Certo!

Mixed impressions. This is our third stay at The Royal Sonesta. On this one, we spent a week and dined daily at the on-site restaurant. The space is impeccably clean with a well-thought-out floor layout. Breakfast each morning was a pleasure, thanks to the outstanding service of Tommy, whose hospitality and attention to detail elevated our experience. We also visited on Wednesday night for dessert and lattes, and the young waitress on duty that evening delivered equally exceptional service—attentive, warm, and professional. However, our experience on the final night was disappointing. We returned for a similar late-night treat—just a couple of lattes and desserts, possibly a cocktail with an appetizer—but our server, Mounir, appeared displeased with our order. He laughed dismissively and treated us with noticeable rudeness, which tainted the otherwise consistent hospitality we had come to appreciate during our stay.

My friend and I attended an elevated happy hour experience. Ordered the pizza and meatball sliders. The food was okay. The vibes of the venue are the selling point. The bartender was really great.

We came during the happy hour - the restaurant was quite empty. The drinks were okay and the vibe was nice. Just hope maybe a bigger discount for happy hour.

We ate in this restaurant on multiple occasions during a weekend trip to D.C. The service is top tier. The restaurant decor is very inviting and the tables/flooring were clean. They have a nice bar area too for a quick bite/drink. You can sit in front of the chef’s and eat too. The brick oven pizza is so delicious. The crust has a wonderful crunch and the toppings were wonderful. I really liked that they offered mixed olives as a topping. The meatballs were flavorful, moist, and delicious. I definitely recommend stopping by and it’s affordable.

Certo Restaurant is a delightful dining experience that I can't recommend enough! I recently visited for breakfast, and I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the food and the warm ambiance. I ordered the omelette, and it was absolutely perfect—fluffy, flavorful, and packed with fresh ingredients. Each bite was a wonderful combination of textures and tastes. The fruit bowl was equally impressive, featuring a vibrant assortment of seasonal fruits that were both refreshing and beautifully presented. The service was exceptional, with attentive staff who genuinely care about providing a great experience. The atmosphere is inviting and comfortable, making it a fantastic spot to enjoy a leisurely meal. Overall, Certo Restaurant has quickly become one of my favorite places to dine. Whether you're looking for a hearty breakfast or a relaxing brunch, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit!

I have never been here prior and am honored to have been selected for another Yelp Elite Event. This restaurant has great options and a skilled mixologist with quality drinks to go along with the numerous dishes available on the menu. The atmosphere has a great vibe to it and is great for private hosted events which they cater to through the hotel and will meet the needs from smaller to larger crowds based on availability, space, timing and staffing. One of the greatest things that's stands out compared to most restaurants is that every single one of their ingredients is made from scratch. To include all sauces and pastas. Among the chef's favorites is lobster ravioli. Which at a later date I'll return to try and hope that it'll live up to the hype and have no doubt it will. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone whether it's a quick bite or celebrating something special. You can't go wrong and the prices are reasonable. Go ahead and walk on in or secure a reservation for the near future.

I ate breakfast every day at this hotel restaurant during a week long day. It’s convenient, the food is delicious, although sometimes when they are very busy, service can be just a bit slow. Overall, I was happy with the consistency and flavor of the food, and Bony was always quick to seat me and serve me.

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.

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

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. ;)

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.

Excellent service all around, but special shoutout to Mona - she's great and went above and beyond. Everyone here was great, but I want Mona to be specially recognized. Great service is not something that happens everywhere these days. I will literally come back here just for her. I had liked this hotel bar/lounge since I first visited for a Yelp event this summer. The space is very modern and cute. I said I would be back sooner than later and I'm glad I did. Was doing a pre-birthday staycation at the Royal Sonesta this past weekend so Certo was very convenient for happy hour, breakfast and just hanging out. I highly recommend the sangria pitcher - $20 on happy hour. There are other specials. Check out Certo today!

After a disappointing encounter at another nearby restaurant, I stumbled upon this hidden gem located within the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Initially, I had reservations due to its hotel affiliation, but Certo! surpassed my expectations in every way. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted by the server named Hicham. His engaging and friendly demeanor immediately made me feel welcome and set the tone for a fantastic dining experience. His attentiveness and knowledge of the menu were commendable, adding a personal touch to the evening. I opted for the House Salad, a delightful blend of mixed greens complemented by a house vinaigrette. The flavors harmonized perfectly, providing a refreshing and satisfying start to my meal. The attention to detail and quality ingredients were evident in every bite, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to culinary excellence. For my main course, I chose the Sausage Pipe, a tantalizing dish featuring spicy Italian sausage served with house-made pipe pasta. The combination was simply divine! The sausage was packed with robust flavors, perfectly balanced with the comforting texture and taste of the fresh pasta. Each forkful was a symphony of flavors that left me craving for more.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

I recently visited Certo! and had an amazing experience. The drinks were incredible - I tried the and the Gondola and Fiorire and both were really good. The meatball sliders were delicious - the combination of the cheese and the flavorful sauce made them really stand out. The pasta dishes were amazing. The sauce was bold and flavorful, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The service was great as well. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would definitely recommend it.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!