. But if you’re around Dupont and need an easy option, this place does the job.

When my friends and I went to this place around March 23rd we had an absolute joy eating here. The food is great and probably the best lamb shank risottos I've ever had.
The image below is a few minutes after I was eating it but it was full with lamb haha

Came here for dinner on a Friday evening. Although the dining room was under construction so they had outdoor seating. Luckily the weather was nice enough to sit outside with heaters. The food was great, the service could get a bit better, it seemed like there was 2 servers for the whole outdoor service.