San Matteo

Incredible food and the ambiance is really great (somewhere between classy and cozy). The pasta is phenomenal and a great set of entrees and drink menu. We'll definitely be going back often!

My husband and I went to this restaurant after a show in DC. We are not from the area, but we found this place on Yelp. Based on the positive reviews and our craving for Italian food, we decided to give it a try. The restaurant is situated in a nice neighborhood, and the atmosphere is quite inviting. You walk through the bar to an open patio.The service was top-notch. To start, we ordered the roasted brussel sprouts, which were excellent--I could have had another serving! My husband had the salad, which was a miss for him; he couldn't taste the fennel, and the dressing was bland, so he did not finish it. He then ordered the gnocchi for his entrée, and it was fantastic--nice and pillowy.I ordered the lasagna, but it was a total disappointment. I was expecting a saucy, cheesy dish with noodles that you could cut with a fork, but instead, they used spinach noodles that needed a knife to cut through. Part of the lasagna was lukewarm, and there wasn't enough cheese. I was so disappointed; they didn't inform me or advertise that they were using spinach noodles, or I might have chosen something else. The Bolognese sauce was exceptional and should be bottled. This is a nice restaurant, but I feel like they are missing the mark. I would strongly suggest adding spaghetti or linguini with that Bolognese sauce and serving real garlic bread with a garden salad. I would eat a bowl of that all day long, especially since they are in a family-friendly neighborhood. This would be a comforting dish that I am sure would attract regulars from the area.

Pros:Cocktails and Wine: the Smoking Gun cocktail and the Lu Rappaio Primitivo red wine were hands down the best.Favorite dishes: lamb terrine, lasagna, wild mushroom pappardelle (which was undercooked, too al dente, but the wait staff had it remade perfectly).Wait staff: very friendly - if there is something wrong with your order speak up, and they will fix it or remove it from the bill.Good addition to the neighborhood as Petworth really needed more options for fine dining; hopefully they can fine-tune the experience.Cons:Noisy: Dining room is all hard surfaces of glass, brick, tile, etc., ~ high decibel level, can only talk to the person right next to you if in a group, and simply impossible for older folks 70+ to hear anything.Appetizers: the Frito Misto calamari was overcooked, and not much seafood in the over-fried breading; this gets a zero star.Entrees: The gnocchi sausage pasta is very salty and the sausage is cut in squares as if it's processed, rather than shredded which is usually how it's done for fine dining; pasta dishes were sometimes under cooked.Staff timing: We were in a group of six and the servers only brought half the entrees at once, which made it awkward for us to wait to begin the meal.

So my family and I have been to San Mateo nine times since it opened in 2023. The food is ridiculously good and the servers are excellent! And it is sooo beautiful inside the restaurant.My absolute favorite is the frutti di mare (seafood pasta), which is packed with seafood, squid-ink pasta, and a broth/butter sauce that is FIRE. Our second and third favorites were the octopus appetizer, and seafood manicotti.My family and friends have also had the lemon-butter pasta, the mushroom pasta dish, the spinach, and the broccolini. All of them were hits.

Stopped in for a bite before the show at Room 808. A beautiful, modern small space with a very friendly staff. The starter menu had so many good choices. I went for the grotto mixto, even though they had charred octopus, a favorite. Misti was had super fresh fish, calamari and shrimp, piping hot from the fryer. Nice light batter with a tomatoes and garlic aioli sauces. You won't need them. House Chardonnay was lovely and crisp. I'd definitely return.

My husband and I have now come here several times and it is truly an incredible hidden gem with a fun bar and a spectacular back room. They have a wonderful wine list, a fun cocktail lists and a delicious menu! Don't miss the agnolotti e limone or the arancini. They also have brunch and a really fantastic happy hour. And if you're lucky - you will end up with Carolina as your waitress - she is INCREDIBLE!

If you like to eat in peace, Sunday night is definitely one of those nights at San Matteo.Modern atmosphere, friendly staff, efficient service, plenty street parking. Prosciutto melon and smoked burrata appetizer were pretty good, but only wish there are more melon came with. The seafood squid ink pasta was on point. Seafood was fresh and flavor was delicious. And don't forget to try some of their specialty cocktails. Overall experience is a thumbs up .

I was pretty disappointed due to high expectations. The restaurant itself is so charming, and the bread was nice. My friend and I got the San Matteo Salad, and it was fine, but even though we mentioned we were sharing it, we didn't get non-bread plates, and it was kind of hard to share on tiny plates. Then, my friend got the orechiette, and I got the Mafaldine Norma. Her orecchiette was terrific, but my mafaldine was (I think) the first time I've sent a dish back since 2021 (I make a practice of not sending food back whenever possible).It was so mushy. My friend tried it too and agreed. They were nice about replacing it, but the server did come out and try to tell me I just might not be used to that kind of noodle. I'm well versed in Al dente pasta, and very familiar with that particular shape, so even though he was nice I was sort of taken aback that he was trying to justify it being overcooked. The new pasta was still overcooked but much less so; it was not flavorful, either, but the fresh mozzarella was very nice. They brought it back without silverware, and it took a long time to flag someone down to get a fork, and when we ran out of water, it was really hard to get water for the rest of the meal (got a glass at one point, after two requests, but when that ran out we couldn't find someone to get more).Overall, the service was nice, if a little sparse sometimes, and the bread and orecchiette were good. Salad was ok, and mafaldine was flavorless and overcooked. Ambiance was nice, but I don't think I'd return.

This place is 5 stars all around. The staff are attentive and kind, the service is quick, and the ambiance is second to none. We have been coming here since it opened, and the service and food has truly imrpved since they first opendd their doors. They have a great kids menu as well.As a former "Red Hen" patron, I would choose San Matteo any day. More food for the price, more space, far more personable staff, far less pretentious. Support this great local restaurant!

Quick service, but inattentive. Greeted quickly and got drinks/order all in one go, which is great. But never visited after that, girlfriend's wine glass was empty for a majority of dinner. It also took much longer than it needed to for me to get the bill. We were asked to move, which again absolutely fine and the employee was more than friendly and respectful. They comped our drinks for the inconvenience, so they handled that beautifully. Food was good, not great. Overcooked steak and cherry tomatoes on the plate? The gnocchi was good. One note is the patio gets LOUD. The marble floors and brick walls make for the voices to just reverberate and bounce off the walls, making it difficult to hear the person across from you. Nice to look at, tough when it's busy. Overall, moderately priced, meh service, meh food, meh atmosphere.