Cesco Osteria & Co2 Lounge

Great ambiance. Nice space. Not busy on a Thursday night.
Felt like an older restaurant that is trying to keep up with the times. Menu could use a revamp. Too heavy on seafood. Not a very family friendly menu. Servers were friendly and helpful.

The food was alright. The service was alright. We struggled getting a friend with a walker in through the rotating door since no one was at the hostess stand to open the side door. Waiter was good though.

Five stars for the bar, five stars just for Sir. Flaco, the best bartender in the world.
Never have I been to a bar so hospitable and so warm. I moved to Bethesda a few months ago and stumbled into the CO2 lounge on a whim hoping it wouldn’t drain my pocket too much. I fell in love with their live band that plays every Friday and it is a great place to mingle and meet other working people after a long day of work.
I primarily stayed in the bar area so I can’t say much about their dinner menu or anything but their finger food and appetizers match very well with their drink menu. I ordered their margarita pizza which was decently priced and finished it off with a light yet delectable tiramisu. I could tell that they spent a lot of time perfecting how to pair drinks, especially wine with these desserts. And also, the bartenders and waiters here are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere where I wanted to be best friends with someone, but I walked out having really great conversations and wanting to comeback ever week to talk to them.
Really really great atmosphere on the weekends. On the weekdays however, it turns into a more intimate space where it you can easily have quiet conversations with your date/​partner. And yeah, this place can be a bit pricey but it’s Bethesda… so everything is going to be pricey to an extend so please don’t hold cesco accountable for that! Just saying.
I would recommend checking this place out if you have a Friday to spare.

Had brunch for Mother’s Day and it’s was good. They did a Mother’s Day brunch that had a decent assortment of food and all of it was good! No bad options. We will for sure come back. Staff was all super nice and helpful!

My company hosted a farewell happy hour for a coworker at Cesco recently and the customer service we received was matched by no one else in the Bethesda area. From the first phone call I made inquiring about the event space through to paying the bill at the event, I was treated with the utmost respect and care. Elaine, who handles their events, was incredibly responsive to emails and offered so many fun little details that made our party very special. Guillermo, one of the bartenders at the event, was incredibly kind, responsive, and adaptable to our groups needs. For example, we wanted to order more food depending on what was received the best and the kitchen only needed a few minutes notice for our group of over 40.
Though Cesco is a little expensive, they were willing to work with us to supply happy hour prices on drinks and gave us a very reasonable minimum charge. The drinks were well crafted and delicious, the service was out of this world, and the food was enjoyed by all. I highly recommend hosting a corporate event at Cesco.

I’ve had the pleasure of dining here a few times and it’s always been a pleasant experience.
The custom made salads are my ‘go-​to’ menu item. The salads are HUGE, with fresh ingredients, and the option to add grilled shrimp, salmon, etc. Nice wine selection, and very attentive wait staff.

I went here on Valentine’s Day with my lady and it was very hard to evaluate this place. I used OpenTable to find a place and was very, very strict. This seemed to be a real winner. So going in, I had high expectations. And I was happy to pay for it.
First off, Margaret and whoever the lady was working the front was spectacular! Exceptional service.
Our waiter was very disconnected. When asked what Chianti he would recommend, he said he would find out and 5 mins later he came back with an answer.
The food was just okay. With the pre-​fixe and a bottle of wine we spent about $ 400 and that’s A-​okay, it’s a special night, but at that price you expect to be WOW’d by the food, and we were indeed not. It was all just okay.
We probably won’t be back, but we like that it’s family-​owned and we hope they step their game up! Thanks

Great ambiance; old school Italian; a bit formal. I didn’t care for the shared appetizer plate but did love the crab cakes. Was expensive though so beware – spent $ 60 per person before drinks.

The food here is amazing. I have been here many times and I think that everyone is at your service and the food is consistently good. Roasted chicken, pizza, and spaghetti are all good choices. Good for kids too.

I’m surprised this place only has 3 stars. My fiancé and I went here for dinner and thought it was excellent! I ordered the steak (Tagliata) and my fiancé got the cod. Both meals were fantastic. The steak came with a side of potatoes that were crisp, and my fiancé’s cod came with a side of angel hair.
The service was great as well! The waiter was not too intrusive– just how we like it. They were very friendly and attentive to our questions. Overall, a great experience.
The prices were reasonable. We knew when we made the reservations that it would be a bit more expensive, but nothing crazy. For the ambiance and food, I thought this place was definitely worth it.

Pathetic service, rude and dishonest waiter. We were a group of friends and visited this place for some beer and food. The woman serving us was rude and didn’t follow our request to split the chek the way we requested. She added a tip of 20% on her own and then charged my card twice. Better to go to a place where they value customers.

My friends and I were regulars at Co2 Lounge even though the bartenders are pretty awful. We love the music there on Friday night. Several people have complained about the Korean-​American one, Jason, in particular but management has not done much. He is very rude esp. to women. Some of us, including myself, don’t go there any longer because of him. Worst bartender we ever encountered. The other one is slightly better which is not saying much.
Speak up when you notice. Maybe there is hope. Thanks.

We were in the private dining area that had enormous windows so viewing outside and the patio was a plus. The service team was PHENOMENAL. Our private Bartender was on point, as he kept the wine glasses topped off.
The nosh table had a great presentation of finger foodies, I did not consume yet admired the selections. The cold cuts dish called «Affettati» was a blend of salami, prosciutto and mortadella, with marinated Italian olives and parmigiano and pecorino cheese, a few house pizzas and Caprese Salad. For the non-​meat eaters, a fresh array of exotic fruit was on deck, I made three trips! & the grilled veggies consisted of an olive oil/​lightly seasoned sweet peppers, squash and portabella mushrooms.
The servers were so attentive and of course the food was delicious! Our company outing was an overall enjoyable time of awesomeness on all levels. I am heading back tomorrow after work to sit on the patio and try their Happy Hour… out the elevator and down the steps, clutch!

Went with a group and was pleasantly surprised.
For apps we ordered the scallops, calamari, and crab tower. And for entrees, a steak w/​potatoes and portobello mushrooms, the salt crusted branzino, and halibut.
The apps were fantastic. The scallops were well cleaned and cooked perfectly, melting in your mouth with each bite. The calamari and crab tower were equally well prepared and tasted great. Whatever the breading Co2 uses for the calamari has a great spice blend where you don’t even need the dipping sauce.
The entrees were a bit of a mixed bag though. Starting on a low note, the steak was underwhelming. It comes pre-​sliced and while cooked to order, it doesn’t support the rest of the dish. The potatoes just weren’t tasty and seemed too thick for the cooking style. The mushrooms were a bit overpowered by the provolone used. And, the plate itself seemed far too big for the meal. Items were too spread out giving the sense that the meal was smaller than the amount of food served. The halibut fared much better. There’s a cohesiveness to the plate. However, the saffron crab sauce completely clashed with the fish and sides. It was tasty by itself and with the halibut, however it just didn’t go well with the spinach. The halibut came with potatoes as well and really shouldn’t as they seem like an afterthought to add starch to the plate. Finally, the star of the evening: the branzino. It’s opened tableside by the waitstaff and is every bit impressive with every table watching the salt crust being opened and fish separated from bone. It tasted light and moist with just a hint of the fish’s unique flavor. Absolutely a joy to eat. I just wish it was served with something a little more substantial than a basic garden salad.
Overall, would definitely eat there again, but probably stick to apps at the bar.

The outside. It’s great on a beautiful night. Can’t believe it has taken so long to try this place out. The service was friendly and the food was great. Ok there is a meat pizza roll thing called a torpedo. — a tostitos pizza roll for adults. I want another one right now.
Let’s talk about that veal ravioli. It was a triumph. The way God intended baby animal meat to be eaten, wrapped in hand made noodles.
To quote Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, «I’ll be back.»

If you go to their website, the food matches the three dollar sign price range Unilocal gives it. When you go there in person, it’s not reality. My entire office went here to celebrate our CFO over lunch. Since the day was perfect, we sat outside.
The wait staff were very attentive and the moment we sat down, we were offered drinks and a break basket. I had a basic green salad, which was fine. My main course was the dante panini and, honestly, it was odd. It sounded good until you read it had BBQ sauce on it (What?!). It wasn’t worth it.
The one redeeming factor about this place was the gelato. Everything else, made it a «meh» experience. My colleagues and I agreed we’d never come here on our own, but if someone else is paying for it, by all means.

My wife & I had a Saturday night dinner at Cesco Osteria. The friendly hostess sat us at a table of our choice. The interior designer did a great job remodeling the space. It used to be a McCormick & Schmick restaurant. The dining room is contemporary, lit well, and with tall and wide windows.
Our waiter was very attentive. And our food was excellent. I had the osso bucco and my wife had the halibut. The appetizer and soup selection was just as good as the entrees. The menu prices were very reasonable too.
Theres lots of great restaurants in Bethesda, and this one surely ranks among the best!
We will be back!

I love this place! The food is always great and the live music on Fridays is the icing on the cake. The bands play mixes of Latin and pop. The crowd is mixed, so no one will feel left out. I typically get pasta dishes. Last night I got gnocci and it hit the spot. I’ve been here with large groups (over 10) and they divided the check for us, which was nice. The servers are very knowledgable about the menu and wines. I love that it’s RIGHT off the metro, especially in this polar vortex. Never a sad time here!

My review is for the Co2 Lounge. So something new they just started last night was District Trivia night! I really hope this catches on because it is a great time!
It starts at seven and ends before ten. Get there early to hone in on their happy hour specials. There’s quite a variety. I had the calamari. It’s a large portion of rings only (yay) and come with an excellent Remoulade sauce. It’s very tender and delicious, and just $ 6.00 during happy hour. Select drafts are just $ 5.00. Our server (jake, I think) was awesome. I know that word is so overused, but it fits him perfectly.
Back to Trivia. We only had two teams last night (Three is you count the two staff member team), but the game went on. The District Trivia hosts were there and they create the questions which range from easy smeasy to down right challenging. In the end, my team of four were victorious and won $ 25 off our tab which we could immediately apply. Too bad I am the only team member that lives two miles away, so I will have to find other smarty pants (but it won’t be the same).
The décor is tre chic. The bathrooms are posh too. They have a great patio area facing Woodmont which will be great in the warmer weather. Hurry up spring!

Service here is what makes this a poor experience. A culmination of factors makes the service inefficient and slow. They are severely understaffed and the staff they have do not work well efficiently together. There seems to be a lapse in staff training here too.
We ordered drinks at the bar and the bartender didn’t know how to make several of the drinks, leading to a huge delay because she needed to wait for someone who did know to make them for her. They strongly encourage tabs, but keep aware of charges! During our time waiting at the bar, they had given several people the wrong card or made different charges.
In sum: Pretty place and okay drinks, but poor service.