While the meal was good, the service was appalling. I, nor the other three members of our party, have ever been so uncomfortable during a meal. Our waitress was condescending and incredibly rude the from the moment we sat down until we left. It ruined the entire dining experience. While the meal was good, it was not good enough for us to consider returning. There are other comparable Italian restaurants in the area with service that significantly exceeds what we received here.
I want to say that this place is definitely not the worst place I’ve been to. However I just didn’t care for the food that me and my family had when we where there. However I’m sure everyone there puts a lot of passion into what they do and I am glad to say I had good service at least. So overall it’s good to try this place once and see if you like it or not.
I personally really enjoyed the food but could only leave two stars due to the service.My boyfriend and I came for dinner and the waitress (an older woman) was extremely unprofessional to us. She kept giving us weird looks, and when we asked a few questions about the menu she gave very short and annoyed answers. She even snatched the menu and took it away when it was right in front of me as I was referencing it to ask something. We understood it was busy but we both only asked 1-2 quick questions which she acted like was the most irritating thing.She was smiling with all the other tables but was always very rude to us. My boyfriend and I are both quiet, calm and polite people and have NEVER experienced this anywhere else. My boyfriend is also not the type to pick up on passive aggressive behavior and even he could tell how rude she was being and felt VERY uncomfortable. I am not the person to bring race into things but I noticed the only other review complaining about service was also a young Asian woman as well. She ruined our night and what would have been an otherwise tasty meal. I want to come back for the food but am scared of the service now.
The best food I've ever eaten. And hands down the most superb butterscotch pudding for dessert.
Osteria Papavero is a tastefully decorated but unpretentious small restaurant. The starter breads were delicious, My husband and I had the salmon carpaccio, which was excellent. The negroni cocktail and iced tea were also very good. On the other hand, the cernia, which was a 4-ounce pan-roated grouper with ratatuglia, was good, but a bit overpriced at $27. Finally, we ordered dessert, which we don't usually do, but we had seen good reviews about the budino di caramello, which was delicious paired with barely sweet whipped cream and garnished with cocoa power, but the petite serving was pretty overpriced at $9.50. Overall, we left satisfied and felt we had had a nice meal. The only suggestion I would have for the establishment is to be more personable with the guests - try to get to know them a little and make them feel welcome. When one group entered, one of the servers called to them: "Just sit wherever." This restaurant needs to learn that people come not just for the food, but for the atmosphere and service as well.
I ordered tortellini and it was pretty average. I would say it is not worth the amount we paid for though.The main reason for the two stars is the staff. Specifically our waitress was an older woman and was the rudest waitress I’ve ever had. She was impatient with our order and made me and my boyfriend extremely uncomfortable. Shown is my boyfriends water which she completely overflowed and didn’t apologize or clean up. She would glare at us while we were eating, never smiled, and was completely unprofessional. We could tell she did not want to be serving us and has no respect for the restaurant to be acting like that. The overall experience may not have been that bad but she ruined our night and wrecked our experience at this restaurant.
The Budino di Caramello is definitely one amongst the best desserts I have had in a long time. Highly recommend to try this if you are in Madison. The vegetarian crespelle with ricotta and asparagus was also unique. House bread and cocktails kept us good company while we waited for the entrees. The hostess was very informed and suggested food to our liking. Thank you for a good evening.
The most wonderful experience ever. They were so kind in helping my friends find ideal items for their dietary needs and two of us had the the bison short rib tortellini, which was excellent! I absolutely love the small intimate experience this restaurant provides. Anyone of their desserts is a great way to finish your dining experience.If you have the opportunity, try the house made limoncello!
Food was terrific. Well prepared, well presented. Staff was kind, attentive and went over the menu in detail. Would highly recommend!
We met another couple here for dinner on a Saturday night. We had reservations and were seated immediately at the front of this small restaurant. It was a cold February night and were thankful for the heavy curtain at the entrance that did a decent job of keeping cold drafty air from flooding the place. Our server may have been new on the job. We felt rushed to order. When we decided not to order any appetizers our small plates were taken away, the moment later a basket of tasty bread arrived on on the table without any plates. I wish the bread had come with something like a rosemary infused olive oil and/or butter. We were told right away they were out of a daily special swordfish entree. I'm fine with that because it's not something a restaurant would want to have too much of. After I placed my order for the $17 amatriciana (farro fusilli pasta in a smoked pork, onion, and tomato sauce), our server came back to tell me they were out. I ended up ordering the $20 gnocchetti con ‘nduja (little potato gnocchi with spicy calabrian chili & pork sausage ragout with tomatoes and smoked ricotta salata). It was excellent, with just enough spice for most folks. Pasta recipes are profitable for restaurants, and that's OK. That being said I think the portion size should have been greater or if it came with a small veggie or salad side. The noise level was perfect for conversation and the lighting has a warm glow. The appear to have a well-stocked bar.