Cafe La Bellitalia

Been here 3 times.
1^st time had pizza, it was GREAT, but took about an hour to reach the table.
2^nd time had pizza, it as OK, different chef? Took about 45 mins to reach the table.
3^rd time had Ravioli w/​marinara. Took less then 30 mins to reach table but was Cold.
I sent it back, a couple mins later it arrived in a different dish and this time was Slightly Warm.
Another person at my table ad Ravioli and another sauce, also sent back for being cold. However it came back Warm.
Waitress didn’t come near our table the whole night after that.
Would not go back.

The S.U. and I were on our way home from the airport… hungry, time-​zone challenged, with nothing in the fridge to look forward to when we got home so … we needed dinner. CLB had been on my radar for a while but, as West-​siders, we didn’t get up here all that often.
It was a Saturday night but we managed to sneak into a table for two, ordered a glass of very reasonable wine (Chianti) and were quickly handed their hot garlic bread. Nice touch. The place was busy.
This is an old school Italian American restaurant. Red sauce, white sauce, large portions, fresh pasta. You could drop someone from 1969 in here and (aside from the prices) they wouldn’t know that they were in the future. No small plates, no exotic ingredients (garlic used to be an exotic ingredient), just good basic Italian, well done.
I had the Italian beef stuffed cannelloni with red sauce. As others mentioned, a slightly sweet sauce but … no complaints. The S.U. had the Veal Parmigiana. It was served under a blanket of spaghetti with red sauce. She thought the veal was a bit dry.
This ain’t haute cuisine my friends, but it’s solid Italian American food made with care. That makes me a fan.

The food is good but when I just called in an order a turn of events left me slightly disturbed: the person on the other line did not know that spaghetti was pasta. Overall they have a nice red sauce and the chicken Parmesan is exquisite but seriously how do your employees not know that spaghetti is pasta!!!

Very cool local Italian place. Smallish, casual, reasonable.
They pride toasted garlic bread before the meal.
Fried Calamari — good. A little heavier breading and grease than we prefer.
Gnocchi — very good! Large portion, good texture, tasty sauce
Chick Parm — very good! Large portion, very cheesy.
Red sauce is very tomato and a bit on the sweet side.

Unacceptable. The two stars is for the food. We had spaghetti and meatballs my grandson had Mac and cheese. Both delicious.
Apparently the host had to host wait on tables and cook!
If you can’t remember the order you should write it down. Ordered salads. Waited a very long time for our meals brought them out no salads. Told him to forget it. Half way through meal had to ask for garlic bread which was suppose to come with the meal.
It was a terrible experience especially with a 4 year old!!!
If your sign says open please have enough staff to accommodate your customers. Very poor management!
I’ll go down the street to Benvenutos next time.

We came here for the first time a couple weeks ago. Quality Italian food. Their red sauce and garlic bread were addictive. I ordered the stuffed shells and they were some of the best I’ve ever had.

This restaurant was a lucky find using Google maps for «Italian restaurants near me» while we were traveling home from the Dells. By appearances, this restaurant doesn’t look like much but they live up to their Google description of a busy, comfortable bistro with generous portions.
We may have arrived to an empty restaurant but before we left, all the tables were full. It is definitely a local favorite and off the beaten path for most tourists. The only complaint was about the shrimp basket: Both the fries and the shrimp were overcooked. My chicken marsala was heavy on the garlic, but I love it that way and it was served properly over pasta. Some restaurants serve marsala with spaghetti marinara on the side which is just wrong, IMHO.
Soft drinks are served in cans; a little weird when fountains are the norm but it’s one of those quirks that just makes you adore the homey character of the café.
We saved room for dessert, because who can pass up tiramisu? This was the perfect finish to our meal.
I wish I lived closer, but this place will be on my radar the next time I travel through Madison.

My parents have been raving about this place for the last few weeks. A friend of theirs had taken them there about two or three times.
My parents chose Café La Bellitalia for their anniversary dinner. So now it is my time to explore. The building is old but functional. The décor is dated but cute. The only people in the restaurant were over 60 years of age (with exception of my brother and I, and the wait staff). As we were leaving, a younger crowd was coming in. My impression is the place doesn’t have to be fancy if it serves good food and has a following.
You don’t get frills. Cans for soda, plastic pepsi glasses for water. But the food was good. My parents didn’t have as good as an experience as they have had in the past. Different cook maybe?
I enjoyed my spagetti carbonara with a side salad to start. I thought it was cooked well. I tried my father’s spagetti with meat balls. It was good but a little too sweet for me. My dad thought his plate was not as full as on the past visit. My mother had pasta dish with shrimp. Her complaint was there were too many green peppers in the dish. My brother had a calzone with a dish for the same marinara used on the spagetti.
My side salad was a pretty good size so I ended up taking half my pasta home with me.
To sum up, I would be happy to try this place again or try carry out.

I ordered the veal marsala and my coworker ordered stuffed eggplant. The eggplant was really good but the veal was over cooked and very tough to chew. Service was fair at best. She gave us silverware 3 minutes after serving the meal and we kept having to ask for more water.

Outstanding neighborhood haunt. I’ve had several first dates here, and I have never, ever had a bad experience. It’s sort of in a funky spot up on Sherman, but definitely worth the minor schlep to get there.
It’s totally one of those places you don’t want to tell people about because it’s your special secret. But, people of the internet, you should go. :)

Best chicken parm! Nice little place stopped on a whim and I am very happy. The sauce was delish

I’ve lived on Madison’s east side for 15 years and had never had Café La Bellitalia’s pizza until we moved to the near north side a few months ago. Big mistake, Vick. I cannot get enough of their pizza. The fact that they deliver just makes my pizza-​craving-​tummy happy. This pizza is so fresh, so chock-​full of great ingredients, so cheesy and delicious, I can’t believe I have been missing out all these years. This is really, really good thin crust pizza, at totally reasonable prices. AND delivered to your door by a cheerful, prompt delivery guy. I’ve eaten in the restaurant once, and the Italian fare is ok (let’s face it, I’m really too much of a cheapskate to go OUT for spaghetti), but the pizza?! My new favorite Madison pizza.

Good food, good wine, good service. Old school italian fair, with an old school atmosphere.

Great classic Italian. Plus best pizza in Madison. And yes, I’ve been to Sal’s Tomato Pies, so shut up.

whoot whoot whoot whoot whoot I’m a fan! now if only I can get my butt in her another time for some of that pizza! Run! don’t walk

Wanted to try based on reviews and just wasn’t that impressed. Pizza and order of Chicken Marsala. Both Looked good — just didn’t eat real good .
I love garlic, but it was the overpowering taste in both
Crust had that chewy soggy like frozen pizza — maybe from being stuck to carry out box. Siciliana toppings were plenty but just overpowered by garlic.
Chicken was really good quantity and juicy — just didn’t care for the sauce.
Service was friendly ordered by phone.
Maybe give another try dining in and order something red sauced.

We are really fortunate to have this little gem on Madison’s lovely Northside. They remodeled the former Olé’N Rick’s Northside Inn (or Rick’N Olé’s, depending on which side of the sign you read) after the smoking ban was implemented in Madison in July 2005 (5 years before the statewide ban). Many critics thought bars and restaurants would not survive without their smoking patrons. Olé’N Rick’s owners retired and sold their quaint space early during the smoking ban implementation. It turns out, a little Italian joint is exactly what the Northside needed, and Café La Bellitalia has been building their business here for the last 9 years.
We ordered takeout, and here is the lowdown:
They have great pizza, with LOADS of toppings. There’s no skimpy pizza found here! We ordered an XL of The Works pizza. It was huge and tasted great! One thing we have noticed during our 13 years in Madison is that there isn’t a lot of really good pizza in this town. Bellitalia is a list-​topper for us. Pro tip: they sell slices over lunch on weekdays.
I was in the mood for pasta and ordered the homemade fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. It comes with a «side» of garlic bread, which is essentially a small loaf of Italian bread. I immediately devoured this garlic butter goodness (I rode my bike 65 miles today, so I can eat whatever I want, right?). The pasta was delicious with it’s perfectly creamy sauce and they didn’t hold back at all on the chicken. The portion was HUGE in the take-​out container, definitely enough for two people.
We’ve had great experiences, both dining in and with take-​out. There’s always a good crowd and they seem to be doing a great business. They’ve certainly been a great addition to the Northside community.

Four hour drive home in the never ending rain. It is dark and we are tired and over hungry. We squabble over what to eat. Settle on an eggplant parmigiana pizza. As the restaurant closes, we pick up our steaming hot pie. It was «just what the doctor ordered». Just the right ratio of sauce, to cheese, to deliciously breaded eggplant. The crust was excellent.
This experience gets five stars but my overall view must be a four. I have eaten here many times but some things are just uneven… Sauce too sweet, bread lacking in texture and flavor etc.
A wonderful little hometown restaurant that hit the bullseye with that pizza. Mmmm

If you’re looking for Italian food in Madison, this is your jam! After trying a bunch of subpar and overpriced Italian places downtown (I’m looking at you Tutto), my boyfriend and I stumbled across this place while out for a motorcycle ride one summer night, and haven’t looked back since. It looks unassuming from the outside, but is cozy and warm on the inside. Crowd is a mix of families and older richies from nearby Maple Bluff, but we’ve always felt welcomed by their super-​nice servers.
The red sauce is sweet, but delicious on everything. I usually go with the baked mostacholi which comes with garlic bread, and I always have leftovers to take home. My boyfriend swears by the calzones, which are HUGE. Like, the size of a large pizza just folded in half. Overall, a great little gem on the north side.

I live in such close proximity to Bellitalia that it’s just silly last night was my first visit. However, it won’t be my last because YUM!!! It’s a cute little hole in the wall with lots of character. Upon walking in, the aromas alone made me really glad to be there. Our server was lovely and attentive and had great suggestions whenever we asked. The prices are reasonable and the portions are quite generous.
I ordered the carbonara (it came with garlic bread) and my friend got a pizza. The carbonara was wonderful! Everything about it screamed homemade. And the bacon… the bacon was perfection and just the right amount too. It wasn’t at all a heavy dish like an Alfredo. I had some left over to take home, thank goodness (even thought I wanted to eat the entire bowl). The garlic bread was your basic garlic bread — nothing special, but it sufficed.
My only wish was that the pasta had been fresh, but honestly, the dish was super delicious regardless and it’s something I would totally order again. My friend really enjoyed her pizza as well. She loves their chocolate cake too, but they were all out, which in retrospect is probably a good sign with it being so popular.
Give Bellitalia a try. We’re really glad we did!