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Longtime romantic restaurant serving traditional Italian fare in a venue with a cellar bar & patio.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 425 N Frances St, Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 256-3186
Website: https://www.portabellarest.com/
Menu Photos
Related Web Results
Welcome to Porta Bella
425 North Frances Street – Madison, WI 53703. (608) 256-3186 · For reservations … Nothing says Italian like fresh pasta, Italian-seasoned beef, and our homemade …
Porta Bella closing later this month after 58 years – Channel 3000
MADISON, Wis. — A beloved local restaurant that serves Italian cuisine is closing its doors for good later this month after 58 years.
Porta Bella restaurant is closing down | Madison, WI – Facebook
Porta Bella’s Italian restaurant still serves great pizza. Profile photo of Alan. Alan Strozak ▻ Madison Foodie. 1y · Public · Shout out to …
Reviews
Abbey Stauber
I want to start by saying this place was super cute, and our service was overall good!!
As for the price of the food for the quality – not so much. For an average of $26-32 entrée, I wouldn’t expect silverware to be served in paper bags with disposable napkins. Dinner salads are served on plastic supper club type dishes which felt cheap for the overall price of the experience.
The plate presentation was also very sloppy. My $32 ravioli looked like sauce soup. Our appetizer was very dull and portion sizes were so tiny.
The taste of the food was actually decent (not for the price point, but it wasn’t terrible) , and all of our food came out hot!
For one appetizer, a glass of milk, and two pasta dishes our bill was $82. I just don’t think the price point for their entrees are realistic for the quality, and definitely not somewhere we would come back for pasta.
… moreAs for the price of the food for the quality – not so much. For an average of $26-32 entrée, I wouldn’t expect silverware to be served in paper bags with disposable napkins. Dinner salads are served on plastic supper club type dishes which felt cheap for the overall price of the experience.
The plate presentation was also very sloppy. My $32 ravioli looked like sauce soup. Our appetizer was very dull and portion sizes were so tiny.
The taste of the food was actually decent (not for the price point, but it wasn’t terrible) , and all of our food came out hot!
For one appetizer, a glass of milk, and two pasta dishes our bill was $82. I just don’t think the price point for their entrees are realistic for the quality, and definitely not somewhere we would come back for pasta.
Pau Xiong
As soon as I walked in for my reservation, two servers in front of my party were complaining about receiving low tips and how they should’ve made more money on their larger tables. Paul is a wonderful server and should absolutely find a new job elsewhere asap. Porta Bellas food quality is pretty scary, I ordered the Mantavas Bolonese and I received a lukewarm soupy, tomato based spaghetti with meat sauce. It wasn’t even worth it to complain as it took about 25 minutes to order and my party’s food wasn’t appetizing either. Cocktails were also pretty awful that I would’ve rather made my own drinks and just charge myself… Again, not worth it. Thanks Paul for kind service, please find a new employer!
… moreRandy J
Heard good things about their pizza and so we stopped for pizza and beers on a Tuesday night. Sausage-mushroom-pepperoni. It was like we ordered double sausage as the toppings were so ample! Crust was crispy. Sauce was so flavorful. No disrespect to Greenbush or Buck’s, but this is our new favorite place for za! Nice tap beer selection, amazing sourdough bread that comes with your meal (even with pizza). Friendly service.
… moreMarcia Thompson
Totally understand why they’re closing. Saw on the news they were closing up after 58 years I came up from Florida called friends from an hour away my best friends and my son to come down and meet me and go to the restaurant. They drive 60 mi we park in the parking garage across the street as we’re walking through the garden we see the side no seating without reservation. Go in and we’re told by the hostess we cannot be seated without the reservation . I tell her nowhere on the website does it say that. She states they’ve been so busy they haven’t been able to update their website totally understand why they’re going out of business after 58 years,!
… moreTim Bergen
It is a shame this place is closing. We went on a Monday and had a short wait past our reservation time. They were busy. Our waitress was wonderful. Drinks came fast, as did out appetizer. We ordered a large pizza. It was delicious. Chicken Alfredo pizza was perfect. It all came hot and fairly quickly. Go there if you can. They are closing next week!
… moreT Shafi
This is an old review from 30 years ago. We had the worst dining experience in at least my life. 6 of us, 3 guys and 3 girls, over the summer on a weeknight for an early dinner. We were all going into our senior years at Wisconsin. The place was empty and we got this big black guy that was a total flamer and jerk. I wanted to leave before ordering. They still wanted to stay so I did. Food took forever and then guess what? The server “forgot” to put in the order for one of the girls. So our food got cold as we waited forever AGAIN for her meal to come. Never asked to get comped or see the manager, though we should have. Still left a 15% tip. Never been back. And if you think that because it was 30 years ago, my writing this is petty, I have news for you. It was the worst dining experience of my life and if I remember it that well, they still deserve this true account. I personally have never been back and make sure to tell anyone thinking of going there this story. I also worked at one of the best Italian restaurants in town then, Antonio’s on Park Street. This would have NEVER HAPPENED THERE. As Big Tony used to say about Porta Bella…”too much coke in the kitchen”. Josie’s and Antonio’s are long gone, but Lombardino’s is still around. Go there, not to Porta Bella.
… moreCole Matejczyk
You know its mediocre when the best part of your meal is the salad. Wife got the chicken parmesan and was severely disappointed. The sauce was more similar to a pizza sauce than anything. I happened to get the seafood Alfredo, which included the most clearly frozen seafood ever. With a nice side of water on it. The cannoli was the worst ive ever had. 2 things on the menu we ordered were different than advertised. Bread didnt have oil/vinegar, cold.
… moreNicholas Van Buskirk
Pretty great ambiance, like something out of the godfather! Food was good, I appreciate the wine pairing recommendations for each dish. The service was subpar. My girlfriend and I visited on a Saturday night and decided to grab a drink at the bar since we would be waiting a bit. I ordered a drink from the menu, to which the bartender said, “what’s in it.” She seemed new so we laughed it off. After getting seated at our table, we waited 10 minutes for our server. After meals arrived I think she checked on us once after 30 minutes. After plates were taken away she didn’t come back for another 30 minutes which we would have ordered dessert but since the lengthy delay we decided to pay and leave. I chose to give her my card as soon as she handed us the bill for fear that we would be there another amount of undetermined time. But like I said, good food and ambiance. It is a bit hot in there, dress lightly.
… moreCansin Ozsoy
I have been here multiple times, but this time the food wasn’t as good as before. I got chicken broccoli alfredo, and the broccoli in the pasta was really cold even though the rest of the food was hot. Our server was great, service was fast, and the atmosphere was good.
… moreMegan Acker
Was looking forward to going to dinner there tonight. Had actually been planning it all week. Planned on late lunch early dinner. That didn’t happen.
There were only 2 of us. When we walked in a little after 4pm tonight, we were asked if we had a reservation. We said no. The female hostess then said that they were completely booked for the night and had to send us away. What!?! You could tell that she didn’t care at all. Some customer service. Ugh!!
Why does your website even say your open with a 5-10 minute wait then?
We just drove 45 min, looked forward to something all week to get told nope, we’re booked. May I say there was NOBODY in the restaurant at 4.
We went nearby and grabbed something else instead. On the way back, we had to pass by. Still, nobody going in. Unreal that in a matter of 40 min, you couldn’t serve 2 people a simple pizza.
I’ve been going to this restaurant for 35+ years and the last 2 times now, have put a very bad taste in my mouth!
… moreThere were only 2 of us. When we walked in a little after 4pm tonight, we were asked if we had a reservation. We said no. The female hostess then said that they were completely booked for the night and had to send us away. What!?! You could tell that she didn’t care at all. Some customer service. Ugh!!
Why does your website even say your open with a 5-10 minute wait then?
We just drove 45 min, looked forward to something all week to get told nope, we’re booked. May I say there was NOBODY in the restaurant at 4.
We went nearby and grabbed something else instead. On the way back, we had to pass by. Still, nobody going in. Unreal that in a matter of 40 min, you couldn’t serve 2 people a simple pizza.
I’ve been going to this restaurant for 35+ years and the last 2 times now, have put a very bad taste in my mouth!