Patio dining in spring thru early fall is great -- away from the street in its own little world. Inside looks sort of like a Wild West brothel (what's with the old red velvet and booths?) Still, you cannot beat Portabella's pizza or its mushroom ravioli. You can call ahead and take a pizza back with you -- I always take a few back to Chicago. read more

My Husband went to Porta Bella for the 1st Tuesday. We are in Madison alot but never went in. We are glad we did. The bread dipping sauce was mind blowing. I had the Porta Bella Linguine with a glass of house Chianti. It was wonderful. Our waiter was great the atmosphere is romantic old supper club style. I have one suggestion. Recover those cool booths. The floral prints are mauve dated 80's grandma. We will be back! read more

I was looking for an Italian restaurant in Madison to take my girl for Valentine's day dinner. I finally decided to give this place a shot even thought I had read mixed reviews about it. Well...the place was absolutely beautiful. Very nice and clean...all around great, romantic, cozy atmosphere. Servers and the rest of the staff were very courteous and friendly. I had a reservation and was seated within 5 minutes of arriving. Now for the food...whack...whack, whack WHACK!!! I had lasagna...which I love and have had from dozens of places and hadn't been able to find a place with just plain bad lasagna...until now. I tasted nothing, the sauce was very runny, and the lasagna itself had a weird consistency(kind of like half cooked noodles). My girl had something that looked like burritos and apparently was just as bad. And the worst part of the whole deal is that shortly after having dinner there I got sick. I don't know if it was something in the sauce or if it wasn't prepared properly or if it was all the oil used in the food but it did not sit well in my stomach. I felt nauseous all the way until I finally fell asleep. If it makes up for anything, though, the lemonade was AMAZING. read more

As a native Madisonian I consider Porta Bella one of the cornerstone restaurants of city. It has been around forever and is part of the unique flavor of downtown. It has a really nice ambience and i used to enjoy going there in years past. That's why I was extremely disappointed with my recent experience dining there. Basically the rating I've given is for a tasty salad & entree and mediocre dessert. The reason the rating is so low is because the service was HORRIBLE. We were seated promptly and from there the service went totally downhill. Our waitress was friendly but COMPLETELY clueless. What should have been a one-hour meal took THREE HOURS. The service was incredibly slow and the waitress put one of the entrees in completely wrong so the order had to be put in over again and one person had to wait for their food. But amazingly that didn't slow the dinner down as much as the waiting between courses. Our waitress clearly had no idea how to stay in touch with her tables, she disappeared for long periods of time. She would take simple requests for more water and would vanish for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I would have thought this was a problem with the kitchen but just from watching our waitress i think the problem was her & not so much the kitchen. Although she was eventually apologetic about the wait I think she really was undertrained for her job and possibly the dumbest wait person I've ever encountered. She was friendly but just had no idea how to do things. It was pretty shocking. The service took so agonizingly long it was hard to enjoy the food, which was fairly good but didn't really blow our socks off. Overall, a very disappointing experience, especially since I consider Porta Bella a city landmark. I'm planning on contacting the management, which is something I've NEVER done before but I was THAT appalled by how bad our waitress was. read more

Madison is not a great Italian food town, but there are certainly better choices than Porta Bella, which serves up uninspired versions of standard checkered-tabecloth Italian dishes for $15-20 an entree, in a dim room that looks like an abandoned Legion hall. Nowhere close to Osteria Papavero or Lombardino's -- to be honest, the food here tastes pretty much the same as the meatball sub I can get at the FIB's cart for 5 bucks. read more

My husband and I were very excited to try Porta Bella. Unfortunately, we will not be back. The bartender was more interested in talking with a friend at the bar instead of getting drinks for people. And the food, well nothing special for the money spent. I could have made a better pasta meal at home. So disappointed. read more

Awful. And any other word you can think of that crossed awful. I went with a few friends to Porta Bella on Frances St for restaurant week. I LOVE restaurant week and have been pleased with every other establishment I have been to that offers a filling three course meal for only 25 dollars. I looked at the menu before hand and everything sounded so stuffing---most of the dishes included a comestible that was "stuffed" so the pun was intended there. In addition, all the entrees sounded so rich and bountiful. And that's exactly what they were-- rich with age and bountiful of disgust. The first course wasn't the worst but it certainly wasn't mind blowing on any level. I had a greek salad and the leaves were old and almost dusty tasting, I've had better salad at a franchise like Olive Garden (I hate admitting I go to franchises). The second course was even worse. I ordered a stuffed NY strip which was very very cold and nothing on the inside was melted together to create a "stuffed" feeling. The funniest thing was that the waitress handed us the plates with oven mitts on telling us to be very careful because it was hot. False. none of our dishes were above 60 degrees. Other members of my group had pork which was WAY overdone and ravioli that was barely covered in any sauce. You can only imagine how awful the sea food was if they can't even get their ravioli right. Lastly, for dessert, I had a chocolate mousse cannoli which was OK, but two others in my group had "cherry stuffed" cannoli's that contained absolutely no cherries. When we confronted the server about the lack of cherries she told us that it was basically a hit or miss to as if you got cherries in your cannoli. She went on to explain that the cannoli mix came out of a pipe that they squeezed. I understand how they are made, however, that wasn't the right terminology to explain to a group of already displeased guests as to why it was lacking it's biggest seller--the cherries. The atmosphere was completely outdated and there were gnats flying around. I would NEVER go back and never recommend this place to anyone, the only good thing about this experience was spending time with my friends. Save your money for Olive Garden. read more

Ambiance gets 5 Star's. Service gets 3, unfortunately I have to give the food only a single star :( This breaks my heart, as "once upon a time" the food equaled the ambiance in every way. True Italian "grinds" ( food) "Just like Mama used to make". The meals we had today for lunch were disappointing, and tasted much like it came from a box instead of Mama's Kitchen... Perhaps it was the limited lunch menu ... The bread served with the meal was soft white bread " Italian " style.. Not crusty with a good crumb (as in homemade) I wanted to love the cheese & spinach stuffed manicotti.. The contents of which were very cheesy and it was served hot from the oven, but the sauce lacked flavor and was border line bland... The spaghetti and meat balls was mediocre.. The best part of the meal was the birthday drink... It is a shame to see a Madison icon slip so far from where it once was... Still one of Madison's most romantic date night destinations... read more

As Italian as the Olive Garden, this is an old Madison favorite, popular for big portions and a safe menu. There isn't a thing on the menu that a toddler would not enjoy. read more

Not good. How can you mess up noodles with cheese?! Unappetizing pasta came with a tasteless salad with bottled dressing. Slow service.

Great atmosphere. a great patio for appetizers or drinks. lets begin.. I'm in the food service industry so I tend to be more harsh and pay more attention to detail so take that into consideration while reading. table of eight TIMING: 8-10 minuets for water and bread on the table-to long 12-15 minutes for first round cocktails and wine -way to long 15-17 minuets for salads.-again to long sampler platter dropped shortly after salads 28-35 minuets for entrees we were "that table" that asked for separate checks and the server was kind enough to express that it wasn't a big hassle and gladly did the extra work for us. quickly and efficiently QUALITY: salads-plain dinner salads. fresh greens nice dressings probably not homemade sampler platter-ravioli was freezer burnt . obviously a purchased product and not homemade. I've used these products in the past and actually like them a lot, as long as you keep an eye on the product and store properly. let them thaw at room temp rather than boiling from a frozen state and you'll see a big difference in end product. the stuffed mushroom were still raw, but the stuffing had good flavor but the entire sampler platter was not at proper serving temperature. putting cold food on a hot plate doesn't make the food hot. the spinach salad for entrees was a great portion size, and had good reviews at the table(I personally didn't try it but it did look good.) the majority of the table had the personal size pizzas. all were properly cooked great flavor, nice crust and good temperature. Unfortunately there was a mix up on mine and they made the wrong kind. the server pointed this out to me before delivery, served me the mix-up while the kitchen prepared the correct item and at the end of the meal, took care of the issue on the check.(Accountability and owning the mistake is huge to me. This is what will get me back in the door another time.) the price point of the meal, drinks, and wine really good. Had a nice $25 bottle of red Zinfandel. the pizza deal was close to $10 off regular price and it included a pint. If the got the word out on this deal, I would expect them to be packed on Sundays Two stars is low, but I think w/ a little more eye on quality, and teamwork in the service department on larger parties to expediate cocktail service(and ma bey a new bread program-doughy-not properly proofed/baked maybe a day old?) this place has all the potential. I will go back, I love the patio and building, and the food is close to where it should be, but needs little tweaking here and there to make it exceptional. read more

Slowest. Service. Ever. We had to flag people down to ask for more drinks - even refills of water- and we waited almost 90 minutes for our food... with only a handful of other tables in the restaurant. Don't make any plans for after dinner because you will be in this restaurant the whole night. Only plus was hostess was nice and very friendly. read more

Classic décor but that is unfortunately where the experience ends. Chef lacks basic knowledge, I'll leave it at that. Servers are very kind but don't understand the basics of good service...inattentive. read more

Party room beastly hot. Food very mediocre. Waitress spilled hot meat juices from numerous plates on floor, table, and customers. New York strip steak tasted boiled. read more

Why can't you just serve good food? It is terrible. I have been several times, it is clear the food is microwaved, frozen junk. Just skip this place....don't be fooled by the great location and exterior . It is truly awful . read more

We went here to celebrate our anniversary and were highly disappointed. The food had absolutely no flavor and the chicken in our dishes was very overcooked. Olive Garden would have been a better choice and the service would have also been better. read more

First impression...... the outside patio unkemp. Second... inside the door to the left was a cash register that was absolutely filthy! What does it take to wipe it down ???? Kinda scared to eat there... food meadiacore .. kinda like stepping back in time. Obviously no consideration to update. Sat in a booth and felt like I need a booster seat. Disappointed and won't be back and won't recommend. read more

A friend and I were recently in Madison, and at my urging from long ago wonderful memories, we went to Porta Bella for dinner. The atmosphere and decor were as I fondly remembered, and the food was incredibly delicious! We both chose the mushroom fettucine with Porta salads, and they were perfect. The fettucine was not drowned in sauce as so many restaurants tend to do, the spinach pasta was perfectly cooked, and the dish had an abundance of flavorful chunks of portabella mushrooms. The salad was crisp and fresh, and we loved the warm Italian bread and dipping oil. The Italian stuffed mushrooms we ordered as an appetizer were sizzling on the platter, and were heavenly. The service was excellent, from the friendly host who seated us and answered questions we had, to our extremely courteous, attentive, and knowledgeable server, who very thoughtfully asked how we would like our dinner to be spaced out and then followed our wishes to the letter. I only wish that I didn't live 70 miles away and could get to this terrific restaurant more often. read more

went for a catered wedding one sunday. the food was good and the employees that were assigned to the wedding were pleasent and helpful, however one manager ruined everything when he decided we were too noisy (this is Wisconsin we drink at weddings) and claimed that we were disturbing the business up stairs(they were dead, didn't even turn their outside lights one untill 9pm) and kicked the entire wedding party out about an hour too early. to review: food=meh ok for catering service=alright they were nice jackass power tripping manager who should be sacked=night destroyer read more

Porta Bella is one of downtown Madison's hidden treasures! I love sitting outside on their patio in the summer. They have a lovely closed garden area that's perfect for enjoying summer weather. I recommend trying their porta salad or any of their pizzas. The service is exceptional and the prices are well worth it. They also have summer beer tastings on the patio that are a lot of fun and wine tastings that are equally enjoyable. This is definately the restaurant to visit in Madison! read more

Just not a fan. I've been here several times. To be fair, the atmosphere is really fun and intimate. But the food's always mediocre, fairly flavorless, and the prices are way too high for what you're getting. It's not an expensive place, but the food is really so-so. Heavy on the salt and cream sauce. Meh. read more

I give this place less than a year to go under. We were so insulted by their nerve to serve us garbage at $20 a plate that we thought we were on some candid camera program. Food was wretched, and I'm sure glad we had the pink potion (PeptoBismol) close at hand. My "bolognese" had nothing to do with bolognese; it looked--and felt in my stomach--like 5 years expired generic Save-a-lot brand barf ragu. We couldn't get out of there fast enough! And on our way out, my fiancé tried to warn a young couple who was walking into that same horrific tragedy, but they continued onward, and probably spent two nights with their faces over the toilet. read more

Extremely disappointing. Sub par in all of its courses that I had for dinner on July 25. Why would you even participate in Restaurant Week if you don't put your best foot forward. The best part about the meal was leaving. read more

I went with a couple of girlfriends to Porta Bella for one of their Birthday's during Restaurant Week. We had a 6:45 reservation and didn't leave until 9:45. The service was slow and not the greatest. We got our bread after our appetizers. When we order a bottle of wine it took our server forever to get it to us and then she didn't know how to open the bottle. Once our main course came we all thought the dishes were bland. There was no flavor what so ever and we had to use salt to try and eat it. Having spent $70.00 my self I was completely dissatisfied and will never ever go back. I know the other girls I was with spent at least $50.00. They also will not go back. I feel bad they had such a poor showing during Restaurant Week. I over heard another group complaining of the same things as us. read more

Stumbled on this delightful little restaurant this evening and had a wonderful meal in a lovely environment. Service was perfect, food was good (garlic bread was to die for) and the outdoor patio was the perfect place to be on a mild summer night. Kinda romantic, and easy to have a quiet, intimate conversation, a rarity these days. I'd definitely come back. read more

Humiliated. Had been in the wine bar downstairs for 2+ hours and then we're abruptly told we were kicked out when a private party arrived. Totally unacceptable. I will never patronize this restaurant again. read more

Our favorite go to restaurant in Madison. Great food, quiet atmosphere, romantic, great location, easy parking.

Wow! Our daughter had her wedding reception there in their banquet room and it was amazing. The food was excellent and we had many different choices beyond steak and chicken. Everybody has steak & chicken; we wanted something more unique and memorable and this was it! The service was outstanding; they all went out of their way to be sure things went well. The facility was gorgeous and intimate; not your average big banquet hall. Can't say enough good things! read more

I came in on moving weekend with 13 people without a reservation and recieved great food and great service!

Good restaurant, terrible website. My friend and I were not able to view the menu on either of our smart phones (blackberry/google phone). Of course we couldn't!, they are listed in PDF format. Wow you couldnt just list it as text?! Pathetic! read more

Usually we don't go for Italian dining. But we decided to try out this one on my wife's bday as per my friend's suggestion. The interior is decent and sober enough to remind you of those good old days exquisite dining experience. The waitress and the restaurant staff were friendly. Since we knew what we wanted to eat by looking at the menu we didn't get any chance to ask the crew on what do they serve best, especially since we are vegetarians. We started off with a small pitcher of Sangria. It was good but the one they serve at the UNO's is better, I think. In appetizers we ordered a steamed ravioli. It was just good! The tomato sauce they gave along with it was really really fresh with the aroma of the basil still flowing through the bowl. The ravioli was soft and tender. Since the appetizer was decent enough to half fill your stomach, we decided to go for a vegetarian pesto thin crust pizza with easy on cheese. It was a bit blend and had to get some hot crushed peppers to make it more peppy! Overall a very good dining experience. Suggestion: It has a nice serene and romantic atmosphere to it! So enjoy it without your kids! :) read more

Three of us went here on a Sunday evening. The restaurant has a beautiful patio and beautiful interior, with private booths and lots of upholstery, so it was relatively quiet inside. We ordered the gazpacho soup as well as the cheesy broccoli soup. The broccoli soup could have been a little thicker. The gazpacho seemed a bit out of place for an Italian restaurant and was not exactly pleasing to our tastes. One of us ordered a vegetarian sandwich and said the tomatoes were beginning to go bad. One of us ordered the pasta with a red sauce, which was a bit heavy on the peppers. Another ordered the chicken marsala, which was adequate but light on the marsala. The pasta dishes were okay but overpriced, especially considering the portion size. However, we would not have wanted larger portions as the meal was filling. read more

My wife and I visited Porta Bella this past Saturday 6/2/18. We had dined here in the past (about 10 years ago) and despite reading many poor reviews, we decided to give it another try. We arrived around 6:00 p.m. for a 7:00 pm reservation as we typically enjoy a drink or two before being seated. We walked in to a completely empty bar (which in hind sight should have been our first red flag). Remember....this is a Saturday evening so seeing an empty bar is not a good sign. The bar tender was friendly enough but stated he could not provide a beer list because the beers were changing. I thought that was a bit strange, but OK. My wife and I ordered our drinks and watched the bar tender attempt to figure out what I can only describe as a mid 1970's cash register. This thing was huge and printed tickets loudly (dot matrix?) Apparently he couldn't read the tickets or wasn't provided enough information to discern what drinks to make as the servers basically shoved him out of the way and made the drinks themselves. As I watched the server pour a Jameson and seven (tall) using basically less than one shot of whiskey I knew I'd stick to beer, rather than overpay for an under poured drink. Ten minutes later an attractive woman came and sat at the bar at which point the bar tender cheerfully offered her a beer menu (Hmmm......apparently they do have one now). My wife and I looked around (at least at what we could make out in the extremely dim lit environment) and noticed how aged everything was (and not in a good way.) The mirrors behind the bar look like they were last cleaned when Raiders of the Lost Ark was in theaters. I excused myself to use the men's room......all I can say is wow. In short the facility was simply disgusting. Rusted drop ceilings, dirty floors, counters that must be original and frankly in need of serious updating and cleaning. At that point, I really thought we should just leave, but we had pre-purchased a certificate so I would have been out the money. While we were sitting at the bar another couple came in and asked how long the wait was......they were told "at least and hour." My wife and I couldn't believe it (and neither could the couple) as the place was deserted.......they did not stay. We decided to get seated early as our expectations were plummeting by the second. The mirror on the wall next to the table was splattered with some substance (food?) and was filthy. There were cobwebs on the light fixture over our table as well. I ordered the shrimp and scallops and it was actually Ok....not great, but edible. My wife ordered beef tips and noodles. I can only describe the beef this way: imagine buying the lowest quality beef available, over cooking it, letting it get cold and then reheating it in the microwave. It was rubbery and disgusting. Thankfully neither my wife or I got sick (which was a blessing). So here's my final thought. Old decor can be charming, if done right. It's not so charming when it's just simply old, worn out and dirty. I'm convinced they keep the lights so dim to hide the filth of the place. Here's a suggestion to the owners........put A LOT of money into the place to get it updated. Clean, clean, clean and after you're done cleaning......clean again. Everything I saw points to a restaurant circling the drain, with owners too cheap to put any money at all into the place. Just because you've been open for 50 years, doesn't mean you should remain open. Simply put.....yuck....we'll never go back. read more

I went on a Monday for lunch. There were maybe 2 or 3 other tables of people, so they were pretty slow. While the atmosphere and decorations were great, the service and food left much to be desired. The service was awful. We were there 2 hours - on a Monday afternoon. We had to ask for refills on water before we even got our drinks, which came just a few minutes before our food. Drinks were decent. Appetizers were pretty good. Our main courses were awful. Just awful. I had asked if I could get my dish without a certain ingredient, which I was told no. I should have taken that as a sign that nothing is cooked fresh. The food was very obviously microwaved, the pasta was hard on the outside of the dish and mushy in the middle. It was absolutely disgusting. None of us finished our food, and we were starving! The waitress never asked us how everything was going, and was hardly at our table. We had a birthday guest, and mentioned this. They brought out a drink, which was a dreamsicle type beverage, that had a candle on the top. It wasn't lit, and when we asked for matches, they said they didn't have any. Why bring out an unlit candle? It was odd. The whole experience was just plain awful. We should have went somewhere else. read more