Certo! — Restaurant in Washington

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.

To start, 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...

We decided to try out this restaurant on a Saturday night, expecting a bustling atmosphere, but were surprised to find it almost empty, with only two other tables occupied.

The menu was promising, and the dishes we ordered were indeed tasty, but our experience was marred by significant issues with the food’s preparation. Notably, several items were undercooked – chicken nuggets, ravioli, and parts of the pizza crust, which detracted from our overall enjoyment. The situation with the chicken nuggets was particularly disappointing. After discovering they were undercooked, we sent them back, hoping for a fresh batch. However, the replacement we received was not only burnt but also had a piece missing – it seemed as though the kitchen had attempted to refry the original batch, including the piece we had already cut into, and overcompensated with the heat.

Our server was attentive and made efforts to rectify the situation by removing the nuggets from our bill after the second issue. This gesture was appreciated, but it couldn’t fully make up for the underwhelming aspects of our meal. Refrying the part of the old poorly cooked batch and simply removing a piece is just unacceptable at this...

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...