Sotto

Giving this place any stars was hard. Service couldn’t be worse. Drinks where half poured. Getting a water was impossible. I asked for a water and my waitress suggested I drink a water someone else drank from because it was used yet! And this was all in a private space with a dedicated cocktail server.

I love going here for a few late-​night drinks and the live jazz. It’s located under Ghibellina and usually, not too crowded. However, be sure to order a drink that’s off the menu. When I asked if I could switch out gin for vodka in one of their cocktails, I was told all of the cocktails are premade so they couldn’t switch anything. I find it’s a bit disingenuous to make people pay premium costs for drinks that are already made. Regardless, the bar is beautiful, and the music can’t be beat. The tables are communal seating so expect to get to know your neighbor!

Don’t skip it. Just next «door» of Ghibellina. Very interesting and nice place. Ribs and brisket is so delicious for north. I tasted APA it was also delicious

Delicious and inventive cocktails, tasty food, excellent service, and LOVE LOVE LOVE that they have live music, sometimes singer/​songwriter or jazz. Mind you, I usually go on the earlier side (before 8pm) and it’s often not very crowded — I hear it’s more popular later in the evening. Fantastic hidden gem underneath Ghibellina.

I really really like this place. Food and drink are superb with a sexy ambiance to boot! I could write a lengthy review telling about my experience, but instead I am going to just let you trust my judgment and understand that it is a solid place for both a night out with your friends just as much as it is good for a date night.
Make sure to go for the live jazz music to really set the mood.
Side notes — no windows and it is on the right side of Ghibellina (same restaurant group owners). Head down stairs and you’ve found the place. It is definitely easy to lose track of time here. I also recommend have a good budget for the place.

I do not need to write this review because this area is so awesome and I do not need it overrun by tourists but I ‘ve to give them a shout out. Their menu is tasty. I urge the sausage sampler. The beverages are well thought out and creative. It’s an enjoyable spot to hang out with a date or a group of buddies. I’m excited to go back for the live music!

WHAT a fantastic «hidden gem» for classy cocktails and a snack. We just came for the cocktails. We had dinner down the street and wanted a bit more of DC before heading back to Arlington, VA where we were staying. We spied this place on Unilocal from our restaurant and it was 4.5 stars and only 2 blocks away. I am guessing b/​c it is downstairs no one knows it is there. the two bars on street level were packs and we came here and sat right down at the bar.
The do serve food, meat platters and sausages. It all looked and smelled great.
The bathrooms are super cool, padded leather doors.

We like everything about this place. Décor reminds me of Montréal restaurants and bars. Staff were all very friendly and attentive. Three different cocktails were all excellent and different from anything we’d tried before. Shared a selection of small dishes and came away completely satisfied. Thanks Unilocal for helping us find this excellent spot.

What can I say. I LOVE, LOVE this place. I almost had my birthday party there last June and because of horrible weather the night of my planned party (& my worrying about guest parking in the rain) I opted for another location. But I have returned to this place time and time again otherwise because of the great food, great cocktails and rather ‘in the cut’ vibe that is somehow both low key, yet still always lively at the same time. The band that plays there is great also.
All I can say is they definitely do it right here. And a big shout out to Ralph, one of the owners, who is always the kindest and most accommodating person you will ever meet. He once told me that in his mind everyone who steps foot in the door is important. Well, as a big fan of this spot, I can say this definitely comes across and makes every visit that much more enjoyable.

Great happy hour specials $ 6 cocktails, $ 5 wine, and draft beers $ 3. Happy Hour sandwiches $ 6. From 5 – 6:30. Downstairs next to sister restaurant Ghibellina. The atmosphere is a little dark side there is no outside lighting coming in but that adds to the ambiance.

Sotto is tucked between two other restaurants on 14^th street. It’s dimly lit and cozy with a mix of bar seating, booths, and communal tables. The ambiance was on point.
Drinks: I had the Groove Update (vodka + pear liquor + rosemary + ginger) – yum! It was sweet but not too sweet. I tasted the funk express, I don’t normally like gin based cocktails, but that was tasty!
My friend and I both managed to choose beers that they were out of, which was a bummer, but it worked out because they have a varied selection of wine, beer and cocktails.
Food: We ordered the pimento cheese dip, hush puppies, and onion rings. The pimento cheese dip was the best of the three. It’s served with crostinis… you’d have to pretty aggressive with the dip to get it all on the crostinis (which I am not opposed to), but maybe ask nicely for more crostinis, so that you can prolong the cheesy deliciousness. I’ve never had hush puppies before (WHAT?!). I found them to be sort of bland (really hoping all hush puppies don’t taste like this) they were topped with a bacon jam, which helped make up for it. Onion rings are onion rings, but they come with delicious sauce, no idea what it was, but if you’re really feeling onion rings, they would rival the pimento cheese dip.
I went on a Thursday, so there was a live jazz band, which is really why I chose to go to Sotto. The music was maybe a touch loud, which I really debated mentioning because yes, I realize I was at a bar with a live band, but it was loud to the point that the waitress couldn’t hear us and we were sort of screaming, so I’d recommend sitting in the bar area if are coming to catch up with friends while also enjoying live music.
I would definitely go back to enjoy live music, drinks, and pimento cheese dip.

first and foremost this is NOT bbq.
I came here because of the raving reviews on Unilocal!,but this place is trash. As much as the entertainment was great & the service was cool, the food is why I decided to make this review.
I decided to start off with the sausage sampler it was pretty mediocre. I was still hungry, after a long day at work, decided to get a side of potatoes & ¼ brisket. Getting these additional sides was probably the worst decision I could have ever made, the potatoes were disgusting. The brisket had a sauce that was trenched in sauce. this sauce had an extreme amount of tomatoes in it. I would say the sauce tasted like a ketchup soup.(sidenote: I hate ketchup)
The reason why I give this 1 star is because I have to; service, live music, and a cool décor.
I’m too exhausted to get into the syrupy drink Through The Grape Vine.

DC’s bar scene is seriously on point.
After nomming on some oysters at Pearl Dive, we made our way downstairs to Sotto. My friend is a regular here, and I can see why. Live jazz, excellent cocktails, and a full house. Sadly I didn’t try any of the food here, but the sausage platter looked amazing.
Sotto takes their cocktails seriously, and Joe’s Last Train was the perfect nightcap. I’m not usually a fan of whiskey, but this drink was perfectly balanced. Would definitely come back next time I’m in DC!

This review is based on my bar experience & ambiance:
I am a FAN! Well, I love basement bars, speakeasy’s, live jazz… yeah all that good stuff. I dropped in Sotto a few months ago. This place is actually amazing, the lights are low and the music is at a good noise level. I believe on most nights they have live jazz which is refreshing. I do not recall which drink I received (the guy I was with ordered something for me – it had whiskey in it) BUT it was VERY VERY good!
The service here is exceptional and the bartenders are friendly, which can be hard to find in DC. I can’t wait to go back and check out some other live jazz artists.

Love the atmosphere and LOVE the music weds thru Sat. Do not love the sugary drinks. I might stick to a gin and tonic next time I come for the music. Food is okay. I only sampled more of the bar style bites like onion rings and sausage and wasn’t impressed. all the other food looked good though!

Sotto is very cute! Let’s just start with that. I came on a Friday night and the bar area was packed beyond capacity. We pushed out way through the mob to the back of the restaurant where you will find a live reggae band, dim lighting, communal seating, and booths around the perimeter for larger parties. The food was just ok, I wasn’t overly impressed with what we ordered. I had a glass of wine so I can’t speak to there mixed drinks. The customer service as great however! Would I come here again, I love great food some I’m not quite sure. But it was great crossing it off the list!

Fantastic place to go for happy hour!
We had originally been planning on going next door to Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, but when we arrived it was crowded, loud, and hot.
Luckily, Sotto provided a cool, dimly lit oasis right next door.
The décor was very sexy and the bar was made out of a beautiful wood.
During Happy Hour (5:00−6:30), cocktails are $ 6, beer $ 3, wine $ 5 and DELICIOUS sandwiches are $ 6. This was quite the deal!
I had the pork sausage sandwich (very good) and my boyfriend had the brisket which I would highly recommend! Each sandwich came with a small kale Caesar salad on the side.
I wasn’t in love with my cocktail, The Groover (gin based with pear), as it was a bit sweet for my taste, but I think that’s just a matter of personal preference.
Finally, to top it all off, a live jazz band started at 6:30. Definitely will be coming back!

Great craft cocktails, food, and intimate (one might even say sexy) ambiance. It’s a great date night restaurant. They host live jazz bands Thursday through Saturday nights so if you’re seated at one of the communal tables by the band, it it will be hard to talk above the music. That being said, the music is great and you’ll enjoy the performance. («The Beat Fairy» Thursday nights is a great show!)
Tried a «Right Away» cocktail comprised of rye, amaro, and cardamaro, which was delicious. Also, while I’m not generally inclined to order squash off a menu, the roasted squash was the best thing I tried. Everything else was also delicious, but that squash doe…
Additionally, it’s located right under Ghibellina on 14^th, which has valet parking available for $ 12. Considering the dearth of parking in the area, this is super convenient unless you plan to have more than a few cocktails!
This is not a place for large parties (unless you’re lucky enough to score one of the two booths that could possibly accommodate larger parties) as it’s a cozy space, but it really is perfect for a date. You won’t regret the experience!

It may be difficult to find this place since their only signage is on their glass door. There was live jazz music playing once we entered the restaurant (check the calendar on Sotto’s website to see when they have live bands). The ambience was loud, lively, and trendy. There were large tables for communal-​style seating near where the bands play. Their menu isn’t extensive, so it can make choosing what to eat somewhat easier. I decided to get the Roasted Baby Carrots, a half pound of Beef Brisket, shared an order of the Sausage Sampler, and a Trolley Car to sip on.
Roasted Baby Carrots: although they were sweet, they were very tasty. Each bite of carrot became sweeter and sweeter. I had to put a lot of crispy duck skin to offset the sweetness.
Sausage Sampler: the fennel sausage was the best one. The lamb sausage looked burnt and had a tough texture. It was still tasty though. The beef sausage wasn’t really that special.
Beef Brisket: this was soo tender. You can get it lean or fatty, but I chose the lean cut. Although it was «lean,» it looked and tasted like it had 50% fat. If that was lean, I wouldn’t want to know what was the «fatty» cut. It was still really good! Ask for their BBQ sauce and add it to the brisket.
Trolley Car: wasn’t a very strong cocktail. Couldn’t taste any hint of alcohol because it was soo sweet. The sugar cube in the drink made it really sugary… almost tasted like syrup. If you can, trying ordering this without the sugar cube.
Overall, their food is pretty good, but sweet. It’s like eating dinner and dessert at the same time. It’s a good place to listen to some music. However, this wouldn’t be an ideal place if you want to talk to each other since it gets really LOUD. It is also dark, so it’s difficult to see what you’re eating. The server had a hard time hearing us. I would give this place 3.5 stars for their food, but due to their good service and ambience, I rounded it up to 4 stars.

I should say that this place sucks so that it can stay the hidden gem of 14^th street. But I totally loved it and it deserves your business. My boyfriend spotted this place online and we went on a whim around 9pm on Friday– we were far from disappointed.
The door is hard to spot. Unless you’re looking for it, you probably won’t notice it tucked next to Ghibellina. It has a bit of a speakeasy feel. We immediately got a table for 2, which is unheard of on 14^th street on a Friday night… and most other nights. I’m sure this place will have a line out the door in no time though, so I’m glad that we got a chance to try it out first!
Ambiance is awesome– the perfect place for a date or a night out with a few friends. They had live music, which I’m not sure how often they plan on doing that, but it was the perfect volume for chatting but loud enough that it really added to the dinner.
We ordered the pork ribs which came with a biscuit and the sausage sampler which came with a few brussel sprouts. The ribs were awesome– spicy, not too saucy and very tender. BUT THE BISCUIT. I don’t know what they make them with, but it’s probably crack. I wish we asked for more because I could have eaten ten. The sausages were a good variety and enough that we were full after just the 2 plates.
The beer selection is pretty good and the cocktail list looked delicious. My boyfriend got the Suit and Tie which was a kick of ginger to the mouth which was great, if you’re into that… which he was.
Oh and the service was awesome. I believe out waitress was Natasha– she knew the menu well and was funny and overall really pleasant.
I absolutely look forward to coming back here soon!