I had dinner here last week. Very disappointed in the food. My Guest ordered the porterhouse steak (Which was the daily special) When the steak arrived, it was tiny, maybe 1/2 inch thick and no bigger than 6 inches. It looked like they went into the shop rite and bought it out of the meat case. Steak was good, taste wise. I got the bill and the steak was $46.00. (ouch) I blame myself for not asking the cost when the waiter told us the specials, but I would have liked for them to let us know that the special cost this much. Now comes the bad part. I ordered the other special of the day, the sea food Oregnata. It was a sampler type of dish, five different fishes that were all made Oreganata style. I went for the clam first and it was totally fishy tasty, definitely not fresh. I then cut the shrimp and it too was not fresh. The taste of Iodine was very pronounced. Ok I know that this happens with both types of these fish. So Then I go to the flounder and it too was fishy. When I smelled it, it smelled like it wasn't fresh and it had an oder to it. I stopped eating right there. I didn't complain, but when I was asked why I didn't eat, they did not charge me for it and also offered to bring me something to either go or take home. I declined. Service was ok. Everyone was polite and professional. But my overall rating of this place is that it is way overpriced for the quality of the food. Again, I was only here once. So it may have just been a bad moment in time. But for the money they charge, this should not happen. If you want to charge these kind of prices, you should serve top shelf food all the time. There are a ton of lower prices Italian restaurants in the area that are a better choice than this. I used Yelp and Open table to make a reservation and that went perfectly. read more

We dined here for the first time last night with a group of ten from Manhattan and it was a lovely experience. From the moment we walked in we felt welcomed and taken care of. The staff was so friendly and attentive and the food was wonderful. We were a rowdy group and they were very patient with us and our requests. :) we will definitely come back soon. Highly recommend! read more

Classy Italian restaurant with a notable wine list and great selection of classic yet unique entrees, appetizers and deserts. So many great items to chose from. Service is great; professional and discrete. They will be happy to help you select your next favorite dish. Try their linguini & clams in red source. It's made to perfection! Deserts are pretty amazing, too. Next time I'm going to try pizzas. read more

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Fine dining Italian Restaurant in Madison. Great place for any special occasion formal meal. Better to be dressed up here then dress down. Full bar area to wait for your seat when this place gets packed. I would advise on reservations. When we arrived we did not have to wait and was not that crowded. Reading the menu for the first time it was easy, but to pronounce the name of the dishes was a struggle for anyone unless you work there. Luckily they had descriptions under to explain the dish. To start off the meal we decided to get two appetizers one was the Frutto di granseola finta which in English is grilled shrimp with pieces of calamari and topped with crabmeat. This was awesome and wish there was more! The bread they brought to the table went perfectly with this sauce. The other appetizer we got with Prosciutto with fresh fruit and it was very good. For our meals we decided on the Anitra alla Strega which was the roasted duck which came with a hot cherry pepper which was awesome and the duck was even better. This was the first time I have ever ordered duck and it was awesome. Everyone else at my table decided on the Meat and Cheese Lasagna and the group favorite the Braciola de Maiale which was a pork tenderloin which was stuffed with raisins pignoli in a brown sauce. I will definetly be dinning here again in the future. Pictures do not describe how great this meal was. read more

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The atmosphere is better than the food. Beautiful inside, piano player. The artichoke pie was dry and more bread than expected. Tuna carpaccio was superb, but how Italian is it? Snapper special sounded great, especially when the waiter said it included black - not Greek - olives, but he was wrong. Cannoli cake, coffee and cappuccino were okay. Points off for not splitting our entree, which we shared, onto two plates. We just can't eat much more so why order more? This was our third and probably last time here. Too many other restaurants that are outstanding and/or new for same or less money to try before coming back. read more

I have always wanted to dine at l'Allegria so when there was a Groupon I decided to try it out. Service was outstanding. Food was OK, not great or outstanding as others have stated. Atmosphere was terrific with a piano player in the bar area. We were in and out in an hour which I found slightly odd but the service was so efficient before you knew it we were done. Be sure to be dressed in something other than casual attire as well. Bread was delicious. read more

I hope your sky was cloudless for the blue moon last night. Ernest and I went to L'Allegria in Madison, which has become one of our favorite places. We began with a variety of scrumptious Italian bread, so fresh it must have come by jet from the oven to our table, and a cruet of the finest virgin olive oil. For an appetizer I had the best palanta I have ever had, made with a delicate cheese inside (I think of it as Italian grits!) and topped with with roasted peppers. My salad course was roasted eggplant cold, served with small New Jersey tomatoes and several large slivers of parmesan. My main course was pork chops with fingerling potatoes, and for dessert I had a slice of chocolate cake drizzled with more chocolate by a graphic artist all over the cake, the plate, and by that time it seemed, over the world. To celebrate the blue moon I had a blue martini -- the only mistake of the evening. A blue moon is not blue, of course, but this martini was. it looked like Windex and tasted like highly sugared antifreeze. (My ignorance in ordering, not the restaurant's mistake!) During the drive home the moon was huge and initially bloody orange as it rose from the eastern horizon. Twenty minutes later from the windows of our apartment it was a strong white spotlight hovering over Manhattan. read more

Not bad, but it seems to have regressed a bit in th past few years. The fig-and-goat-cheese and octopus appetizers were good, as was the osso buco. The capellini Bolognese special was a bit of a disappointment, however. Also, the service was very slow. Our appetizers came over 30 minutes after we sat down. We were a party of 6, so it shouldn't have been that hard. read more

Polpi was unbelievable as well as the Chilean sea bass. Piano player adds to the fine dining experience. read more

L'Allegria - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

Ok. It's 6:30 am Tuesday morning. I've been up most of the night with an upset stomach thanks to L'Allegria and when I finally fell asleep I wake up to a sore throat from the acid thanks to the food. Not Kidding!! We walked in around 7 last night and were met by a creep who reminded me of Lerch from the Adams Family. Anyways, Here comes the bread. No bull shit the bread was the reason I stayed bc after meeting Lerch I had a bad feeling kind of like rughead in the movie the wraith. The bread was really really fresh. Next comes A young kid to the table and asks us if we would like drinks. The Club soda was semi flat and idk how the iced tea was but my fiancée didn't complain so I guess it was ok. We look at the menu and here comes Lerch. I ask for the eggplant rollatini and a seafood salad. He tells me I have to order everything at one time. Ok no problem. My fiancée orders the bolognese and I order the pasta filled with broccoli rabe and sausage. The first thing out was the eggplant rollatini. Its 3 tiny squares of eggplant and I just looked at it and smiled knowing I'm in for aggravation. Oh btw I just moved from my couch to the toilet and No I'm Not Kidding. The eggplant rollatini had a warm outside and a cold inside. Lerch then comes up and says you guys must've really like that eggplant? I give him a smile and hope that maybe something will be good. After a few minutes comes the seafood salad. It was ok. Small portion but it was ok. Now comes the bolognese and my pasta with broccoli rabe. Mine had 0 taste and her bolognese was just ok. I'm still sitting on the toilet in case anyone was wondering what happened to me and I already took 2 150mg tablets of Zantac which I still had thanks to Portobello Restaurant in Oakland on Mother's Day last year. Many of you should be ashamed of yourself for disingenuous reviews. The reviews that are NOT RECOMMENDED are some of the only honest reviews. The place is a throw back from the 80s and the food sucked. Waste of time and a waste of money let alone not feeling good from the dog shit food. read more

Very reasonable wine prices and they seem to always have the special salad described in my last review which we adore. Going out to dine on a weekend can be at times, a stressful experience-- packed to the gills, feeling as though you are dining on top of the table next to you and people yelling. This is never the case at L'Allegria. And that's why I honestly adore it. Going there is similar to going to any of my Italian relatives home without the loud voices! The food is always a surprise. They obviously take care with even the simplest of sauces to add depth and nuances that leave me guessing if it's a hint of basil or Rosemary or their amazing infused olive oil. I haven't had a dessert there yet but since my husband, me and my mother all have March birthdays we will meet up to have dinner at L'Allegria as we love the food and the atmosphere. That's beyond import to me, having lost my only sibling recently, L'Allegria feels like a safe place for my parents and my husband and I. I have worked in fine dining establishments throughout the state. I consider L'Allegria to be one of the best of them all for their customer service and love of Italian cuisine. read more

Totally overcharged!!! Pay attention to your bill. I believe this restaurant sees a large party and thinks they can add items to your bill that will go unnoticed. Our party of 8 had over $100 worth of overcharges (cappuccinos, drinks, and extra bottle of wine). We expected a fine dining experience and were ignored and felt a burden. Food was okay, but took a long time to arrive We were ignored and then had to summon a server over to adjust our bill (our server was surprisingly not around to adjust the bill, maybe because she knew we didn't order the items)It was not a busy night so I truly think this was not an error. If I could give less than one star, I would. I can overlook the poor service, but taking money from hard working people cannot be overlooked! read more

Really great Italian food. A big menu and we've never been disappointed. Generous portions and the food is authentically prepared. Tonite we had the Bacala and a giant Pork Chop plus a bottle of Mobtepulciano at a very special price. Love this place! read more

Second visit and it was just as awesome. Had the tuna carpaccio and figs wrapped in cheese and prosciutto for appetizers. Delicious!!! The flounder with crab stuffing was excellent and I strongly recommend it if you are a fish lover. Nebbiolo wine was excellent and my husband had 2 glasses. He had the roasted duck that was very good. He orders duck at most places so he is pretty picky. He loved it and not a bite was left. Can't wait for my next visit!!! read more

The ambiance was quite and romantic. Food and service was excellent . We will definitely come back

Wow, this place has really gone downhill. We've eaten here many times over the years, and I cannot believe how badly this place has sunk. Let's start at the beginning - this is a top dollar, supposedly top shelf Italian restaurant. Decor, piano bar, the whole works. For the money they charge, I expect near perfection, and sadly they didn't even come close. Immediately upon arriving at the table I noticed it had not been set properly - salad fork was missing. Then literally 30 seconds after we sat down an amuse bouche was brought over - mind you, before water glasses were even filled (and yes, they do ask if you want bottled or tap). Wine list? Forget about it... the waitress certainly did! And as for "by the glass" choices? Five - three white, two red. Hope you like house wine! Service was uninspired to say the least, and rushed to say the worst. I expect this type of place to have a very leisurely pace for a dinner service. No such luck this time, as we were being asked what to order practically right after the specials were read. Of course, no rush whatsoever on keeping the water glasses filled. Appetizer - oh dear... I really, really was shocked with the Caprese. We've ordered that every single time we've been here before, and it is always a good, tasty dish. This time, the cheese actually tasted a hint of rancidity... and I literally felt sick to my stomach before finishing my portion. Main meal - well I was in the mood for something traditional, veal parm. Sadly, once again, there was nothing traditional about this one - served with, of all things - SNOW PEAS!?!?! I don't recall the sign over the door saying "Lucky Harry's Dim Sum" when I walked in. I have never, ever been served snow peas with any tomato sauce based Italian dish in any authentic Italian restaurant I've ever been to. No, wait... one time I was - in a DINER. And to top it off, when I inquired of the waitress about the lack of pasta, was informed that this is how the dish comes, and adding pasta to it would necessitate the purchase of a half-pasta course. Are you kidding me!?!? So $26 for veal parm that is NOT a full veal parm meal, and an ADDITIONAL ~$10 to make it right!?! Un-believe-able. Now we get to dessert - why we bothered to stay through this course, well, when you have two kids at home and get to go out maybe twice a year, well, you don't get many choices. Tiramissu tasted like coffee underneath sweetened cool whip. Wife's chocolate mousse looked tasty tho, too bad I didn't order that one. All in all, I think this experience is just reflective of the overall decline and decay I see creeping into once venerable institutions all around the country. Places like this cannot hope to stay in business for very long charging NYC 5 Star restaurant prices in a town like Madison, and not living up to the billing. Sadly, this will have been our last visit to L'Allegria. read more

Dined here last night with three friends. Walked in the front door and was greeted by a friendly maitre 'd and the smell of mold/mildew. The smell continued throughout the entire restaurant. While our waiter appeared competent, he was extremely difficult to understand...a cross between mumbling and an accent. We waited about 20 minutes for our appetizers and 30 minutes for so-so entrees. The order of chicken piccata was sent back, it was flavorless and bland. It was taken off the bill and a small salad was brought as a peace offering. I was shocked when the waiter took my wine glass and never asked if I wanted another glass. We ate as fast as we could, asked for the check and left. Bad service, bad bread, really bad decor! read more

Great Italian place in Madison! Manager was very friendly and showed us the upstairs room we were looking at to host a party. Nice portions and good prices. The food is very good as well. They bring out a nice bread platter after you order. The decor is nice too. Feels like you're in Italy. read more

Ate here last night. Not my choice. There were four of us and I seem to be in the minority, but I was underwhelmed. Two of my companions had already been seated and we were ten minutes late, but there was no one at the front to show us to our table. We had to hunt on our own. Later, I passed the host stand and there still was no one there, which seemed odd. Kudos to the piano player. You can't hear him in the dining room. Sadly, the restroom had the best sound. He was quite good. I ordered the seafood salad appetizer. It was decent sized, but so drowned in oil, that it was like eating greasy, slimy seafood. I don't drink, so I was fine with water and the after-dinner espresso was quite strong, not terribly bitter and quite good. I ordered the Branzino and had them filet it, as I didn't want to spend my evening working on my fish. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing special and rather bland. The small serving of broccoli that came with it was overcooked. I wasn't quite mush, but another minute and it would have been. I skipped dessert, but the dessert tray looked like something you would see in a diner-really unappealing. My companions ordered the tiramisu and cannoli cake and said they were good. My companions had dined here, before, but I had not. They loved it. I did not. The decor looks like a place you would take your mom and grandmother for Mother's Day. It's far too precious for the level of food. The prices are ridiculously top-tier for food that is not top-tier. You have to earn $15+ appetizers and not charge those prices, just because you're in a well-off neighborhood. I am always leery of places with too many items on the menu (like a diner). It is not humanly possible to cook every dish well. From the outside, the building looks like a store that went out of business. It's terribly unappealing. I parked across the street and wasn't even sure how to enter the building. Given the neighborhood, I am not surprised by the prices, but when I pay New York prices, I expect New York quality and this isn't in the ballpark. I will not, of my own volition, be back. read more

If you want cinnamon, this is the place to go. They put it on everything, in the gravy, in the pasta, in the fish. I really did NOT enjoy my meal at all. Plus, it's a creepy environment. My waiter was really nice that was the only positive. read more

Very good classic Italian. Tad bit on the expensive side but good fresh ingredients, extensive menu and great service (although we were one of only two tables there for lunch). read more

Avoid! Avoid! Avoid! My wife and I had dinner here. The experience of this restaurant was negative from the beginning. When I requested directions the person on the phone was extremely rude to me on the phone. When we did arrive the waiter was pushy and acted as if he was doing a favor. When it came to the food we ordered clams for an appetizer. The food had very little taste. I then proceeded to order the Osso Bucco (veal) and my wife ordered the risotto with seafood. The veal was overcooked and dry. My wife seemed to enjoy the risotto until that evening when her stomach hurt. She became sick with food poisoning. We had to go see a doctor the very next morning. We did inform the restaurant so that no other customers become sick and as expected they were very rude to us. As I said in the beginning of my review avoid this restaurant! read more

We had appetizers, pasta and dessert here. The appetizers were unusual and delicious. The pasta was dish was just like in Venice. Finish with ricotta cheese cake for an excellent meal. Better than most Italian restaurants in New York. read more

L'Allegria provided a beautiful experience for Valentine's Day. We were greeted with smiles and made comfortable until our table was ready. Once seated, we were told about the numerous specials and provided excellent guidance. The wine list is impressive, but the wines by the glass were a good value and excellent quality (we had the Nebbiolo, which was outstanding). We had prosciutto wrapped figs with cheese and tuna tartare. I had duck that was the best I've had in a while. Dessert was a chocolate mousse cake that was brilliant. All in all, it was a lovely evening. read more

My family and I have been coming to L'Allegria for many years. We've celebrated birthdays, graduations, my parents' anniversary... the list goes on and on. We can always rely on this authentic Italian restaurant in our hometown of Madison for flavorful, crisp, authentic Italian cooking - they serve consistently good food accompanied by welcoming and warm service. Though everything on the menu is incredible, my favorite include: antipastino all'italia, prosciutto e melone, grilled portobello mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella with basil and tomato, fusilli napoletani, and riganoti with king crabmeat. They also have a delicious tortellini special that my sister has gotten in the past. Mangia! read more

Very nice restaurant, not cheap, but considering the service and food was excellent, for a special occasion it's well worth it.

Had the seafood special. It was good. Service was very good. My wife had farro with beans and broccoli rabe. She said it was very good.

The food was fresh and creative. The service was great. We had a private room. Great experience

Had a really nice lunch on Fathers Day. Thought he food was well prepared and the service was attentive

"Very Ellegant With Just a Couple of Mishaps" You get the feel of the place the minute you step through the door, with it's old world Italian charm, and the sounds of the live piano player on the baby grand. We were seated right away, and our waiter was extremely attentive. The bread was extremely fresh and soft, especially the multigrain rolls. The menus that we were handed were printed on letter paper, and they reuse them for other guests. Mine had fingerprints and stains all over it, and my wife's was the same. When the waiter went over the specials, we had to keep questioning him due to his strong accent, but we were able to get through them. For appetizers, I ordered the calamari fritti, and my wife ordered the crostoni di polenta. The polenta was excellent, but my calamari was over fried, and was cardboard. I tried to eat it, but after 2 pieces, I could not get through it, and had to send it back. The chef totally agreed that it was over cooked and sent out a new dish. For entrees, I had the Pork Chop Saltimbocca, and she had a pasta dish with crumbled sausage. Both were quite good, with the pork chops being outstanding. The portions are large, so prepare to take some home. All in all, I would give this restaurant a 77 out of 100. Just between good and very good. Maybe it was an off night, you never know. To my followers: The bar area is quite nice, and worth a visit if you arrive early for a cocktail. There were two parties going on, but they were in closed off rooms, and we could not hear any noise from them. Stick with the old standards here. The couple next to us were disappointed in their dinner off the daily specials menu. This is a small place, so make sure you have a reservation! read more

My whole experience here was just strange. From tuxedo clad servers and tacky banquet style chairs- it was just bizarre. The food overall was good. We had calamari which I thought was well seasoned, properly cooked, and came with a delicious sauce. I had the vodka sauce pasta with crab meat and my boyfriend had the cod with crabmeat. Both were good dishes overall. Our experience was totally ruined by the service, though. It took about 20 minutes for our server to realize no one provided us with menus. It took us 30 minutes after last touching our coffees to get the check, in a restaurant that was almost completely empty. The manager (from what I could tell) stopped at every other three tables to make sure everything was going okay (presumably because we're younger with a Groupon and he doesn't care). The manager then proceeded to argue with the waitstaff in the middle of the dining room where we could very audibly hear. Overall, the food was good but not good enough to make us ever want to come back here. They should stop offering Groupons if they're not ready to adapt to a younger clientele. read more

Second time here and the food was nowhere near as good. Service was still excellent, but I'm not sure I'd come back. Not for the price.

I've heard many mixed reviews about L'allegria, so I had to try it myself. The atmosphere here is very nice, and I can see why many people chose L'allegria for special occasions. I read a few reviews, mentioning that the service was very slow here, I am one that hates to be rushed, but for a restaurant that wasn't overly packed, it could have been a little quicker. Toward the end of dinner we ended waiting quite awhile for the waitress to grab the check to pay. I ordered the Saverio's Lobster Bouillabaisse, it started off well, but the clams and mussels ended up being so sandy that I decided not to finish the meal. I then tried the pasta that the fish was over, and the sand must have made it's way here as well. At 32.50, I don't think that's acceptable. I wouldn't say that I will not give L'allegria another shot, but I was slightly let down, because I expected it to be better than it was. read more

L'Allegria - Italian Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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First time at this restaurant and I will not return. Pricy and truthfully not worth it. Appetizers were small, service was slow and the food was just OK. The ambiance was very nice. It is a place to dress up for and enjoy conversation with friends. read more

My boyfriend and I came here a few months ago and the we had good service and food!

It was decent food. Waitor service was not good, but not his fault. There should have been a waitor for the back room. I know of many more other Italian restaurants. read more

Hosted my mother's 60th birthday party in their private room upstairs and could not be more pleased with the service and food! The private menu package is very reasonable priced and the food is delicious! The package included a first course, second course and dessert. We started with a mushroom risotto which was excellent. Then the guests got to choose from chicken francese, braised short rib, and sea bass. All the dishes were delicious, especially the short rib, which was extremely tender and moist. We paid for wine by the bottle. The house wine is only $12 a bottle! The upstairs room also has a full bar so our guests we able to order other drinks as well. The wait staff was very friendly and courteous. They helped us set up decorations and assisted with all the clean up afterwards. We had a great experience and would highly recommend L'alleria for private events. read more

This place gets 5 stars because of the food and how equally beautiful it is. this place is filled with art work. When you walk in you feel like you are in an outdoor patio in Tuscany. L'allegria is my definition of Italian food. I have never tasted better Italian yet. I feel like this place should be in the hills of Tuscany. Saturday I had the pleasure of dining there again and I tried the pizza which was very surprising. It is almost like a cracker crust and light. I was still very hungry so I had the lobster flamed in cognac, so good! The waiter told me they split the lobster in half and then it's flamed in cognac and leaks, and presented over bucatini pasta. I am a bit addicted to chocolate so I finished with the chocolate mouse, yummy ! read more

This place is GREAT! The service was fantastic and the food was out of this world. I have way too many favorites to list. They also have a wonderful piano player which adds to the experience. L'allegria is like a hidden treasure. read more

Our family held our repast luncheon for my mother on Monday, March 27 at L'Allegria. The servers, food and ambiance were excellent. Saverio was kind from the first phone call through the luncheon. Thank you to all for making our luncheon very smooth. read more