Okay, so the food was very tasty and service was great until the end of the meal. A bit put off by no prices on the specials menu. I mean, zero prices listed. Regardless, I ordered the lobster tail over angel hair special. It was delicious with a perfectly crafted sauce. This is important because it comes into play later in the review. My girlfriend ordered a dessert and coffee and I got a double espresso. Dessert was great and clearly made in house. We didn't get our coffees until about 20 minutes after the dessert was finished. Neighboring tables also got offered sambucca with their dessert/coffee and we never did. I don't even like sambucca, but it was weird we seemed to be the only table without said offering. I took half the meal home and it seems literally all the sauce was somehow drained out during packaging. So $48 for a special and if you take leftovers it doesn't include the sauce. read more

Il Mondo Vecchio - $48 lobster and shrimp special...tasted absolutely amazing - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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I give five stars for a few things: 1) it's harder and harder these days to find good "old school" Italian in an elegant setting 2) this place is consistently very good, both food and service. 3) some of the dishes (the ravioli, the lamb Toscana, the clams fra diavlo, the phyllo dessert) are insanely good 4) the service is always great 5) I love the atmosphere which is a bit buzzy but you can always hear the people at your table. Thank you IMV ... was there last night for the line 40th time and our food and our waiter were great. read more

It has been awhile since dining at Il Mondo. Food is always great..Service was prompt & efficient. The updated decor was a nice surprise.

Pros: Amazing Italian food with great seafood and meat options Must try the porcini ravioli it is out of this world. The lamb was perfectly cooked and could easily feed 3 people The ambiance is old school Italian BYOB For the quality of food the price is very reasonable Street parking - not difficult to find and it's free. Cons: Went during the pandemic and it felt like 2019. Every table was packed. No social distancing on our side of the restaurant. This is the only reason it is not 5 stars. It gets busy so a reservation is a must Will return after pandemic is over! read more

Had dinner here the other night with a large party to celebrate a friends birthday . Ambience is very nice , but the place tends to be kinda crowded, especially when waiting to be seated . We waited over 25 minutes manly because they couldn't get our large table ready . Also space is very tight with tables placed too close together. One nice aspect is this is a BYOB. Staff is very attentive and our server, I believe his name was Luigi, was terrific. As for the food, they served a variety of appetizers for the table which ranged from good to excellent. Among the best were the porcini ravioli in a mushroom cream sauce. Burrata and tomato was just ok because tomatoes were hard and not ripe. For mains I had the ossobuco from the special menu and it was excellent, but the rice served on side had an off kinda soapy flavor . My wife had the grilled veal chop and also enjoyed that. Most everyone there seemed to enjoy their meal. For dessert I had the crème brûlée and it was delicious. This place is definitely worth a try and has the potential to be 5 star. read more

Very good food, great service in an elegant, well appointed setting. I'd go back regularly if I didn't live 3,000 miles away.

Good food. However, the tables are way to close together. Can be very uncomfortable. Very dark and claustrophobic. Service can be inconsistent. Either ignoring you or on top of you constantly pouring your wine. read more

We have been coming here for a few years and it is always amazing! We had our rehearsal dinner here and everyone raved about it. The osso bucco is to die for. The service is always great and the complimentry cheese, olives and mixed berries with homemade cream is delicious! Lastly, you can't go wrong with any pasta dish you order! The mushroom ravioli and pappardelle dishes are excellent. read more

Unfortunately this restaurant had better days. Dined here a few years ago and enjoyed. Currently the decor is dark and a little dingy and the food is heavy in a dated sort of way (too much sauce, too much salt, too much cheese.) Maybe they just lost it during covid and didn't get it back? Staff was lovely and the service was caring and attentive. read more

Great Italian food , super friendly waiters and huge portions ! Worth every penny. The outdoor dining is very relaxed and doesn't feel to stiff compared to the white table cloth atmosphere inside loved it ! read more

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Terrific old school Italian with excellent food and nice ambiance. The wait staff are very helpful without being intrusive. The fish entrees are all outstanding. The restaurants also does little things so well or example biscotti with coffee orders to close out a great evening. read more

On food alone, this place would be an easy 5 stars. Have to take one star off for very spotty service though, which I'll quickly get out of the way so I can move on to the delicious food! Service wise, we started off on the wrong foot immediately. When we arrived, it took about 10 minutes before the hostess greeted us. We had to ask a couple of people if they could help us, and they all kind of shrugged and said that the hostess would be back. Our waiter was friendly, but again service was slow. We eventually had to ask where our entrees were, the waiter said "oh no, let me check", and then they came out immediately. Assume it had been ready for a while sitting out, as the waiter kept apologizing afterwards. Ok, now onto the food, which is really excellent quality and generous portions. They start with a great bread plate with a few different selections. Then they bring out a complementary appetizer - bruschetta (delicious, but way too many tomatoes for the amount of crostini served - thankfully we had left over bread!) For our meal, we shared a beef carpaccio appetizer (with Parmesan, arugula and truffle oil) - tasty, but not something we'd reorder. Our entrees were both excellent - my wife had the capellini bolognese (really rich sauce and so much meat!!) and I had the Zuppa de pesce (well cooked, great sauce, and so much seafood). We didn't get to try dessert as we had plans afterwards and the service delays held us up - hopefully next time! read more

Food is always delicious. Large menu plus they always have specials. They are accommodating with special requests. For ex., I love their Caesar salad and they make it even if it's not on the specials for the day. Byob and best service staff. read more

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Food was outstanding I had the lamb chops, yum yum yum! Ambiance is wonderful. Service was excellent! great place to come and have a date night read more

Hit or miss at times. Have had amazing dinners here but have also experienced "meh" meals where service was slow and dishes somewhat pedestrian - which at recent high prices is disappointing. The dining room has a cozy charm though a bit packed in. read more

Amazing food and wonderful service! Each of is at the table had something sifferent and they were all delicious!

We have been here in the past and, although the service has been iffy, the food was good. Not tonight. Terrible is all we can say. Only after we inquired, our appetizer was finally served 30 minutes from ordering. Immediately, out came our entrees. They took them back until we finished the appy and, when served, they were terrible. What got me, was our waitress did not follow up and the managers were defensive when we explained our disappointment. While my salmon was removed from the bill, my husband's veal was inedible. When I asked for coffee....even that was cold and terrible. So disappointed. we will not be back. read more

Just had my daughter's rehearsal dinner here Exceptional from the service to the decor to the delicious food and beautiful presentation. Not only were we impressed but our guests were as well. Such a great way to kick off our wedding weekend. Thank you!!! read more

Food & Service always great, never disappoints ! Ambiance is really nice too - makes every meal feel special.

Excellent food Enjoyed scallops appetizer and salmon main course. However one of our guests of 18 didn't get her food until we all ate. We were cold so they said they would turn off ac. Never heard of having the ac on during Christmas in Nj. Our toes were going numb. They said they would turn on the heat. But we never felt anything like heat. Also there was no light. We had to eat using the cell phone light. read more

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We were excited to be back here, but it was a disappointing experience. The burrata appetizer was very good. But my pappardelle bolognese was not good at all! The sauce had no taste and the meat was very mushy. The decor in the restaurant is very dated! Time to redo the inside and make it more appealing to diners. read more

Everything was good as always. Food tasted great and the service was great. They have nice new chairs the place looks very nice. read more

Il Mondo Vecchio - Lamb Toscana - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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I flew in to New Jersey to visit family who recommended we come to this restaurant. To say I was blown away was truly an understatement. Everything about this restaurant was absolutely perfect from the friendly staff, amazing ambiance, delicious food, and joyful environment. When we walked in we were immediately greeted by the restaurant owner, Marco along with his amazing staff. They seated us as soon as a table opened up and made sure we were taken care of from the jump. We were a party of 8 and ordered a numerous amount of things. Certain things that stood out were porcini mushroom ravioli, lamp chops, and the star of the show: osso buco. Each serving was incredibly generous and each tasting better than the other. The osso buco was my absolute restaurant served alongside a saffron risotto and roasted vegetables. I loved how the saffron wasn't overpowering the risotto and complemented the meat (which was fall off the bone tender) perfectly. We truly had an amazing experience and can't wait to come back here. Absolutely one of the best Italian cousins I've experienced. read more

Il Mondo Vecchio - Osso Buco - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

How much do I love this place! Excellent attentive service. Quiet with a great atmosphere. Lunch specials for $22 including a full appetizer and a full entree?! Plus it was delicious. Mushroom and goat cheese salad appetizers. Chicken entrees, we were both full but managed to do the $7 add on dessert. Chocolate cake was heavenly, cheesecake was Devine. I wish I had time to go there more often but I will make some that's for sure. read more

the food was 5 star! Best pork chop was fabulous, so tender and huge. carpaccio was served on top of salad , also terrific. service was great, very nice waiter! I highly recommend this restaurant. only impro me t is they need better chairs! read more

SPECTACULAR, The food Is amazing! I went for the first time May 2023 and the service was great, the food was amazing, the place itself is very nice and clean, a bit tight but overall very good. I will be coming back, I wish I found it sooner. read more

First time here - Love this place. I love the layout/atmosphere. I came with my dad and we had 2 dinners and an app. - $80. It's byob which is a plus to bring several bottles of wine. Everything on the menu looked good I mean everything. Homemade pasta was delicious and cooked perfectly. Highly recommend for Italian. read more

The best times are with good friends, food and wine. We were seated promptly upon arrival and greeted with a nice bread basket with 3 types of bread and caramelized onions. It was a birthday celebration so we drank champagne as we placed our orders. They brought out the complimentary fried zucchini topped with salami and bruscetta for each of us. Thankfully, I split the sauteed mushroom salad, which was delicious and a large portion. Others tried the scallop appetizer and soft shell crab special. Entrees were also very good. I tried the salmon in champagne mustard as well as the pasta with seafood. Others got Veal and lamb. Everyone enjoyed their meals. We finished with cheesecake, chocolate cake (both gf) and a tiramisu...all were a great ending to an awesome meal. Service was attentive, but not overbearing. We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. read more

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Overall this 2 star review is based on the service. My meal and others in the group was very impressive. One meal was terribly uncooked filet that had to be brought back and still wasn't cooked correctly. First off very loud inside, so be prepared to talk loudly. They try to pack in multiple tables in tight spaces, but that is not the main issue I have with this restaurant. The service was extremely off, and requests for extra plates, extra utensils were completely ignored and never received them. We asked one food runner for extra utensils because we were splitting dessert among the group... None came or when we were sharing two appetizers, they put the food down and walked away.. It almost made it seem like you are just another customer. I understand being busy on a Saturday night, but to be expecting "high end " Italian you felt like nothing important. To start with the meal they brought out different assortments of bread which included some spicy slices of bread with onions. For appetizers we decided on the scallops which were very very good. Before your meal which I think is a nice touch they give you complimentary bruschetta, and almost a fried chips. For my meal I decided on the Medaglioni di Medici which was cooked perfectly Medium Rare and very spicy filet. Great dish. Now for the issue on the other filet which was Medaglioni alla Gorgonzola was also ordered Medium Rare was barely cooked. Usually we would not have sent back, but this was at the point of barely cooked. Now when we received the dish again it still was not cook, but not worth sending back. Would save for left overs the next day. Overall everyone else meal was delicious. Want to also mention that the waitress Marisol was the only positive server/runner in this establishment. She was attentive, always made sure our waters were filled and brought a little life and a smile. When we asked her for assistance including a bag to bring home the left overs she was able to actually get us one... Not from the hostess who said "I'll see what I can do.." When we received our cappucinos we received no spoons. When we ordered 2 desserts for the group of 4 of us.. We had no spoons or forks, and never got extra plates when asked for all of them. Very disappointing that these situations occur. Good food, extremely extremely spotty service. read more

Il Mondo Vecchio - Filet with Gorgonzola undercooked. This was the second recooking of the meat - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

Sadly this restaurant has gone downhill. Dined here several times in past with good experience but now both service and food is below par, especially for the price and no longer BYOB read more

Good food and services very good. The food came out in a good pace. Only, a Bit noisy. Definitely will return.

This restaurant was highly recommended by friends of ours who live in Middlesex County who told us they have been there twice and loved the place. When I questioned the wisdom of driving 25 miles to Madison, they said it was absolutely worth it. I am very happy to report that the food here is excellent and there is plenty of it and relatively reasonably priced for what you get. In other words, it is not cheap but not super expensive for a quality meal. Despite our reservation, we did have to wait 15 minutes to be seated and the table was a little too close for comfort to the table next to ours. In addition, as others have noted, the dining room is noisy (and maybe a little too dark). Service is great. My compliments to both our waiter whose name I unfortunately forgot and his assistant Anello. They bread is served topped with sautéed onions. That was a first. Moreover, they also provide you with a complimentary appetizer plate of bruschetta, salami, and something that was a thinly sliced potato with a nice seasoning. I had a Beet and Goat Cheese Salad that I thought was OK. Probably could have used more goat cheese and pistachio nuts. The beets were excellent. My wife loved her warm mushroom salad. The mains were all large portions and quite good. The Red Snapper and the Stuffed Veal from the regular menu, as well as the Lobster and Shrimp Special were certainly enjoyed. For dessert we limited ourselves to a few scoops of gelato. Good quality but none of the flavors really jumped out at me for special mention. It's BYOB which was a big plus since the bill was $125 including tax and tip per couple. Like I said, not cheap but worth it for what we had. I don't think I would go back on my own only because of the distance from my house but if we ever need a place to meet someone coming from that direction or further out, I now know one I would definitely lobby for. read more

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Literally the best food in Jersey. The service was incredible and made sure everything was going smooth. Worth over an hour drive for the experience, i give this place a solid 10/10 and deserves a spot on anyone's map! read more

We recently ate at Mondo Vecchio in Madison, NJ. We had my daughter's baby shower there three years ago, have been there for New Year's Eve and always enjoy going there w/friends. The food is delicious, the service is exemplary and we love the atmosphere whether we're inside their beautiful dining room and most recently under a tent for outdoor dining. It's one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Judy & Tom Vitale read more

IMV has been one of our go-to places for years (decades, even) and it's still as good -- and noisy -- as ever. One nice feature is that they do only one sitting, so you aren't rushed out in order to get the next reservation seated. On a recent Friday night, the osso bucco was a trifle undercooked, but otherwise as tasty as ever. Everyone else at our table seemed happy with their appetizers and entrees as well. The zabaglione dessert is not made tableside, as it should be (I'm a purist on that), and as a result it's a bit more "custardy" in consistency than it should be. But these are nitpicks; the place still lives up to its sterling reputation. Just be prepared to shout at your table-mates if you expect to be heard. read more

There is a scene in the movie Caligula where they pour wine down the throat of a prisoner and then cut his stomach open. That's what it felt like eating at Il Mondo Vecchio. The server came by literally every 2-minutes to top off our wine. The service was at light speed, not out of efficiency, but out of a desire to turn the table over. The bolognese was nasty, tasteless cat food. The noise level was intolerable Don't bother going there. read more

Il Mondo continues to impress, if not amaze. Been going there for 25 years, and I'm as happy with their food as the first time I visited. Had the pappardelle/pork ragu special, it came out piping hot, cherry peppers, mascarpone cheese, just wonderful. Other orders, salmon, snapper livornaise, sides and desserts were outstanding. Not much has changed in all these years, and that's just fine by me. Not broke, why fix it? read more

I had been coming for years. two weeks ago I came..didn't bring wine and ordered pelligrino . Wasn't til I got the bill that it marred the whole experience. Rip off city $$14 a bottle. ARe they nuts. Since have gone to Osteria trevi up the block they charge $7 and SERENADE AND SHOULD I GO ON. wont go back. But it just left me reeling. Soooooo disappointing me unprofessional. Each time i go out to think about it. I told the waiter and he Said nothing...... buyer beware.......... read more

We were with another couple and l have been there in the past...l ordered the beet salad for my appetizer. Well I couldn't find any more than one beet it was disguised under all the beet leaves, the reason I ordered the dish is because I love goat cheese and I would be hard pressed to find but 1 or 2 pieces of cheese! In the past we used to get an array of different types of bread well it was not like that ..we were 4 people and that's what we got 4 pieces of bread! I used to love the restaurant,it will be awhile before I go back!! Not to mention our waiter barely spoke English !! read more

After 20 years I will not be dining here again. Quality of food & experience has declined. Service was unwelcoming and unaccommodating. Always willing to pay for a good meal......sadly the price and the service do not correlate. read more