Excellent food, service and atmosphere. It is a very cozy Italian restaurant setting with an open…read morekitchen concept, where you can also see them cooking the personal pizzas in a brick oven. I also love being in restaurants where they really bring in the traditions of the cuisine. For apps, we shared the eggplant fritters (which were amazing!), burrata and salad. Must get the eggplant fritters, they were little balls of eggplant delight! And I am a huge eggplant parm fan so this was right up my alley. For my main, I opted for the shrimp scampi with homemade pasta! I loved the homemade pasta! However, I felt the sauce was very light. I wish I could've ordered this pasta dish with the san marzano sauce. I think that would've made the flavor pop more for me. And for desserts, they were also incredible. Tiramisu, cannoli and the lemon sorbet! Highly recommend the lemon sorbet, was such a strong lemon flavor. Overall, definitely recommend in the Madison area, one of my favs so far!

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 had never been here so we thought Restaurant Week was a good time to check it out. We do like a…read moregood steak but going to steak houses around the Square in Madison normally requires a lobbyists' expense account. With a reservation in hand on a week night we arrived to a a somewhat busy but not full restaurant. We were seated on the main floor where the bar is located. It is a classy environment. Our waitress was very good. We did not see their regular menu since they were only serving their $50/ person Restaurant Week menu (we did hear somewhat at an adjacent table question where the regular menu was...) We both started with a glass of wine and followed by a pretty small Caesar Salad - small but tasty. For our main we each got the petite filet which actually for us was a good size. It was perfectly done medium rare and very good as were the sides. Since it was our anniversary they gave us each a complimentary flute of sparkling wine which was a nice touch. We tried the tiramisu and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert both were very rich. The only complaint was that it felt a bit rushed - not sure why because they didn't need the seats because there were empty tables the whole time we were dining.

Three of us for a Saturday evening dinner and so happy with our choice of the Draper Brothers…read morechophouse! My husband, Son, and I had an excellent server, Danny, professional and sweet with a great suggestion of a tasty cab. One of us has a gluten allergy which was not a problem. Two of us had the bone in ribeye, and the other had a New York strip. Our steaks were done to order. The roles were nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Two of us shared the Cobb salad. (Excellent), and I had the green goddess salad, loved it! We had an amazing side of red potatoes with this creamy yummy sauce. We shared a side of broccolini, which had a great chili flavor. Finished off with flourless chocolate cake with a strawberry sauce for two of us, and I had the espresso chocolate brownie, which was to die for! A delicious cup of coffee with it was an excellent ending. Nice intimate ambiance for a celebration dinner within easy walking distance from our hotel on the square. Strongly recommend and ask for Danny!

We had friendly and attentive service. I really liked the atmosphere. It was bright and had a fun…read morevibe. The spritz mocktail was excellent. The mushroom pasta dish was quite heavy, and it wasn't my favorite. I would like to try one of the other pasta dishes next time. The bundino was rich, delicious and more than enough to share.

We had such a wonderful experience at Osteria Novella! We grabbed seats at the bar and started the…read moreevening with several beautiful craft cocktails....each one perfectly balanced and thoughtfully made. To start, we had the sourdough topped with buffalo mozzarella, Piennolo tomatoes, and prosciutto... absolutely incredible. Fresh, flavorful, and the perfect way to kick off the meal. For our mains, we shared a scallop dish that was cooked to perfection and a gluten-free pasta with porcini mushrooms that was rich, earthy, and deeply satisfying. Every bite of both dishes was divine. The new build-out is stunning....warm, stylish, and inviting without feeling overdone. And the service? Truly impeccable. Attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. Highly, highly recommend Osteria Novella. We'll definitely be back!

Some of the best pizza I've had. Quiet little restaurant that has a few tables and a very friendly…read morestaff.

When we pulled up we could barely park, they parking lot was FULL. This is a small restaurant with…read morea at home feel. Once we entered the restaurant it was starting to empty out, it had limited seating with 7 tables that seat 2 or 4. We were seated fairly quickly as everyone else was finished and leaving, they just needed to clean off the table. Our server was quick with menus and waters. Once we ordered we were then given HOT fresh sliced bread and butter (delicious). Our wait was not overly long and food was good. I had the Pasta Primavera, lacked a bit in flavor, but was hot and a good amount of food. My younger son had the 10" cheese pizza, was cooked perfectly! The older son had Cheese Tortellini, he said it was delicious. And My husband enjoyed his Lasagna and the house salad. We would eat here again.

Great spot near the Capitol! Cute spot with NYC vibes. I was traveling alone and asked to sit at…read morethe bar. As soon as I sat down, I was asked what I wanted to drink and if I was dining at the bar. I ended up ordering a Negroni Sbagliato since I rarely see that on a cocktail menu. It was very well made. Kudos to the bartender, Warren! He also explained the nightly special and I ended up ordering the pasta dish and the fennel salad. The pasta special was so yummy and the tomato sauce reminded me of my Italian grandpa's sauce. The owner, Dino, checked on me and told me a little about himself. Dining solo can be hard, but I'm thankful that the staff here made me feel comfortable. It was the best meal I had on my business trip and will definitely recommend to anyone traveling to this area!

Absolutely fantastic meal. We ordered family-style and tried a lot of the menu, and nearly…read moreeverything was excellent. The carbonara was a standout, and the octopus and calamari were some of the best we've had. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the tortellini was another favorite. Great food across the board and a perfect place for sharing several dishes. The only misses were the house Cabernet, which was disappointing compared with the quality of the food, and the lack of any non-dairy milk option for coffee. It's 2026--having oat or almond milk available feels like a pretty basic expectation at this point. Those are small criticisms of an otherwise excellent dinner. We'd absolutely come back, especially for the carbonara, octopus, and calamari.

I recently visited this casual Italian restaurant that offers a spacious, open space perfect for…read morelarger groups or a small groups. The menu features a variety of classic Italian dishes, pizza and sandwiches. They offer specials every day of week. We ordered the 119 sticks, famous lasagna and portobello ravioli. Starting with the cheesy pizza sticks, they were very gooey and the crust was soft. It's basically cheesy garlic pizza without the sauce; however they do come with a side of marinara. The lasagna offered layers of noodles meat, creamy cheese and sauce. There were some larger chunks of meat (I prefer more mine to be more ground) and didn't have quite the flavoring I was looking for. It was comforting and filling, but could have used a bit more seasoning or herbs to really make it stand out. The portobello ravioli came with a red sauce and was all served over a bed of angel hair pasta. The extra pasta appeared to be common on the menu. The flavors of the mushrooms inside the ravioli really hit the spot. To make it pop more, adding some portobellos to the top of the dish would be a nice touch and the extra angel hair pasta was a little too much. The side salad was fresh but simple and refreshing with a mix of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and dressing of your choice. This salad was included with the entree orders. Although staff were friendly, service was slower than expected, and all of our food came out at the same time with the cheesy sticks then the entree then our salad. If you're in a rush, this might be the spot but if you have time, check the place out. I was eyeing up the pizzas and would try one next time I visit.

Went for the first time recently and got the fish fry. Started with the French Onion Soup and it…read morewas HOT and DELICIOUS! We were given bread and butter for the table. I got the Trio: shrimp, perch and cod with the fries. Options for sides: baked potato, garlic potato, spaghetti, hasbrowns, fries or broccoli. Service was great. Plenty of seating on a Friday night for 2 after 7pm. Parked out front on the street. Looks like others didn't like their Italian. I'll just come back for the fish fry.

Another wonderful dinner at VB. I was like a date night for my wife and me. They had subtle string…read moremusic playing. Nice cozy atmosphere. Our server was very friendly and attentive, without making us feel rushed or forgotten. I like that they present bread to the table. It's something to occupy us while we are waiting for the plates to arrive. The burrata caprese salad was fresh and creamy tasty, with just the right amount of crunch from the greens and zip to the dressing, from the balsamic vinaigrette. My chicken piccata was fresh, light and bright tasting. The chicken was tender with just the right hint of lemon with a bit of salty brine from the capers. There was the perfect texture of softness and crunch to the steamed broccoli. My wife's Bistecca was a tender medium with the a subtle taste of coffee in the rub. The squash and carrots complemented the dish nicely. Unfortunately, we were too full to have dessert, but we will be back!

Super excited to try Vita Bella based on my community reviews but it came up short tonight. My…read morefamily of five dined out for $250 including two appetizers and a few drinks. The meatballs and bruschetta were tasty, and gave me good expectations for what was to come. The charcuterie plate ordered by a nearby table looked amazing and if I ever do come here again it will be for that and the generous wine pour! Three separate dining areas serviced by one server, no bussing assist, and later, a little help from the owner(?) once he returned from an alcohol pick up/delivery (they were out of ingredients for Hugo Spritz to start Friday night off.) Therefore service was quite slow through no fault of our kind and capable server. My biggest concern with the food is that the ragu and the sauce with the pazzesco both were made with what can only be described as taco meat. My son picked up on it immediately and both my husband and I (avid home chefs - not trying to be pretentious but we really like cooking) agree. There was taco meat flavor. One of us felt like we picked up cumin, which just has no place at all in ragu. Additionally, the risotto wasn't risotto. Rice was undercooked and the flavor was actually hard to describe but cheese, wine, butter, and broth aren't in the running. My other daughter had the endive salad. The walnuts were not candied and the onions were not pickled, and the flavor differences that those impart on a salad are huge. My biggest pet peeve is when the menu does not match the product. Lastly, I was just in Italy. I had a pasta dish there that tossed pasta with the cheese wheel that uses an alcohol to melt the cheese so you can toss the two together. Sadly, in this restaurant, the effort is there but something doesn't work, as the oiled pasta didn't mix well with the cheese and you end up with congealed chunks of cheese and noodles. Additionally, the chicken was overcooked. I have no idea what happened here tonight but I'm sad about the $250 i am out and for the expected future of this restaurant if this continues. The owner (?) did ask two other tables in our vicinity about their meals and i overheard one woman respond with "do you want my honest opinion..." but missed the rest of her response. Another table left nearly completely untouched plates on their table when they left. I suspect we weren't the only disappointed patrons.

This was a stop for me and my friends tour around the world of the outside of the Maddison WI area…read more It's a nice upscale bar and restaurant in a small town that was only after dinner drinks so I have no opinion on the food. The place is small and the bar is small but we got seats at the bar. The place is upscale for the small town it's in with a nice little bar that has a nice assortment of cocktails. The bartender was friendly and we enjoyed an assortment of quality adult beverages before heading home.

Dinner at the bar on Thursday evening. Bartender was friendly, engaging and helpful. I have eaten…read morehere a few times and the renovated downtown building is very inviting. The food was excellent and presentation top notch. A friend of mine had met at 101 as an in-between drive for both of us. We ended up striking up a very nice conversation with the couples on both sides of us. Warm friendly inviting place well worth the drive.