Lombardino's Restaurant

45mins wait on a normal Thursday evening (arrived around 5:30) Great great food! The starter bread was warm and the olive oil had a nice nutty and peppery aftertaste. We got the beef short rib which was very soft and the polenta which was served together was delicious as well. The tagliatelle with truffled mushroom was also great. Strongly recommend trying out their tiramisu!!!

The food here is amazing. Local ingredients expertly prepared into modern Italian classics. Prepare to wait at a crowded bar with too few bartenders to provide attentive service. But the wait is worth it for the food. I don’t even like Italian food that much! The mushroom ragu was amazing. The kitchy atmosphere is fun. The service at tables is excellent.

Loved the look of this place from the beginning. Service was outstanding and the brussel sprouts were some of the best things I've had the pleasure of tasting. I especially enjoyed the portion sizes of the entrees. My scallops were delicious, but the risotto was a little crunchy for my taste. I tried my wife's shrimp dish and her pasta was also a bit al dente for my taste. Perhaps that's the traditional Italian way of cooking pasta? My brother in law's veal was outstanding. I would definitely order that on my next visit. All flavors were definitely on point. Found myself staring at the art on the walls and my eyes landed on the Pope staring down at me eating. Perhaps I'm not the intended audience for this place because I'm neither young nor hip. Still, it was a great experience and I enjoyed being there.

Update (08/29/2025). I finally went to the restaurant. It was a 45 minute wait. I was expecting a longer wait, but it was worth it. We ordered the meatballs appetizer and the bruschetta. Both of them were excellent! They have the best meatballs I’ve ever had. The bruschetta was incredible. I would highly recommend this appetizer. The flavors were just amazing. I then ordered the spaghetti bolognese and my brother ordered the Veal. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. My brother thoroughly enjoyed his veal. He said this dish was in his top ten all time favorites. Our waitress was efficient, professional and very friendly. It was really busy but she always made sure to give us attention. The overall experience was amazing. Thank you for a great restaurant experience!!! It’s been a while since I are here. But, I ordered take out. I choose the Short Ribs with Polenta. I am mostly disappointed with take out food. It’s about 50 50 in most cases. However, I was amazed how delicious this dish was for me. It didn’t taste like most take out I’ve tried. The ribs were amazingly tender and delicious. The polenta was the perfect accompaniment and it was creamy/tasty. All together, my hats off to the chef. You obviously care about your craft. It was perfect in every way. Thank you! I’m coming back for more!!! Side note: my friend ordered the spaghetti bolognese. She loved it and since she doesn’t do leftovers, I devoured it the next day. So, I had two delicious meals in a matter of days.

The service is good and friendly staff. Food was excellent. A nice place to dine in.

Cozy, clean, cute and delicious. The fresh bread included and apps of olives and meatballs were great. We had a couple of nice mixed drinks and shared a pizza with a pasta entree. Everything tasted great and service was good. Definitely recommend!

Food is very bland no salt, pepper, or spices, and the portions were small for the pasta dishes. Also, myfamily had to wait in the hallway and would not be seated until after I dropped off the car due to the first come first serve and all members of the party must be present before being seated.

This place is a gem! We went for the first time yesterday and everything was delicious! We had the nicest server too. I wish I would remember her name but she has half light hair and half dark hair - if you see her, make sure to sit in her section! I had some of the best scallops and tiramisu of my life! We will definitely be back and I see why it’s been in business for so long! Thank you Lombardino’s for a great first visit!

They were super busy, so service was a little bit slower. Our server was super friendly and got all of our orders correct. The mushroom pasta dish (tagliatelle) was definitely the stand out of our meal. While the budino was delicious, I didn't get the butterscotch flavors as it was noted in the menu. It almost tasted more like pumpkin and cinnamon. Warm fresh bread and the traditional cesear salad were delicious. I really liked my white sangria but my husband didn't care for his barrel aged Negroni. Love the tiles behind the bar and the history of this classic place.

The service here is wonderful. Everyone is kind and talkative, so my reduced star is really because the food was kind of hit or miss for me. My boyfriend's family and I came for a Sunday dinner and despite being a larger group, we were able to snag a table immediately. Don't let that fool you though - this place is popular and we seem to have gotten one of the last tables available. When it came to food and drinks, I got a white wine sangria, which I really liked, but it only came with an orange wedge on the side of the rim. I was disappointed because I was expecting fruit in the sangria. It wasn't a big deal, and was an okay drink. When it came to food, Lombardinos had a couple specials, one of which was a wood grilled broccoli and cauliflower appetizer, and their blueberry salad. We also got the calamari and olives. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the appetizers. We then all got our own entrées - unfortunately they were out of the veal entrée for some of our family members. I ended up getting the scallops which I thought were overcooked, and I didn't like the couscous that came with. It was too acidic and the roasted tomatoes that came with the couscous didn't help with the acidity levels. However, my boyfriend did share some of his crab and clam linguine. I really liked that dish, but they were out of clams as well, so it really was only a crab pasta. I hope they are able to offer their full menu in the future, because I think I would come back, but only if they had some of those dishes available.

A fine Italian resto in Madison. A very friendly and attentive staff. The cuisine is upscale Italian in an old world decor. The appetizers and main courses are sensational. The Maitre'd has got everything under control. Arrive early and avoid the wait.

I took out dinner from here on a Saturday evening. Eggplant nepoletana was excellent. I prefer some more spice in the eggplant sauce though. Wood grilled local asparagus and mushroom pizza was my other item. Mushroom was very flavorful. I loved the pizza.

Ok they redeemed themselves with the food. We went there twice since the disappointing closure Labor day weekend. The scallops special was one of the best meals I have had anywhere. I still can't give them 5 stars because of the very limited hours and the fact that they do not accept reservations.

What is there to say... Lombardino''s never disappoints! And the fennel salad is a must. Knowledgeable staff great service. Always top of the list as to where to go out to eat.

We arrived as soon as they opened and they seated us right away. Service was hospitable and welcoming. Free bread is always a plus. Pizza was hot and crisp; no flop! The orecchiette might be an acquired taste for some since it has a bitter vegetable, but I really loved it! It was well seasoned and it was great as leftovers. I would definitely visit Lombardinos and get both the pasta and pizza again!

We arrived around 5pm on a Friday and the restaurant was about half full. By 6pm, there was a line. My partner and I each ordered our own pizza and they were both delicious! Overall, the staff was friendly and attentive. It was a fairly quiet atmosphere, seems great for a relaxing dinner.

I love this place! I used to order take out all of the time during medical school and COVID so it was a special treat to dine in tonight! The food is always outstanding. The tomatoes on the bruschetta were incredible. Our server, Karl, was awesome and very attentive. He let me know I didn't have to choose between my two favorite pastas - I got a half order of each! And the cozy vibe of the restaurant was perfect for a cold December night.

Arrived at about 6pm on a Sunday evening. We were immediately welcomed & seated at a booth. First impression was it was kind of old school Italian decor & very dark inside. I believe more than half the restaurant was filled already. We were greeted by Parker who was all smiles & handed us the wine, specials & regular menus. We perused and landed on the bruschetta as well as the Gorgonzola stuffed dates with finocchiona salami, local pea shoots, toasted pistachios & a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and potato & parsnip soup. The bruschetta was ENORMOUS and quite tasty with the ricotta basil cream & roasted cherry tomatoes. I really enjoyed the date & Gorgonzola dish as it was different and savory. The pistachios added a nice crunch & texture as well. I was told the soup was delicious as well (I didn't taste). For our mains I ordered the stracotto of beef short rib with rigatoni and my son & his girlfriend chose to share the freshwater prawn risotto. I found the short rib tender & seasoned well but there was a bitter aftertaste that wasn't entirely pleasant. I feel a bit of tomato paste in the sauce might have helped balance the flavor...but I was just a customer. Parker delivered a split order of the short rib rigatoni to them in error but apologized & corrected the error and promised to remove it from the check (he didn't but corrected that error when reminded to do so). The risotto I thought was only ok as the bite I had seemed to have an off putting seafood stock flavor however the risotto was properly cooked al dente. The shrimp themselves were tasty. We finished with the lemon curd tart & raspberry coulis. I felt the curd could've used ALOT more zest and found the crust far too thick & dense. I would not order that again. Maybe the tiramisu would've been a better choice? All in all I felt Lombardino's had a very pleasant front of house staff with a good vibe but inconsistent execution from the kitchen. I might return but will likely seek other Italian restaurants in Madison to discover as the "go to" when in Madison next time?

Found this place by chance it was across from the hotel we stayed in. It was an absolute gem and the food was amazing. We got the eggplant dish the spicy rigatoni and an apple salad all three were some of the best food I have had in a long time.

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

This is a beautiful restaurant and the service is great; however, the time that I was here (a few years ago) they did not have much in the way of gluten-free options, so I was very limited in what I could eat.

We were a group of three for a Sunday dinner. Lucky that we arrived at 4:30...purely by chance...by 5:00 PM the tables were full. We ordered two pasta dishes and a veal entree. Everything tasted incredibly fresh and delicious. The service was excellent. Our waitress was extremely pleasant. The prices are reasonable. The decor is wonderful. I wouldn't hesitate to return the next time I am in the neighborhood.

Unbelievable. Food, drinks, staff, and environment all amazing. Great spot that I will come back to.

I gotta say this place is pretty solid- in a 1970s American/italian backdrop. This is definitely a fun and cozy restaurant. The staff are friendly and the food comes out hot and is quite tasty. It's very good, not great... but I do enjoy it and I'll be back. The bar looks to be pretty fun as well

We have been meaning to try Lombardinos since moving to the area. One of our good friends is a reoccurring patron, and we finally had the opportunity to dine in on a Saturday evening. We arrived ten minutes after they opened and the wait was 45 minutes. We headed over to Blue Moon Bar & Grill for drinks while we waited, and then received a text about an hour later that our table was ready. The inside of the restaurant is smaller than expected, and makes for a very intimate and cozy environment. We were served bread and olive oil while we browsed the menus, and it was some of the best bread I've ever had at a restaurant! The food we ordered was okay. I wasn't quite sure what to get, but I decided on the sausage pasta with rapini, and it was fine. A bit oily, but the parmesan was delicious. My friends ordered the bolognese and had rave reviews, so I would probably try that next time. Overall, fantastic ambiance, good service, and delicious bread. Make sure if you go when there's a wait, head over to Blue Moon for great pre-dinner drinks!

Delicious! We got there at 4:30 and joined the line waiting for them to open. We were recommended this place and were grateful it just so happened we wanted to eat early. The place filled up immediately! And for good reasons. I had the half chicken. It was perfectly crispy! My dad had the spaghetti bolognese - huge portion and he ate it all. We also got the Brussels sprout side- delicious! They used thick bacon and a balsamic reduction to elevate the dish.

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

We ordered two of their wood fired pizzas. Both had a generous amount of toppings and easily fed 3 adults with plenty of leftovers. Absolutely loved the crust and it was even good on day 2. Definitely recommend!

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.

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.

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

Romantic atmosphere with delicious food; what more can you want? Lombardinos offers truly flavorful Italian cuisine. Our meatballs appetizer and spaghetti main course were both incredible. The chocolate cake was rich and decadent. Paired with a nice dessert moscato, we were in Italian heaven. If not for the relatively high price, Lombardinos would be a regular place for me, however, the infrequency of my trips makes it all the more special. Can't wait for my next meal!

This place had been on our list to try ever since we relocated back to the area. We finally went on a Thursday night. They are only open four nights a week and have limited hours. Since they don't take reservations we made sure to get here by 5pm. Good thing because by 5:30 there were no tables available. I never realized how small this place was from the outside. I am guessing that on football weekends you are in for a very long wait. Love the classic, somewhat kitschy decor especially the grotto encased in plexiglass by the entrance . The mosaics behind the bar are great. Our server was efficient though a bit cold in her manner. I started with a very good glass of Italian Pinot Noir. We ordered the blue cheese stuffed dates on a layer of thinly sliced salami. They were excellent. For my main I had the beef short rib with rigatoni - it was delicious. My wife had the orecchiette with sausage & rapini also a big hit (though the supposed spicy sausage really wasn't that spicy). The bread served with the meal was very good and good for sopping up the extra sauce. The prices were reasonable for what we got. I really hope this place continues to operate for a long time since it is a time capsule of restaurants of the past.

Wow! Didn't think I could find Italian cuisine this fine outside Chicago or New York (or maybe Rome). The dishes are exceptionally well prepared and delectable. Very nice wine and cocktail selection. The pizza makes my top-ten list from anywhere! Nice outdoor seating area, pleasant ambiance, and friendly attentive service. I shall be returning.

Authentic italian! Only open for a few days out of the week so it gets busy! Come early to put your name on the list as they don't take reservations. While we waited we got drinks at the bar, they had an impressive drink menu with knowledgeable bar tenders. The bread they serve has to be freshly baked it's absolutely delicious! The portion sizes are perfect and the flavors have been curated to perfection! Inside is very quaint and the tables are very close to each other, but the italian decor is very unique, loved the tile behind the bar! Would definitely visit again!

The atmosphere is the perfect mix of cozy and classy, a pleasant surprise walking through the curtained entrance. The service was polite, professional, and welcoming. Host was so kind, finding us a spot to wait for our table, offering to get us a drink. Server was personable and willing to give recommendations on wine and food. The food was incredible, my table did family style with our dishes trying the bolognese, oyster/mushroom pasta, and eggplant dish, all were so delicious and portioned appropriately. 10/10!

No reservations, which is great ! They open @ 4:00 so get there then to wait in line. We chose from the limited menu after a Badger game. Food & service were fantastic

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

I went to Lombardinos with a couple of friends and was impressed by the food that was served. The spaghetti noodles were perfectly chewy and flavorful. My girlfriend got the pancetta with spaghetti and it was phenomenal. The price for the pasta dishes was a bit on the higher end, but for the flavor I thought it was fine. Food wise, the venue was a 5/5. My overall rating is a 3/5 because there was a black mouse that was running around inside the restaurant that caused a bit of concern for me.

The food and ambience are good. I have been here many times but was turned off this time by the host. He routinely licks his finger to get the menus and then touches the initial bread plates. It's a big turn off hygiene wise.

My new favorite Italian restaurant in Madison! Great old-school character with classic Italian food with a twist

Such an inviting exterior. Inside its dark and perfectly balanced between kitsch and comfort. Really great service and perfect staples on the menu. Excited to go back.

Old school Italian at its finest! I work at the hospital nearby and drive past it all the time. Always a ton of people here so I was nonsense to try it. I have to admit I'm normally cautious about traditional Italian restaurants and so going in I didn't have the best expectations for the food. Boy was I wrong! After waiting at the bar for an hour with the best of company and great traditional cocktails being served we made our way to the dining room. The food is fantastic! The butternut squash tortellini was amazing!!! I still dream about this it was that good. I can't remember the rest of the food because that was so good but I remember everything tasting really good. Next time I go I promise to do a more specific review but for now just trust the food and wait is worth it! My only wish is that they had some music playing it would just amplify the experience that much more!

Sadly, fine dining has died in Madison. What was once a varied menu at Lombardino - with the usual items and a mix of seasonal dishes is now reduced to a few choices of pasta and pizza, and one entree item, chicken. Oh sure, there are specials - but if you don't like the specials, chicken is your only choice for an entree and the pasta is slim picking. If you are going to offer pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce, you should be able to taste the cream - and leave the nutmeg out. I'm not sure what is happening to the restaurant scene lately. Maybe it is time to get back to the basics and do a fabulous job with that. We don't need a short rib with our pasta, really. I should mention it is really hard to find a vegetarian/vegan option on this menu that is tasty. (Cooking vegetables is a higher art form than cooking meat.) The portions have shrunk, too. What was once a glorious Caesar salad is now a pathetic and inferior reminder. The ingredients are not the same quality, not even the olive oil offered for dipping your bread. Sad to say Lombardino is not the go-to place anymore for us, as well as other restaurants that used to be pretty stellar. Here's a positive: They do a better job of lighting the place now! I can see my food.

Great little neighborhood gem! Friendly staff, awesome old school atmosphere. Just wish they didn't close at 8:30 pm everyday. Too early.

Delicious Thursday night! They brought out bread, that was cold and in a paper bag. Understand COVID stuff, but a microwave zap wouldn't have hurt... Still good bread though! We drank a tasty Chianti and 5 of us shared the Fried Calamari. It was great and the fried artichokes and peppers were nice and unexpected (there were more of them then calamari thought if that's an issue for you) we. I love spice and the peppers were just right! The orange tarragon aioli was soooo good. I had the Eggplant Napoletana, which was perfect. The eggplant was crispy and not soggy. I normally prefer spicy flavors in my dinner, but the raisins and eggplant added a surprisingly perfect sweetness to the sauce. Would totally order again!!

Great Food. A Madison original! The food and ambiance is as it was when I first visited in 1975.

A nice and fancy Italian restaurant in Madison. I really liked the interior, ambiance and food of Lombardinos. Its a large sized restaurant with many tables and booths and I saw a lot of family dining in on a Sunday night. I love Italian food especially pasta. Dont judge me but I do not like Pizza but I absolutely love pasta. It was my boyfriend's birthday and I wanted to take him out for a nice and fancy dinner, perhaps to like..a steakhouse? But being indecisive I am, I askes him or should I say I begged him to choose our dinner place. He said Lombardinos is one of his favorites and he wanted me to try it while I am here too. Luckily we got seated not too long after we arrived because we had a reservation. The restaurant was full at 6:30 PM. We got seated in the very back on a semi booth/table. Our server was quick, patient and friendly. We ordered Mushroom and Cheese Bruchetta and Butternut Squash Soup as it was recommended by my boyfriend. When our Bruchetta was served, it looked very different from the ones I had in the past. Sliced baguette was topped with TONS of mushroom and cheese. It was sooo delicious and I love mushroom so seeing sooo much mushroom on top of the bread was very pleasant. Though I have to admit, it was REALLY REALLY salty. It was indeed delicious but wayyyyyy too salty for me. My boyfriend eats very salty and even he said it was salty. But hey, it was so juicy and cheesy, it piqued my palate for my entre. My soup! Wow, it was soooooo rich and creamy, it was super duper delicate. I really enjoyed eating this soup. My boyfriend is never wrong, it was toooo delicious that I almost wanted a second round. When we were pau (finished) with our appetizers, we got our pasta. I ordered Black Truffle Tagliatelle and my boyfriend got Orecchiette Cream Pasta. My favorite pasta is not spaghetti, linguini, fettuccine but TAGLIATELLE. I love this made-with-egg pasta, its so soft and yummy. With that black truffle it was just game over. I want to say they use fresh pasta but I am not sure. I really really likes the texture of my Tagliatelle pasta and its probably one of the best Tagliatelle Ive had in the past. My favorite one is Tagliatelle Gamberi from Eatalian Cafe in Gardena, CA. My boyfriend's Orecchiette pasta (the one that looks like little ears) was good too. Super creamy and cheesy and it had some greens in there I couldnt tell which one. It was too rich in cheese that it was a little too overwhelming for me but boyfriend enjoyed it very much. We also ordered the daily special for dessert; Maple Panna Cotta. Needless to say, it was not too sweet but with crunchy crumbles and sweet cherry compote it complemented very well. Really had a great birthday dinner at Lombardinos. Great service, food and parking is also available. Thats a plus because a lot of restaurants in Madison do not offer private parking.

Always worth the wait at Lombardinos! NYE no exception. Can't go wrong with Orecchiette, beef short rib Stracotto or shrimp with linguini. Or any pizza.

While I haven't been here since COVID took Madison, I will say that my long term experience with Lombardino's is very positive. The first time I had it was about seven years ago. A few work colleagues wanted to order takeout and my not knowing any better, I certainly obliged. The menu boasted several local vendors contributing ingredients to Italian dishes. I got a pasta with a cream sauce that was purely subpar. It was just.....bad food. This experience was followed by a several year hiatus that broke about three years ago. My inlaws insisted a second shot ought to be given. Certainly they were right. What do I usually get? Honestly have not been able to get over the pizza. Several specialty combinations either, red sauce or olive oil with locally sourced ingredients. Excellent, fresh taste with a crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. The pizza by it self has made me a regular. Followed by pizza is a delicious dessert. I specifically get the Budino that usually has a nice butterscotch flavor. Every once in a while the traditional option is replaced with an imaginative flavor. While I usually gravitate towards the traditional flavor, I do applaud the variety for patrons interested in a little adventure. I've additionally tried the salads and pasta dishes. While I haven't had enough of any single one to write about them, I certainly share the sentiment that the menu has some depth and quality. I would finally caution patrons that take out can take a while on a busy night and one should order in advance. Customer service while sometimes is a little thin, is always courteous and timely.

Visiting from California we discovered this gem right across from our hotel. The setting is reminiscent of an old Italian village. The food is excellent, and the asparagus soup is from another, better planet. Our waitress Violeta added to the culinary pleasure with her friendly and beautiful smile and genuinely warm welcome. Great place, awesome food, wonderful people.

Came for cocktails, say at the bar wasn't disappointed. The barrel aged negroni was well balanced, yet strong. The house made limoncello was a fun treat.

Great food, and such a great restaurant. I like that it's not too big, so it's not overly busy. Such wonderful Italian food!

Classic! Great food, fantastic service Stop I'm for dinner only, Close to campus, hospital's and has some parking, and a lot down the street in walking distance

It's been a while since I have felt taken care of at a restaurant like I was here. We made reservations intending to try the restaurant week menu, but ended up ordering off of the regular menu instead. Just couldn't pass up the pasta options! "A lot of good things going on there" - his reaction to the Gorgonzola stuffed dates. Pro tip: forgo the knife and fork and eat them like the darling little Italian tacos they are. These were drizzled with balsamic and topped with pea shoots, and the little slice of salami that acts as your vessel is just perfect. The struggle was real when it came to choosing between the spaghetti alla bolognese and the orecchiette with fraboni's sausage and rapini. Luckily, I didn't have to. Our server, recognizing my dilemma and seeing my continued indecision even after good descriptions of each, offered the "taster" portions of each that together equal just over a whole portion of pasta. It's not on the menu but still available upon request. Any weirdness I felt at having two bowls in front of me evaporated with the ability to go back and forth between the rich, unique flavors of the orecchiette dish and the comforting heartiness of the bolognese. My only comment on the bolognese is that I wonder why spaghetti is the pasta choice. When you bring up the pasta into your fork, the sauce falls behind which leaves you with a half cup of sauce to finish at the end. There are worse things, obviously. Dessert was the olive oil cake which we've been seeing everywhere lately on cooking channels and blogs. This version had rosemary (which can be overpowering and was not) and almond which was subtle enough to be missed. It's a dense, moist cake almost better served with a spoon. Topped with raspberries marinated in orange blossom honey - a nice little tart contrast to the sweet scoop of vanilla ice cream that accompanies the cake. This is a warm, comfortable restaurant with great service. Perfection for a date night setting!

We found Lombardinos to be underwhelming and we wouldn't go out of our way to return. When we arrived, there wasn't anywhere for us to wait and it took several minutes for someone to come up and greet us. We just seemed awkward looking at all the people in the dining area. Once seated, our service was okay -- we would go 15-20 minutes without seeing our server. The food was honestly nothing special. We had classic pastas and chicken parm; they weren't that great. It was an average experience for a pretty pricey meal.

Favorite restaurant in Madison and beyond! Never fails. Food is exceptional. Always good. Chicken with polenta is perfection.