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

Oh cento you hold a place in my heart. You are just as delicious as our wedding reception 3 years ago. The star was the cocktail- the Alps and Ash. It is a distinct and Smokey cocktail that will have you feeling the silk of your smoking jacket brush across your arm. Carbonara was tasty- the egg adds to the experience. We assume somebody's gramma is in the back making pasta. The mushroom forager pizza is my new favorite thing here! read more

Cento - Aperol spritz - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I just came back from boozy brunch and am in a bit of a food coma, but I will do my best to review Cento. What a fantastic experience! It had been a while since I'd dined in at a restaurant and this was a great way to get back into it post-vaccine. Boozy brunch was a great deal for me and my boyfriend. I had bottomless coffee which was hot and delicious. We both got two each of the four main brunch cocktails - highly recommend all of them, especially the Italiana '87 which surprised me as I'm not the biggest gin fan. Assorted pastries included banana bread and croissant today. I thought we may get more pastries among the two of us, but they were tasty and combined with entrees were more than enough. The entrees were fantastic - my salami hash was hot, fresh, and flavorful and my boyfriend ate up the eggs Benedict. Customer service was fantastic. Our waiter and other servers were quick with everything we ordered. Super friendly staff that did not make us feel rushed when we were eating slow at the end :) The brunch was pricier than some, but well worth it for the quality, quantity, service, and atmosphere. COVID protocols are solid - I am excited for my next visit here. read more

Cento - Fairchild Fizz, bottomless coffee, and water - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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

Cento has always been a staple spot for Italian cuisine for me! The pastas are all handmade and cooked to order. The carbonara is especially delicious, with so much flavor! The creaminess of the sauce topped with the spread of the yolk on the poached egg is so rich and then adding the bits of crunchy bacon on top is amazing. Pasta and the steak tartare are always my go-to's! read more

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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

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

10/10- just go. Order what you want and ask for some recs. Our waiters were fab and didn't lead us down the wrong path. My only regret was only going with my hubby and two small kids. Had we had more people with us we could have tried more dishes. Pizza, pasta, salad, mussels, bread for starter...even the deserts- all delish! read more

my husband and i came in after shen yun looking for dessert it was exactly what we were looking for from when we walked in to the service we received to the food was amazing shoot out to our server Erin guided us through and so pleasant to have read more

Cento - Tiramisu cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Amazing dining experience. From seating, to service to every morsel of food ,,, delicious. Let's start with the fried olives - amazing. As well as our salad, bread and the artichokes which were so heavenly. We then dined on pasta and a over the top awesome pizza. Service was terrific and our server knew the menu and made great recommendations. Nice wine list. We were just too full to indulge in dessert but if you have a sweet tooth save room. Fantastic meal. $$$$ read more

Best Italian restaurant I've been to in Madison. And I've been to at least 5 if you don't count pizza or delis. Pasta was crazy good.

We came here for my husbands 37th birthday and everything was amazing! Max was our server and he took great care of us and so did the chefs! The beef Wellington was insanely tender with a perfect crust and everything else was also fantastic!! read more

I've been to Cento numerous times, with varying levels of success. I was recently there on a Saturday at 12:30. After being shown to our table, I pulled out my chair, which had some greasy arugula leaves on it, and I waited to flag someone down to wipe it off. He did, with a nice wet rag. I then dried my chair myself with my napkin before sitting down. Our server arrived promptly and she took our order. We then waited a really long time for our food to arrive, but noticed two tables next to us, (both had arrived after us) had their food delivered before us. Our server walked by our table (in the center of the room) one time and that was the last time we saw her. Another server finally brought our pasta dishes. Mine was delicious, the tagliatelle. My daughter, after a few bites, stopped eating. The carbonara, which she has always loved, was piping hot, and not in a good way. It started to separate, extremely oily and incredibly salty. Our original server never came back. No one refilled our water or even asked if we needed anything. Sadly, when a mans jacket at a booth near us, fell on the floor, I watched while every single server walking by, the manager, and even the server for the man's table, did not tell him his jacket was on the floor, or bother to pick it up. They all simply stepped around the jacket, as if it wasn't there. It was disappointing to witness the lack of common sense, but it seemed a perfect commentary on the level of disregard for good service. When explaining to the manager the issues with the carbonara and the service, he explained how short staffed they were, but removed the charge for the uneatable carbonara. It's very loud in Cento, so if talking is high priority, be aware. On the other hand, while it's difficult to get a table, last minute, at certain other restaurants, there is always a table to be had at Cento. It would be nice to count on it as a decent alternative for last minute dining, but sadly, it has let me down for the last time. read more

We had a wonderful time at Cento before the John Mellencamp show! Our food was delicious and Steven our server was amazing! Thank you!! read more

Cento has a great atmosphere, delicious food, and makes for a fun dinner out in the heart of Madison.

Impromptu evening at Cento post comedy club. Was able to sit at the bar and had a great experience. Very cool staff got us set with cocktails. Went with a very simple margarita pizza as we weren't starving. The pizza was prepared and, more importantly cooked perfectly. I definitely want to come back and explore their menu much deeper. I don't think I'll be disappointed at all. Very cool vibe - thanks Cento! read more

This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Madison. The food is literally melt in your mouth. Tonight we got the brick oven asparagus, which is wrapped in bacon (fire), sourdough bread (comes with butter and olive oil), chicken parm, and the scallops. The scallops were the highlight here. They were absolutely fantastic. We had some Prosecco, as we were celebrating , and they comped those, so that was awesome! The ambiance is also fantastic. Street parking nearby. This is my go to spot. read more

Cento - Brick Oven Asparagus - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Everything was delicious, and our server shelby was amazing! Great atmosphere & a romantic little night out.

Cento is consistently delicious with a lovely waitstaff. I always come here if I'm looking for a nice dinner. read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The fried calamari is the best we ever had. Rate =11/10. Can't beat it. It's like fireworks for your mouth. Filled with flavor and very very savory. read more

Cento - Fried Calamari - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Although the pasta is always delicious and cooked a perfect al dente, the amount of Lobster pasta we received was maybe 3/4 cup. For $25, I think this was not right. I'm sure the skimpy amount was because we ordered delivery through Door Dash. If we dined at the restaurant it would have been a portion similar to the Tagliatelle. read more

Cento - Lobster Cavatelli and Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Special occasion spot!! A little pricey but definitely worth it. Fun cocktails and romantic setting! Date night or family night spot! Staff was able to adjust some entrees to be dairy free and it was delish. read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

What a fancy and fun little spot. Its right across from the Overture, so if you're looking for a spot before a show, you couldn't choose better! It's a little pricey, so I save it for special occasions, personally! You can't go wrong with anything on the pasta list... read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We had a lovely evening at Cento with wonderful service. I'll break down the experience: Atmosphere: upscale, especially for Madison. This place is a nice venue for anniversaries and celebrations for couples or quads. Nice jeans will do -- but people in sweatpants clearly stood out as slobs. It's a nice place, good mood lighting. The decor is also lovely. Food: we had some incredible bread with butter and oil to start. We ordered the roasted chicken pizza as an appetizer and it was outstanding! For entrees we had the argolotti and gnocchi -- both were delicious but I admit the gnocchi was overly salted. I washed it away with copious amounts of wine -- their wine list is excellent. We finished with the tiramisu. As someone who doesn't usually like tiramisu, the dessert was amazing. This all ran us about $100. Service: our server, Alan, was kind, communicative and also rather dashing. He made great suggestions and was attentive to our table at the perfect times. He was fabulous -- we would return to Cento and request him again. Thanks Alan! Overall, Madison doesn't have great dining experiences on the whole, the city is just too small for the variety of a big metropolis. Cento really makes a statement here with their dining experience and we will certainly return. read more

Atmosphere: the place looks wonderful and fancy. I rate it 3/5 mostly because of the atmosphere. It might be the only reason I will return to this place. Food: I hope their food can be as good as the atmosphere. Food was just OK. It reminds me of drinking a light macro larger with little aroma and no after taste. But the tiramisu was amazing, the best I had in a while. read more

Cento - Risotto Frutti di Mari - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Cento provides an experience that is clearly elevated compared to the sister restaurants in the food fight bussiness. An italian restaurant that provides breadth and depth in a contemporary, chic, lively, and modern atmosphere to attract patrons of varying background. Seems to always be busy which is understandable once you have a chance to navigate the menu and enjoy some of the signature dishes. Service has always been fine but I am not sure I would suggest that it is elevated by any means. Timely and professional but often lacks the "extra touch" that would come along with a five star experience. I would note in a past couple visits it seemed that our wait staff seemed to forget about us. The food seems to be hit or miss consistently. What I mean specifically is there are certain menu items that consistently dont hit the spot and probably should be just recreated. The ones that do hit the spot, which are most, do so in a consistent fashion. Snacks, small plates, pizza, pasta, and traditional entrees serve for a coursed, comprehensive, and representative experience of Italian cuisine. Gluten free options are available. Pasta is made in house and always come al dente. My favorites are too much to talk about for one Yelp review. I will highlight the imaginative nature of the Rigatoni alla Carbonara which instead of a traditioal cream sauce depends on the smooth yolk a poached egg to provide the equivalent(but really elevated) experience. It is complemented by a crispy pancetta, a touch of cracked pepper, and a healthy serving of garlic. The drinks are expertly managed by very capable bar tenders who are clearly trained to handle any request. They can make traditional cocktail drinks, say a margarita, with appropriate modifications and accurate liquors. Wine choices are plentiful and appropriately paired. Really Cento is doing great and serves as an outlier to the rest of the food fight restaurants. An excellent experience that can be appreciated by all. read more

The Caesar salad was good, we split an order of it after our server told us it was large. He was right, the server brought each of us a plate of salad. No regular leafy salad which we like. They had a beet salad and another one like that but can't remember what it was. We ordered the sausage pizza. The sausage was delicious. The cost with tip for salad and pizza was $60. The menu wasn't very appealing to us, not much of a variety to choose from. Cento has high ceilings so the noise level was very high! We probably won't go back. read more

This place is incredible! My sister insisted we come here (and is a local) so it was a no brainer. Starting off with the Pinot noir followed with the olives. The Pinot noir was delicious and the olives were very well done, with hints of lemon, coconut, and dill. We decided for a glass of the Rhône valley and got the shishito peppers and gnocchi. The shishito peppers were perfectly done and lightly coated in Parmesan. The gnocchi had a perfect creamy sauce that was t too heavy and was mixed with mushrooms, broccolini and cheese. Overall incredible meal and Cora our server was absolutely incredible. We don't have enough nice things to say about her. Come to Cento and request Cora!!! Best meal. read more

Cento - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Really wanted to love this place! It looks so inviting. The dining room and bar so inviting. The waiter was wonderful. The food was such a disappointment! My wife had the chicken parmigiana. Tasted like cafeteria food I had the roasted chicken. For some reason. Curly dried onions on top? Not tasty or appealing to look at. The chicken meat was moist, but lost in a bowl of a bland sauce mix. Not in a hurry to come back. Makes us sad, it had everything going for it except the food. Friends in our neighborhood had the same impression of the restaurant. read more

For a downtown Italian spot, this is the best we've found. Takeout was a bit annoying as we had to wait until later in the night because supposedly their kitchen couldn't handle more than the in-restaurant tables. But once we did order, the food was really yummy and ready quickly. The roasted chicken with buttermilk risotto was soooo good. The chicken and sauce was so flavorful and the risotto was our favorite thing we ordered. Both pastas were super yummy. The porcini pappardelle was delicious- the only thing was we expected the short rib to come on the bone but it was shredded and mixed it. Next time we would ask for it without the short rib or for it on the side. The tagliatelle was also very good. Plus, all together we had enough leftovers for two lunches. Solid food downtown, but not our favorite Italian in Madison. read more

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We forgot our password so now we are starting a new log in for reviews. Sorry to our old and reliable followers. We were visiting as we decided we need to do more family things. We will be back next year so we tried many restaurants just so we can pick places that will always be a go to for us. Cento was one of those places. The cocktails were amazing! The food, delicious! It was a bit slow for service, but we knew this was probably going to happen. In cali every place has slower Service so this was great! We went somewhere else that had what we think was a drunk bartender so it was nice to have the fine dining experience. We will be back next year when we return! Thank you for the great service! read more

Some of the best Italian we've had in Madison! We ordered takeout for our anniversary last night and it was amazing! The fried calamari is a must order. The other two pasta dishes were exceptional as well. Definitely order from here if you want some good Italian. read more

Cento - Porcini Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Cento was very disappointing. Octopus, artichokes and steak were my mistaken selections. They are not my suggestions for you who is reading this. The Food Fight Company seems to have bitten off more they can chew with too many restaurants. Basset Street and Everly are much better than Cento and Coopers. Cento is over priced for sure. This was a very sad, anti climatic evening at Cento. read more

Tasty Italian food! I've been here a few times and it's reliable for a good dinner. It can be a little pricey but they have a nice vibe, good food, attentive service read more

Cento - Lobster Cavatelli - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Food was unique and authentic, the atmosphere was great, and our server Kevin went above and beyond!

Coming from a college student this was the best meal/food I've had in weeks. The tiramisu is to die for and the carbonara was superb!! I will 100% be back! read more

Cento - tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The service was horrible, the food took way too long. We didn't get any water refills. While the food was good (yet cold because by the time we got all our dishes the first ones were cold) the experience was so poor it wasn't even worth it. Had a blond waitress with blue eyes who didn't even tell us her name or check in on us once throughout the meal, and put in an order wrong, and that meal that she put in wrong took 25+ minutes to get out the right dish. read more

3 Star for the service~ it's crowded and the server was very slow... Regardless, if the capacity couldn't handle as many customers, they shouldn't have taken the reservation. Food was decent, but I'm surprised their black pepper wasn't fresh ground. I would expect this type of restaurant serve fresh grind black pepper. In addition, I just couldn't believe that they didn't have Merlot in their wine list.... read more

Cento - Fettuccine Puttanesca - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Absolutely incredible! My fiancé took me here for my birthday, and I had the BEST experience. For drinks, we both ordered spritzes (Aperol and Elderflower) and they were delicious. We then started with the sourdough bread and calamari for appetizers. The bread was incredible - simple, yet flavorful and perfectly fluffy. The calamari may have been the best I've had in Madison! They were crispy without being oily, and the sauce they came with was very good. For mains, I got a risotto and my fiancé had the carbonara. I actually didn't love my risotto - but this was totally my fault (I didn't read the description correctly). My fiancé finished it for me, and I had some of his carbonara instead (which was lovely). We finished our meal by splitting the tiramisu and limoncello. The tiramisu was wonderful, and the limoncello was absolute perfection. I've had limoncello straight from Sicily, and Cento's was just as good. Our server was very kind, and had the perfect amount of attentiveness. The interior is also stunning. Overall, I had a wonderful birthday dinner here! I will definitely be returning :) read more

Cento in downtown Madison is soooo underrated. The food is great and they have lots of items that are not always on the menu that make the experience special The service is good and the people are kind. The overall ambiance is very classy and the bar area is nice as well. read more