31 Best Italian Restaurants near Monona

“Love the deli for the Italian products!!! Cheeses, passatas, etc are fantastic!“

“Excellent service! Delicious food! Four of us celebrated my birthday here last night and enjoyed every single detail. The calamari and arancini appetizers were flavorful and breaded perfectly. One person had a Caesar salad, he said it was perfect. For our courses, my husband devoured his Cappellaci All Aragosta, but not before sharing a bite with each of us, and it was soooooo good. I had the Spaghetti Al Funghetto and absolutely loved it. Mom and dad also enjoyed their pasta dishes very much. Our desserts were crème brûlée, cannoli, and tiramisu. All made in house and all delicious. Then the service. The staff took very good care of us. Our waiter happened to be one of the owners, Sergio. We were lucky to hear about his history of working in the restaurant industry in Madison for years at restaurants we had known, now running his own! He was so passionate and interactive about the menu, it was so fun! By the end of our meal, my husband and I already had our next date set for another dinner at Fratelli’s. And in Madison, with so many options to try, we don’t revisit many places often, but Fratelli’s is going to the top of our list.“

“Always amazing here. Food , atmosphere, staff, and great cocktails to boot.“

“Great experience…everything from the ambiance to the waitstaff to the drinks, appetizers, entree, desserts and coffee were amazing!“

“After 29 years of living near Madison, we finally went for dinner last night. Everything was delicious- mocktail, bruschetta, both pasta dishes (mushroom truffle & sausage rigatoni), as well as the light, fluffy desserts (butterscotch pudding & cheesecake with rhubarb/strawberry compote). Super happy our waiter, James, sent us home with an extra baguette & recommended making French toast - which we did today! We’ll be back with friends and recommending to others!“

“I've been going to Ginos for years! Best sandwiches in Madison! I'm just sorry they aren't open more! Love, love, LOVE them!!!“

“Y'all.…. this place is out of this world!! Everything from the wine, appetizers, entrée desserts and coffee are just phenomenal!! Do not pass this place up! I love the line of this chef… The way the music goes, that’s the we dance! And that’s exactly what this place is all about. Everyone loves this place! Tony Bennet and famous athletes from all over - including Reggie Bush!“

“I came with 5 other people and we ordered 4 appetizers, 9 entrees + a pizza to share amongst us and their was not a complaint about any of your dishes. We love your food, the atmosphere is wonderful, so I have nothing to say about improving your business, it’s perfect!! Well done!!“

“Good food and nice place!“

“Greatest Pizza in the world.“

“We have been to Nonno's at least 4 times in the past few years! This restaurant is the absolute best Italian food our family has ever had. The service is top notch! Our son Sean loves going here and always orders the Chicken Alfredo with lots and lots of cheese. I always order Spaghetti Bolognese which never disappoints!! Thank you to our waiter and the staff for your wonderful hospitality and service.“

“Two of their standard items can be made vegan - neither are vegan by default so just ask. Totally worth it, pick up some sourdough while you are there.“

“Relaxing meal with fabulous food! Can't wait to go back.“

“BEST PIZZA I have ever had! They have great burgers soup, salads, appetizers and pastas too. Definitely coming back.“

“Classic must try pizzeria. Absolutely delicious, they come up with great pie ideas and they are ALL hits. Their service is impeccable and their excellent cocktails give the experience the cherry on top . To add to that the prices are super reasonable. Great atmosphere, can't recommend this enough. It's become a go to return spot over the years, wether I go for a nice dinner with my partner, or getting "fancy" pizza and drinks with friends, this is the place to go.“

“I have become a regular ever sense I found this place ⁽⁽٩(๑˃̶͈̀ ᗨ ˂̶͈́)۶⁾⁾
They have big portions without being crazy expensive.
I got my food quickly, the waitress was very polite, the food was delicious and filling!
I like how it is a very peaceful old school dinner feel as well!
I will definitely come again!!
(I was to hungery and forget to take a picture but I had the country omelet this time)“

“We love bringing out of town friends to Sal's. We had the Valentine's menu and it was the best food we've had in years! Tameka was amazing and the food came out so quick. Clean plates all day!“

“An Olive Garden with attentive servers.

Food is what you expect from any other Olive Garden. This is a large location. One drawback, we arrived near 9pm and instead of utilizing the entire restaurant space, the hostess guided us to only one side. We asked for an area away from other patrons to enjoy our dinner. Not sure why restaurants do this but it feels a bit like herding cattle in over direction for the sake of keeping the cleaning in one area.

Our server William was very kind and funny. He provided suggestions for food and beverage choices.

Food tasted good and as you would expect. The sauce used in the lasagna is a basic marinara sauce with a few chuncks of tomatoes yet a bit on the watery side. The Alfredo sauce I heard was good and thick. The paired wine Merlot was ok.“

“Great service and great food! I highly recommend this restaurant for the great dining experience!“

“My granddaughter and I was touring downtown Madison about two weeks ago, we came across D’Vino as we walked. The special for the day was crab cake and green fried tomatoes, of course we went in to order. The food was amazing. My granddaughter love the atmosphere of the restaurant and so did I .She order a pizza that was the best she ever had. The food was so good, even the water was great. We will be back!“

“We had a wonderful experience and such a lovely evening the first time we spontaneously sat at the bar and had a bite before a show at the Orpheum. The atmosphere is warm, charming and cozy. We were excited to come back tonight. Again we loved sitting at the bar. The service is excellent and the restaurant/bar are very obviously well managed. Staff exhibit a lot of attention to service. We ordered drinks and shared an entree/chicken Marsala. It was good, a little salty and I was disappointed that the sauce was not lighter and not served over a bed of pasta. When we received our bill, we were shocked that the J Henry old fashion my husband orders at restaurants all over Wisconsin was $26. 😱 we get that there is an up-charge for premium booze but seemed a little ridiculous for Wisconsin. The regular old fashioned w/ Bullet is $14. There was a $12 up-charge for J Henry. Overall, we had a good experience and will be back and recommend. I told my husband he can settle for the Bullet Old fashion next time. 😜 Incidentally, the Old Fashion was VG.“

“I’m so thankful I discovered Zoe’s! It’s like having Ian’s pizza but with way better crust. 🤣❤️ I get my nails done in Waunakee and my nail girl told me about this place. Bet I come here every time I get my nails done! Today I had their special - chorizo - and when I say it was BOMB I mean it!!! This pizza is so dang good, and every flavor I try has been consistently delicious. 🍕 😍 lunch prices are amazing too! I highly recommend giving this place a try even just for a slice.“

“Fabulous food, fantastic service and feel great supporting a locally owned family restaurant.“

“Me and my wife are new to the Madison-Sun prairie area and decided to try a restaurant with great reviews in the area! Johnny’s Steak House delivered an exceptional experience from start to finish. Our server, Chris, set the tone with a warm welcome, expert menu guidance, and impeccable timing. The steaks were perfectly cooked, cocktails balanced, and every detail felt intentional. Chris anticipated needs before we asked, checked in discreetly, and made the evening feel effortless. Five stars, confidently recommending Johnny’s, and asking for Chris by name next time.“

“the chicken dinners in the tiramisu“

“Great steak, even better lobster mac & cheese, which was so delightful after a long day. But I’m telling you whatever you do… Do not let them talk you into getting the A2 steak sauce. They convinced me A2 was better than A1 sauce, it’s not, and then they charged me for it. Beware.“

“Bunky’s is simply amazing! They catered our wedding 12 years ago. Authentic Mediterranean food, expertly prepared, with superb customer service... highly recommend!“

“I have always liked pizza from Rocky's. Even more so that you can get a slice quickly, eat it and get back to what you were doing. The breadsticks also are very good so as far as a quick pizza place this does a good job.

The staff member that we encountered was not super friendly and did seem as if she would have rather have no one show up.

Overall the food was good and we needed something quick. This was both of those things.“

“First time experience and will return!! Was seated quickly as walk-in . The facility is a bit worn from years of service. However the host who doubled as wait person was polite , knowledgeable and efficient!! The food was delicious!! Well worth a try, particularly if you enjoy Italian.“

“This is a wonderful Rocky Rococo’s!! There is a nice salad bar here. Their pizza and breadsticks were amazing! There is an arcade here as well. This Rocky’s is a GREAT ONE! It has a perfect nostalgic look and feels like exactly what I think a Rocky’s should look and feel like. It is great! We highly recommend this Rocky’s!“

“We came in on a Monday night in the summer. We have been coming here a lot recently. We love the food! Pizza is great, salads and meatballs too! Our table tonight was two young kids and two adults. Most people wouldn't want our table. Servers don't like kids. I assume that means low bill and low tip. However, my husband and I have worked in the restaurant business for a long time! We know how to tip and never order off the kids menu. We were told our server Lydia would be with us shortly. However she never came by. I had to ask for service after we came in to eat and we're very hungry. It was my daughter's birthday and they just got done with Ju Jitsu practice. My daughter told me she was starving. I know! She never came to the table. We were ignored for a while and told to order at the counter. There were open tables and not too many people in the restaurant. Thank you to the shift manager who finally helped us. We also asked Lydia to help with our check at the end and she told us she couldn't help us. She was so rude! Thanks Lydia. If you go on a weekday you might not even get service unless you ask. We'll be back to eat the food and hope we don't ever get Lydia. She was only serving two tables and both were finished before we got our food. She was not that busy but decided she didn't want to serve us.“