Settimo Cielo

In a word, delicious! Came here for a work lunch and I wasn’t disappointed. Ordered the chicken sans mushrooms and it was everything I had hoped for. Awesome slice of meat, perfectly flavored with a tasteful glass of wine. I hope to be back many times!

3−½ stars rounded up. Came here for lunch on a Tuesday with my work colleagues as we had just gone for an interview at the SDA across the street. The place was pretty empty. We were greeted by the host who promptly sat us in the middle side in the seating area past the bar. Service was pretty standard, ordered drinks, went over the specials, etc. The free bread was about average. I ordered a seafood special that had lump crab meat and clams with linguini. I liked it because the crab meat was plentiful and the sauce was very flavorful, yet not overpowering. My colleagues seemed to like their entrees as well. We were too full for desert.
If you are in the area I would recommend this place for a more fancy than usual lunch for that special occasion or maybe you just roll like that.

Excellent food, excellent service. Tried again last week after a long absence. Wine list is strong, menu interesting with wide r

So grateful to have this place close to where I work, and is still hanging on in Trenton. It’s an old school, upscale Italian restaurant without feeling claustrophobic, or too old fashioned. Everything… e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g…is utterly flawless — taste, service, presentation. And for the quality, the prices are so very reasonable. There aren’t too many surprises on the main menu — it’s relatively standard fare for an Italian restaurant, but that’s ok. It is all wonderful. What puts Settimo over the top are the extras: the family style plate of perfectly cooked green beans, those delightful little sweet potato fritters (I think about them all the time), the inventive salads (it is SO nice to have something other than the usual tomato/​onion/​lettuce/​boxed croûton thing). The specials also break out of the typical and tend to be exciting and full of complex flavors.
This is the go-​to place in the State Capital. You’ll occasionally see the governor here, along with state senators, assemblypeople, the occasional sycophant, lobbyist, high powered suits, etc. You won’t necessarily see them, but this is where they go — and it’s because Settimo is THAT good.

Great spot in Trenton for a power lunch or if you want arguably the best Italian in Trenton. Great cuisine and service. Very accommodating with dietary needs. Highly recommend any of their specials.

This really is a gem! The food is impeccable, the service is good, and the setting is good. It’s easily the best Italian restaurant in Trenton.
The food is traditional Italian cuisine. Pasta and sauces are delicious, and they have very fun and interesting main courses and specials. Everything tastes perfect! They give you these little sweet-​potato puffs on the side with your dinner. They’re creamy, light, and addicting!
The dining room is large and not small and cozy, so when it’s full, there will be a bit of ambient noise, but overall, it leans towards the high-​end. Price-​wise, it’s about right. It’s not exorbitant, but it’s not Olive Garden cheap.
All in all, if you want a special meal for a special night out, you can’t go wrong here!

I was on a business trip to Trenton and went to this place in part from reviews on Unilocal.What a fantastic place! The food was absolutely tremendous and the service impeccable. I at there all three nights in Trenton. The white clam linguini and the baked clams were outstanding.
Oh how I wished we had an Italian place this good in my town!

Nice bar, and good food. It’s not cheap, and they could use some bar food aside from the dinner menu. But the staff is great, and it’s a frequent stop after work for a glass of wine.

Great birthday lunch. Great food and service.

Seventh Heaven!
If they say it, it must be true.
Back in the Day downtown Trenton was a hotbed of cuisinery delights. So, it comes as a somewhat pathetic reality to acknowledge that there is at least one such institution there now. Where once you could choose among very good Italian, Greek, Diner, Seafood, Soul Food, and even the hidden blues/​jazz club within shouting distance of City Hall, today there are a plethora of dumps along the sad streets of T-​town; and there is Settimo Cielo.
Born out of the ruins of an older restaurant, Settimo Cielo came into the world with the vision that this once proud city still held the potential for a classy well appointed joint that could kitchen up high quality Italian dishes. Surrounded by State office buildings and concrete pill box garages, this oasis has been around long enough to prove the truth of that dream.
If they cook it right, they will come.
Went there for a business lunch the other day with two other attorneys who work in town. They are semi-​regulars, and were excited to bring me there for a sit down. It was great to be able to walk there from their office near the County Courthouse. Upon entry, the drab street was promptly left behind, and we entered a cool umber dining room complete with art and mirrors, tablecloths and shining silver. The menu was presented, water poured, and specials announced within minutes. Everyone had a Spanish accent, and that added to the intrigue of what was going on in the kitchen.
I have learned to eat light for a business lunch, so as to impress my companions with my lean approach to work. No room for extra calories when preparing for battle. The image seems to work. My mates, not concerned with what I thought of them, went heavy with Pasta and a Creamy Vodka Sauce. I heard there was a Spinach Salad Special complete with Pears and Apples, and went for that.
The Bread Basket offered decent baked dough, but perhaps not what exited the ovens of Italian Peoples or the belated Colonial. Still, the crunch was satisfying. My friends seemingly inhaled their thin pasta, while I navigated through an excellent fresh green Spinach Salad that included a touch of Blue Cheese and Walnuts. It wasn’t big, but it was tasty, and served the purpose of demonstrating my cross-​pollinated Spartan/​Epicurean style.
It was a satisfying lunch on several levels, not the least of which was the positive experience surrounding the food.
Settimo Cielo is certainly worth a return evening visit.

Not sure where all the five star reviews are coming from. Place is stuffy and dated. Food was just as dated. It came out of the kitchen really quickly to the point that the cheese in my dish was kinda cold. Service, while attentive, was rushed and unfriendly. I guess the area is deprived of good restaurants, so maybe the good ratings are relative to what is around. Wine list was limited and overpriced.

I read the feature in NJ monthly and had to try it even tho the area is scary.
There is nothing italian here. The music is latin and every employee is spanish.
We both had chicken and it tasted funny and the next day I was sick!
Tiramisu was $ 9.50 and a tiny portion.
It should be a hint when someone claims to open a fine italian restaurant in the hood.
There was even a tranny on a date with a guy that made it entertaining.
Shame on you NJMonthly.

What can I say… I am Italian & I am from New York; if you’re looking for excellent, authentic Italian food, look no further. I ended up going on a Saturday night and surprisingly the area was empty (from reading other reviews, I’ve learned that Trenton is a bit of a ghost town past 6pm). As soon as I walked in the restaurant, I was reminded of the places my family likes to frequent on Arthur Avenue (famous Italian neighborhood & eateries) or in Manhattan. The lighting is dim, the ambiance is traditional, and the food is excellent.
Food:
we were given a bread basket as well as delicious Bruschetta
ordered:
Spaghetti in a pink sauce
Angel hair with fresh vegetables
Broccoli Rabe
(all excellent!)
We were also given complimentary potato & corn puffs— seriously AMAZING. It tastes like a little dessert puff; I’ve not had anything like it in my life.
So, to wrap up, give it a go. It’s a lovely place with excellent food. Might also be fun for a birthday or anniversary dinner.

The food was excellent – tasty and fresh. I had the rolltini with spinach and mushrooms in it. The montepulciano by the glass complimented the meal perfectly. My only complaint is that the restaraunt had that «people use to smoke here» smell about it. Also, the server had a thick foreign accent and spoke too fast so it was hard to understand him when he told us about all of the specials. There were so many specials so it was hard to remember all of them and decide on one, so I just ordered from the menu! (If they printed the specials and the server explained each one, it would have been more appealing.)

I had high hopes for this place after reading the amazing reviews, and they did not disappoint.
I made reservations for 7:30 on Valentines day, a day that is usually stressful in terms of dining out. We arrived 15 minutes early, parked (for free!) in the garage across the street, and walked over to the very modest looking building. They checked our coats and sat us promptly. There were about 4 other tables, not too crowded.
The bread I must say kind of disappointed me as it had no type of «wow» factor. Just regular looking bread. So not worth the carbs and calories. That was the end of the disappointment, though.
We did not order any appetizers but they brought out bruschetta and the lovely sweet potato puffs so I obviously couldn’t hold on for long.
The food was rich and indulgent but not greasy. My friend/​valentine was Italian and used to homemade pasta and they felt it was authentic. They ordered one of the veal dishes and I got chicken with mushrooms and artichoke.
For dessert, we ordered cappuccinos and shared tiramisu and Sauvignon Raspberries.
The food was prepared and presented wonderfully without that stuffy pretentious vibe you get from other upscale places. They handed out roses to all of the ladies, and held my coat as I put it on… a nice touch.
So underrated! Screw whoever said they should move to New York… why should they have all the good stuff?! Support local business!

We did our homework on this place and felt comfortable being unconventional for Valentine’s Day this year. Instead of following the herd to a popular restaurant that was packed like sardines only to get rushed through dinner, it was better to go to some place that served good food and enjoy a nice romantic dinner.
Downtown Trenton is a ghost town of sorts after 6PM but once you walk into the restaurant after conveniently parking on the street, you forget that you’re in the hood. The interior reminds one of an old-​school Italian restaurant in New York City. Most of the tables were occupied the night we went but it wasn’t loud inside.
We started off with an order of Calamari and a bowl of Mushroom soup with Chicken. The soup was pretty good and the flavor of the mushrooms (tasted like Chanterelles) shined through but the Calamari was okay at best. We only got only the rings but no tentacles on our plate. The marinara sauce was nice.
For the main course, my wife got the Rigatoni with sausage in a white cream sauce and I went with the chicken breast topped with prosciutto served in a light tomato cream sauce and also ordered a side of Zucchini fritti.
Both the entrees were pretty rich and the portions so generous that we felt stuffed half way through the main course and ended up doggie bagging the rest of the food to save some room for dessert. There was also this croquette made with sweet potato and corn served with some vegetables which came with the meal. We had read about this in other reviews and we couldn’t agree less that it was amazing.
The Tiramisu with a side of zabaglione was excellent for dessert. Wine selection was limited. Would recommend this gem of a place within Trenton.

We were here with a group and our dinner here was pre-​fixe. I will say the food was good… We only had a small selection to choose from… I plan on going back again and enjoying another meal from their menu to experience what I have had others talk about.

This place was so nostalgic, went with my whole family. Not the best area, but what an incredible experience. Service was excellent, food was even better. Celebrated my grandmom’s 85^th birthday. Had the chicken special with sausage, delish!!!

Trenton is very lucky to have such a great place. Would it warrant five stars if it were in Princeton? Probably not. But it’s still a fine Italian place with real sensitivity to the vegetable preparation. Appetizers like the stuffed avocado are memorable if questionably authentic. The sides (complementary with every meal) are good enough to substitute for a dessert – which might not be Settimo Cielo’s intention, but whatever.
Particularly memorable is the highly attentive service, though I have to admit, it shouldn’t be hard to give good service, since the restaurant never seems to be crowded. On a Satruday night (right when Trenton closes down completely for the weekend) the place is nearly deserted; weekday evenings seem to do better. I can’t help but wonder if the service would as great if I ever came there when it’s busy. But no matter. As downtown Trenton’s only real fine dining option, Settimo deserves some love.

Excellent meal and attentive staff. The sweet potato puffs that are complimentary are wonderful and a pleasant surprise to your taste buds