New favorite restaurant in Madison. They have a great menu and a vegan menu! I recommend any of the vegan pastas and the spritz drinks. Great service and ambience. read more

I so hoped this place would be better. They've put a lot of work into the menu, the ambiance, the design...but need to focus on the execution of the food. We had a bland salad, a gluey gnocchi and a pappardelle that was undercooked, stuck together and cold. My friend had been there before and said she had the same underwhelming experience. I hope it improves! read more

The vibe and decor are great. Packed and had a great energy when we walked in the door for our 6:00 reservation. Unfortunately, they didn't have our reservation, but the hostess remembered talking to me and so she eventually let us sit in the very back booth near the pizza oven. Even though I so wanted to love it, it was definitely not our favorite. The plentiful warm olive appetizer needed some spice. Or salt. Or something. The eggplant fritter appetizer was good, but nothing we would order again. Despite having five pieces, which resembled meatballs on the outside, but had a very bland non eggplant taste/breadcrumb taste, none of us really wanted to have the last one because they lacked any distinct flavor. The pizzas were the best, with the pepper pizza with honey and burrata arugula pizza both being the winners of our dinner. Perfect crust and toppings. The artic char was over cooked, and it was the only time I can remember that we didn't finish the (nondescript) vegetables that accompanied a fish dinner. The gnocchi was good, but definitely tasted like and looked like (and was?) pan seared polenta cut into four big squares resting on top of mushroom sauce. To top it off, the sunshine and heat pouring through the black shades behind our back booth made our table uncomfortably warm--we all left sweating, actually. So many better places to dine in Madison. Bummer! read more

Bar Corallini - Cubed polenta aka their version of gnocchi. Decent, but not gnocchi, and was more of an appetizer than an entree. - Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

My girlfriend and I went here to celebrate our anniversary. What a disappointing night! They said 45 minute wait, and we said okay and grabbed a drink elsewhere and came back after 45 min. Our table wasn't ready after an hour and 10 minutes (we got a text when we put in our name so we knew how long it was) and she said it would be ready soon. After an hour and a half wait we finally got sat, and it took a while to get our drinks. By this point we were ready to go home (since it was 8:30 on a Tuesday) and got our food to go. The hostess said she threw in a dessert for free, and said "I know it was an extra 8 to 10 minutes"... nope. Final straw for me. Don't lie to your guests and charge us 70 bucks for a meal we had to get to go and throw in a $7 dessert that we didn't order to make up for it. Ugh. I tried really hard to be okay with everything but just left pissed off. I'd be willing to try it again... maybe in 6 months once they get it together and figure out what they're doing. Haven't even eaten our entrees at this point. I'm sure they are delicious but that whole experience ruined it. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH. The chef is from a small city by Naples (that's how you know it's authentic). The cheese and pasta is made in house, I can tell from the freshness of the ricotta to the chewiness of the pasta. I got the antipasti board, gnocchi, and tagliatelle alla bolognese. Oh also I got the special pie of the day which had soppressata, mozzarella, artichokes, and calabrian chilies. EVERYTHING WAS HANDS DOWN SO DELICIOUS. From the freshly marinated veggies to the grilled zucchini and eggplant, you could tell that love goes into these dishes. The only thing was that the pizza was a little too sour from the artichoke (it'd be better if the artichoke was cut up smaller and more spread out to avoid that), however everything else was so amazing that I don't even mind it being a little sour. I shed a tear after this place after finally finding a good Italian restaurant in the area. read more

I came here for a date night with my partner. The atmosphere is nice, bistro-y, and the serving staff is friendly and attentive. We shared the mozzarella fritta and the fennel salad as appetizers. The mozzarella fritta were excellent, the tomato sauce had a mild zing to it (described on the menu as "spicy," but this was not so or perhaps this is Wisconsin spicy). The fennel salad was excellent for the first few bites, but the flavor didn't evolve and each bite tasted the same (good flavor, but unexciting). We shared the grilled eggplant pizza, and the crust was top notch, matched any other good Napolitan pizza in the city, the eggplants and zucchini tasted fresh and had a nice touch of that grilled flavor you like. However the mozzarella on the pizza is sub-par. I would give Bar Corallini 4 stars were it not for this cheese. It's too stretchy, almost rubbery, and does not seem like a high quality mozzarella was used--the crust and grilled vegetables were miles ahead of the mozzarrella. We finished off with a tiramisu and a cannolo (the menu says cannoli but it is only one) - both were excellent. The serving staff are very welcoming, mozzarella fritta app was excellent, the fennel salad tasty but unexciting, the grilled eggplant's vegetable toppings were excellent but were marred by sub-par mozzarella, and the desserts were well-portioned and light enough to top off a dairy-heavy meal (though you receive a single cannolo rather than cannoli). The visit was good enough that we will go back but I imagine the mozzarella used is the same for each pizza and so will instead turn toward their pastas and plates. read more

Why So Popular? This place has mostly five-star reviews and it was recommended as a good place to get a vegetarian meal. We arrived at 5:45 on a Wednesday afternoon, and it was about two thirds full. We took that as a good sign, and were looking forward to our dinner. Then, the red flags started to appear... The waitress, although perfectly pleasant and enthusiastic, was lacking in basic interpersonal skills. On more than one occasion she talked over us and at no point did she ask how the meals were. We were not too concerned, because great food can make up for mediocre service. We should have been concerned... We decided to order the bread despite the $3.00 price. It was fine, but other restaurants serve better bread for free. Then came the main attractions... First up was the Pennoni alla Norma, which is described as "tomato sauce, eggplant stew, basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, dried ricotta." The pasta, which is very much in line with what can be purchased at Costco, was undercooked and somewhat tough. The sauce was adequate, but uninteresting. There were no indications that the eggplant stew made it into the sauce, but the large pieces of tomato were fine. For what it's worth, this dish did leave a lasting impression in the form of hours of belching. Of course, canned mushrooms will do that. Next up was the night's biggest disaster, the Gnocchi alla Romana ("porcini mushroom cream, truffle oil, Parmigiano Reggiano"). Having grown up with an Italian Grandmother, I have eaten gnocchi many many times. (For the record, nobody has come close to matching hers but that is not the point here.). When I ordered it, the waitress said something about them making it different. I really didn't listen closely, because I assumed it is impossible to fail at preparing gnocchi. Well, they proved me wrong. What they placed in front of me was a square that didn't look like any gnocchi I've ever had, alla Romana or otherwise. The first bite was when I knew we would never return to this restaurant. It had the consistency of a pancake that wasn't fully cooked, and every bite that followed was the same trip down Disappointment Lane. I was hoping the waitress would ask how it was so I could explain that this pasty goo was a poor excuse for gnocchi, but as mentioned earlier she never asked how anything was. For what we paid ($40), we expected a much better meal. For the same price we could have gone to Noodles and had better food... twice! To be fair, the evening wasn't a complete loss. The bathrooms were nicely appointed and gender-neutral, so I guess it could be said our visit ended on a high note. Oh, and even the non-tourist gondoliers in Venice don't wear the stripes anymore. [Insert eye roll here...] So, if you're looking for a place to pretend to be hip - and maybe even faux-European - this place is perfect! If you're looking for good Italian food and good service, keep looking. read more

Incredible food. Real authentic Italian flavors. I was amazed. Best Italian in Madison by FAR

So good! This is our hood, so we tried it Weds. night, so good we are returning with different friends 3 nights later. The pasta with beef tenderloin was very tasty. Maybe will try pizza tonight, but a couple other pasta's look good too. Salad was great and beer list good too! read more

Having eaten add a number of food fight restaurants that I was less than impressed with, this place exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere was cute, with soft pink lighting and simple Decour. The Negron he's were good, and not over sweetened the way so many drinks and Madison are. My partner and I also split a fennel salad and a pizza. The former of which was fantastic: refreshing, crunch, with unusual flavor well incorporated together. The latter was mixed: The crust was excellent (which is usually my biggest complaint about pizza) but the toppings were all cold, which gave the effect of limpness that weighed down the experience. One can imagine that if only the greens were cold, on a background of hot crust tomatoes and cheese, it would've created a much more balanced experience.That being said, I would absolutely come back here and would feel comfortable recommending it to a friend. All in all, if half stars were allowed, I would probably have given us a 3.5. read more

You would think that considering the restaurant industry is hurting right now, and needs customers to order takeout, that this place would actually be trying to keep customers and make some sort of effort. Quite the opposite. I've been here during normal times, and the wood fire pizza was delicious with a crispy crust. Last night, the pizza was extremely undercooked, basically a floppy mess that couldn't even hold on to the ingredients. And we ordered the pepperoni pizza, which is supposed to have honey on it. No honey. It's a pandemic ya'll, step up your game. read more

Literally would come here just for the cocktails. I'm a huge boulevardier fan and for it to be on their menu was a big deal. The drinks kicked ass, the pizza was amazing, the affogato was the dessert I didn't think I wanted but was glad I ordered. Make a reservation, it takes two minutes online. Show up, get tipsy, have some great pizza and enjoy your night. read more

Pretty solid pasta, but my spouse reports the "traditional" gnocchi was not very good. Garlic could also be more minced in their dishes (we got some big chunks). Good fried eggplant. Cool atmosphere. Have gone a few times and will likely return again. read more

We celebrated my birthday there and really enjoyed it. Looks and feels great. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. Both of our pasta dinners were delicious as was the on-draft negroni! read more

My new favorite restaurant in Madison!! Best gluten free and vegan pizza I have ever had. Also, the vegan ricotta is to die for. HIGHLY recommend!! read more

I have now been to Bar Corallini for dinner twice, and I can say for sure I'm addicted. The fresh pasta is all amazing - especially delicious was the linguine with clams. The bolognese was amazing. The pizzas are absolutely delicious and so authentic. The decor is very hip and modern - a very fun vibe. I highly recommend! read more

Just had a wonderful meal at Bar Corallini in Madison. Everything was fresh and delicious! We ordered warm olives with our drinks. Then after seeing the massive brick oven inside the restaurant we knew we had to get a pizza. Pizza was excellent! The owner had the oven flown in from Italy! We all ordered a variety of things all of which were fantastic - the unique take on gnocchi with mushroom sauce was delicious as were the other pastas, fish and chicken dishes. Be sure to order the homemade dessert also!! If I could give it more than 5 stars I would!! Make a reservation soon and get yourself to this restaurant! We can't wait to return! read more

Just wow! Come here early Sunday for lunch...half price negronis and spritzers. We shared a pasta and a pizza and just loved it!! This is definitely a place I will come back to again and again. read more

Excellent Friday night meal at Bar Corallini! The atmosphere is light and casual, albeit a bit noisy. We were seated promptly with our reservation despite the restaurant being very busy, and our server, Austin, greeted us within moments and took the cocktail order. My husband had the French 75, which was made with Brandy, and he loved it. I had one of the bourbon cocktails, and while on the small side, it was delicious. We started with Grana Padano and warm olive appetizers--perfect starters! Our food order was somewhat complicated (hungry teenaged son wanted pasta as an appetizer but the rest of us were having pasta as a main dish) but Austin handled it masterfully. The kale salad was so amazing! My husband and I each had one and in retrospect, we probably could have shared. It might be helpful for the menu to be a little clearer about what's a sharing item and what's not. I had the Rigatoni Alla Genovese, which was very flavorful with excellent tenderloin. My husband had the gnocchi, which looked more like cubes of polenta but tasted amazing. Next time, I want to try the pizza--they looked really good--and cannoli. Austin's service was top notch; very good attention to detail. read more

Amazing food and service. Very authentic Italian and wonderful Chef Gio. Delicious and great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Tried Bar Corallini during Negroni week. It was a busy night and we did not have a reservation, but we enjoyed waiting for our table at the bar. The atmosphere is great and the decor is top notch! The servers took some time to acknowledge us, but once we got our drinks we were very pleased. The food was great! We had the bolognese and a pizza. We split a started salad. We were very impressed with all of it! We're excited to go back again! read more

Great service, food, and drinks. It's an excellent choice for near east dining. Loved the negroni and rigatoni.

I really wanted to like this place, as it was highly recommended by a friend. My husband and I went for lunch on a Saturday. (As a side comment, I really get peeved whenever I want to eat, I am hungry, and then I am presented with a drink menu that is bigger than the food menu. Hello? If I wanted to drink, I would have gone to a bar. Oh! But there is "Bar" in the name of the restaurant. Any Italian person will tell you that "Bar" in Italian means something completely differently and not a bar where one consumes alcohol, and so that's kind of dumb, if you think you are an authentic Italian restaurant and you call yourself Bar Something, and therefore think you have to be a bar or have a gigantic bar.) From their brunch menu, I ordered the frittata and my husband ordered the gnocchi. The frittata I did not get. It was more like undercooked scrambled eggs with too many red bell peppers - and it was completely tasteless and it was not salted. The chopped kale salad that came on the side was essentially chopped kale. There was no dressing, there was no flavor. I felt like a horse being fed greens. Oh sure, there were breadcrumbs - but they did not add to the flavor. In addition, there were 2 badly charred slices of nothing-special-white bread. The gnocchi did not look anything like gnocchi. It was a baked layer of I-don't-know-what. There is an expectation when you order specific foods, like gnocchi and especially in an Italian restaurant. You expect gnocchi, which is like little dumplings that scoop up sauce in their irregular fluffy shapes, and not the monstrous and huge gigantic SQUARES of what exactly?? This was not gnocchi, these were not little dumplings soaking up the sauce, this was not Italian cooking, this was an insult - I am sorry to be so bold. But really. And again, the gnocchi was completely tasteless and not salted. Interestingly enough, the after taste in both of our mouths, even though we ate separate entries, was Pinesol and it persisted for hours after the meals much to our great dismay and disgust, along with nausea. We have learned our lessons. Never eat at a place that has "Dining Club" anywhere on the menu and never expect good food at a place that has drink menus bigger than their food menus. Food is not their focus, obviously. Right? So disappointing, and so worrisome. Pinesol. And also, so overpriced. Olive Garden has better food than this place. The service was great, but slow, but great. read more