Madison Cafe is a great place to listen to Giorgio who plays guitar, violin and piano. He is excellent and the best for background music during dinner. He knows a very large selection of songs and performs them well in all genres. He takes requests and his talent makes any meal at the Madison better. Food is very good and Carla the bartender is the best. Great place to go during the Holidays and any time. read more

I cannot say enough great things about The Madison. My sister was married there in 2012 and we loved it so much that I threw my baby shower there in January of this year! The staff was attentive from the moment we showed up, making sure we had everything we needed to set up. Our baby shower ran so smoothly, everyone raved about the food (we did a brunch menu!), and the overall atmosphere is gorgeous! The booking process was easy! And the next event we need to host, will be at the madison! (I am also a wedding photographer, and have shot a few weddings at the Madison. As a vendor, the staff has always been so polite and kind to me. Not something you always encounter as a vendor!) read more

I can't believe this place is in Riverside! Gorgeous outside terrace and Madison Cafe is gorgeously designed. Food is really good. If you go on Tuesdays, they have buy one entree, get one free. I've yet to go to Towne Tavern, but all my friends love it & say they have a great happy hour. read more

amazing venue, great food and service! a bit pricey, but why not splurge every now and then! try the lamb chops amazing! read more

Food is amazing, great atmosphere but the one bartender had the personality of a shoe!

"I've lived in this area for more than ten years, and this was a delightfully surprising event when I dined at Cafe Madison. The food was good. The desserts were good. And the service was good. The place was well run and coordinated. The decorations for Christmas were tastefully done, beautiful. I would encourage anyone and everyone to go check it out. They will also be delightfully surprised." -- As dictated by my father. :-) It was definitely a great surprise. Jokingly when my friends shared their plans for what they were making for Christmas dinner, my response was "Reservations!" I read a few reviews and had high hopes that this would be a great choice for our holiday meal. And it certainly was. I look forward to coming again! read more

My wife and I went there with two other couples on Wednesday evening. Not what I expected in the quaint little town of Riverside. It was a beautiful open space with high ceilings, earth colored stonework, waterfalls and fireplaces. Very inviting! We were seated and ordered our drinks which were perfectly made and promptly delivered. The menus are really special. They are backlit. You open them and they light up like opening an iPad. You don't need a flashlight or to place them near a candle to read them. There are two menus. One is a prix fixe and the other ala carte. Our companions all ordered from the prix fixe, as did we. Four courses for $35. I ordered the tuna appetizer, veal chop, salad and apple Betty. Tuna was pretty much what I expected and beautifully presented. The veal chop was flavorful and perfectly done. One criticism. The steak knives are big and clumsy. Made it hard to vet close to the bone. Salad was average but the pumpkin dressing was a wonderful surprise. Desert was really tasty and plentiful. Service was first rate. I'd certainly recommend them to anybody planning to go! read more

The Madison - Ahi tuna appetizer with seaweed, ginger and cucumbers. Good stuff! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, New Jersey

Planning my wedding here and Jessica is EXTREMELY accommodating.i have a lot of questions and she gives me answers from several different perspectives so I can weigh the options. I have no doubt that the big day will be beautiful. And the food is to die for!!! read more

What a shame to see what had been an oasis of delight in this area slowly descend into "why go there"? I hope the owner will see this and save the place! When I first found Café Madison, with it's nice ambiance, waterfalls and elegant atmosphere, the food was very good. Several trips there recently were disappointing, and I doubt I will return again without a noticeable improvement. I should take a moment to say the service was very good, our waitress did a good job. And Diane, the Manager seems to be doing everything she can think of to make the place a success. But ultimately, it comes down to the food. The place was more than half empty, and everyone was over 50. ( I am, too, but to me it indicates a hole in the marketing. They clearly need to hire a better marketing company. Whoever they have now is doing a terrible job. FIRE THEM!) And, what restaurant is closed two days a week?!! You gotta be kidding! And yes, there was some sort of event on the other side of the restaurant. Clearly, they have fallen to banquet level food and are using it in the restaurant as well. Unacceptable! I don't expect to pay for a good meal and get a fair meal. I am told they have downgraded the quality of the food, as they have had problems filling the restaurant, and are cutting expenses everywhere they can. In so doing, they are actually creating their own demise. The owner needs to eat there in disguise, or send in a friend, to see the substandard shame that it has become. We will be forced to drive to Cherry Hill to get a good meal. Evidently, they have one older gentleman who is a "REAL" Chef who comes in afternoons, and makes soups and sauces (presumably he can only work 5 days in a week), and then they have three cooks in the kitchen at dinner who basically ruin the food. The plating is poor, the quality of the sides is less than poor... it is a C quality plate. And filet mignon is now often full of fat or gristle. It used to be wonderful. I went there for the filet. And the escargot. Now, neither is there to order. I would rather more a little more and get GOOD food. I have suggested that they consider changing their menu to always include some lower priced options in a small section of the menu for the dining room. Perhaps: A higher end burger plate, Mac and Cheese perhaps with a vegetable side, Pasta with Bolognese or other sauce, fancy tuna or chicken with avocado sandwich, philly steak sandwich, or a few other similar STATIC items. That way, that if some of the folks at the dinner table are price conscious, they can still dine with someone who is not as price sensitive, and still be in the restaurant. And fill the restaurant and return to profitability. The rib was at least tender, but too dry. The Gnocci had no taste, even with tomato sauce. And in the height of asparagus season, none was on the menu. And the menu needs to appeal to a younger crowd as well. The millenials are often well-healed with no kids yet. ( No, I do not wish to dine in the Town Tavern, I had an asthma attack in there when the cook made something that created a huge amount of smoke, that didn't go up the vent, but went into the restaurant. I went outside, but was still choking on smoke for quite some time, even after using my inhaler. Besides, if I want a low end experience, there are diners everywhere in NJ.) I would also suggest charging a little more for the filet and returning to prime from choice. If someone is wanting to dine in that atmosphere, they are expecting the food to match the atmosphere. It no longer does. Bring the quality back up, and charge a little more for those dishes. It would be a shame to see this place become only the Town Tavern and place for holding events, and lose the only elegant place to dine in the area. I can drive to Cherry Hill to the Capital Grill, but I don't always want to go that far. They don't need to give away free dinners, and they are always crowded. Why? Because the food is superb. EVERY time. And the service is top shelf. Maybe use your mailing list to send out an emailed incentive coupon ($10 off) for one or two nights during the week, instead of just announcements, would work. Forget about newspaper ads, they have low circulation compared to the net. Ask the younger crowd for cell phones, and if they want to opt in for specials. Do away with loud bands during dinner, and stick with piano music, it fits the elegant atmosphere. And HIRE AN ACTUAL CHEF for dinnertime, AND BE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. I WANT to be able to enjoy going to Café Madison again. But is now no better than Café Gallery in Burlington, which also serves unremarkable and sometimes inferior food, watered down espresso, with a great view. Ambiance will never make up for a bad meal. FIX IT, Please!!! read more

Their website said that were open "today" at 5:00. We went there for an early dinner and they are closed until 6:30 because of a private party! read more

We love this place, can't wait to enjoy the outdoor scene this spring. We first came while the banquet room was being completed so the Waterfall bar wasn't ready for humans, that said we came back for a dinner and dancing. Our server was excellent and split our order for us as we were sharing items. We have since been back 4 times for drinks and dancing. Great bands fabulous martinis and great service. The best is yet to come, We booked the Gala for NYE 2011. From the moment we walked in we were transformed to a top shelf extravaganza! Everyone was well dressed in tuxes and suits. The servers while not the regular waitstaff were sweet and accomodating, and the food WOW! from the apps to the entrees..... One of the best resturaunts in the area. Philly included!!! read more

Leaving the restaurant now/ We came looking for a drink and some chips and salsa- we has quite a time trying to get the attention of the waitstaff . While some people seemed to know the bartender and got served immediately many of us waited. We finally got served by a sweet girl but new. She didn't seem to know the menu or which drinks the bar tender could make . We asked for chips and salsa and were charged $10.00 . This is the price of nachos ! When we questioned her she told us that is what she was told to charge us!! I got gin without tonic! I had to have her take it back to get the tonic. It was a very sad evening ! Not what I expected at all. Won't be back read more

Went in with my family hoping to enjoy it enough to come back and have my wedding rehearsal dinner here. Unfortunately the service was not very good and the food was mediocre despite being expensive. Our waiter was downright rude at times. We ended up complaining about him to the manager, who told us that they would send us a coupon in the mail; but we never got anything. I won't be going back. read more

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the Madison. I went for my wifes birthday and will be returning again soon. My steak was as good as or better than anything in center city. read more

The good: ambiance, interior design. But.... vegans, lacto vegetarians and vegetarians beware. The menu reads, "We are happy to honor Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free menu requests. Please ask your server," I assumed from the statement that the chef had experience preparing gourmet vegetarian food for high end establishments. However, here was no happily honoring my request for a good lacto vegetarian entree, on par with the other entrees on the prix fixe menu. The chef suggested grilled ratatouille? Mixed vegetables?? That's it? All the meat entrees included sides of interesting starches and vegetables. I demurred and said I'd like something more creative and fancy than that and had to tell them what to cook. I asked for pasta primavera with alfredo sauce. The pasta was cut into bite sized pieces and cooked so soft it was almost as mushy and starchy as mashed potatoes. The vegetables were chopped into miniscule pieces. No flair at all. The dish tasted like it had eggs. I don't eat eggs, I'm lactovegetarian. And eggs make me sick. I started to feel ill after two mouthfuls. The waitress checked and said the chef said the dish contained no eggs. I am pretty certain that it did though. It was horrible. My two dinner companions had the salmon and the filet mingon and were satisfied with their meal. They were my guests so I am happy for that. However, I would advise any strict vegetarians to not eat here, ever. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary last night, the restaurant is gorgeous. We both did the 4 course pre-fixed menu, which comes out cheaper if you want the full experience rather than paying for each appetizer, entree, dessert, etc. The food was amazing, the only downside was everything seemed to go a little slow. We arrived at 6:20 and didnt leave til 8:30. And for a Wednesday night the place wasn't too full but the waiters seemed to be running around a lot trying to attend to everyone. But overall I had a really great night and would definitely recommend if you have a special occasion! read more

We wanted to give this place a second try since reopening, so we thought let's try the takeout. Tried to call their phone number, you can't get a live person it just rings. I thought well they must be so busy they can't answer the phone. So I drove over because I'm only a few blocks away. And much to my surprise there was maybe 12 people total inside and 5 working wait staff. I went to the bar thinking the bartender would notice me and take my order, wrong! No one bothered to come over. So I got up and approached one of the waiters and asked if they were still doing takeout orders, to which he replied yes. When I asked him why no one answers their phone I was told their phone number isn't working, really because it rings and leads you through an IVR system to get to the pub. It's just no one answers. I continued to sit at the bar after the waiter told me that someone would be right with me. Well 2 waitresses, another waiter, two bartenders, and I believe a hostess later and still no one acknowledged or greeted me. What a waste of time. This used to be a great place to have drinks and dinner. read more

Very disappointed. We previously attended a wedding and we were looking forward to returning for dinner. We made reservations on Valentine's day the service was adequate...the food was not up the standards of a restaurant of this quality read more

The place is absolutely gorgeous. The food was decent... Wasn't impressed but wasn't disgusted. The waitress was average... Didn't really check on us much and the orders came out wrong. She also had a problem splitting the check. I probably won't come back because everything was such an issue. read more

My wife and I went for a belated Valentines Day and had a great evening. The decor is modern with high ceilings, running waterfalls and dim lights. We were led to our table by a very friendly hostess and handed two unusual menus - they are illuminated from within for easy reading. The wait staff was very attentive and professional, suggesting wine and refilling drinks long before we had to ask. I had the lobster bisque and Delmonico steak and my wife had caesar salad and the filet mignon. Both steaks were ordered Medium. The bisque was good, though seriously lacking in lobster. It was creamy and had a decent "seafood" taste, but I found only two very small bits of meat in the bowl. Next salads were brought to the table (apparently my entree came with a mixed-greens salad). The caesar was served with a large round parmesan crisp which added visual flair and texture to the dish. The mixed-green salad was good but nothing unusual or spectacular. Next were the steaks and here is where Cafe Madison earned the five stars. My wife's filet was overcooked (probably somewhere between med-well and well), but was so tender that I can only assume that magic was involved. It was served with cremini mushrooms, pureed potatoes and asparagus and was just wonderful. My delmonico was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. It had just the right char flavor and was served with lobster mac & cheese (again sans lobster) and grilled asparagus. We took turns cutting pieces and saying "you have to taste this" to each-other as we devoured our steaks. We finished by sharing some cheesecake (wonderful home-made texture with a graham cracker-y crust) and coffee. We have found our new favorite moderately-fancy dinner spot and will certainly be back. Definitely worth trying! Also, they are listed on restaurant.com, we got a $25 gift certificate for $7 - it helped a lot with our $119 bill. read more

This rating is for the Courtyard. We have been to the Town Tavern, excellent food and great selection. Been to the Café and Martini Bar, food very good but smaller portions, somewhat pricey but absolutely the most beautiful décor. We were a party of four and decided to eat outside in the Courtyard since it was such a beautiful evening and it is October so cold weather is around the corner. So disappointed with the menu choices, truly wanted to get something from the Tavern and bring outside. (I actually asked and said that it was not allowed.) It is basically an overpriced burger, hot dog or drab salad. My husband's burger came with a bag of chips, no tomato, no pickle, could not even order fries. My salad was suppose to be a garden salad and it was a very boring spring mix with some tasteless chicken and dressing. There are a few other items offered but the most limited menu that I have ever seen. It is hard to believe that with two excellent restaurants on site you can't get something decent to eat in the Courtyard. It is a shame because the décor again is beautiful, great ambience. Hopefully, by next Spring they can find a way to expand their menu and offer more of a selection and hopefully something better tasting. I think that we will stick with the Town Tavern. read more

We just went to the Madison for Mother's Day brunch. I found the food and the choices to only be OK for the price. Most buffets at comparable prices usually have stations and other more interesting choices. Needed an omelette station or some crepes, the choices were very basic. However, the food choices were not the problem with our visit. When we first sat down, at a table that was meant for 2 and we were 4, there were glasses 1/4 filled with water. I asked the server if these were glasses accidentally left on the table to which she responded " I'm not gonna give you dirty glasses on Mother's Day the glasses had ice in them that melted" she proceeded to pour water over the melted water. Ok, I can live with that - would have rather had fresh glasses with ice but fine. We went to the buffet and ate a few things, went back to get other things and just layered our new plates over the old plates. My son must have had three plates on top of each other before any of the old plates were cleared. It was not crazy busy, as we were sort of a later buffet crowd. The server was very curt, not awful but certainly not trying to make it a nice experience for us. We weren't complaining ( other than the ice question) we didn't require drink refills or ever ask her to clear our plates. I realized that she was probably a mother and had to work on Mother's Day and assumed that wasn't something she wanted to do. I was giving her a break for that. We didn't complain or ask her for anything. When she finally came to clear plates, my husband ended up piling them in front of himself so the rest of us didn't have to eat on a stack, she didn't say sorry for not having removed them earlier. We said please and thank you. We weren't rude, curt, obnoxious or needy. By the end of our visit I was kind of wondering why a server wouldn't want to at least try and salvage a decent tip. Be a little friendlier, a little more accommodating, maybe apologetic about how we had to eat with our dirty dishes stacked under our clean plates, something! Well I quickly found out. The 20% gratuity (for a party of 4) was already added into the total. I guess that was the reason for the service we received - it really didn't matter how she treated us. Honestly, even though it was a buffet, I would have HAPPILY given a great waitress a 20% tip, especially on a holiday. I'm sorry but this gal did not deserve $27. Bad decision on the part of the management to include a mandatory tip. Maybe offer a bonus to your servers for working a holiday and let them earn bigger tips. We certainly won't be coming back. read more

While the food was excellent the service was horrible. Waited 30 minutes for drinks. Overall, just not worth it.

Menu is limited, but generally tasty. Be careful when ordering fish, they have a tendency to overcook it (has happened to me twice so I no longer order fish). Steak, chicken and pork dishes have all been wonderful. Martinis are well made, but pricey at 10 bucks a pop. Service can vary greatly, from wonderful and quick to very slow and unresponsive. read more

My husband and I had a great meal ,drinks, and dessert tonight. Gregory was our waiter and was on point with his advice! Truly a favorite place for us through the years.Looking forward to the opening of the outside dining this year! read more

The atmosphere outside is cool and even inside the main hall is nice. For the price though, the food is not exceptional by any means. I felt like it was comparable to Olive Garden in terms of food quality. I'm not sure I would waste money again at this place but would go the the bar attached. read more

The atmosphere was great, the food was decent. I got the lobster bisque, and a garden salad, neither were great. The bisque tasted like it could've been canned. The best thing was the beef rib which was so soft it just fell apart. read more

Horrible service outside, takes forever to get drinks and food. Totally disorganized.

I just returned from having a wonderful dinner with my family. It was for my birthday. Our waiters were very nice and helpful. I read my order wrong and when I recieved my dinner it wasn't what I thought it was suppose to be. I explained it to my waiter and he let me order something else and wrapped up the other dinner at no charge. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was lovely and we really enjoyed the piano music. We will definitely go back often. Thank you Madison. read more

We went to Cafe Madison to celebrate my sister's graduation. We had reservations for 9 people and were seated promptly when we arrived. Our waiter was Edward and he was absolutely terrible. He was impatient and very rude. Once he realized that we were not order alcoholic beverages his service became even worse. He was very short while taking our orders and seemed bothered by the simple questions that we had. He even rushed my father in law while he was ordering. Our appetizers came out and they were meh to say the least. Then it took forever for our entrees to come out. We watched as Edward pranced around the dining room schmoozing with all his other tables and taking his time with them. Not once did he come over to our table to say how's everyone doing, sorry for the delay, your food will be out soon, offer refills or anything. We literally waited 45 mins to an hour before our food came out. We had 2 kids with us and they recieived and ate their food while we were still waiting for our entrees. Finally our meals came out and they were okay, not well seasoned and my sister ordered her filet medium well, it came out super well done and pretty dry. She was not happy and her husband did mention it to rude Edward who took it off the bill (thus the 1 star). We had a cake that we brought with us that required refrigeration. Our meals took sooooo long that we ended up taking the cake home with us. At the end we asked Edward to split the bill for us and he had instant attitude and said "what do you want it split up 6 ways" as my father was talking to him explaining Edward kept saying well you should've asked me to split it from the beginning! How rude!! So much for customer service. Btwn the inattentiveness of a terrible waiter, the blah food I can assure you that I will never return to this establishment. The only good things that I can say about Cafe Madison is that the guy playing the live music was amazing, the ambiance was very nice and our busboy Ray was great, he was way more attentive than Edward. It's sad that we were treated in such a terrible way because we came to have a nice dinner sans alcohol. My advice to Cafe Madison is get rid of Edward or re-train him. He is bad for business. Everyone should be treated with respect when they come out to a support a business. read more

Took my husband for his birthday. I was a little disappointed. Have gone in the pass and really enjoyed it. One waiter for the whole one side where we were sitting. He did a great job considering he had to wait on all the tables. The service was not what you would expect from this kind of place not waiters fault. The food was ok not what I had in the past. Don't know if I would return. read more

Pricey food, nice ambiance and very quiet. We didn't get an appetizer and we both got the filet mignon for our entree. We had the creme brulee and the apple brown betty for dessert and it was above average. I would say this place would be perfect for a couple who wants to get dressed up and enjoy a fine dining experience. read more

Celebrated my birthday at the Madison. Server recommended several items. I chose the chicken and my wife the short ribs. Prior to the meal arriving they took our knives and gave us steak knives. Couldn't understand this until the food was served. The short ribs was a square chunk of beef which was tough and the chicken required some extra chewing. The mashed potatoes(extra charge) consisted of three small ice cream scoops of potatoes which were dry and barley warm. Very poor choice to celebrate an occasion. Last visit to this establishment read more

I have wanted to go to this restaurant for a while so my husband made reservations for their farm to table for our anniversary. We arrived on time and were impressed with the restaurant decor and beauty. The appetizer was incredible! The calamari was some of the best I have ever had anywhere in the world. The salad was not dressed well and at best was just okay. The entrees were a big disappointment. The filet was over cooked and arrived at the table barely warm. The Bronzino was alright, but not exceptional. The biggest problem was extremely slow service, an inattentive waiter was the main problem! The manager comped part of the meal, but this was our anniversary and to say that we will never be back is not an understatement. The dessert was excellent, but delivered by another waiter. The restaurant was not half way full, we began to observe how long food sat under the warmers awaiting pick-up by the wait staff. This entire experience was sad, our waiter did not return to pick up the bill, even though I had the credit card ready when it was delivered. We had to find the manager and ask him if he would handle our checkout. The dessert plate was chipped, our drinks were not refilled nor were we offered to purchase other drinks. Our table was cleared by other wait staff after they noticed our waiter was not taking care of our table. Our dessert was served by another waiter who seemed very good, he did notice we had not forks to eat with and took them from the table beside ours after joking he was not supposed to do that. All in all the service was incredible lay bad.Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

We tried the Madison when it first opened. Very disappointed and let management know of our concerns in an effort to help the new business and not asking for anything in return. Tried it again a few months later and still bad service and bad food. Fast-forward to Feb. 27, 2020...decided to come back again to try the burgers based on newspaper advertisement for "burger night" at the connected bar, Towne Tavern. Tavern was closed so we went to the Madison where menus for both dining areas were offered. Slow, slow, slow service (nice person but she needed help) and the "special" burger was horrible, as were the short rib nachos and salsa with them. My husband had pork tacos and pretended to like them because he doesn't believe in saying something isn't good at a restaurant, but threw the leftovers away as soon as we got home. The tater tots were good. It's such a shame because the restaurant ambience inside and out is so beautiful. Three strikes, we're out, won't be ever going back. read more

My wife and I have gone here many times, and always enjoyed everything. Whether it is a night out, just the two of us, or brunch with the family, we are always pleased with our experience. read more

This place has true potential to be the go to spot. It has several different areas within its walls. Management is fine and I love one of its bartender ( Where you at Deb?!!)! Now that all of that's been said, let's talk about the issue that garnered this low rating. My wife and I went to the Courtyard area and were it's only patrons at the time. There were no wings on the menu but our bartender said because no one else were there she would see what she could do. When the food was brought to us we were given boneless wings instead. I told her I wanted the classic wings and then was told the Chef refused to make them. However if I would have went to a different part of the Madison and ordered them I could have brought them back to the Courtyard area. I would have been more understanding if I was told that I could only eat them in the Tavern part of the Madison. So what you're saying is that I can't be served but I can pick up and sit elsewhere? That is so Dumb!!!My wife and l go there quite often, but after having a Diva for a Chef I won't be ordering food there anymore. Besides all of this, the food isn't that great. Same old stuff every time, then you wonder why such a big place make so little on a weekend. Thank Godfor your private functions because that is what's keeping you in business. Its time for some new blood. I would even take a 120 day challenge I could double your profit margins if given a chance. If I fail dont pay me but if I succeed fire the Chef and pay me my back pay. Thank you for reading, just remember wings with bones are always bar food! Not heavily breaded,badly flavored chicken nuggets! read more

The waiter and the service was poor. The food was good but the waiter was inattentive. We have been here many times before and not had a problem . Not a good night . read more

5 of us came for dinner. Main dining room was too noisy for 'fine dining' with terrible acoustics. Arrived at 7:30 PM, service was deplorable, dessert was finally served at 9:45. Asked for more rolls twice, got them a half hour later. Waiter was asked for more butter but all he did was point out where it was on the table. I was the only one who almost liked the meal. A steak (medium) came out not rare but bloody. Had to be re-cooked. Later that evening Jim's dog enjoyed the lamb more than he did. This place is poorly run by the owner/management or these mistakes wouldn't happen. Carla left her plate almost full and didn't want a doggy bag. A poorly run business comes from the top of the chain of command all the way down to the dishwasher. It was a less than stellar evening, the waiter was a joke not professional at all. None of us left happy. But thank God we left never to return. read more

Recently attended the "Ballroom Dancing" nite on Thursday, it was terrific! The couple who taught the lessons are wonderful dancers and everyone seemed to be able to follow them easily. Afterward, they played a wide variety of music so that people of all levels could dance, which everyone did. Very large ballroom, good floor and lotsa dancing, great nite! read more