Overall the experience was very pleasant here and the food was good. The service was a little slow, but I think it's one of those restaurants that they aren't rushing you and just trying to get you your food and out the door as quickly as possible. For appetizers we ordered the calamari and brushetta, both very very good! I then ordered the Cesar side salad - the dressing was a little heavy on this. My friend ordered the stuff chicken, another ordered the scallops, another the lamb chops, and I ordered the spinach artichoke pasta. I was so full that I couldn't even finish my entree and try their dessert which looked awesome. Next time I'll have to save room so I can try it! read more

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I give Otto's bar a 4-Star rating. I'm less thrilled with the formal dining area. The bar area has vibe and you can order the full dinner menu in the bar. The cocktails are skillfully crafted... They have lovely blue cheese stuffed olives for the martinis. This makes me happy. When I'm hanging out in the bar, I generally order some appetizers and or a desert. The bacon wrapped shrimp is my favorite appetizer. You can get these little gems solo or as part of the Mediterranean platter, which also includes humus and bruschetta. The best desert is the Napoleon - wonderful lightly sweetened phyllo dough provides the structure and a silky custard provides the sexiness. read more

PROS: Decent-sized portions CONS: Pricey, mediocre Otto's is like walking into your uncle Bob's kitchen. Bob wants to show off his culinary skills since he started taking an Italian cooking class the week before. He prepares a table full of dishes full of fancy ingredients, but his execution falls short. The food tastes very much like the meat-and-potatoes that he usually makes, but fancier-looking and with more expensive ingredients. He also screws up and undercooks some seafood and brings out the wrong wine for his guests. Under such a circumstance, I'd be okay. However, imagine if Bob tries to charge you $30 a plate for the food. Not so happy then, right? That is exactly how I felt about Otto's. The food is more homey, the staff is nice, but the prices are too high for what you get. read more

My wife and I were intrigued by this place branding itself as a seafood place so we decided to try it. The restaurant looks like slightly fancier version of Olive Garden and is in fact frequented by several old customers. We ordered a tasting menu which consisted of appetizer, one main course, and one dessert. We both ordered the trout soup and the linguine with mussels and lobster. For dessert I had the cheese platter and my wife had the bread pudding. The soup was fairly standard, I will say cafeteria quality. The linguini tasted not the bad but nothing special either. Some of the mussels were not fully open and fully cooked which was pretty bad. My cheese player had a single slice of cheese which was pretty disappointing. PROS - pretty good price for a tasting menu - not many good restaurant in this location CONS - cheesy decor - you can get more interesting food at most downtown restaurants fur the same price read more

Really disappointed in our recent experience at Otto's. The food was excellent but the service was really poor. We were seated at 8:30, a half hour before closing and our server could not have been anymore unenthusiastic. I don't know if they were new or if it was related to the timing of our reservation. Throughout our meal, other staff were overly zealous on checking our meal progress. I understand, as a servers and kitchen staff, being disappointed about a late reservation but our meal for 4 was over $200 and we really found the experience to be lacking - particularly when bringing guests from overseas to a "nice" restaurant. We have had friends had a similar experience when arriving close to closing time. This is certainly not what I expected from a quality establishment and we will likely make a point of not dining here any more. I'd really encourage management to either ensure the quality of service is maintained for all guests they seat - regardless of when that is, or limit the time of last seating to ensure people are getting treated properly. read more

All I knew about Otto's prior to dining there was that they had Mediterranean cuisine. My experience with most Mediterranean restaurants, with the exception of a few fancy Greek spots, is they are usually casual. So Otto's was a nice surprise: the cozy comforting reassurance of an old school bar, the Old farmhouse setting with different levels, and the more formal white tablecloth service. Definitely a five on ambiance. My dining companion and I had a drink at the bar before dinner. I noticed they have 1/2 price appetizers Mondays thru Thursdays. One of my favorite things to do at a Mediterranean place is eating "tapas" style because the appetizers are usually so good. And such is the case here with a number of mixed plates: Wisconsin cheeses, seafood and apps plates with hummus. And not one nacho or deep-fried cheese curd to be found! At half price, these would be a great value, though they are priced fairly to start. We didn't on this occasion try the appetizers, but I know I'll be back to belly up to this great little bar for a cocktail and apps. The menu with dinner items, Mediterranean specials, salads and appetizers is a difficult one for an indecisive Libra like me. Lots of great seafood offerings, and every dish sounding mouth-watering. I chose as an entree a salmon baked in grape leaves and my dinner companion got the three seafood platter. Both were served with lusciously flavored greens and potatoes. The Caesar salad beforehand was just OK. Nice little warm buns come with the meal, too. Otto's is on the pricier side, but worth every bit of it. And what a great place to celebrate a birthday or have a date night. While the outdoor spaces were not available during our January visit, I'm sure the two different levels of patios make this place very festive in summer. Otto's was simply an overall experience which well exceeded my expectations. read more

Went here with a large party the day before thanksgiving and the food and service was absolutely wonderful. I ordered the scallops, while delicious, only come with 3. I also tried the lamb which was outstanding. Was very impressed with the speedy service given the fact our waitress has to climb three flights of stairs. Would visit again. read more

I LOVE the decor and ambience of this place! I first came here to celebrate Valentine's day with my boyfriend in 2014 (before I was a Yelp member!), and left with fond memories. I visited Otto's again while my friends and my boyfriend's family was in town, and it did not disappoint! After devouring two bread baskets, we started with two orders of mussels. I definitely forgot how generous they are with the mussel appetizer, but hey, I can't complain! We also had the Ottos Sampler, the crispy shrimp and the shrimp cocktail. Everyone raved about the crispy shrimp, which was wrapped in prosciutto, and fried to perfection. Most of us had the tomato bisque after the appetizers, which was very tasty (and this is coming from someone who hates tomatoes!). Our entrees arrived all at the same time, and were presented very beautifully. As a casual insta-foodie, plating is very important to me as a first impression, and this definitely did not disappoint. I had the scallops with gnocchi, which was the special of the night. The scallops were huge, the gnocchi was pillowy and the sauce was a perfect compliment. I will say that the crispy kale that was sprinkled on top was extremely salty, but I know how easy it is to over-salt crispy kale (speaking from experience!). Overall, our entire party left the restaurant happy, and extremely full. The service was great, and our waitress was friendly and very professional. I would definitely recommend this place for a romantic or intimate dinner, and definitely try to make reservations in advance! read more

First, I would like to say the food was amazing. I had the New Zealand lamb, and it was the best lamb I have ever had in my life. I've eaten at a lot of high end restaurants across the country, and I can easily say that the lamb at Otto's is some of the best. I ordered it medium rare (as you should do if you are eating high quality meat) and it was cooked perfectly. It was served with a chimichurri that was delicious and had the perfect blend of herbs and gave a nice saltiness to the lamb. We had the bruschetta and the cheese sampler plate for appetizers. Both of these were very good, and I would definitely order them again. The bruschetta had some sort of whipped feta (that's what it tasted like) that complimented the chopped tomatoes and olives perfectly. My wife had the Chilean sea bass and it was also really tasty. The reason I give Otto's a 4 star review is because our service was sub-par. Our waitress was pretty cold towards us when she realized we weren't going to order alcohol. She never asked us if we needed anything or if our food was good. She came occasionally and filled our water and left. It just didn't feel like she really cared. Overall our experience was good because I don't go to a restaurant just for the service. I go for the food and the food was phenomenal. If you want to have some lamb that knocks your socks off go to Otto's. read more

Excellent food and service. Nice areas for outdoor dining. Good music

I got three entrees and three appetizers on Thursday, Cost was 150 with tip We all got seafood and there was not one Mmmm sound from the diners. This was seriously mediocre cooking for the price. My salmon smelled fishy, the spinach was pretty tasteless and the caesar salad was romaine and croutons. This is the first meal from Otto''s in many years and I won't return. One expects some kind of taste pleasure when spending this kind of money....I won't be back. Seriously disappointing food!! read more

My parents and I went here for dinner this past Friday night. KrystaLynn was our server and she was amazing! Not only was our service great but the food was amazing! It really was the best food I've had out since before the pandemic. I had the salmon wrapped in grape leaves and the bread pudding for dessert was truly memorable. read more

Wonderful suburban hangout. If only I had a place like this in ... Pint margaritas and nicely strong make for a wonderful evening. The local conversation made this place all the more entertaining. Started off with the Italian margarita - Amaretto ... and it comes in a pint. Awesomely strong. This is a good start. The bread basket is surprisingly good. I liked the crispy little puffs when I normally try to avoid the complimentary filler... I emptied my basket - darn it. My first course were the mussels and they were sucked down on the toast points. I would have liked the toast points to be thinner and doubled but taking half bites worked. The dish was a great combination and very tasty. I have never seen such PHAT muscles before. GMO or something. Either way I loved it. The complimentary green salad was non-descript micro-greens. Pretty fresh but they may be stocking more then they can use in a night. The innocent offer of another margarita was answered by the buzzed little voice of OK... a mistake. The Otto's maragarita seemed stronger then the Italian. The Italian really destroyed me for all other margaritas; the Otto seemed to be missing the Amaretto. Despite the absence, I still sucked it down... I really shouldn't have. The main of duck was DELICIOUS!!! I subbed the mashed potatoes for cous cous and the sauce came on the side. The cherry reduction was fantastic and wished I had more to dip in it. The duck was also moist and crispy if that is possible. Still half a margarita to go and contemplating calling Uber, I had to chug it before my chocolate truffle cake came. I have this stigma of not wanting cocktails tainting my chocolate... a port is best but I am already regretting the 2nd margarita. The truffle cake was super chocolatey but too hard. It was warm which is good but too hard. I was expecting more of a very thick mousse but the texture did not stop me from devouring the thin slice. Would love to come back and try the lamb. read more

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My dad's staying at Oakwood next door and I've been trotting out to get him whatEVER sounds good for dinner. Tonight it was steak. Otto's looked nice albeit a bit pricey for takeout and they had ribeye. Okeydokey then. I called and ordered broiled mushroom caps, ribeye dinner medium rare and an extra dinner ceasar. We were gonna split it. They said 15 minutes it would be at the bar and lo and behold there it was waiting for me when I walked in. I ran it back next door and got it all set up. Everything was packed separately and well so the warm things stayed warm and the salads were separated. They'd even asked if I wanted the dressing on the side. The ribeye was still nice and pink in the middle when we cut in to it. They'd packaged a little loaf of bread for us as well. Total bill was $43. For a nice steak dinner for two, not bad. Dad was happy, I was happy. read more

SOOO good! Went for my birthday dinner and everything was perfect. The ambience is lovely. It's in a converted 3-story house. The bar is on the bottom floor, the kitchen and small dining area on the second, and another dining floor on the third. It was way too cold for the patio, but it looked nice. The food was phenomenal -- we had the Moroccan crab cake appetizer, New Zealand lamb chops and salmon fillet special, and strawberry Napoleon. The crab cakes were small but lots of crab rather than filler. Came with aioli and savory jam. The lamb chops were remarkably well-cooked, with a lovely basil mint sauce and roasted red potatoes and crisp green beans. The salmon fillet was also beautifully cooked, with an olive tapenade, tomato risotto, and the same crispy green beans. The Napoleon looked strange at first glance but tasted great, especially the strawberries. Prices are very reasonable, particularly for such high quality food. The service was equal to the food. That's pretty unusual for any restaurant, so I need to give this place particularly high praise. Our waiter was prompt, knowledgeable, and had charming voice cadence. I asked for a decaf coffee with sugar and it appeared within seconds. Really some of the best service we have experienced in Madison. Would go back anytime, special occasion or not! Can't wait to try out the patio next summer. read more

Otto's Restaurant & Bar - New Zealand lamb chops - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I took myself to dinner at Otto's on Friday night, expecting to find a seat at the bar which is intimate and relaxed... No such luck. The bar was full when I got there, not a seat to be found anywhere. The crowd was a little older than myself, average range 50-60 yrs old. I liked the atmosphere of the bar area and was disappointed that I had to go up the stairs for seating at a table for 1. I was determined to try the food however, and shook it off. The host was very accommodating and offered me my pick of tables. I settled on one upstairs (on the the 2nd floor of the old farmhouse). I started with the cheese plate where I selected the gouda and petit frere, which came with grapes, apples, and crackers. Very nice presentation and a tasty appetizer. For my entree I decided on the scallops. The presentation, again, was beautiful. Saffron rice in the center, scallops around the perimeter, with asparagus "bridges" hinged on the rice. I nearly finished the entire plate - very, very delicious. I recommend the restaurant as a relaxing evening out when you want to be assured you are going to get a great meal. Dining alone was not optimal in this setting as it was very group & couple oriented but would have been better in the bar area. read more

Would be 4 stars but they charge $1.50 for rocks with my whiskey. Food - great Service - stellar considering we were a noisy party of 8 Bar - accommodating. But again - $1.50 for rocks. Wow. read more

The most delish food in Madison. This is where you take a date if you really want to impress her/him. The food is so good, but it can be a bit rich. Sometimes there is live music on the patio. The drinks are yum. It is not cheap here but it is well worth the price. Also nice is that Otto's is in a non-convenient location making it more of a hidden gem then a trendy restaurant. read more

Grade: B+ Fantastic food and service. Expensive but well worth it. Mmmm, crab cakes... read more

Excellent selection of near-authentic Greek style appetizers in a renovated 3-story house turned restaurant. Waitress was pleasant throughout the visit. 3 different appetizers were all delicious; entrees were tasty, but quite overpriced for what you received. Nevertheless, a solid 4 stars. read more

Nice old school restaurant. Nice wine and cocktail selection. The menu is a bit hit and miss but will return.

Amazing lamb chops. Great service and dessert was amazing. Great location. Easy to Find being from out of town. read more

This is going to be a new addition to our rotations of restaurants to visit. Husband and I ordered the Otto's sampler, Maple Leaf Duck, and Chilean Sea Bass. Everything was cooked to perfection and nicely flavored, especially my duck breasts. Loved that cherry glaze! If you're looking for something innovative on the menu, you won't find it here. However it does what it does very well, which is perfecting traditional recipe's and offering rustic, straight forward home cooked meals. Great value for what they charge. Warning: Huge portions! You will be stuffed! But they have a nice yard for you to walk it off afterwards. :) read more

Very Good. We'll be back for sure. Memorial to Labor Day, they have live music out on the deck Tuesday-Thursday(music starts at 5:30, but you can only reserve a table up unto 6:00. After that it's first come, first serve.), and we finally got to go! It was a gorgeous night to be outside, and the deck is charming. We were seated at the table right in front of the band, which I was excited about--until I realized how loud it was going to be. Wasn't the best place for a conversation. Next time I'll ask for the side deck. You can't see the band, but I bet you could still hear fine. A friend(and our server) recommended the salmon in grape leaves. It was flavorful and moist, but the sauce was too sweet for me. Spinach was fresh and not overcooked, but it was a little watery, which ran into the rest of my plate. He got the mixed seafood grill. Salmon, diver scallops and shrimp, with roasted fennel, artichokes and potato--I kept sneaking bites.(The fennel was AMAZING). The basil pesto was fresh and flavorful, but there was a lot. One way to get him to eat his veggies is to douse them in fat, though. He wasn't complaining(I might ask for less). Good portions and we both had some packaged to go. He's a creme brûlée lover-and thought Otto's was good, with flecks of vanilla bean. I saw several people digging into sampler plates, which would be great with a bottle of wine and a few friends. Pros: *Food was good(and now I know what to order NEXT time). Priced fair for what you are getting($60 for two seafood dinners, two drinks, and one dessert) *FREE Jazz in the summer? Yes please. Cons: *The deck is pitched forward, and because of how I was seated, I felt like I was doing an abs workout trying to stay upright while eating(maybe NOT a con?). *My bottled iced tea--while tasty--was the same price as his Capital beer. read more

We went to Otto's for good food and received very mediocre food. The crab cakes were cold and rest of the food was disappointing. Very over priced for what you receive. The waiter was very unfriendly. Barely said hello. He acted annoyed we were even there. The atmosphere of the place spoiled our dinner. With all the great restaurants in Madison, don't waste your money here. We certainly will never go back and will not recommend this restaurant. read more

So I went here for prom last year. Forgot to write a review but I saw Otto's featured in the State Journal so I just wanted to add some stuff. First of all, if you're a vegetarian, you can DEFINITELY eat here. I'm a vegan now and it might be a little tricky, but still doable. The review in the paper said it wasn't recommended for veg people but I ate plenty and well here. The group I came with was small and the place wasn't busy but service was still kind of slow. That's my only complaint. As for the food - yummy! My group (all three of us :p) started with the Mediterranean Platter. It was delish and fresh. I believe one of my friends had the salmon in grape leaves and loved it. She let me try the sauteed spinach and that was good too. In fact, she still talks about going back again haha. My other friend had the shrimp app as her main course and enjoyed it as well. I had spinach artichoke pasta. It was om nom nommy and I'd definitely go back. read more

Easily the best lamb chops I've ever had. We went for my girlfriends birthday. The place was very quiet, and for a large portion of our meal we had the entire main dining area to ourselves, which was wonderful and intimate. Our waitress was fantastic-- around enough to make sure we were well taken care of, but mindful to give us time together. Wine selection great-- reasonably priced and our Pinot Noir was delicious. Bread, salads, calamari appetizer all excellent. And those lamb chops-- cannot say enough good things. Perfectly cooked inside, perfectly charred outside, with an incredible mint pesto sauce. They allowed us to pick whatever dessert we wanted for her birthday, on the house, and the creme brulee was great. Overall, a wonderful, intimate, romantic setting with food that is everything we could have asked for. read more

I don't get the hype. Yes it's an old house, yes it's been here a long time but... Service is mediocre Menu is nothing fancy Food is sub par I've tried it twice and will not be back. read more

Otto's is a great restaurant serving up some delicious Mediterranean food. The hummus combo plate starter is excellent. Sitting outside on a gorgeous day listening to live music always makes this an incredible experience. I absolutely love Ottos and will continue to return here to dine and enjoy some great music. read more

Went here for an anniversary meal last night. Decor was simple but nice, attentive but not overbearing service, but the food was disappointing. I got a house specialty meal, the lamb chops with potatoes and green beans. The lamb was cooked properly but it was VERY over seasoned to the point where I couldn't enjoy it. The other pieces had no season at all and were very bland. My husband said he enjoyed his meal (seafood trio). Will update review if we head here again. read more

Great place, nice portions and service. Beautiful setting and great food. We had dinner here before the Trevor Noah show; we asked our server to rush our food and it still came out delicious. Great place for date night. read more

First time here. To say I was pretty disappointed is an understatement. Service was horrible. Food messed up multiple times. Super slow. Drinks even more slow. And our drinks were easy. $40 steak should be offered with some kind of sauce or butter or topping. I don't know if it's worth the time coming back. The sea bass was great. That was the only highlight. Our server was in way over his head. For a first date it was a bad place to go. Regretted it after the drink order and appetizers wait and wrong delivery. read more

Food is always phenomenal. My wife and I had the chef's four course with wine pairings $45 each - four very nice glasses of wine that vary depending on your food selection. Only reason for four stars is we left feeling a little hungry. We should have loaded up on the fresh bread we didn't eat because we were saving room for the meal. We go once a year, by happenstance, and will probably forget we left unsatisfied when we show up next spring. read more

Otto's Restaurant & Bar - Cheese plate is mostly other things. - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Enjoyed a nice family dinner here on New Year's Eve. Ambience: Cozy, romantic, and classy. We were on the third floor, where tables were squeezed together pretty tightly. It got a little noisy so you had to speak up to be heard across the table, but it wasn't unpleasantly loud. One person had been there before and said it was quieter on the second floor. Service: Attentive and friendly. Food: Very good, but some misses. I ordered the lamb chops based on prior reviews and I was very pleased. They were tender (get them cooked according to the chef's rec, medium-rare) and paired with a delicious pesto sauce. My husband ordered the lobster tail (a New Year's Eve special) and it was delightfully buttery and lemony. Others in the group ordered the duck (she liked it) and the Mediterranean grill (he said it was fine, but not amazing). The appetizers were where we were a bit unsatisfied. The butter served with the warm rolls was cold--no one likes to spread cold butter!--and the garden salads that came with the entrees were only dressed greens, no veggies or other add-ins. I got the caesar salad, which was fine but a little overdressed. We also ordered the mussels, which were very good (the cream sauce was delicious, and great for dipping the rolls into if you got tired of the cold butter) and the crab cakes. I definitely do NOT recommend the crab cakes--no one in our group could actually taste any crab. I think it was a combination of skimping on crab meat and over-seasoning in the breading. Overall, we had a really nice meal. I would definitely go back for another New Year's dinner, order the lamb, and skip the crab cakes. read more

I've eaten at Otto's several times in 2018 with mixed reviews. I love the space which is an older multi-level house. The seared scallops were always great. I ordered a vodka martini at the bar and received a gin martini, not a good surprise. The last time we went was a disappointment. The service was great as usual but both of our meals seemed to be thrown together though it wasn't that busy. We need to give Otto's a time out for now. read more

Have only been here once for drink's and appetizers but everything was delicious and the bartender was super nice and helpful with food and drink recommendations. They have a happy hour, I forget the drink specials but they had a menu with select appetizers heavily discounted. We tried the calamari and crab cakes (crab cakes were not a happy hour special). The crab cakes had a Middle Eastern taste to them and were a nice change from your regular old crab cake. They do close relatively early. Sometimes we like to say out later and they close at 930 on weekends, that seems a little early to me. I think it's because they are on the Westside and the probably don't get much late night business. It also seems like they cater to an older crowd but nonetheless food and service we good enough to come back some time. read more

Really good food and delicious cocktails. I ate here with some friends on the patio with the band. The music was nice and not too loud so that we didn't have to shout. You should definitely have a reservation if it is a nice night out. Many nice appitizers on the menu and you can make a meal just of those. The martinis were delicous. If your 30 something, come for a new experience, but expect that you will be the children in the crowd.... as most are around the retirement age. read more

I think Otto's is pretty great for the west side but sometimes is hit or miss. Great romantic decor in the upstairs area, bit of a dive in the downstairs bar. They make the best homemade crackers, be sure to ask for them. Love their cocktails and steaks. read more

Generally very good food and service although when I recently ordered the halibut entree, cod was served in its place.

Great local spot! Recommended by my old college roommate and he was right on the mark. Great service, very nice people, great little bar downstairs and the food was excellent. The sea bass was fantastic. Their warm sourdough bread is fantastic. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone - I'm going back the next time I'm in Madison. read more