finally understand the lore of lombardino's!!! they're only open for like 4 hours each night for dinner 3-4x a week and is literally down the street from the hospital. we went around 5pm which is prime older adults dinner time and we truly were some of the youngest people there. my friend and i got there first so we got a drink at the bar which was a funny experience in and of itself. the bartenders were funny to talk to. food actually ended up being pretty solid and good proportions overall. i just felt like some of the pasta could've been a little less al dente and cooked more :/ the oriechete otherwise was quite good, summer harvest pasta was refreshing. you're really getting the full italian experience in there - they even have a little trevi fountain setup to really envelope u in the italian atmosphere! the restaurant is dimly lit so you're really in for an awakening when u leave dinner and it's still bright outside. maybe that's why they're only open for dinner

Servers were nice and the inside was very authentic feeling. The food was pretty good.

4.5 overall- would go again. Delicious Chianti braised short rib pizza- though my colleague found it a bit sour (my personal favorite of the three). Savory, soft, and not over the top braised short rib and just right Chianti flavoring without overwhelming the pizza. Thin crust that lets the rest of the pizza be the main show. Good eggplant napoletana - light tomato sauce when compared to spaghetti sauce in a can; average noodles; crunchy eggplant which I personally liked; my colleague's favorite and they don't normally care for spaghetti Fair shrimp in citrus cream pasta - the tagliatelle noodle was perfectly chewy, overall lightly creamed and citrusy, making it easy to finish the plate Limited hours Crowded 45 min from seating to getting our food Dark but cozy ambience Bread is rather plain and slightly burnt tasting

This is the cutest Italian place in Madison! I can't believe I've never heard of it before! I felt like I was in Europe with the cute decor and lighting. We visited for a birthday dinner celebration with my husband after a recommendation from his aunt. They don't take reservations so we arrived around 4:45pm as they currently open at 4:30pm. The super adorable bar area (see photos) was full of people waiting for friends to join them and maybe 20% of the seating area was already full, which surprised us in a good way yet never took away from our dining experience. The restaurant was probably 80% full by the time we left. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table with menus and water. We ordered our drinks from the specials menu and they were both delicious, my partner got the special old fashioned and I had a gin drink. Both photos attached were taken after we had a few sips because we were so excited for them. I also had the sangiovese blend and it was so good! We had the beet salad and the calamari as appetizers. We told them we were sharing the food so they split our dishes which was so nice! Please note that all food photos are of the split plates so a full plate is double the amount of food. The menu is fairly limited for an Italian restaurant although I believe that is because they excel at those few dishes. The salad was pretty good but not our favorite, especially compared to the calamari which was an absolute 10/10! We order this at every restaurant we find it and believe this is the best in Madison. We loved that the breading was so light and that the calamari was so tender. For dinner we shared the mushroom tagliatelle which was delicious but not as amazing as the chicken al mattone which was a 20/10. We don't usually order chicken when out since we make it ourselves often but this was the best chicken we've ever had. The sauce, the polenta, the tenderness, everything was so perfect. We both finished ours very quickly. I'm a chocoholic so we had the dark chocolate flourless cake for dessert which was also a 10/10. It comes with an amazing berry sauce and creamy glaze that are delicious. In addition, the price was reasonable and better than other restaurants in the area that seem to be trying to give a similar experience (like Naples 15). We will be coming back for sure!! Food: 9/10 Drinks: 10/10 Service: 9/10 Ambience: 10/10

We had a great date night here. Love the food and atmosphere - be aware they do not take reservations. Great food in a very charming environment. We have been here multiple times and will go back.

This place is so cute and very traditional. The rating is mostly due to the fact that they do not take reservations, it's hard to find parking, and they close on some random days. That being said, if you're willing to wait and get seating, the food is delish. Again, very true to Italians cuisine, the bread is fresh and the pasta is too. They keep things simple and to the point to highlight the cuisine. This is a great place for a date night. The service is impeccable and you won't leave hungry. Happy eating.