[[HIGHLIGHT]]I loved the ambiance here and the food was excellent![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We shared the Antipasto di Mare and I had a delicious stuffed pasta. They were out of artichoke, so the server asked if they could use puréed cauliflower instead in the pasta and I was apprehensive at first, but it ended up being delicious! The only downside of my experience was that one of the dishes in the Antipasto di Mare seafood trio was a beef stew, which was disappointing as I am pescatarian and had been expecting the seafood trio to have three seafood dishes. read more

Osteria Papavero - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Food and drinks were wonderful! The service is great too. I loved the bread basket provided - such a good experience!

Authentic Italian! They cure their own charcuterie meats. Service was excellent. Quaint little place so reservations a must. Will definitely return on visits. The Tortelacci and Hangar Steak entrees were superb. read more

The cinghiale ragù with pappardelle was fantastic, coupled with a great Sangiovese, finished with the pistacchio cake. I will be back next time I come to Madison read more

Amazing food, welcoming staff, and a cozy spot to enjoy a true Italian dinner. Perfect for a date night. read more

Osteria Papavero - a plate of food and a glass of wine - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Visited Osteria for dinner with friends. The ambiance was very chill and lighting was dimmer. The cheese board I ordered had a unique variety of different flavors. The grilled swordfish was cooked well and tasty. The berry cheesecake may have been the star of the show! It was flavorful and very rich. Overall, solid experience for the price. read more

Osteria Papavero - Berry Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great service. Lovely space with great windows. Terrine was fantastic, stunning bite. Bread selection was great, especially this really light and fluffy little pocket. Puttanesca was quite solid and loved the rabbit pasta. read more

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My husband and I dined here early on a Friday and sat at the bar. The service & atmosphere were 10/10. The bartenders were so friendly and offered us samples of everything before we committed to a drink. I LOVED their Lambrusco & my husband's Venetian spritz was perfection. We first shared the meat plate bc. the owner is one of two ppl licensed in Madison to cure his own meats and is from Italy. Sadly, they do not have any GF options to enjoy with their cheese or meat plates, but even a cracker! They do however have GF pasta. We were slightly disappointed in the Salumi spread. Mostly bc I don't think that meat spreads are really our thing. I think we expected more of a prosciutto/salami situation. My husband said that the dough fried in pork fat that came in his bread basket was possibly the best he has ever had! I had the Fettuccine con 'Nduja which was made with GF noodles and it was delicious!! It had a little spice & the flavor was wonderful. Not as rich as a ragu, but much more flavor than a basic red sauce. My husband had the boar ragu and ate every bite. We would come back to try the Budino & share some of their delish Lambrusco again :). read more

Just back from a duel birthday diner for my aunt and I... service was phenomenal... menu selection, both the specials and regular menu... fantastic. For me, the Salumi Board and desserts were the highlight. This said I enjoyed the antelope entree. Others ordered a variety of the pasta offerings. I sampled them all... they were all wonderful. The cocktail, wine and spirits menu is beyond adequate, quite broad actually and very reasonably priced. Btw if they have the butterscotch budini get it... and boy Howdy does it pair phenomenally with the Willet Pot Still Bourbon. Bottom line classy restaurant with great menu in an elegant but absolutely not pretentious atmosphere. read more

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Do yourself a favor and visit this little Italian restaurant in Madison. The nightly specials menu is different each night. We thought the atmosphere was warm and inviting Italian themed. The service was excellent all night long with a knowledgeable server guiding our meal. The bread basket was amazing, yes you read right. The bread! We had a tomato bread, so soft and savory with a nice crust. Then a white pillowy warm ravioli shaped light bread sprinkled with salt. The third bread was a white bread with a slight hint of Parmesan. Oh yum! Beware though there are so many yummy courses don't eat too much bread. Also they will charge you for additional baskets of bread so practice restraint. The appetizer of three vegetables was delicious, this also varies daily. On this night it was spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic topped with cheese. The middle vegetable was sweet bell peppers with onions also topped with crumbled cheese. Lastly a cold bean salad with asparagus. Our main courses were from the specials menu of asparagus filled ravioli in a light wine sauce and a pork dish with fresh peas and prosciutto. Both mains were good but I hope to try other things. Lastly were told that they just brought back a pine nut pie that was a marriage between pine nuts and pecan pie accompanied by a tart sour cream ice cream. Oh the dessert was all that was described and more, so delectable. I will hope to return next time we are in town. read more

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**Updated as I was winding down, I began to drink a bug that wasn't known to be in my water. 1. Good flavor for the red sauce in the calzone. 2. Butterscotch pudding tastes like a whethers original. I know many rave about it and I'm not in that category. 3. Salad Papavero was decent. Greens with marinated red peppers in 1 corner. 2 Marinated Kalamata olives in another corner. 2 quarters on mozzarella in the remaining respective corners. 4. Service was sharp, curt-like but swift. Not lunch rush fast but swift. The stars are impacted by the flies and the bugs scrolling by on the floor. I don't believe this is due to an unkept place but because the doors are open and wildlife enters. It's a black beetle. The fly was on the window and I probably would have missed him if I hadn't sat by the window but he didn't miss my salad. As soon as it was placed on the table he jumped on it before I could. Tf I will return as I'd like to try the mushroom soup, Panna cotta with berries. It filled up quickly today. I'm not sure if it's because of Restaurant week or regular lunch rush. Was shocked how the noise level raised but it's not a deterrent. You must be seated whether dining inside or AL fresco. I prefer interior but I'm thinking the flies probably were handled best with the wind blowing outdoors. Idk. The owners were always great neighbors to us when we lived on the street. Like, that's what this star rating really reflects. They treated the kid well. Today's lunch 2 stars. ***Updated from 3 as I spat the water out and sign my receipt leaving expeditiously.** Their contribution to the neighborhood = 5stars for me. Average = 3 stars. I'm not a naturalist. I can't do bugs and guess what I'm from the hot muggy Southern US so I'm more than familiar with bugs, flying cockroaches. Even in Italy and Beijing the doors stay open but there are filters for bugs. Even that Blue light that zaps everything down south in the restaurants. read more

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Three of us walked here after a day at the conference center. We weren't able to get a table (it's a tiny but great space), but they were able to get us in at the bar. Get the meat appetizer, as they have one of the only licensed butchers in the area! The pasta was also excellent. read more

My husband made us reservations to celebrate my birthday. Sadly, we were underwhelmed. When we arrived we were immediately sat, and very quickly after greeted by our server. I was impressed she asked for any food allergies, and followed up with recommendations based on our response. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and offered recommendations at our request. Interestingly, what made our service experience less than ideal was not that the server was not attentive; she was overly attentive. We generally enjoy a leisurely meal. This was far from that. In fact, we were in and out the door (drinks, appetizer, and entrees), in 45 minutes. We felt rushed to place our orders (server repeatedly asked if we were ready to order with minimal time between requests), and food arrived extremely quickly. It was our impression they needed to turn our table over quickly. I can say with certainty we would have ordered more, but instead chose to leave and go to Tempest for drinks and dessert to feel less rushed. For the Antipasti we ordered the burrata. It was good, but nothing I would come back for. I ordered the tortellacci for my entree, and my husband ordered the lasagna at the recommendation of the server. Both were good, but again nothing I would rave about. Overall, if I were to try them again in the future I would make sure to inform the server we would like to enjoy a leisurely dining experience. It would have completely changed our opinions. read more

I was expecting more. The cheese plate was excellent as was the pudding dessert. The entrees were just boring. I can't imagine how these would be popular with anyone. read more

This restaurant is what I would call a sleeper or a hidden gem. It isn't ostentatious. It is a little hard to find. It doesn't look like much from the outside. Parking can be difficult. The inside is modest and a bit crowded. But the food is wonderful and the service is good. The breads were all good but one of them was fabulous. This one was called the gnocco frito, which resembled a very tasty ravioli pasta without any stuffing. It had some salt on the surface, and was very briefly fried in duck fat. It was especially memorable. we shared an antipasto di mare and also the gramigna con ricotta pasta. Everything was so good that we even decided to share a dessert, namely the crostata ai Pinoli and a most unusual cello dessert drink made from kumquats. Bravo! read more

I have been to OP several times now, and the food is always outstanding. We came in on a weeknight for dinner and I was a little surprised that it wasn't busier - certainly no complaint from a customer perspective - but I worry about the ability to pay the bills with the incredibly competitive restaurant market and the razor thin margins. Hopefully just a fluke! Head over for dinner - you won't regret it! read more

I'm italian and still morning the fact that I wasn't able to visit my family this Summer due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Enter Osteria Papavero to, at least, provide a night back home. While stopping in Madison I stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a try, particularly interested by the cinghiale (wild boar) pasta which is a typical plate of the aerea where I am from in Tuscany. Fantastic! The Mare appetizers were also great, appreciated by the entire family and the cacciatore pasta was unforgettable. Like nothing I had in the Midwest. Everything we got was so good, including the fried bread and the dessert. I had to talk to the chef and discovered his granma was from a town near mine. It was my first visit to Madison but Osteria papavero may have given me a reason to come back. read more

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This place is so cute and romantic. We went here for the first time and the service was EXCEPTIONAL. The menu is an experience it self- and the staff is so great and describing each dish. We shared a cheese plate, which all were amazing! We shared the gnocchi as well which was good! The bread basket they bring out before dinner is amazing- definitely enjoy some of that!! read more

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First time visiting (for me) and we really enjoyed our dinner service! The server was top notch explaining the menu thoroughly and providing wonderful service. She suggested a great wine pairing with our main dishes. We started with 2 appetizers (antipasto di Mare and burrata) which were fantastic. The antipasto di Mare features a trio of seafood and shellfish dishes and they change often. We received a basket of lovely baked breads as well. For our main course, two of us had the fettuccine con 'Nduja which had beautiful heat to it and overall wonderful flavors and textures. The corn fettuccine in this dish was unique and delicious. There was 1 order of broccolini which was just ok- overall, the dish felt like it was missing something. We shared an order of Budino di Caramello for dessert. Butterscotch pudding, whipped cream and cocoa powder....wow. So simple, so good. Overall, I cannot wait to return and explore other items on their menu! read more

It really just isn't good. I don't understand all the hype around it online, these guys legitimately must be paying for reviews or something. My fish pasta was gag-worthy and tasted like canned tuna in a tomato sauce. My partners pork was at least edible, but SO chewy. I mean chewy enough that you could be sitting there for a solid 5 minutes going at it. The cheese board we were given was solid though, which I'm not surprised since it's the one thing this restaurant didn't cook .. yikes. At least the waitress was nice. read more

Osteria Papavero - Pork - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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So I'll just start off by saying that everything I've eaten here has been EXCELLENT. Have been consistently impressed by the quality, portions, service, atmosphere, and overall flavor of food. Period. Now, I cannot stress this enough - I had one of the best meals of my LIFE here. Can't remember the name in its entirety but it was a scallopini mushroom entree that was unbelievable. I was speechless! Couldn't stop talking about this meal for days. Still thinking about it! Another highlight was a swordfish bruschetta. This menu is really special. 10000/10. AMAZING food. read more

Have always walked by this place but never stopped in. After a football game this was the one place that could seat us at the bar (we didn't have reservations). It's a small place but the atmosphere is terrific. Very friendly staff, warm environment. We ate at the bar and the service was chill. The food was fantastic. Authentic, fresh, perfectly portioned, fantastic pasta. read more

Small, cozy, and quiet restaurant in town. Tried it for the first time while meeting a friend for lunch. Pleasantly surprised with the menu, it is not an extensive menu, but you will find something for everyone. The sandwich was good but the soup lacked flavor. If I go back would like to try some of their pastas. read more

Osteria Papavero - Lunch menu - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I came here for summer restaurant week and was sadly not impressed. Polipo - grilled octopus was cooked way to long. Was so difficult to chew, even to cut through with our knives. Super disappointed. Magatello - Meat was nicely sliced! Tortellini Alle Erbe - the tomato/butter sauce was too liquidy and lacked flavor. Tortelli was tough and didn't taste freshly made. Filetto al Peppe Verde - tenderloin was cooked well here but the spinach was too sautéed, almost seemed like a pure with the green peppercorn sauce, so another element of flavor in the dish was missing. Dessert - good, but nothing special about them that I couldn't order in another Italian restaurant. Staff - being right on the square, I recommend having some change available to customers in case they need for parking. Having none in this location is pretty absurd to me, especially with a lot of coined meters still in the area. Waitress was not very attentive and seemed irritated by us which put a damper on the meal. Cute little space, but I won't be coming back. read more

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When I lived in Madison I tried to eat at Osteria Papavero once or twice, but the wait was always too long for my hangry self. On a recent business trip back to Madison, I was lucky there was no wait on a Tuesday night. I enjoyed my dinner so much I came back the following day for lunch. Osteria Papavero's menu constantly changes with many daily specials written on the chalk board. The dinner and lunch menus are different. For dinner I ordered one of roasted vegetable appetizers. It came with a few stuffed tomatoes, parsnips, and peppers with sausage. It was simple yet delicious since each vegetable was prepared differently with different spices. For lunch I ordered the seafood tomato pasta. Lots of seafood and not too heavy. Definitely save room for dessert, the budino di caramello (butterscotch pudding) is one of my favorites. read more

Osteria Papavero - roasted vegetables: Tomatoes, sausage stuffed peppers, parsnips - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Popped in for lunch on a Thursday after hearing about the chef being named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award. I had the calzone which was so far beyond any calzone I had before that it was silly to use the same name for both. My wife enjoyed her seafood pasta but thought I had ordered the better dish. I wished I had ordered an appetizer - the calzone was on the smaller side but it was also $8 which I think is a hell of a good deal. My wife and I ordered the butterscotch pudding and the bread pudding, each certain we had chosen the best option. The desserts were nicely balanced and not too sweet. I wasn't sure what to expect out of a bread pudding but it very satisfying and something I might order again. There were also a number of great sandwiches on the menu which demand a repeat visit. The service was very nice and it was easy to get a table. Overall, it's well considered high end food served in a casual manner at extremely reasonable prices. read more

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Came here for a friends birthday! The space was small, people had to kind of squeeze by the front door and wait for the hostess. It's definitely a pricier place, but food was good. We started with the veggie platter and cheese platter. Not a lot of food, but was pretty delicious. For the main course. You have the option of around 8 dishes. I had the black lobster spaghetti, and it was pretty good. Tried friends dishes, they were all tasty! Specifically, the spicy pork sausage pasta was very flavorful. Desserts were also pretty delicious, we tried the apple pie and the chocolate salami one. Liked the chocolate the best as it was super chocolatey and had a nice grainy texture. read more

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I was hovering around a 1.5 from dinner at Osteria but ultimately decided a round-up would be more fair just because the server was nice enough and it's not like there was anything TERRIBLY wrong. But what went wrong? Let me count the ways. 1) We, a party of two, were seated at our requested table and the time from being seated until our server first showed up to offer water glasses and water took 15 minutes. Maybe there was a special event or something but there was a server in a different section who was chatting with her table for a majority of that time. 2) The appetizer special we ordered was described as kind of a meatloaf with a runny egg over it. This evoked a pretty specific image and expectation. We got... probably slightly overcooked ground meat covered in a mostly solid egg on top (i.e. It wasn't runny at all). The taste was good but it was a very small plate and not nearly as "photogenic" as I would have hoped. 2) The bread came out after the appetizer. There was no butter and no oil for the bread. Maybe that was the "style" they're going for but... they may wish to reconsider as it was a very odd choice. 3) I ordered a three meat mixed grill. It was... lackluster and lukewarm when it arrived. It was heavy on generic tomato flavor and the meats themselves were just kind of "meh." Can't say it was worth the price at all. The other person with me got a ravioli... it was drowning so much in cheese it lost all flavor except for the cheese. 4) I left feeling kind of hungry. That's how small the portions were. It just... was less than ideal. In sum, while the environment was intimate and kind of cute, the food was just okay and on the small side portion wise, and the service at the start was incredibly slow and I thought several times that we had just been forgotten. It ultimately gets a two star though because our actual server was pretty good at the end of the day, once service got started, it was good. And there was nothing egregiously wrong with this place (I guess maybe it's over priced but that's kind of how it goes). If you're a struggling student with a little bit more money to spend and want to take someone somewhere "nice" I could see this being a pretty cute spot. read more

Osteria Papavero - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

8pm in Madison, flights cancelled because of the snow, I found this place on Yelp a stones throw away from my hotel. As an aspiring cook myself and arm chair food critic I was very pleasantly and would highly recommend this location for a business dinner or a date. One of the numerous specials was a set of three seafood dishes, two of which I have an allergy to. They split the special up so that I could try the octopus, which was cooked to perfection, better than at the beach in Mexico. The second course was a braised rabbit, which was also delicious. The chef clearly has a handle on their sauces, which is what separates the men from the boys. If you are in Madison, and don't want to eat at the popular places in the area (which emphasize gigantic portions of fried cheese), this place is a better choice. read more

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We stopped in for lunch- on our way to Chicago for a celebration. All of our lunches were delicious- we had the soup of the day and salad, soup and sandwich, and lasagna pasta special. All very delicious and a nice surprise- as we were passing through and wanted a quick bite. When we arrived in Chicago we realized my daughter had forgotten her purse with money, her CC cards, and i.d. The staff held it for us over the weekend and let us pick it up on our way back even though they were closed. Super nice about it and we are very grateful. Thank you to the fabulous and kind staff. We will be back again! read more

Oh My God!!! The goulash special is amazing! I came here with dinner reservations for the cinghiale but unfortunately they were out. Stop right now if you are going to give this place a 1 star for not having it. Supply chain for boar is hard but they made it up to me by making the goulash with the egg pappardelle to perfection. I travel to Madison for work once a year and I cannot stand to tell you how accommodating Osteria is. Great food great ambiance. Highly recommend. read more

Osteria Papavero - Goulashbwith pappardelle substitute. - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

After stepping in I stepped through the curtain into a cosy space that was mostly empty on a Monday night around 6 pm but got super busy within the hour. My server was very attentive and explained the specials after bringing me my cocktail, Italian 75. Strong but good. Be warned, there is not an extensive menu but there are some options on the regular menu that change regularly. I opted to start with the soup of the day, an escarole, bean, and vegetable rustic concoction. It needed salt even though it had a smoky bacon flavor. I received a basket of hot bread also. To get refills on the bread you are charged $3. Worth it. I then ordered a special from the board, tortelli (after discussing the pros and cons of the savory crepes with spinach versus the tortelli with spinach-a filled homemade pasta. It was topped with a light tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. Tasty but not a must have dish I'd crave. Or need to order again. For dessert, had planned on ordering then pistachio cake but the server shared the specials and I had to try the panett bread pudding. Maybe the best read pudding I've ever had...caramel, fresh whipped cream, walnuts and a hint of orange flavor from the fruit in the bread. All in all a nice meal and great service. read more

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Definitely one of my new favorite restaurants in Madison. This small place (less than 15 tables) has really got it going on. They don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. There's a good amount of seating at the bar, which we opted to do. It's open for lunch and dinner Monday - Friday, dinner on Saturday, and closed on Sundays. A small menu with appetizers, pastas, and mains (usually a grilled fish), and they offer daily specials, which include additional items in every category, as well as a pizza. I was elated to see fried squash blossoms offered as a special. These have a very limited seasonality, so whenever I see these on a menu, I have to order them. They were everything I dreamed of. A delicate tempura batter, and stuffed with rich ricotta. So yummy. We also shared polpette (meatballs), covered with a robust red sauce, pasta with wild boar ragu, and my favorite: the zuppa di funghi, a wild mushroom soup. The soup was more like a stew, so full of earthy mushrooms and a rich broth. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. Dessert was a butterscotch budino, which was very enjoyable, albeit a little too sweet. A sprinkling of sea salt on top would balance it out and then it would be perfect. I can't forget to mention the great cocktails. We had Italian 75s, a play on a French 75, but made with Aperol (the menu lists Campari, but we subbed it for Aperol). Beer and wine are also available (but I definitely recommend going the cocktail route). Service was on point. The bartender / server made great recommendations, and took good care of us. 100% will be making a return visit on my next trip to Madison! read more

Osteria Papavero - Italian 75 - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

How have I not written a review about my favorite Italian place in Madison? Probably didn't want to get the word out but looking at the reviews, it is definitely out. Small, rustic, no pretense but serving great food and drinks. While the items on the menu are solid (pappardelle with wild boar is always a fave), I really think the restaurant shines through their specials. My last visit was during lunch and I had an incredible gnocchi with braised lamb leg. The housemade potato gnocchi was soft and pillowy and paired well with the rich and hearty lamb. I love that the restaurant serves as a blank canvas to the food and diners that come eat here. It is just as comfortable for a business lunch as it is for a romantic dinner. read more

This place is soooo good, I almost didn't want to write a review, but that would be selfish. The staff made me feel like I was on vacation. Don't go there unless you appreciate the best a restaurant has to offer... piss off and go to read more

Super cute Italian restaurant and super delicious amazing food. I've only been here twice for lunch and each time I had to order from their daily specials. For lunch, most everything is only $9.75 and the sandwiches come with soup or salad. You can tell this place is legit, pasta is only on their daily specials. Everything I've had here has a uniqueness about it. [Begin Italian music in background] Could be how the ingredients slow dances with my taste buds, or how the presentation has me thinking what the next dish will look like. All I know is that I haven't gotten a blah meal, was always satisfied and will be coming back for more. read more

Osteria Papavero - Candle pasta with beef shank - Italian Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I've been wanting to visit Osteria Papavero for some time after having many people recommend it. I was finally able to try Osteria Papavero for Madison Restaurant Week. It's a smaller, intimate restaurant. No reservations. We waited ~30 minutes before we were seated. The service was relatively slow, we had to wait ~15 minutes after we were seated to get our menus. I had the Granchio (crab and rockfish cake with romesco sauce), Peposo (braised beef shank, yellow corn polenta), and the Torta Al Cocco (coconut-potato cake, passion fruit caramel, whipped cream, toasted pecans). The crab/rockfish cake was delicious with a crispy exterior, tender interior; sauce complemented the seafood well. The braised beef was extremely tender and flavorful. The polenta very creamy and delectable. I've never had a coconut-potato cake, so maybe it was just wasn't my kind of dessert, but it was overall more dense and tart then expected. It seemed the passion fruit caramel was more of a passion fruit juice that the cake was soaked in, didn't really get that robust, deep flavor that I think of when I hear caramel. Overall, I enjoyed the food, the service was average; would definitely return again to try their menu aside from Restaurant Week! read more

Updated: I wanted to give it a second try... still pretty mediocre. Small, odd menu (cow tongue with pork jowels? Why) with decent specials. But the flavors just aren't there. Nothing special about this place. read more

Celebrating a birthday I made sure to reserve a table and with limited space available the place filled up fast. Knowledgeable and courteous staff described the freshly designed menu and we started off with the large charcuterie board with cheese and olives. Along with the bread basket provided the variety was good. Between five of us we finished all the options but one. More of a high dining experience than initially expected I think a couple members of our party were a little underwhelmed with their choice of main dish. I wasn't. The veal steak was great and I saw other options on the menu that I'll be looking to test next time. My americano cocktail was a good choice as well. read more

Food was amazing - we had the the formaggi to start which was three chef's choice cheeses with jam and marinated olives; delicious. For entrees we had the gnochetti and the crespelle; the gnochetti was good, the crespelle was great. We ended with the Budino di Caramello, their signature dessert, which was phenomenal. I also had the Poppy and the Pear cocktail, which was delicious. The service was okay; nothing special, but nothing to complain about. Overall, would definitely recommend to others! read more