Osteria Papavero

My friend and I have a tradition of going to Osteria Papavero each May to celebrate the end of the semester. It’s definitely Madison’s hidden gem. Great menu, very cozy atmosphere. I really like their complimentary bread basket that has interesting fried bread. Pastas, appetizers and desserts are superb! 🤌🏼 Looking forward to going back there again!

Fabolous little restaurant. I did pasta and a lot of wine (and that's where I spent the most money). Staff, food, and atmosphere were all superb and made for a great evening. I sat at a seat (bar rail) that looks out at the street (great when popping in without a reservation).

I can’t speak to if vegan, vegetarian and gf options are labelled on the menu. however I can confirm that this is a fantastic spot to dine for vegetarians and vegans. the staff were super helpful, kind, and accommodating for the lifestyle, and the food was great. I got the gnocchi. Super good food, great vibes, very nice area, no complaints.

Osteria Papavero is an absolute gem in Madison! The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxed yet refined dining experience. The food is simply outstanding—authentic Italian flavors with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The housemade pastas are a must-try, also the trio meat plate. Their menu changes based on seasons. Service was warm and attentive. The very long wine list features an excellent selection of wines and cocktails. We had a gathering dinner with friends last night. Can’t wait to come back!

This is a very small dining room, perfect for a date or very small group of friends. The food was excellent and the portions were perfectly acceptable, considering price and atmosphere. You can tell they take a lot of pride in their dishes, and though they're Italian this is t your typical Italian restaurant. I'll go back, for sure.

Owner is passionate about his craft. Has long term staff which says a lot. Get the cheese and meat board, they are 1 of 2 places in the city that has the permit to cure their own meats.

Great service and excellent food served in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. We asked for a full body Merlot and the waitstaff made the perfect choice. A basket of bread is served before the meal, with a flat bread that is deep fried in pork fat, very delicious. The menu itself changes regularly and always has delicious and interesting options. Delicious desserts!! We are looking forward to going on a warm summer evening when one wall opens up via a garage door mechanism.

Went to Madison to a couple wine shops and they recommended it here for dinner. In Dubuque we have no good Italian spot so we were thrilled to check it out We were 💯 satisfied with this choice. Sat at the bar and the bartender was excellent. Drinks were fantastic and good was top notch. Highly highly recommend.

Our server Samantha was an absolute delight. So knowledgeable about the menu and so enjoyable to be around :). Made our night. I am always so incredibly impressed by Osteria. The specials last night were so unique and delicious. Also loved the grand taste appetizer! Lastly, the butterscotch desert was so amazing and flavorful!!

I took out dinner from here on Memorial day. They forgot to mention the place was close, and my order went through. But they appologized for the mistake and opened the kitchen only to make my order. Cingiale was my entree and it was an excellent pasta dish. I also went for the dessert budino de caramello, because others have recommended. That was just ok. May be that should have been refrigerated before serving.

The chef here was a 2023 James Beard finalist for best chef Midwest region, so I stopped in to check it out. The place was busy. There was one open 2-top and two bar stools, so I grabbed a spot at the bar. I decided to stick to the specials menu, even though the regular menu looked great, too. I ordered the Quaglia appetizer and the Pescatora from the entrees. I was greeted by the bartender when I sat. The hostess had already given me the menus when she sat me at the bar. They started me with house made bread served warm and delicious! The Quaglia is a fried buttermilk marinated half quail with Brussels sprouts, bacon, and potato skins. There were different layers of flavors, and the fried quail was perfect! Great dish! The Pescatora is Trofie pasta (short, twisted strands) with scallop, grouper, tuna, mussels, clams, calamari, tomato, and wine. Another great dish, but I wish the pasta was all made in house. I learned that the stuffed pasta is made in house. For James Beard, I expected all to be made from scratch. Overall, a great little place worth visiting.

This is most definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Madison -- and some of the best Italian food you'll find in the U.S. It's a small place with a very intimate atmosphere. You might be able to hear your neighbor's conversation but the noise level is generally not too bad. I brought guests who are foodies from Chicago and even they agreed that the food here was absolutely phenomenal. Amazing limoncello, great drink list, great NA list - you can't go wrong. The budino de caramello dessert is the best - I would have this dessert over any and it is the basis of my visits to Osteria Papavero. As such, I rarely order appetizers so that I can save room for dessert. Recently we split the mushroom soup/stew and it was marvelous. I loved all the different kinds of mushrooms they had in there. While they were fun to observe, they were very challenging to eat as a soup with a spoon... it might cut down on presentation but they really need to dice up those mushrooms so eating it isn't such a chore. The mushroom to broth ratio got all out of whack. For the main course, the cinghiale was so good the first time I ordered it the last time I went back, too. The service is likewise wonderful and usually quite attentive. The staff is knowledgeable about the menu and I love that they know the food and can make suggestions. It's always a treat to eat here.

Such a cute and cozy Italian spot for dinner! I made a reservation here for a party of 3 weeks in advance. We ended up having 4 in the party and they were graciously able to still accommodate us. It is a very small space inside, so I felt like the other customers were seated decently close to us. I'd say the service could be a bit better - it was a while before anyone came over to take our order and I felt like it was kind of difficult to ask for what we need. Once our server was there though, she was great in answering all our questions and giving us a run down of what we needed to know. I ordered the pappardelle alle cinghiale, which was delicious and seemed like the perfect portion size! My mom got the squid ink pasta and she enjoyed it. We also received complimentary bread which was perfectly warm and salty - as if it had just come out of the oven! We did get a side of the olive oil as a dipping sauce and that was perfect for the bread. Honestly the bread was one of the biggest highlights for me during this meal. The menu is pretty small so if you're someone who's picky or in a group with dietary restrictions, this may not be the best place to go for plenty of options. Seems like a lot of people tend to get wine here to pair with their meals as well, and it seems pretty on par with other nice Italian restaurants in terms of price. I'd love to come back and try out the other items on their menu!

We did restaurant week here. Very delicious cozy small Italian restaurant. Always reliable. $30 prix fixe menu. Dessert was the highlight for us - ricotta cake. Service was fantastic.

Wow this place is amazing! Cozy setting and authentic food for a fair price. Fantastic bread tray, out of this world lasagna, trout perfectly seared with flaky center cut and chefs kiss on the desserts! Staff was great!

Amazing food, welcoming staff, and a cozy spot to enjoy a true Italian dinner. Perfect for a date night.

My husband and I dined here early on a Friday and sat at the bar. The service & atmosphere were 10/10. The bartenders were so friendly and offered us samples of everything before we committed to a drink. I LOVED their Lambrusco & my husband's Venetian spritz was perfection. We first shared the meat plate bc. the owner is one of two ppl licensed in Madison to cure his own meats and is from Italy. Sadly, they do not have any GF options to enjoy with their cheese or meat plates, but even a cracker! They do however have GF pasta. We were slightly disappointed in the Salumi spread. Mostly bc I don't think that meat spreads are really our thing. I think we expected more of a prosciutto/salami situation. My husband said that the dough fried in pork fat that came in his bread basket was possibly the best he has ever had! I had the Fettuccine con 'Nduja which was made with GF noodles and it was delicious!! It had a little spice & the flavor was wonderful. Not as rich as a ragu, but much more flavor than a basic red sauce. My husband had the boar ragu and ate every bite. We would come back to try the Budino & share some of their delish Lambrusco again :).

Three of us walked here after a day at the conference center. We weren't able to get a table (it's a tiny but great space), but they were able to get us in at the bar. Get the meat appetizer, as they have one of the only licensed butchers in the area! The pasta was also excellent.

Osteria is a small, cute restaurant on the square with an intimate atmosphere and good food. I've previously ordered takeout from here a few times and most recently dined with a friend a few Fridays ago. One thing I'll say right away - their food dining in is infinitely better than takeout. There are some restaurants that serve great takeout food, but I don't think Osteria is one of those places. I love the overall vibes of this place - mildly dim lighting with candles at every table makes the restaurant seem slightly romantic and very welcoming to all groups. I saw a range of parties, including colleagues dining together after work. families with young children, and both young and old couples. Walking in, and throughout the night, the staff were friendly and attentive. My friend and I ordered the chinhiale, fettuccine con 'nduja, and for dessert - a pistachio cake with strawberry-rhubarb cream. We also received a complimentary bread basket, which was my favorite part of the dinner (still thinking about the fried bread). Just remember that both olive oil and balsamic vinegar are an extra $1.50 each. My friend and I agreed that both of our pasta dishes were a little bland (3.5/5 stars) but were huge fans of the pistachio cake. I couldn't get enough of the cream sauce and could eat that all day! I'm not sure how often I'll be coming back for a meal at Osteria, but I can see myself stopping by for drinks and a snack whenever I have a downtown event. At the very least, I need to explore the rest of their dessert menu. :)

I have been to OP several times now, and the food is always outstanding. We came in on a weeknight for dinner and I was a little surprised that it wasn't busier - certainly no complaint from a customer perspective - but I worry about the ability to pay the bills with the incredibly competitive restaurant market and the razor thin margins. Hopefully just a fluke! Head over for dinner - you won't regret it!

One of the best Italian restaurants in Madison. I say this because the pasta is always fresh, the menu is everchanging, the space is small, but homey, and they take reservations. You can tell the staff really like to work here by their cheery demeanor and thorough knowledge of the menu. I don't think I've had a bad thing here and they also have a happy hour so book a reservation early then go on a night out on the town. They also usually participate in restaurant week and their BREAD is incredible. Do not miss out on that.

Great service. Lovely space with great windows. Terrine was fantastic, stunning bite. Bread selection was great, especially this really light and fluffy little pocket. Puttanesca was quite solid and loved the rabbit pasta.

My husband made a reservation for my birthday, and it was a wonderful evening! The space is small but ideal for couples - very intimate and personal. The decor was simple yet refined. The chalkboard drawing of a garden impresed me, it was beautiful. We both started off with a glass of Montepulciano, which we hadn't been able to find since a wine bar close to our home closed its doors 5 years ago. It was the only thing we drank all evening, and each of us had 3 glasses. It was the perfect acroutement to the appetizer, entrees, and dessert. We chose the Moleche, which was absolutely delicious. The deep fried soft shell crab is marinated in buttermilk, and the taro cake really tied in the coastal flavor. It made me want to visit the beach! For my entree I opted for the Granchio, a potato & flour gnocchi with blue crab & a cherry tomato cream sauce. It was good, and I ate the entire thing, but I did feel as though the crab had more of a canned tuna consistency. Maybe I was just thrown off since I had 2 different dishes with crab in them. My husband really liked his Cinghiale, and I also thought that was amazing! Braised wild boar just isn't something you see on a menu very often, so it was fun to try. For dessert we chose the Budino di Caramello (butterscotch pudding). It was divine! My husband and I devoured it, and my we fought over who got the last bite. Overall our experience at Osteria Papavero was awesome! We will definitely be returning.

I was expecting more. The cheese plate was excellent as was the pudding dessert. The entrees were just boring. I can't imagine how these would be popular with anyone.

Osteria is a hidden gem, just a few doors down from Tempest! The atmosphere is cozy, warm, welcoming. Our server was really great and helped us decide on our meals, which is always appreciated. The bread basket (not pictured) paired well with the burrata appetizer. My gnocchi was AWESOME. Great truffle flavor and super creamy sauce. I also got a NA drink with homemade grenadine that was super tasty. My bf got the fettuccine which had a nice little kick to it. The bread pudding was outstanding and I could've eaten 4 servings on my own! There's a parking garage near the restaurant but it's right off the square and a really lovely walk regardless.

My husband made us reservations to celebrate my birthday. Sadly, we were underwhelmed. When we arrived we were immediately sat, and very quickly after greeted by our server. I was impressed she asked for any food allergies, and followed up with recommendations based on our response. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and offered recommendations at our request. Interestingly, what made our service experience less than ideal was not that the server was not attentive; she was overly attentive. We generally enjoy a leisurely meal. This was far from that. In fact, we were in and out the door (drinks, appetizer, and entrees), in 45 minutes. We felt rushed to place our orders (server repeatedly asked if we were ready to order with minimal time between requests), and food arrived extremely quickly. It was our impression they needed to turn our table over quickly. I can say with certainty we would have ordered more, but instead chose to leave and go to Tempest for drinks and dessert to feel less rushed. For the Antipasti we ordered the burrata. It was good, but nothing I would come back for. I ordered the tortellacci for my entree, and my husband ordered the lasagna at the recommendation of the server. Both were good, but again nothing I would rave about. Overall, if I were to try them again in the future I would make sure to inform the server we would like to enjoy a leisurely dining experience. It would have completely changed our opinions.

Have always walked by this place but never stopped in. After a football game this was the one place that could seat us at the bar (we didn't have reservations). It's a small place but the atmosphere is terrific. Very friendly staff, warm environment. We ate at the bar and the service was chill. The food was fantastic. Authentic, fresh, perfectly portioned, fantastic pasta.

Visited Osteria for dinner with friends. The ambiance was very chill and lighting was dimmer. The cheese board I ordered had a unique variety of different flavors. The grilled swordfish was cooked well and tasty. The berry cheesecake may have been the star of the show! It was flavorful and very rich. Overall, solid experience for the price.

Just back from a duel birthday diner for my aunt and I... service was phenomenal... menu selection, both the specials and regular menu... fantastic. For me, the Salumi Board and desserts were the highlight. This said I enjoyed the antelope entree. Others ordered a variety of the pasta offerings. I sampled them all... they were all wonderful. The cocktail, wine and spirits menu is beyond adequate, quite broad actually and very reasonably priced. Btw if they have the butterscotch budini get it... and boy Howdy does it pair phenomenally with the Willet Pot Still Bourbon. Bottom line classy restaurant with great menu in an elegant but absolutely not pretentious atmosphere.

Picked up food from here for restaurant week because we've never tried the place. First off, they have a pretty good pickup system as you just call ahead and say what time you want to pickup the food. Then when you arrive someone will run it out to your vehicle. As for the food, we ordered the capocollo & pizza for appetizers, the pesce & panino for mains, and the budino & bombolino for dessert. The capocollo had some very nice ripe melon that paired well with the meat. This was the better of the two appetizers in my opinion as the end of summer pizza had too much of an olive taste even though it was only one of the ingredients. The dough was nice, but it did get a little soggy in the middle, which I think was from the olive juices. I'd never had monkfish in the past so I ordered the pesce to try it. The mouthfeel of it almost reminded me of a scallop, of which I'm not a big fan, but the flavor was nice. It came with a top of a creamed corn, peas, & roasted tomatoes mix of which was a great combination, but a little too salty for me. The panino had thick slices of brisket with some nice pickled jalapenos and a chimichurri sauce. They all paired quite well together and there was a nice ratio of each to balance the dish. My friend was a big fan. Finally the best was saved for last in the desserts. The budino had a muted butterscotch flavor which was nice to end the meal with. My friend said he would definitely order it again. The bombolino was also quite good as it was a pillowy donut stuffed full of nutella. I really mean stuffed too, as when I cut it in half, the nutella just flowed out! Only thing I could have done with less of is the powdered sugar on top, but I get that that is a presentation element. Overall pretty solid main food and amazing desserts.

This restaurant is what I would call a sleeper or a hidden gem. It isn't ostentatious. It is a little hard to find. It doesn't look like much from the outside. Parking can be difficult. The inside is modest and a bit crowded. But the food is wonderful and the service is good. The breads were all good but one of them was fabulous. This one was called the gnocco frito, which resembled a very tasty ravioli pasta without any stuffing. It had some salt on the surface, and was very briefly fried in duck fat. It was especially memorable. we shared an antipasto di mare and also the gramigna con ricotta pasta. Everything was so good that we even decided to share a dessert, namely the crostata ai Pinoli and a most unusual cello dessert drink made from kumquats. Bravo!

Do yourself a favor and visit this little Italian restaurant in Madison. The nightly specials menu is different each night. We thought the atmosphere was warm and inviting Italian themed. The service was excellent all night long with a knowledgeable server guiding our meal. The bread basket was amazing, yes you read right. The bread! We had a tomato bread, so soft and savory with a nice crust. Then a white pillowy warm ravioli shaped light bread sprinkled with salt. The third bread was a white bread with a slight hint of Parmesan. Oh yum! Beware though there are so many yummy courses don't eat too much bread. Also they will charge you for additional baskets of bread so practice restraint. The appetizer of three vegetables was delicious, this also varies daily. On this night it was spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic topped with cheese. The middle vegetable was sweet bell peppers with onions also topped with crumbled cheese. Lastly a cold bean salad with asparagus. Our main courses were from the specials menu of asparagus filled ravioli in a light wine sauce and a pork dish with fresh peas and prosciutto. Both mains were good but I hope to try other things. Lastly were told that they just brought back a pine nut pie that was a marriage between pine nuts and pecan pie accompanied by a tart sour cream ice cream. Oh the dessert was all that was described and more, so delectable. I will hope to return next time we are in town.

We stopped in for lunch- on our way to Chicago for a celebration. All of our lunches were delicious- we had the soup of the day and salad, soup and sandwich, and lasagna pasta special. All very delicious and a nice surprise- as we were passing through and wanted a quick bite. When we arrived in Chicago we realized my daughter had forgotten her purse with money, her CC cards, and i.d. The staff held it for us over the weekend and let us pick it up on our way back even though they were closed. Super nice about it and we are very grateful. Thank you to the fabulous and kind staff. We will be back again!

This place is so cute and romantic. We went here for the first time and the service was EXCEPTIONAL. The menu is an experience it self- and the staff is so great and describing each dish. We shared a cheese plate, which all were amazing! We shared the gnocchi as well which was good! The bread basket they bring out before dinner is amazing- definitely enjoy some of that!!

Popped in for lunch on a Thursday after hearing about the chef being named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award. I had the calzone which was so far beyond any calzone I had before that it was silly to use the same name for both. My wife enjoyed her seafood pasta but thought I had ordered the better dish. I wished I had ordered an appetizer - the calzone was on the smaller side but it was also $8 which I think is a hell of a good deal. My wife and I ordered the butterscotch pudding and the bread pudding, each certain we had chosen the best option. The desserts were nicely balanced and not too sweet. I wasn't sure what to expect out of a bread pudding but it very satisfying and something I might order again. There were also a number of great sandwiches on the menu which demand a repeat visit. The service was very nice and it was easy to get a table. Overall, it's well considered high end food served in a casual manner at extremely reasonable prices.

**Updated as I was winding down, I began to drink a bug that wasn't known to be in my water. 1. Good flavor for the red sauce in the calzone. 2. Butterscotch pudding tastes like a whethers original. I know many rave about it and I'm not in that category. 3. Salad Papavero was decent. Greens with marinated red peppers in 1 corner. 2 Marinated Kalamata olives in another corner. 2 quarters on mozzarella in the remaining respective corners. 4. Service was sharp, curt-like but swift. Not lunch rush fast but swift. The stars are impacted by the flies and the bugs scrolling by on the floor. I don't believe this is due to an unkept place but because the doors are open and wildlife enters. It's a black beetle. The fly was on the window and I probably would have missed him if I hadn't sat by the window but he didn't miss my salad. As soon as it was placed on the table he jumped on it before I could. Tf I will return as I'd like to try the mushroom soup, Panna cotta with berries. It filled up quickly today. I'm not sure if it's because of Restaurant week or regular lunch rush. Was shocked how the noise level raised but it's not a deterrent. You must be seated whether dining inside or AL fresco. I prefer interior but I'm thinking the flies probably were handled best with the wind blowing outdoors. Idk. The owners were always great neighbors to us when we lived on the street. Like, that's what this star rating really reflects. They treated the kid well. Today's lunch 2 stars. ***Updated from 3 as I spat the water out and sign my receipt leaving expeditiously.** Their contribution to the neighborhood = 5stars for me. Average = 3 stars. I'm not a naturalist. I can't do bugs and guess what I'm from the hot muggy Southern US so I'm more than familiar with bugs, flying cockroaches. Even in Italy and Beijing the doors stay open but there are filters for bugs. Even that Blue light that zaps everything down south in the restaurants.

So I'll just start off by saying that everything I've eaten here has been EXCELLENT. Have been consistently impressed by the quality, portions, service, atmosphere, and overall flavor of food. Period. Now, I cannot stress this enough - I had one of the best meals of my LIFE here. Can't remember the name in its entirety but it was a scallopini mushroom entree that was unbelievable. I was speechless! Couldn't stop talking about this meal for days. Still thinking about it! Another highlight was a swordfish bruschetta. This menu is really special. 10000/10. AMAZING food.

First time visiting (for me) and we really enjoyed our dinner service! The server was top notch explaining the menu thoroughly and providing wonderful service. She suggested a great wine pairing with our main dishes. We started with 2 appetizers (antipasto di Mare and burrata) which were fantastic. The antipasto di Mare features a trio of seafood and shellfish dishes and they change often. We received a basket of lovely baked breads as well. For our main course, two of us had the fettuccine con 'Nduja which had beautiful heat to it and overall wonderful flavors and textures. The corn fettuccine in this dish was unique and delicious. There was 1 order of broccolini which was just ok- overall, the dish felt like it was missing something. We shared an order of Budino di Caramello for dessert. Butterscotch pudding, whipped cream and cocoa powder....wow. So simple, so good. Overall, I cannot wait to return and explore other items on their menu!

After stepping in I stepped through the curtain into a cosy space that was mostly empty on a Monday night around 6 pm but got super busy within the hour. My server was very attentive and explained the specials after bringing me my cocktail, Italian 75. Strong but good. Be warned, there is not an extensive menu but there are some options on the regular menu that change regularly. I opted to start with the soup of the day, an escarole, bean, and vegetable rustic concoction. It needed salt even though it had a smoky bacon flavor. I received a basket of hot bread also. To get refills on the bread you are charged $3. Worth it. I then ordered a special from the board, tortelli (after discussing the pros and cons of the savory crepes with spinach versus the tortelli with spinach-a filled homemade pasta. It was topped with a light tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. Tasty but not a must have dish I'd crave. Or need to order again. For dessert, had planned on ordering then pistachio cake but the server shared the specials and I had to try the panett bread pudding. Maybe the best read pudding I've ever had...caramel, fresh whipped cream, walnuts and a hint of orange flavor from the fruit in the bread. All in all a nice meal and great service.

Had a terrible experience with the waiter handling us in an unprofessional manner. We were a party of 6 and asked if they could accommodate one more guest. While it is true that we had booked for 6 people there were ways in which this could have been handled better. The explanation was passive aggressive..."its on our website and your reservation was for 6 people and its unfair for everyone else." Not sure what they are running there, but its sure not an exam that we were asking accommodations for. So no, we did not have a welcoming experience in the restaurant. Food is not the only thing you sell in a restaurant; if the demeanor is sour, so is the customer's experience.

It really just isn't good. I don't understand all the hype around it online, these guys legitimately must be paying for reviews or something. My fish pasta was gag-worthy and tasted like canned tuna in a tomato sauce. My partners pork was at least edible, but SO chewy. I mean chewy enough that you could be sitting there for a solid 5 minutes going at it. The cheese board we were given was solid though, which I'm not surprised since it's the one thing this restaurant didn't cook .. yikes. At least the waitress was nice.

Celebrating a birthday I made sure to reserve a table and with limited space available the place filled up fast. Knowledgeable and courteous staff described the freshly designed menu and we started off with the large charcuterie board with cheese and olives. Along with the bread basket provided the variety was good. Between five of us we finished all the options but one. More of a high dining experience than initially expected I think a couple members of our party were a little underwhelmed with their choice of main dish. I wasn't. The veal steak was great and I saw other options on the menu that I'll be looking to test next time. My americano cocktail was a good choice as well.

This place is soooo good, I almost didn't want to write a review, but that would be selfish. The staff made me feel like I was on vacation. Don't go there unless you appreciate the best a restaurant has to offer... piss off and go to

I'm italian and still morning the fact that I wasn't able to visit my family this Summer due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Enter Osteria Papavero to, at least, provide a night back home. While stopping in Madison I stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a try, particularly interested by the cinghiale (wild boar) pasta which is a typical plate of the aerea where I am from in Tuscany. Fantastic! The Mare appetizers were also great, appreciated by the entire family and the cacciatore pasta was unforgettable. Like nothing I had in the Midwest. Everything we got was so good, including the fried bread and the dessert. I had to talk to the chef and discovered his granma was from a town near mine. It was my first visit to Madison but Osteria papavero may have given me a reason to come back.

Wow! Everything here was absolutely delicious. We three sat at the bar and got marvelous service. Favorites included beef salad, fettuccine with ragu, and Gorgonzola ravioli. Highly recommend.

A tiny quaint little place. Food was amazing and the server recommended great wine pairings. The bread basket was a great variety and went great with our soups. First time trying this place out and loved it.

Oh My God!!! The goulash special is amazing! I came here with dinner reservations for the cinghiale but unfortunately they were out. Stop right now if you are going to give this place a 1 star for not having it. Supply chain for boar is hard but they made it up to me by making the goulash with the egg pappardelle to perfection. I travel to Madison for work once a year and I cannot stand to tell you how accommodating Osteria is. Great food great ambiance. Highly recommend.

Very much enjoyed and will come again soon. Looks like the food and drink menu changes often and everything sounded great. Food was delicious. Staff was really friendly and attentive. Thank you!

I came here for summer restaurant week and was sadly not impressed. Polipo - grilled octopus was cooked way to long. Was so difficult to chew, even to cut through with our knives. Super disappointed. Magatello - Meat was nicely sliced! Tortellini Alle Erbe - the tomato/butter sauce was too liquidy and lacked flavor. Tortelli was tough and didn't taste freshly made. Filetto al Peppe Verde - tenderloin was cooked well here but the spinach was too sautéed, almost seemed like a pure with the green peppercorn sauce, so another element of flavor in the dish was missing. Dessert - good, but nothing special about them that I couldn't order in another Italian restaurant. Staff - being right on the square, I recommend having some change available to customers in case they need for parking. Having none in this location is pretty absurd to me, especially with a lot of coined meters still in the area. Waitress was not very attentive and seemed irritated by us which put a damper on the meal. Cute little space, but I won't be coming back.

Small, cozy, and quiet restaurant in town. Tried it for the first time while meeting a friend for lunch. Pleasantly surprised with the menu, it is not an extensive menu, but you will find something for everyone. The sandwich was good but the soup lacked flavor. If I go back would like to try some of their pastas.

Updated: I wanted to give it a second try... still pretty mediocre. Small, odd menu (cow tongue with pork jowels? Why) with decent specials. But the flavors just aren't there. Nothing special about this place.

When I lived in Madison I tried to eat at Osteria Papavero once or twice, but the wait was always too long for my hangry self. On a recent business trip back to Madison, I was lucky there was no wait on a Tuesday night. I enjoyed my dinner so much I came back the following day for lunch. Osteria Papavero's menu constantly changes with many daily specials written on the chalk board. The dinner and lunch menus are different. For dinner I ordered one of roasted vegetable appetizers. It came with a few stuffed tomatoes, parsnips, and peppers with sausage. It was simple yet delicious since each vegetable was prepared differently with different spices. For lunch I ordered the seafood tomato pasta. Lots of seafood and not too heavy. Definitely save room for dessert, the budino di caramello (butterscotch pudding) is one of my favorites.

Came here for a friends birthday! The space was small, people had to kind of squeeze by the front door and wait for the hostess. It's definitely a pricier place, but food was good. We started with the veggie platter and cheese platter. Not a lot of food, but was pretty delicious. For the main course. You have the option of around 8 dishes. I had the black lobster spaghetti, and it was pretty good. Tried friends dishes, they were all tasty! Specifically, the spicy pork sausage pasta was very flavorful. Desserts were also pretty delicious, we tried the apple pie and the chocolate salami one. Liked the chocolate the best as it was super chocolatey and had a nice grainy texture.

8pm in Madison, flights cancelled because of the snow, I found this place on Yelp a stones throw away from my hotel. As an aspiring cook myself and arm chair food critic I was very pleasantly and would highly recommend this location for a business dinner or a date. One of the numerous specials was a set of three seafood dishes, two of which I have an allergy to. They split the special up so that I could try the octopus, which was cooked to perfection, better than at the beach in Mexico. The second course was a braised rabbit, which was also delicious. The chef clearly has a handle on their sauces, which is what separates the men from the boys. If you are in Madison, and don't want to eat at the popular places in the area (which emphasize gigantic portions of fried cheese), this place is a better choice.

Food was amazing - we had the the formaggi to start which was three chef's choice cheeses with jam and marinated olives; delicious. For entrees we had the gnochetti and the crespelle; the gnochetti was good, the crespelle was great. We ended with the Budino di Caramello, their signature dessert, which was phenomenal. I also had the Poppy and the Pear cocktail, which was delicious. The service was okay; nothing special, but nothing to complain about. Overall, would definitely recommend to others!

Small but, very nice and cozy. The waitress we had was delightful! The food and wine (Gavi) was delicious! Everything was cooked to perfection! I had the Gramigna con Ricotta, which was magnificent!

Have loved this restaurant for years! Their daily specials are always exciting and delicious! Fun atmosphere for a date. And the budino...so good!