Had a late dinner at Cento and it did not disappoint! I ordered the Tuscan kale Cesar salad and the…read morescallops entree. Both were impeccable! My server, Prasad, was really the highlight! He was so sweet and informative. Went through the menu and described everything in such detail. My friend and I were visiting Madison for work and he offered us so many options to fill our free time. He takes so much pride in everything and it shows. The ambiance of the restaurant is a little on the nicer side, but they do allow casual attire. 10/10 recommend and can't wait to come back for the wine flight with the in house Somm.

It seems like one of the choice places to eat if you want freshly made pasta. We had the mixed…read moregreens, fried calamari, Tagliatelle, and the rhubarb cheesecake. I would order the rest again except for the calamari. Some pieces tasted good while others felt over-fried and chewy. It felt like some pieces were fried twice and less fresh. Pasta was the best dish IMO. Cheesecake was a close second. Service was excellent. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend making a reservation as this place gets busy by 5 pm. We fortunately got there by 4:45 pm and got seated. Special occasion place and it is off State Street in Downtown Madison.

On May 8 we visited Bar Corallini on Atwood Ave. to celebrate our middle daughter's graduation from…read more UWisconsin-Madison. It was a terrific experience and made for a great evening. Bar Corallini was extremely accommodating to the dietary restrictions (vegan) of a couple of our family members. Our server, Elena, was fabulous. The restaurant seemed packed with locals and had a very nice vibe. My middle daughter, who graduated from UWisconsin-Madison, enjoyed a vegan muffuletta (sandwich with marinated zucchini eggplant red peppers and artichokes and vegan tofu ricotta) on homemade pizza bread and kale salad with vegan crunch. Like the other main dishes, it was a very generous portion The four course, prix fixe meals were all very good. Hats off to Chef Pedro Caldera Herrera. My wife and oldest daughter loved perfectly cooked scallops. My youngest daughter praised her pasta dish and said the vodka sauce was light and not heavy at all. My rigatoni was a delight. The desserts were impressive too. Bar Corallini's general manager, Carlos Espinosa, stopped by to see how things were going and was very gracious. Overall I know we were a bit difficult with some things and Carlos and Elena were very accommodating. By the way, another vegan place, the Green Owl, is around the corner. We ate there one night too and it also was a good dinner. Our middle daughter is off to new things. But the outstanding experience we had at Bar Corallini is a good reason to go back to Madison if the opportunity materializes.

Solid Italian food in Madison, Wisconsin. I thought the Rigatoni ala Bolognese was the best dish…read moreI've eaten in Wisconsin and if you served me that in the West Village I'd be impressed with it as well. Pasta cooked very nicely and a fantastic flavor profile on the sauce & meat. Pizza is also decent; I'd get it again although I I much prefer the Novanta in the area. I didn't like sauce on the pizza and the cheese & crust were only okay. I'd come back again.

We popped in for a quick bite and it was fabulous! Some of the best chicken piccata I've had in a…read morelong time! Dessert was insane, definitely recommend the crème brûlée. They have a gluten free pasta option to swap traditional pasta and it was an incredible texture.

I hadn't realized this place moved into this spot, so we decided to check it out. This place is…read moregreat, and I'll definitely be back. As you enter, there is a decent sized bar off to your right with a few high top tables. To your left is the dining room, which is cozy and intimate. Someone at a table near us was having what looked like a margarita, and that made me want a margarita. So, instead of getting a bottle of wine, we both got a margarita. It was not what the other person was drinking, but oh my was this one of the best margaritas I've had in recent memory! It was SO good. It had a lot of ice in it, so next time I might ask for it straight up just so I can savor it and not let the ice water it down. We also had delicious bread brought to the table with a plate of olive oil and balsamic. The bread was cut into nice little pieces, was warm, and had a delightful texture where the outside was slightly crisped but not enough to impede your bite and the inside was just warm and soft. The have a nice, varied menu and it was hard to decide what to get. I was really craving marinara sauce, so I ended up going with the Cappellaci Di Salsiccia which was a meat and cheese enclosed pasta with marinara. And it was delicious. It also came out very beautifully plated. My dining mate ordered the Penne Pollo e Pesto and loved it. I'm not wild about pesto, but had to sample a bit and the way the pesto clung to the penne was really tasty. They also have a ragu lasagna and chicken piccata on their menu that I can't wait to try. As we were leaving, I saw a sign with two of their featured fall cocktails and both sounded incredible. I will have to be back for all of these things!!

I can't say enough good things about this experience…read more We have wanted to try Lombardinos Italian Restaurant ever since moving to the Madison area decades ago. Can't believe we put it off this long--what an amazing treat we've been missing all those years! This was one of those rare restaurant experiences that was truly excellent from start to finish. --Cocktails (Negroni and bourbon old fashioned)--YUM! Exactly what we want in an authentic Italian restaurant. REAL drinks, no fruity watered-down imitation cocktails here. --Appetizer (local beet salad, a special that night)--great, and we don't even usually love beets, but this salad was just right. --Entrees (half chicken Al Mattone, pappardelle with ragu toscano)--both excellent. The chicken was tender and juicy and had a wonderful seasoning (not exactly sure what all was in it, but it was delicious). The pasta and sauce were excellent, tasty and filling but not overly heavy. --Dessert (which we don't usually get; chocolate nemesis cake, butterscotch pudding)--both amazing. I don't think I've ever had a better chocolate dessert, and believe me, that's saying something (I love chocolate)! --The glass of red wine I had with dinner was a new one to me and was very tasty (Corvina, Cabernet and Merlot blend "Alanero"- Zenato 2022, Venuto). --Servers were all friendly, helpful with great recommendations, prompt but did not rush us at all, despite the place being packed by 5:30pm. --The atmosphere is authentic, feels "old school," cozy and welcoming. --One caution--get there early. They don't take reservations. We got there around 5:10pm on a Friday and were seated right away, but every table was completely full by 5:30pm. Also, parking is a bit limited (small lot beside the building), so you may have to park on the street and walk a block or two. But it will be WELL worth the walk and any wait you have (get one of their amazing cocktails and wait at the beautiful wooden bar)! Again, I can't say enough good things about this experience. It took us decades to finally get here, but we'll be back very soon.

They were super busy, so service was a little bit slower. Our server was super friendly and got all…read moreof our orders correct. The mushroom pasta dish (tagliatelle) was definitely the stand out of our meal. While the budino was delicious, I didn't get the butterscotch flavors as it was noted in the menu. It almost tasted more like pumpkin and cinnamon. Warm fresh bread and the traditional cesear salad were delicious. I really liked my white sangria but my husband didn't care for his barrel aged Negroni. Love the tiles behind the bar and the history of this classic place.

If you are looking for an old world Italian restaurant this is the place for you. I've seen…read morediffering reviews on here and think if you order the right thing you'll enjoy your visit. We visited for a date night and even though it wasn't busy there were a few times I was without water and due to the layout of the restaurant and where we were seated we couldn't flag anyone down. For food, we avoided the pasta due to the reviews and ordered other items instead. The calamari was surprisingly good even though it looks frozen, it was cooked absolutely perfectly which is hard for calamari so I was very impressed. The porto salad was delicious, and reminded me of a supper club salad. The pizza (That's A Spicy) was the best part, as I love a crunchy and thin crust pizza and there were so many toppings. The tiramisu for dessert was also fantastic. Definitely a great date night spot.

Went here last night. We were visiting from South Carolina and make it a yearly visit to have…read moredinner at Porta Bellas. We are a small picture of white sangria and two cokes. Three of us sorted the small Portabella salad and one of us sorted the Caesar salad. The salads are always great, especially the portobello salad with the buttermilk all dressing. It's a staple! Three of us ordered the Garibaldi sandwich. I ordered mine with jalapeños. We had another order with the hot banana peppers and the third order with no peppers at all. The bread was toasted perfectly along with the sesame seeds on top of the bread. Everyone loved Garibaldi. My granddaughter ordered the manicotti with a Alfredo sauce and a red sauce. The three of us took a bite of it and it was absolutely great. They also serve some nice French bread with butter. The atmosphere here is really nice and quaint. The service was excellent. Have to give it four stars. I look forward to coming back next year. It's too bad. They don't have the white house sandwich like Paissan 's used to have.

This is one of the best meals I've head. Harvey ticks the box on every dimension - beautiful…read moresetting, great vibe including the music, fantastic service, great cocktails and of course the innovative, unique, delicious food. Our waiter gave us great tips in navigating the menu and experiencing the variety - and it could not have been a more special experience celebrating my brother's 60th birthday with my 91 years old dad. They have 3 Old Fashion options - we tried 2 and they were both rock solid. The ravioli and trout almandine are savory entrees that didn't disappoint. The baked potato is an innovative cloud pleaser but highly recommend sharing. And don't sleep on the onion soup - I've never experienced anything like it. The smell that emanates when you first pierce the creamy foam layer will make you say 'whoa.' Will definitely return.

My friend scored a last minute dinner reservation while I was visiting, and I'm glad she did! We…read morecame for dinner with a group of 4 on a Sunday. The restaurant was beautiful and the service was amazing. I appreciated that our waitress was very knowledgeable about the dishes on the menu and what ingredients they contained, which is perfect for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions (like myself). We were seated near the open kitchen which also added to the dining experience. I tried: - Scallop toast - I really enjoyed this. It was mild, not fishy tasting at all, and the brioche was toasted very well. I'm not a huge seafood person aside from sushi and poke, and had never had scallops before, so I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. - Ricotta Raviolini - I was not a huge fan of this, which was especially disappoint since it was my main entree / the most expensive on this list. It was essentially a folded sheet of pasta with a tiny bit of ricotta, topped with barely cooked asparagus and snap peas. The menu also lists lemon infused olive oil, but I didn't taste that at all. The parts of the raviolini with a good amount of ricotta were delicious, but the dish overall was bland and tasted like raw asparagus and peas. My friends also tried it and none of them liked it either. - Baked Potato with The Works - super simple and perfectly executed. It comes with bacon, which we got on the side since I don't eat red meat. Potato was fluffy and salted perfectly, with a good amount of other toppings. My friends who do eat bacon said it tasted more like ham than bacon, and they actually preferred the potato without it. - Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding - Loved it. I love bread pudding and chocolate pudding, but never thought to combine the two. It was delicious - soft, not super sweet, and great portion size. I would recommend sharing, it's pretty rich which can be overwhelming at a certain point. - Flightless Bird mocktail - this was one of the best mocktails I've tried. It has a black tea base but tasted more like a regular cocktail without the alcohol burn rather than tea. Everyone at the table enjoyed trying it too. Despite the raviolini being a miss, the rest of the food, service, and ambiance made this such a wonderful dining experience that I can't wait to come back and try more.

Beautiful restaurant for an anniversary dinner. What's even better than the atmosphere is the food!…read moreMy fiancé decided on the meat platter with 3 ozs of the chef's choice meats. This dish was the best food we have ever had in Madison! He received the chorizo sausage, wagyu lamb shoulder and lamb sausage served on diced potatoes with a tomato sauce. This was delicious and would make us come back every weekend!

To paraphrase Our Experience: Applebees is a much better choice for dinner than Osteria Papavero…read more The restaurant is too dark to even read the menu. The lights in the entire restaurant kept flickering all throughout dinner like the establishment was experiencing some sort of overload of circuits. When we inquired about the issue, the waiter simply rolled his eyes and said "this has been an issue for a long time, we keep telling them that they need to get this looked at" The food was mediocre at best, lacking any true flavor. They spend more effort trying to give their dishes cute Italian names than trying to make a decent meal. The so-called "Hi-Top" seating had about the same feel as sitting at a bar. You and your guest were seated directly next to each other, and you had to physically turn completely around to speak with the wait staff that was taking your order. Bottom line: There are MUCH better choices in the greater Madison area to eat and spend the kind of money that they are asking. I wouldn't recommend this establishment for any occasion.

A Classy Watering Hole with a Million-Dollar View! My review is for DRINKS ONLY, don't judge!…read more Perched on the 10th floor of the AC Hotel, Eno Vino offers one of the most spectacular views of Wisconsin's Capitol building. Seriously, the view alone is worth the elevator ride! We rolled in Thursday evening (10/22) with a sizable USC contingent, ready for cocktails, conversation, and a little Thursday Night Football. The Bears beat the Patriots, and yes, they have televisions for those of us who appreciate football with our fancy cocktails. Of all the establishments I frequented during my Madison weekend, this was easily the most "adult." Sophisticated, modern decor, stylish lighting, and an upscale atmosphere without feeling pretentious. A refreshing departure from the college-bar scene! The cocktail selection is impressive, with creative concoctions, an extensive wine list, and a full bar. Yours truly stuck with my signature Ketel One martini, up, SUPER dirty...scratch that, FILTHY, with two blue cheese olives. Perfection! Special kudos to Neil, who did an outstanding job keeping our entire crew "hydrated" throughout the evening. Judging by our bar tab, he certainly earned his keep! Admittedly, my recollection gets progressively hazier, but the company was terrific, the cocktails flowed, and the view was unforgettable. Fun, elegant, and a killer atmosphere. Eno Vino delivers! Fight On!

I was staying at the AC Marriott for work and got in late on a Sunday (around 8:30) and since most…read moreplaces close at 9:00, I opted to come to Eno Vino since it's inside the hotel on the 10th floor. Pros: Great that they are open late - convenient to hotel guests and beautiful views of the Capitol and overall a nice vibe. Not super fancy but definitely nicer. My server was super welcoming and friendly - wish I had caught her name! They have an all day HH on Sundays which is a pretty good value! Half off a bunch of apps and then drink discounts as well. Cons: The drink I got (Hot Guava Summer) was just ok. Not bad but nothing special -- it tasted a bit watered down. I wanted the chicken tandoori skewers ($24 but $12 on HH) but unfortunately they were out of this dish! Instead I opted for the "bruschetta" which you can choose any 4 for $28. I opted for the sweet corn (too mayo-ey), fresh mozzarella (decent), brie & apple (decent), and prosciutto (decent). These all sounded really good but execution was not great. Some were too salty while others had flavors that didn't seem to totally jive. Also, the bread is super thick like french bread almost (definitely not traditional bruschetta). I ate most of the toppings and left behind a bunch of the bread.. I appreciated the variety in textures and toppings but this is not something I'd order again. Maybe the other food items are better so worth giving them another chance perhaps... This place is fine in a pinch, but next time I'd likely stick with a glass of wine and enjoying the view.