Cento has become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I ordered the Tagliatelle (ragù alla bolognese, ricotta, parmesan), side salad and to drink I had Aperol Spritz (Aperol, seltzer, prosecco. Served over ice with an orange peel). I have officially given up cheese but I dream about the Tagliatelle quite often. The salad was fresh and the Aperol Srotiz was very refreshing. The service was great! The only thing you really have to worry about is parking but luckly I found close parking. I beleive they have one of the best happy hours in the city. read more

Typically, I go with the Tagliatelle because it is by far my favorite dish here, but wanted to try some new stuff! For Appetizers, we started with the Grilled Octopus and Mussels. I prefer my octopus a little more crisp and less cooked, but it still tasted great and the mix of chickpea below offered a nice crunch to offset the softness of the octopus. The mussels were FANTASTIC. The sauce was great, and dipping the bread in there tasted amazing. Will definitely get this again. The Campelle was light and fresh while the lobster scampi was a little heavy on the salt. However, the peas and lemon helped balance the profile. Cento is great, the pasta is definitely fresh and the decor is modern and upscale. They have a great cocktail and wine menu, and ambience. Always a pleaser experience and some of the best Italian in Madison! read more

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Atmosphere (5/5): It's really nice. In particular, as the sun goes down, the lightings inside the building made the moods in the restaurant more romantic. Service (4/5): There were servers in charge of certain tables. It was a little hard to say they were very professional, however, the customer service was very friendly. Food (4.5/5): Overall, all food was good, especially the pasta was really impressive. However, I felt that the seasoning of the octopus was a little bland compared to the very soft texture, and for dessert, I recommend tiramisu rather than celebration cake. Price: $55 per person (including tips) read more

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Food was very delicious and a fun atmosphere but there was a large group sitting behind us and made it hard to communicate.

We had a phenomenal waitress at Centro, and it really made the whole experience! She was friendly and personable, and seemed to really care about engaging with us and checking in on our experience! She also, like the restaurant, was professional and tidy. The food here was also really good! Bacon wrapped dates was an excellent start. It really made me question my assumption about dates--who knew these things could be so flavorful! Although, anything wrapped in bacon is gonna be good in my book. For entrees, my friend ordered the burrata salad and I got one of the many delicious pastas! We accompanied it with a bottle of wine. The dessert menu looked tasty, but we were too stuffed to indulge further. I guess I'll have to save that review for next time! read more

Cento - Burrata salad - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Went here for a just dessert a couple weeks ago and it was phenomenal. I ordered a cocktail that was complicated and delicious and my partner and I shared a dessert. It was a deconstructed nettle cake that was herbal, nutty and just a bit sweet. Presentation alone was Great British Bake-off worthy. It was so cool! I definitely recommend for a special treat night. The ambiance is also always so classy in there. Our server was kind and attentive as well. read more

Cento - A nettle cake with strawberries, merengue that was so different and so good! - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This is one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at. The flavor of the food was amazing! The service was excellent.

Delicious food! Great atmosphere. Had a little wait time to order food at the bar however it was a night when a show was playing across the street. Amazing happy hour! read more

Cento - Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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YUM!!! So excited to visit again soon! Started with the Grand Marnier Spritz & Glass of Chianti off of the Happy Hour Menu and enjoyed the Calamari and Burrata appetizers. Finished off with one of the best Espresso Martinis I've ever had. Nathan behind the bar was a pleasure and we can't wait to go back! read more

Cento - Espresso Martini - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This was my first time there and it won't be my last! My friend and I went before going to a show, and seriously some of the best food! So thankful she got us a reservation a few week in advance! We decided to go for the theater menu, all members at the table have to agree to do it but honestly it was so worth it! We started with some amazing cocktails and the sourdough bread (which is a must)! The cocktails were part of the happy hour special, and our server even came around to offer to put in another round before happy hour ended! For dinner, the theater menu is a small menu but it is worth it! My salad course I got the spinach salad, my main dish with the potato gnocchi, and I finished with tiramisu! My plates were all empty by the end of the meal, and I was the perfect amount of full! I honestly can't wait to go back, and bring my husband because I know he will love it!! read more

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I was so hungry and the food was so good, I forgot to snap a picture until the dessert was gone haha. I had the seafood scampi and it was soooooo good, as were the drinks. Our waiter was great and friendly. Recommend a reservation, the place was PACKED. But understandable with how fun the ambiance was and how good the food was. We went to celebrate a friend getting engaged and got this massive dessert board with gelato that was delish read more

Cento - Gelato and brownies - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've been to Cento twice, and both times had a good experience. The ambiance is beautiful and service is great. The food is very good but there have been some misses for me. The flavors of some dishes are very complex, sometimes a little too complex where it feels like they're using too many flavors and elements that just don't end up going well together. I would definitely like to come back and try some of their classic dishes such as the bolognese or carbonara. read more

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Delicious meal and great service. We had a wonderful time. The restaurant is modern and airy. Lovely evening out. read more

Came here in Valentines Day and had their prefix menu. Probably some of the best food I've had in Madison. Service was great on such a busy night and the atmosphere was nice and formal. Will definitely come back here again. I wish I had come here sooner read more

Cento - Gnocchi alla vodka and squash ravioli - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The Kale Caesar is perfection! I had to go back and have it twice in one weekend!The margherita pizza is also fabulous! We tried the calamari- amazing and the bacon wrapped dates - interesting preparation. Finally we had the baked gnocchi - wow! What a great experience at Cento! New favorite on visits to UW Madison! Will go again and again read more

Excellent haply hour! Excellent service, really pretty interior. Cocktails were good and the pizza has some good color to it. read more

Cento - Sausage Pizza with broccoli rabe - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Such an amazing experience at this gem in downtown Madison. Food, service, ambience, you name it, all superb. We didn't have a reservation so we sat at the tables in the bar area. They are first come first serve and are pretty limited so keep that in mind if you make a last minute decision like we did! Started off the with calamari and roman fried artichokes. The calamari was very thin and light which was perfect! The giardiniera was so fresh and is something I've never had with calamari before. That and the aioli complemented the dish very well. The fried roman artichokes were amazing. The pickles shallots made this dish so delicious. Entrees we're the potato gnocchi and tagliatelle. Both were phenomenal! I decided to go with a more traditional sauce for the gnocchi and I'm so glad I did because it's the best vodka sauce I've EVER had. This was a very large portion but despite being potato gnocchi, doesn't leave you with that 'overly-full' feeling. The tagliatelle was also very tasty and the pasty was obviously freshly made. Overall this was an excellent experience and the food was exceptional. Certainly will be returning as I found my new favorite Italian restaurant in Madison! read more

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I'd never been to Cento until a few of my culinary friends recommended it- so off we went for my birthday in January. The atmosphere is beautiful, and the open kitchen lends such a delicate dance to the restaurant. Our server was kind, helpful, and gave us drinks right away. He did seem occupied, as it was a full dining room at the time. I ordered some wine to go with my short rib pasta. I absolutely loved the flavor; however, the pasta wasn't salted when it was boiled, nor was the sauce and beef. It would've been perfect with some salt and pepper. For dessert, Cento was very generous and gave me a free dessert, which I ordered as a tiramisu. This was so rich and indulgent and full of coffee. Loved every bite. I'd come back again to try something different for second course. read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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we came on a thurs night for my friend's farewell dinner! tbh the food wasn't that great at the price point. if it was a bit cheaper i would be more willing to come back. we got the burrata and fig to share, which was good but i was disappointed that it didn't come with bread to spread over. i got the mafalda as my entree which was really lacking in the sauce and the ratio of pasta to asparagus/short rib was kinda off. the chicken parm is a staple, tastes like any other chicken parm. the burger was alright, didn't really blow my mind. i thought the pesto gnocchi was the best - the gnocchi was wide and dense and the cheese in the middle was a great touch. initially we thought the portion size of the gnocchi was lacking but it ended up being the perfect amount. the service was fine, our server seemed kinda irritated with us when we first got there though? the ambiance inside feels classier and more upscale read more

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Melissa was our server. She was so attentive. Our meal was prepared very well. The steak my husband and son ordered was perfect. My scallops were fine. They were a little salty but the bean purée made up for that. It was a wonderful dessert time because of the meazzaluna, afogato and the divine chocolate pannacotta. read more

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Went to Cento with my girlfriend for a week night dinner. When we first approached the venue, I was impressed by how elegant and beautiful the restaurant was. The decor from the chandeliers to the light blue dress shirts of the employees made the experience feel very luxurious. The booth seats were very deep and comfortable. We decided to get the sourdough bread and it was very chewy and fluffy. The butter and extra virgin olive oil that was included really helped the flavor. I got the pan seared duck that came with Brussel sprouts. The duck was very juicy and perfected seared. It came with a nice crust that paired with the savory sauce that was drizzled below it. Overall, solid venue to bring a date. Would highly recommend reserving a table as this place gets booked super quickly!! read more

Cento - Pan-Seared Duck - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I came for the Linguini alla Vongole. I would definitely return. We had early evening reservations, so it was quiet. I ordered the linguini alla vongole, my favorite go-to Italian dish. It had an amazing flavor profile, the clams were so fresh and the noodles were had a creamy texture. I would hands down eat this dish again; everyone should. My husband got the Porcini Pappardelle and loved it. He got a gelato dessert with espresso poured over it and said there were so many strong flavors. He enjoyed it. The server could've been a little more welcoming, but other than that, I would definitely return and recommend to others. Our bill was about $130, four drinks, an appetizer, two entrees and dessert; pretty great value. read more

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Kitchen needs to step it up. We have always enjoyed eating at Cento -- and last night the appetizers and cocktails were great -- and the atmosphere always works well for an enjoyable evening. BUT we had several problems last night. We asked for the server to spread out our meal into three separate courses, and yet the second and third course came out at the same time. Our pasta was cold, unfortunately, and the side of broccolini was underdone and very tough. The woman running the front of the house was nice enough to give us a small gift certificate for our next meal -- but more importantly, they need to work with the kitchen to produce the kind of quality and service we used to expect from them. read more

Hells Yes Great food Very pleasant and efficient service We had a great time and would love to go back read more

I'll take some of the blame for being too chicken to send it back, but WTF - the food was horrendous. Along with a salad we ordered an octopus based appetizer & a lamb based pasta dish - I couldn't tell the difference - both were oily and insanely over seasoned with what seemed to essentially be taco seasoning. Maybe I should have read better but chorizo was a disgusting pairing for octopus & when the entree proved to be an oily repeat of that flavor we left it un touched. The beet salad was the only dish I was not repulsed by, but even there the frigging Great Dane with its own lackluster menu has a better beet salad. Friends will drag me back to this Food Fight flop again, pizza is the only dish I'll risk next time. read more

We purposely picked a weeknight during the holidays when there was nothing going on at the Overture Center next door. Easier to get a reservation and to park. We arrived to an almost full restaurant and were escorted to a nice booth along the windows. We had to ask them to turn down the AC since it was so cold (it was actually on in mid-Dec!). They did so promptly. We each started with a glass of wine- seemed like a small pour for the price but... I ordered the calamari which was very good especially with the spicy aioli. My wife got the beet salad that she declared was the best she ever had and that is saying something since she orders it everywhere. It was almost all beets and not just greens with a few beets. For my main I ordered the chicken parmigiana which I had been craving - it was very good. Unlike some places it was not swimming in red sauce - there was just enough. My wife ordered the porcini pappardelle which is made with short rib - she thought it was very tasty. The service was very good. The meal was a success. We will be back. read more

When we visit Madison twice a year we always have dinner here. We arrived at 5:25 for 5:30 reservations yesterday, 9/4, noting we were celebrating a birthday. The hostess Ms A walked us over to a small 2 top table, in the main dining room that was totally EMPTY! This was very off-putting and we requested one of the booths by the window that was already set up for 2 diners. After a few minutes, she sat us at one of those tables. Our server Calvin was great and was quite helpful in helping us choose the wine and food. We enjoyed our entrees though I think it would be nice if one small piece of bread accompanied the dish. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the birthday (which was especially significant this year as my wife is presently under care for breast cancer). This was disappointing and at this point we will be rethinking our Italian restaurant choice. read more

The boozy brunch is so worth it!!! Yum! For $35 you get two cocktails, pastries, an entree, and bottomless coffee or tea. We enjoyed the black coffee manhattan, a bloody mary, and my fave, the lemon capri. The bloody mary really stood out to me, it's tangy, savory, and spicy with a kick. It might be the best bloody in Madison! Pastries are served with a delicious blueberry jam. For entrees, we have tried the seasonal omelette, salami hash, crab cake benedict, and breakfast burger. The burger was a hit with my fiancé, who loves a sandwich with a good runny egg. Everything was perfect. Whether your feeling casual or a little bit fancy, Cento is a must when it comes to brunch. Bon appétit! read more

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Cento makes fresh pasta daily and they have a boozy brunch with consists of coffee, pastry's, an entree, and two cocktails for only $30-40. During the out break of COVID19 cento was a place that really stepped up. We ordered take numerous times because they had a special $40 meal deal which was bread, salad, and two entrées of pizza or pasta. There was plenty of left overs and although it was as good as it was fresh in the restaurant it still made a perfect meal and date night at home. read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Server: Julia. Fantastic. Attentive, great recommendations, Water glasses always filled w/o overbearing, conscious of Theater times, good with GF options, amiable. Ambiance: Great. And across from the 7 theaters at the Overture Center! Food: Grilled Octopus; unbelievably great. Wish it were an entree instead of starter. Duck; Really good (usually not a fan, because of fatty nature, but decided to be adventurous) - this was fantastic and even the fat ridge was good. Tagliatelle (bolonagse); two diners loved it, and reported a little more mild than they've had at other restaurants, pasta perfectly prepared. Drink: Most fun I've had in ages. Pepper Plane - flavorful and tasty. Even had a dehydrated Jalapeno floating! Fiore: My type of drink! Sweet and flavorful. read more

Cento - Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Lovely experience. Brick Chicken was fantastic. Service was great. Pretty interior and can't beat the location either! read more

Cento - Brick Chicken - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I made a reservation at Cento on Wednesday 12/14 for 8pm. When my friend and I arrived slightly late at 8:07pm, the hostess informed us that our table was not yet ready so we waited until around 8:11pm to be seated. The chairs at our table were extremely comfortable, and we were seated right in the middle of the restaurant so we were able to take in the entireity of its beautiful atmosphere. To start, we ordered the sourdough bread with butter and oil which was not complimentary but incredibly tasty and warm. My friend and I both ordered the Rigatoni alla Carbonara and had mixed reviews on the dish. I thought the dish was excellent, the pancetta was delicious and perfectly salty, the egg complimented the rigatoni and pancetta very well, and the parmesean and spices topped everything off nicely. However, my friend believed the portion was incredibly small so we ended up ordering another round of sourdough bread and dessert. For dessert we ordered the Affogato which had lots more espresso than gelato. The next time I visit Cento I will order a different dessert, and I would like to try a different pasta dish on their menu although I did really like the Ragatoni alla Carbonara. I also appreciated that our waitress was accomodating and understood we wanted to relax and enjoy our time at the restaurant by taking a while to eat and chat which seemed like what most of the other tables were doing as well. Overall, I would definitely reccomend this restaurant and I will be going back, however, if you are younger or currently in college beware that some of the staff is not the friendliest to younger diners, this was the biggest downside to my experience which is why I rated 4/5 stars. read more

Cento - Rigatoni alla Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Started October with a yummy brunch here while in Madison. I was surprised with it being walking distance from the Capitol. It has an inviting and refined feel and being a table of one I sat up at the bar and sipped and nibbled to my heart's content. Service 5. The bar staff was helpful in picking both my drink and meal choices. They even let me know how I could save by choosing the Boozy brunch special. Food 4.5 My French Toast was more savory and soft that I desired but that was just a personal taste Atmosphere: 5 The space was modern and sexy without being stuck up. I saw young and old and even families eating without feeling like the other tables were disturbing me read more

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Great service! Nice up-scale decor and ambiance! Great location! But what they bomb on is the actual food and prices. Way way way overpriced for caliber of presentation and quality of food. And I'd pay these prices for amazing food, which this does not have. Sadly. The artichoke appetizer is excellent. The gnocchi with eggplant is average. The gnocchi themselves are fine, as is the vodka sauce, but they need to cook and season the eggplant thoroughly. Love eggplant, but I hate chewy "al dente" eggplant. Yuck. And the pasta with scampi is meh. The scampi are fine. The cooks just have no idea how to cook pasta, al dente! It's not rocket science, people! Luckily, there are other fine dining choices in Madison. And there are other excellent restaurants that serve pasta like you'd eat in Italy. Hope this restaurant can improve the food to meet the prices. read more

Super loud, server never wrote anything down so nothing was right, and food was fine. I think Madison likes bad soggy pizza.

Cento has a great atmosphere, very open inside with high ceilings and is a great place for date night and anniversaries. The atmosphere is probably the best part. And they treat you well for anniversaries, etc. The service has always been excellent here. Our most recent experience was our best, around a month ago. I had the Carbonara pasta. It was good, but there are better places to get pasta around town. And the portion size here is not that big. My partner had I believe the Tagliatelle. It was kind of bland, but not bad. You will definitely want to get an appetizer and/or dessert with your meal given the portion size. Unless you don't eat much. The bacon wrapped dates are delicious, and the sauce they come in is soo good. Get some bread with the dates so you can dip the bread in the sauce when you finish the dates. We had a dessert, and I'm not sure what it was called anymore but it was really good. Maybe the Mezza Luna. I included a picture. It was a really tasty pastry and had Nutella in it. The appetizer and dessert were the food highlights. I'd recommend ordering pasta, in the past I have tried the pizza and it just wasn't good. Though the pizza I had is no longer on the menu... read more

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Cento is a sold choice for dinner or brunch. For dinner I had the carpaccio and gnocchi and both were good. For brunch, you can't go wrong with the brunch special "Boozy Brunch" where you pay a flat fee of a reasonable $25 and choose your entree and two beverages and unlimited tea. I'm going back for it sometime soon! The crab cake Benedict was very underwhelming and forgettable, though. I won't get that again. Just meh. Nice atmosphere, classy place, friendly staff - very little criticism to give for this place! read more

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Excellent service and the food was amazing. Great menu. Was hard to make up my mind as there was sooo many options that hit my hot button. Can't wait to go back. Loved the vibe and their espresso martini was legit! read more

I had always been curious about Cento when it opened, and it definitely stands out as the "fancy" place in its little one block radius. It is right by everything on State Street and right up by the square, but this little corner was often neglected for fine dining. No longer. I came here with some friends after a lecture at the Overture Center, and found the food to be creative and overall rather delicious. We mostly got drinks and appetizers, but from what we did have I would be more than willing to come back and try more (the next time I'm willing to put on halfway decent clothes). I got the house limoncello, and it was delightful. I feel like limoncello can often be really hit or miss if it is too much booze and not enough else to balance it, but this was great. If I didn't have to drive home, I would've happily ordered more of them! Their beer menu is atrocious, but I don't think anyone would walk into this place thinking they specialize in beer. The rest of the drink menu seemed perfectly fine. My friends ordered a meat and cheese board, and the meat was sliced super thin with cheese cubes and all the fixings. I ordered some kind of raw scallop dish, which was absolutely delicious. I am a huge fan of scallops, both raw and cooked, but this was the first time I saw a clever dish created with raw scallops... usually it's just raw scallops and maybe some kind of sauce/glaze. This dish was very creative, and not something I would have ever thought might taste good together. None of us were particularly starving, otherwise the rest of their dinner menu looks great and I hope to be back soon to try more. read more

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Cento was very good! I had dinner there on a weeknight - I showed up a tad early for my reservation, and they were able to accommodate which was great! I started with the grilled asparagus as an appetizer. The pesto was amazing, but I thought the asparagus was a little underdone. I had the potato gnocchi for my entrée. It was pretty delicious and had a healthy serving of broccoli and mushrooms The service was good the whole night! read more