Tutto Pasta State Street
305 State St, Madison, WI, 53703
Tutto Pasta State Street Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
305 State St
Madison, WI, 53703 - Phone (608) 960-9980
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Albina O.
This place is a pretty good Italian spot. The food: Mozzarella in Carrozza appetizer was fantastic. More cheese, less bread compared to breadsticks, which is a win. But what really made it shine is the home made marinara sauce. Some of the best marinara I've ever tasted. I am a huge fan of clam linguine. I asked the server if he had any recommendations for me, and he suggested a spicy clam linguine that was absolutely the best clam linguine I've had (and that's saying a lot!). Definitely coming back for it. The house special tutto pasta was quite bland for our taste. Would not recommend it. In hindsight, we should have ordered something with the marinara sauce- because it was fantastic on the appetizer. Judging by our experience, and other yelp reviews, this menu is really hit or miss. So make sure you read the dish descriptions carefully, and when in doubt opt for the marinara dish (or if you like seafood, the odd menu clam linguine) The atmosphere: As good as it's going to get on state street. They did a good job giving a place an Italian feel, despite the difficulty of being on state street. The bar area is loud and cold in the winter (of course it is- it's by the door and they play the games, as they should). First floor dining is a bit crammed- but second floor is pretty good! Plenty of elbow room, quieter, with decent decor. They did the best they could with the space, and it turned out alright.
(4)Katie K.
Tutto Pasta: A nice place to carb up. When you sit down, the staff brings out warm focaccia bread with oil and balsamic vinegar. If that's not enough, try the bruschetta. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. I prefer to eat family-style at places like this, so everyone can try a little of everything. The pizza pollo pesto is pretty good. Chicken and pesto and mozzerella on a thin crust. Nothing too mind-blowing and the pesto is noting spectacular. Try the Tutto Drew. Bowtie pasta in a wine/tomato/cream sauce with sausage and onions. Yum. Great comfort food. Nice atmosphere. It's fun to grab a window seat and watch life on State Street pass by.
(3)Fei Z.
Have to say. The best pasta place ever in Madison. Went to different Italian places. But the others are more expensive and in general not good. This is definitely the best. And the price is pretty decent. Strongly recommend!
(5)Hal S.
This is the best pasta joint around, fettuccine vongola (clams) is top plate. Don't come here for hot waiters or for some hot trend this is good food at reasonable prices. Sitting outside is only a bonus and watch the college life walk by.
(5)Food L.
So disappointed. Ordered shrimp fettuccine alfredo and I all I got was a watered down Alfredo with 5 pieces of shrimp for $16. Olive Garden in comparison sadly is 100x better and it comes with a soup or salad and you get seafood Alfredo which is creamy and you definitely get more bang for your buck. I wish I could complain directly to them but I can't even locate the website. Disappointment at the least.
(1)Clara E.
I dined here recently with several out of town friends. We were looking for pasta that wasn't as expensive as some on-the-square options. We have all had better pasta for less money, but we were still satisfied with our experience. Our waitress was friendly, the warm bread served before dinner was tasty, and the pasta was fine but a little bland.
(3)Brad K.
Very old school Italian place on State Street. I was nervous coming here after my friend chose it because the reviews were bad. But we sat upstairs which overlooked the downstairs and the outside windows. The atmopshere was really great. The lighting, sound, and space upstairs was perfect. Even the drunk frat kids with margarita pitchers (at an Italian restaurant) a table across didn't bother us and couldn't kill the vibe. The server was nice and the food was very good. Not high quality expensive food, but great tasting and traditional Italian fare. The only complaint I'd really have about this place is the bathrooms. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to them and the bathroom is very old and sketchy. Other than that, Tutto's was a pleasent surprise.
(4)Nicole O.
FOOD POISONING ! Fortunately out of my mother and daughter, i was the only one to get sick from this restaurant.. I was also the only one who ordered a side of sauteed veggies. I got extremely sick an hour after eating here !! Yuck spoiled veggies ?! Not to mention ths pasta was hardly edible - hard noodles drenched in salt and butter (fettuccine alfredo??) and this place is uncomfortably small. I wont be returning !
(1)Courtney C.
Great food! I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. I think it helped that we weren't in a hurry because the server looked like he had a lot of tables and it took awhile for me to get my drink. But he was very kind and the food was great! Very authentic tasting.
(4)Asahi S.
It was a great place for some beers, coffee and dessert. The waitress was a sweetheart. Good hard working college kid. The cannoli didn't taste like a NJ or NY cannoli so that was as bummer.
(4)Holly C.
They were out of the ravioli on their special/seasonal menu so I was bit disappointed, but I decided to try something just off the regular menu. I got the capellini a la matriciana. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It was a HUGE portion, and I couldn't even finish half of it. I'd suggest sharing if you're going to get a pasta dish. It just wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. I'd rather try a different pasta place the next time I'm visiting or working in the area.
(3)Amanda A.
My son and I went last night before seeing the Christmas Carol at the Ovature center. The location is great for a pre-show meal being right across the street. The service was fine but could have been more prompt, especially near the end. I had the cream of spinach soup which was actually really tasty. The bread they must make themselves and was a highlight of the meal. It was warm and went perfectly with the olive oil/balsamic they put on a plate. My son had the kids butter noodles which of course he enjoyed and I had a pepperoni pizza. It was very flavorful. I like the quaint ambiance and we enjoyed our table location upstairs with a view of state street. I'm tempted to give it four but it is not quite there yet. I would potentially go back if I had an engagement downtown and the prices were extremely reasonable.
(3)Sherry L.
Fabulous. I'm not a big fan of Italian restaurants, but Tutto definitely makes my short list of "must be back, will be back" Italian restaurants in Madison. (: My friend and I wandered in on Sunday afternoon (we were actually on our way to Red Sushi, but decided on a whim to try Tutto instead - best decision ever made on a Sunday afternoon). We were promptly seated on the third floor overlooking State Street, handed menus, given a basket of warm focaccia bread+EVOO+balsamic, and the rest is history.... After asking for recommendations from our host, we went with the tutto pasta and the seafood pasta. You really can't go wrong with either one. Both are FABULOUS options. The tutto pasta is creamy and rich, while the seafood pasta is light with a nice spicy kick. Also, as other patrons have mentioned, the portions are HUGE. Come hungry, that is the only way to be prepared. We also tried the house sangria with our meal. It was delicioussssss. :9 If it wasn't 12PM on a Sunday, I would have felt a little less guilty about indulging in such a huge glass of wine. Good thing my friend split it with me... Tutto, this is the beginning of a beautiful love affair. (:
(5)Jinelle S.
Amazing pasta meal prepared for our team. The staff was awesome and the food very homemade and yummy!
(5)Tunaidi A.
Tutto Pasta is a pretty decent Italian restaurant. As I am quite the sucker for Italian, I've been here a fair share of times. My favorite thing about Tutto Pasta is that the portions are huge. To me, the more, the merrier! I love the tutto pasta dish, the lasagna, and both the meat and vegetarian calzones. Their pizzas are okay, but aren't as filling, so I wouldn't recommend getting pizza at Tutto Pasta (after all, there's an Ian's and a Pizza Di Roma on the same street). Going in large groups isn't always the best idea. But service isn't bad, and the free bread is always a good gig.
(3)Jac J.
Let me preface this by saying that my two previous experiences have been positive, which is why I came back a third time for a birthday dinner before a performance at the overture. This time, however, my party of 3 was extremely disappointed. We got sat upstairs in the booths that look into State st, right in front of the bar as well as the hostess stand. We did not get any service for 15 minutes, at which point we went up to the bar to order a drink. Bartender ignored us. Sat back down and asked the host who would be serving us. He said he would send someone over and was so sorry for the wait. Another 15 minutes go by and we finally get acknowledged by the bartender/waiter with, "I'll be right with you." Comes back after another 10 minutes later to take our dinner and drink order. We wait. And wait. Finally our food arrives about an hour in, which isn't terrible for a busy Saturday night, but the food arrived before our drinks!!! All we ordered were 3 pomegranate Martinis. At this point, my food is on the table, and I go up to the bar a third time to remind them of our drink order. I watched the bartender fill two other drink orders prior to filling ours and I stood at the counter to wait for him to finish our drinks. Food was decent, albeit a little cold since I waited at the bar while my food was on the table, but we could not believe the slow and terrible service we received this night.
(1)Ka L.
Large portions. If you want to get large portions of something, yup, here's the place to go. Drinks. mehhh. Seafood, please please please avoid it. Meat, alright. Veg, ok. The only nice part of Tutto Pasta was that they had a nice area on the second floor for anyone interested in small parties. Pasta seems too oily and lack of flavor. Really surprised at how popular it actually is, always see people at the bar and at the window seats 0.0
(3)Todd B.
Had reservations for dinner before the UND / UW hockey game. The oil for the bread was great but didn't particularly care for the bread that was served with it. All of the meals that our group of 8 had were fantastic though and we really enjoyed the meal (and the bottles of wine...).
(4)Wilkins K.
Long regarded as one of the best places for a fabulous meal on Madison's State Street, our visit there on a Friday after work affirmed their well-deserved reputation precedent. We were able to get seated in a timely manner even though we didn't have reservations, and our window seat afforded ample opportunities to take in the campus nighttime hustle and flow. The Spaghetti AI Frutti Di Mare was full of tasteful zest with ample seafood and the Pizza Salsiccia was light and lively. two thumbs, way up!
(4)Franklin D.
I was a little worried about going here after checking out the other reviews. Someone else set up a group dinner here for 12 of us, so what could I do, right ? Well I went in here expecting the worst and wound up pleasantly surprised. The place was kind of a tight fit for 12, strange shaped rooms and what not, but whatever. The staff was attentive and stayed on top of everything we needed, bread, keeping drinks filled, whatever. The food was OK, we tried a few different appetizers, all decent. The spaghetti carbonara was a a bit on the bland side, nothing some crushed red pepper couldn't take care of. So over all, not great, but not terrible either.
(3)Jennifer C.
A friend and I stopped here while wandering around on State Street because we were starving and it was the first restaurant that sounded good. Surprisingly, it wasn't too busy on a Saturday and it being graduation weekend. We were seated immediately although the hostess stand was in a wierd spot (kind of back by the bar area versus being close to the door but whatever works for them). We got some bread first and it was pretty good - although it seemed a little stale. I don't know if it was because it had been sitting out for a while or what happened but I guess at least it was edible. I can't remember what I ordered but was a pasta with chicken and a red sauce. I think it was their special and it was delicious! My friend got a portabello mushroom sandwich - she asked for some mayo and apparently the restaurant didn't have any. That just seemed wierd to me but then I figured it was because they were an Italian restaurant (but who knows). Overall, just based on the food and the location, I would recommend this place.
(4)Brian R.
I mean, it's decent Italian. I used to come here as a kid all the time. This was probably my favorite restaurant, until I realized that other Italian restaurants besides Olive Garden existed too. It's a step up from like Biaggi's and Benvenuto's in my personal opinion, but nothing that wowed. First thing I have say is that those red pepsi cups threw the meal off. I know I'm not usually one to complain about decor, but I would expect like those red cups to come from a buffet or something (and we weren't offered straws either). This was like a full on, rustic, brick wall ambience place so at least something like a normal glass of water should've sufficed. Many years ago I got the Tutto Pasta and Calamari; both pretty decent dishes. From what I remember, the Tutto Pasta was nice and rich but not overdone. The calamari was well seasoned. They were still a little pricey for the simplistic flavors, though. The night I'm mostly reviewing about is when I got the Fettuccine al Limone. The dish itself did not look appetizing; the sauce was almost a grey-brown. The garnish (either mint or parsley, I forget) looked a bit wilted, and was sloppily gashed onto the plate. I have to commend this dish, however, on the flavor, which is obviously the most important part of the experience. It tasted rich but not overwhelming, and the lemon flavor came through well. My one problem with this dish? The chicken deserved 2 stars. Boring, poorly seasoned, dry overcooked chicken did not impress. For a $13.95 dish, I would have at least expected the chicken to taste good with the rest of the dish. Overall, this place has some hits and some misses. Definitely found the chicken to be underwhelming, although maybe that was just a one-time thing/kitchen consistency issue. I'll be back with absolutely no complaints if I'm dragged here (like I was this time), but I probably won't go out of my way to eat here again.
(3)Julie S.
This is a great place for Italian food on State St! There are A LOT of options to choose from, the portions are big so there is always leftovers, it is reasonably priced and the service is great! There is outdoor seating on State St and two levels inside so there is never really a wait for a table. They are also dog-friendly (for outdoor seating). It is a nice option instead of an Italian chain restaurant.
(4)Shannon M.
We were pleased with everything we ordered. I had the signature bow tie pasta dish and it was amazing! Seating and service was quick. Nice big window for people watching. Only negative - It is a bit small and noisy.
(4)Dan E.
Great atmosphere and location. We had a large party and the drinks were taking a while because of it. It happens, and the server was great so I didn't mind going up to the bar for a drink waiting for service to catch up. I asked for an orange vodka (goose or ketel) on the rocks from Raul the bartender who didn't know what products he had. He finally found a smirnoff orange and poured me 2 on the rocks. I had asked for an orange vodka with 2 rocks. My bad for not saying ice, I guess. I drank them both. I asked him which wine was dryer, the chianti or Sangiovese and he started to pour me a taste of the cab which I pointed out wasn't a Sangiovese or chianti. I spotted carmenere and ordered that. When I got the bar tab it said 2 absolute instead of smirnoff. I asked him if he could adjust the check and he said there was no button for smirnoff and he couldn't adjust the price. Really Raul? There's no smirnoff button? And Absolute and smirnoff are not in the same price range. Fine, I paid and went back to my party. Frutti di Mare was bland and the pasta wasn't drained well so it was watery. 2 more who had pasta said theirs was Bland as well. Caesar salad was fine, unmemorable. Good wine by the glass list. Waitress was friendly and competent, and very busy. No manager was ever present. Curious, I asked her if there was a button in the aloha system that they used to order smirnoff. There was and she said raul was the manager. Awesome. Clearly an unloved restaurant. If anyone cared in the restaurant, about the food or service, I never met them. My wish is the economy would fail more of these passionless restaurants so some new vibrant restaurants with passionate restauranteurs would emerge.
(1)Andrew B.
What is WRONG with you people who give this crappy excuse for a restaurant anything beyond one star? Our meal was disgusting! Entrees this bad for $11? The calamari was pre-made and frozen in a factory in China and the monkey in the kitchen just microwaved it. That was $8.00 for 5 pieces buried among the breading. I wanted to see their cook as I was sure they were breaking child-labor laws by hiring an 11 year old, based on the sloppiness of what came out from the kitchen. This place is awful, even if they cut the prices by 70% to bring it in to line with what they microwave for their clientele. If these guys were in NYC, they wouldn't possibly survive. Nice enough people, but they clearly don't care about food or customers.
(1)Melissa D.
We went to Tutto for the outdoor dining experience. It was a lovely meal and reasonably priced. The bread with the olive oil/balsamic dipping dish was very tasty. The Cesar salad was just okay. Derek had some absolutely delicious rigatoni with salami and other greasy goodness in it. The wine selection was what you would expect at an Italian restaurant. The servers were very friendly and gave us a free glass of beer when the selection we wanted was out of stock. Overall it was a good experience, but I am interested in trying other places before going back.
(3)Shannin Z.
We stopped here for lunch on a Friday afternoon with a party of six. Service was a little slow, but everyone was happy with their food. The calzone on the lunch/specials menu was very yummy although I was less than impressed with the tomato sauce they dumped on top of it. The pasta dishes with the red sauce were good though. The rosemary bread that gets brought to the tables is great! Great location and super cute restaurant.
(4)Meghan H.
I've been going to this place since I moved to Madison 13 years ago. Their food is very good, I can't fault them for that. What I do fault them for is the atmosphere. Namely, the proximity of every table to the other tables. I've always noticed the dinning room is crowded, and the tables and chairs are wobbly. In the past, my stepmother has even asked for different chairs. Last time we went there (prob three years ago) my husband and I were seated upstairs, at a table between two other tables which were abutting the walls. There was not more than 8 inches between our table and the one on either side of us. A waiter had to squeeze through several times to get to the tables close to the window before we were even waited on. That was enough for me. We left., which I felt awful about, but it was just ridiculous. Better for them to have left that table out that we were sitting at than to leave it there for the extra revenue. Bottom line: very good food, just can't stand the crowdedness of the place. Not sure if crowdedness is a word, but you know what I mean ;)
(2)G V.
My fiance and I went to this restaurant after meeting up with some friends for coffee. This place looks deceivingly small from the outside. We thought it was just one level, it's actually three. Upon entering, we had a short wait (just a few minutes) while they made sure they had a seat for us. They brought us down to the basement, which had several intimate tables set up. After giving us our menus, they placed olive oil and vinegar dip with some bread. That bread was AMAZING. Nice and crusty on the outside and delicious light and fluffy on the inside. It wasn't breadsticks or french bread or anything like that - homemade they said and I can believe it. Just amazing. Did not need the dip at all. While munching on this delicious bread, we decided to order their Vegetarian Combo appetizer. This appetizer was eggplant baked with tomato, basil and Parmesan and a Greek salad. I'll start with the Greek salad - the dressing was perfect. Not too much and very light. The eggplant was, well, perfect. I don't know about other people, but I usually find eggplant hard to cook. It either ends up too tough and chewy or too mushy - in either case, just not palatable. (My fiance agrees with me on this and he tends to be more of an eggplant fan than I am). However, this eggplant was very well done. Nice and tender with the sauce being a wonderful blend of tomato, basil, and parmesan. I usually find myself having to wash down eggplant with a large gulp of water. I did not have to in this case. For my entree, I ordered the pasta Salubre under the "Healthy Pasta" portion. Now, I'm not a big fan of multigrain pasta, as I was reminded when I ordered this dish. I usually find it not as al dente as white pasta is when it is cooked. I have to admit when I first tried this pasta, I wasn't too impressed (it could have also been I was too full and wasn't enjoying the multigrain pasta). However, after mixing in the small dollop of goat cheese they had put top the plate, my mind was quickly changed. I'll end this review saying that I usually do not give any place or any thing a full rating. Tutta Pasta Trattoria had wonderful food, the staff was very friendly, and the ambience was casual yet intimate. I look forward to going back to this restaurant.
(5)Chad L.
Was really hoping this would be good. My wife and I just went for Valentines Day and the warm bread was very hard, the Calamari tasteless, the Bruschetta drowning in tomatoes with old useless bits of Basil, and no taste. Our clam/mussel/fish dish had ONE clam and ONE mussel. The Sangiovese wine is actually a poor CabSav and Sangiovese blend - I asked to see the bottle. We were disappointed. It was, for us, not a good experience. Our waiter did a fine job, not his fault. Will never go back.
(1)Albert B.
So many haters. Snobs, snobs everywhere. In my 3 years in Madison I've been to this place almost every two weeks. Portions are huge, price is really great for the money. Service is good, and can be ridiculously fast when they're not busy. My favorite dishes: rigatoni nino (cream sauce pasta with chicken and mushroom), penne pollo pesto (basil pesto sauce pasta with chicken), tutto pasta (tomato cream sauce pasta with chicken, mushroom and onion), veal scaloppine with marsala wine sauce (best thing ever). Admittedly, I didn't really like real Italian food when I went to Europe, but I don't go here to eat 'authentic' food; I just go to eat delicious food that fills me up without draining my wallet.
(5)Christine L.
Their food is unbelievably average for the prices that they charge. Their food sounds appetizing, but always comes out to be a pretty regular pasta dish. No wow factor, nothing intriguing or interesting. It's a step up from your fast food italian, but not much more. Seriously, for good Italian, go to Osteria Papavero. Slightly pricier at Osteria, but the food is significantly better than Tutto Pasta. Their bread is fair, but I've had better. They're pretty good with large groups though. The menu selection is huge and so vegetarians and meatarians can find something to their fancy. This is also why I went back several times. I kept hoping to find something I enjoyed but after 6 or 7 times, I've given up on those pipe dreams.
(2)Jackie G.
Every time I have gone to eat here I have walked out because no one ever shows up to seat us. When I place a delivery order I'm put on hold for at least 5 mins. Awful vet unprofessional
(1)Brent B.
One word... cockroaches.
(1)Ashley W.
Mediocre in just about every way. Pretty basic Italian food. Not bad, but not particularly good either.
(3)David Y.
From the exterior, the place doesn't look bad. The olive oil and basalmic vinegar that they gave was a nice touch. But the food was only subpar. The chicken given in the dish was very tough, and the noodles were cardboardish. The saving grace was that this place was pretty inexpensive, but you get what you pay for.
(2)Francisca W.
yeah, food was kind of on the salty side; sangria tasted so weird i couldn't finish my glass (let alone the whole pitcher), which was unheard of. seats were tight, and, yeah, they were half-attempting to make the place romantic by adding little xmas lights and stuff, but look at the tables and furniture! now i realized why this is a top choice for college kids' first-date. for some reason the two out-of-town students (temp locals) loooved this place, though. service was slow. yes it was a saturday night, but we shouldn't feel neglected and abandoned. we were sitting by the back door which the waiters kept swinging open to get to the outside portion of the restaurant. it was sept (last year) but it got pretty chilly that night. we'd ask one of the passing waiters (who were few and far in between, and going at top speed) to close the door, but the next one would swing it open in 2 minutes' time, creating a draft that chilled our backbones. i was at the verge of putting a chair by that door and sat down there myself. average price ($13-15 per entree?), but, yeah, not crazy about going back, with the kind of experience i had.
(2)Jason D.
Caprese salad and chicken masala. Excellent!
(5)melissa f.
I'd love to give this place 4.5 stars if I could. I come here regularly when I visit State Street and I just love that you can sit outside in the Summertime. Nothing is better than people watching on State Street, or visiting State Street to shop and grabbing a yummy meal with friends at this friendly little family restaurant. It's fun to people watch while enjoying your meal outside; State Street has a culture that's unique to Madison. The food here is really great. I docked this place half a star because sometimes the food is better than others, different chefs possibly? They have very generous portions and by far the best Italian restuarant in the State Street area. The wait staff never disappoints me, they are always prompt and friendly. A great place that's casual to somewhat dressy at night. The price here is not that bad either. If you're in the area and love Italian then this is the place for you!
(4)Sarah K.
I ate here with a friend when we were in town for a weekend. I had special ravioli (heart shaped) that had a great tomato-based cream sauce. My friend got a ricotta/spinach pasta dish. The food was good and it was fun to sit outside and people watch in the nice weather. We also had champagne cocktails for Mother's Day--they tasted good but I don't think there was much alcohol in there. That's fine, but they were pricey considering.
(3)Brad S.
Good food, below average bar
(3)Tim Y.
The food was okay, but with the setting and the hype I'd heard about the place, I expected better. I even had my friends leftovers and his pasta was pretty it was alright, nothing special.
(3)Christina W.
I am sad to see all the low starred reviews. Tutto pasta is my favorite Italian restaurant in town. The chicken Parmesan is the best in town. So cheesy and delicious. The bread that they bring you is also delicious and warm. The tables are indeed small but they make up for it with super service.
(5)Chris C.
Yuck. I tried this place after it was suggested by a local. This place was just gross. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs and the meatballs were cold, and the spaghetti wasn't cooked enough (the noodles were still hard).
(1)Tita P.
So just like the Southwest commercials I just had to get away. So, I got in my rental and headed to Madison. I ended up at Tutto Pasta Trattoria on State Street. I like the windows as I walked by and decided to go in. The place was a lot more narrow that I thought. I took a place at the bar. I enjoyed a nice glass of wine and really good pasta dish. The portions are wayyy to big. I mean if I had been a plus 1 we could have eaten my one dish. The staff was nice but I could see how they could become too comfortable. The environment is just comfortable and welcomes groups that stay well after the food has been eaten. Not sure if I will come back to Madison, WI but if I do I will definitely come back to this place.
(3)Roz K.
Maybe it's the price that turns off most of the reviewers, but personally, of all the over-priced restaurants in Madison, I dig Tutto Pasta. Every time I came there, my food was always piping hot, freshly made and the pasta was al dente. I also enjoyed their bread and the service was pretty good for the most part (slow at times though). They also custom-made a dish for me a couple times and I've been pretty impressed with their soups (which don't seem canned in my opinion). As I said, the place is pricey, but it's a good restaurant overall. In regards to the "canned" reviews, try a place like Porta Bella (couple blocks on Frances St) or Buca di Beppo (in Milwaukee) instead as the canned taste is more obvious in those places.
(4)Ryan W.
$3 Long Island Ice Tea's...were they crazy? I had never been to Madison before but I enjoyed its charm for all the four hours I was there. The cost of living is considerably different then my home in Boston as well. The trattoria was pretty good throughout the whole meal...from the fried calamari that was lightly breaded so the squid stood out to my fettechinni shrimp scampi that I could not finish. Small appetites need not apply here. The pasta was obviously home made...probably why this hungry man could not clean his plate! Of course I saved room for dessert! The Creme Brulee was nice and smooth, very good! The friendly, relaxed service was great throughout the meal. The overall experience exceeded my expectations.
(4)Jason H.
Meh, it was decent food. I think a bit overpriced for ambience, quality and service. Overall was good though. I was a little disappointed when I asked the server for a recommendation and he only mentioned the most expensive thing on the menu, and my meal wasn't better than the others. The server was kind though and the timing of the food was great.
(3)Luthien N.
This is where 19 year olds go for their first date or Valentine's Day (a boyfriend took me here for my 19th birthday in fact). If you are over the age of 19, however, it's time to learn that dinners can be fancy even if not consumed at an Italian restaurant and so it's time to "wow" your date with something much more interesting than boring, overpriced food here. In fact, show them how "cultured" you are and try Kabul, Husnus, or Chatara- all with much better food for the same price (or possibly cheaper) and all within a block of this knock-off of Fazolis.
(1)Dave J.
Went there on a Sat afternoon. Service was so slow we walked out after 45 minutes. I've heard similar tales from people I have mentioned the restaurant to. The place is is staffed with teenagers. SKIP THIS PLACE.
(1)David C.
Pretty good for what it is. Went there for a family dinner, which means nearly interminable ordering issues and a seemingly endless meal before getting manumission with the check and parting ways. The servers handled it all in stride and with good humor. The calamari was pretty good with a reasonably spicy tomato sauce. The puttanesca lacked a little of the smokiness I like, and would have benefited from better anchovies, but I have had much worse for much more $$$ and think I make it better than anyone on earth anyway. Fortunately, beer service was prompt and copious and allowed me to remain gracious and convivial for hours and hours and hours.
(3)Andrew H.
Not only have I experienced better, I've made better. Maybe I never gave it enough of a chance (I only went once because I was so unimpressed), but from my limited tasting, I think your money is better spent elsewhere. Especially at $12 and up for an entree. Go to the farmer's market, buy some fresh veggies and pasta, and you will have a better meal for less.
(2)Tim L.
I want to enjoy Tutto Pasta. I want to like that it is cramped, and old, and a bit scruffy. I want to to praise Tutto Pasta because, and not merely in spite of its flaws. But I can't, because in my experience the food is marginal and the service is an afterthought. My wife and I dined at Tutto several days ago before heading to the Overture Center for a concert and we were both disappointed. The pasta was fine. The calamari was tasteless. We were seated promptly (we made a reservation) but our waiter never asked us once about our food. In the age of "awesome," "fine" food can be ok. But that isn't even Tutto. Too bad.
(2)Rob P.
Got the Pizza Margherita on a weekday lunch with some colleagues. (see uploaded photo) The service was excellent at all times. This is the reason I'll give them another shot. I'm really into Margherita pizza... it's my thing. The average person would walk away saying this pizza was good. This pizza lacked awesome cheese and awesome sauce. Likely, these two ingredients weren't as fresh as they should've been. On a positive note, it certainly kicks the s... outta Ian's or Pizza Di Roma. My colleagues were both happy with their pasta dishes. Final words-- stick to pasta here if you're eating here and stick to Cafe Porta Alba if you've got a Margherita craving.
(3)Steven S.
Worst Penne Arribiatta ever, tons of anchovies, all I could taste was anchovies and salt, the dish had no balance. No one greets you at the door. Better food at the Noodles chain across the street.
(1)Zak R.
Went w a party of 20 and they handled it great Bread is the best. Great dipping sauce Tons of options for pasta and even some new gluten free and what choices. I love that they had some good healthy options on the menu. We were in town for the marathon and this was a great menu for the people running it. Great filling meal with tons of options but once again it's only Italian and not amazing so 3 stars. Worth going to with big groups well in Madison and wanting to eat on state at.
(3)Eric K.
Delicious food, craft beers on tap, and good service. I've been enjoying meals here since I worked downtown in the late 90s. It's on my short list of downtown venues, especially when my wife is in the mood for pasta or "comfort food". Now that I'm working downtown again, it's a frequent lunch option as well. For lunches, I tend to order off the weekly specials. The pizzas are tasty, and sized such that I usually end up taking a third to half back to the office for later. Eating at a sidewalk table in warmer weather is nice. When ordering dinner entrees, the challenge is for me to not order the pollo marsala. It's one of my favorite dishes in town. I could pour that sauce on anything... I was recently there in a party of ten. One of my friends was running late, and asked me to order for her. I ordered the pollo marsala and a salmon dish, with the intent of offering my friend her choice of meals; she kept the marsala, and I enjoyed a delicious pasta with salmon. There isn't much room between tables. It can be a bit noisy when the restaurant is busy.
(4)Patrick M.
Very nice place. They have a full bar, the service was fast and friendly as was the food. I ordered the ravioli alfredo and it was delicious. I would recommend here to anyone.
(4)Melissa G.
Bread is amazing, everything else is just okay fake Italian food. Portion are way too large, Id rather pay $5 less for a normal size. If you are looking for an Americanized Italian restaurant, this is it. Dishes are equivalent to Olive Garden except you pay more here.
(3)Jennifer G.
Great pasta. Slow service, but it was pretty busy at the time.
(4)Ryan O.
Terrible spaghetti - no sauce meatballs were served dry...didn't think that could be screwed up but it was. The side salad was full of mostly spoiled vegetables and smelled awful. Would not eat here again there are so many other options.
(1)Dana G.
Yum! Pleasant experience. We wanted to try it out for a little spontaneous date night. Our waiter was really sweet. We had some great wine. Derek got a seafood pasta that he said was extremely tasty and savory. I got pesto gnocchi. Huge portions!! Don't eat all of it if you want room for dessert -- we couldn't try any out. :( I am usually dubious about Italian restaurants but I'd come back here.
(4)Dustin B.
Went here for dinner. Was seated quickly, and service was fast! Staff was knowledgeable and polite. Food came out within 15 minutes, fresh and sizzling. We'll be back! Try the alfredo al limon, tons of chicken and sauce was great.
(5)Nicole W.
This Tutto location has the following... 1) High visibility 2) A solid wine list 3) Tasty items, albeit many of which are dunked in olive oil or cream based sauces 4) Great service (even when a table full of boisterous ladies spill an entire bottle of wine on the table) 5) Redonkulous wait times (especially on game days and with or without reservations) 6) Cozy quarters (i.e. the tables are super close together) 7) Great location 8) Teeny tiny bar area As you can see...Tutto, to me, is comprised of good and not so good. It's a perfectly fine choice to grab a meal with friends...just expect to wait and pay a bit more than you would like, overall.
(3)Thomas L.
You won't have a terrible meal at Tutto, but you won't have an outstanding one either. Overall, it's a solid choice if you're on State Street and feel like Italian in an outdoor cafe. The pizza had potential, but it came with too much cheese and not quite hot enough. The chicken parm would have fit in well at the Olive Garden. The pene in red sauce was good but the portion was enough for two-plus. Overall a solid three star, possibly a four if you're going through a bottle of wine and sitting outside on a pleasant evening.
(3)Kyara M.
Stay away I tried Tutto Pasta Trattoria based on Yelp Reviews of it one day for lunch and I cannot say anything good about it. I cannot remember the exact name of the dish I ordered but it was lemon flavored chicken grilled on a bed of penne pasta and topped with goat cheese. Where do I start? For starters, my dish had way too much lemon juice. The citrus was bad and it did not go well with the goat cheese. The portion size wasn't worth that price I paid. I felt like they were really stingy with the portions. However more than anything, I HATED that the waiters were dressed in casual clothing .They did not look clean. I am not one to fixate on attire of waiters often but it bothers me when you can't even tell if the person serving you is actually a sever or customer based on what they are wearing. One of them looked like he had just rolled out of bed wearing a nasty sweater. He went into the rest room to fix something in one of the stalls. You heard him drilling and it was highly disturbing. On top of that, he took out the trash and I do not think he washed his hands when he returned. The first stop he made was to the window to pick up an order. I was disgusted. Thank goodness it was no my order. Where I was sitting, I could see everything going on in the back of the house with the exception of the actual cooks. I saw orders as they came in and the tiny trash can they use to dump food out. I think the place needs some health inspections. I am just being honest. The tables are too close together and the chairs are old. You litteral can hear every conversation there is around you. On a final not, I asked if they had WiFi. They did but know one knew code but the owner who wasn't there that day. This food is NOT Italian. You'd have a better experience at Olive Garden.I have no idea who anyone can give this place more than 1 star.
(1)Anna K.
A lot of the reviews for this place leave you thinking it's just so-so but I actually really liked it. I live in Chicago but I was visiting Madison and we wanted to eat something really good for dinner so we randomly chose this place, which simply looked cute and seemed to be pretty affordable. Our server was very friendly and helpful. The food was reasonably-priced. I ordered a glass of Sangiovese that was truly delicious. I chose one of their pasta specials -- something with bow-tie noodles, chicken, and mushrooms -- and it was really good. The bread that they served in the beginning was so-so but I thought the olive oil was damn good. I don't think this is the best Italian restaurant in the world but I enjoyed it and I'd definitely come back here next time I'm in the area.
(4)Leang E.
Yes, it's hard to mess up good Italian - but there's got to be something about it that makes a place special or phenomenal. I guess that's why I think this place is ok. The bread and oil, and my pasta dish were just average to me. It is nice that they also offer outdoor seating and seem to have a decent beverage selection. I guess too much can't be expected around a college bar area. The staff was decent, but not really memorable. The prices are a little hefty, but maybe for a college kid this might be a little fancier than some of the other places along the street.
(3)Joshua B.
We enjoyed Tutto Pasta Trattoria on a Saturday for lunch. We walked in and were instantly seated, I was surprised by this as State Street was a mess because of it being the first day of the farmers market and there was an Earth Day conference at Monona Terrace. The service was okay, I know a gasp right? Our server didn't seem very interested in helping us... We mentioned we'd never been there. She didn't take that "ping" and just asked if she could get us a drink. We ordered a vodka lemonade, alfredo ravioli, Chicken sandwich panini, and a coca cola. The sandwich was great, the chicken was well seasoned and the veggies were good the bread was delicious! The raviolis were good and and had some size to them. The oils for the bread were a little strong for my tastes though. If the service was better I would give this place 5 stars... Also the tables seemed a little crammed in this place. If your large I'd consider going elsewhere. Overall food was good, service was meh, setting was inviting "minus the crammed but cozy space."
(4)John L.
Funny how everyone here on yelp is fascinated with the bread at Tutto. Don't get me wrong, it was good but the rest of the food was delicious too!
(4)Nicole K.
Tutto's is great for inexpensive but yummy Italian. I have ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo and the Tuttos pasta. Both are delicious and flavorful. No bland sauce here! and I always seem to eat way too much of the toasted bread with olive oil.
(4)Tommy I.
This was underwelming.
(1)Amanda G.
The food and service were great! This is a cozy, intimate place perfect for a date night, but may not work so well for large groups
(4)Kendra S.
Is the Alfredo sauce just melted butter? That's what it looks/tastes like. Absolutely no seasoning or flavor on the sauces. I didn't see one peice of tomato in the clear greasy tomato sauce either. You can find a better recipe for sauce on the Internet, and they should too. Also, servers all crowd by the bar and talk to each other while we run out of water and olive oil for our bread. Hard workers. For a downtown restaurant, I hoped to leave happy, not with leftovers I will reluctantly take a bite of due to hunger but throw away after.
(1)Matt P.
What a pleasant surprise! Chicken Parm was very good! Great marina sauce. The vodka sauce on noodles was fantastic. Would have been 5 stars but waiter put in wrong order initially so I had to wait while my wife ate.
(4)Chrissy P.
Went to Tutto's on my birthday and found it to be quite good. It was a little odd because we sat next to a shop and our waiter was a little rude. It was loud and we couldn't talk to the people at the other end of the table but the food was good.
(3)Chris A.
Have to disagree with the other reviews. This place has the most yummy, flavorable, delicious pastas anywhere. Lots of great cheesy and creamy sauces with chickens, bacons, fish, caviar, mushrooms, peppers, artichokes, on and on. I can't find pasta this good anywhere in Chicago or anywhere in Wisconsin. They have about 30 varieties of pastas with wide ranges of pasta types and flavors. Whether you're a pesto or garlic lover you'll find something delicious. As far as the other comments on atmosphere and being surrounded by students on dates, I haven't really seen this here, although perhaps I haven't noticed (did college students start going on dates?). I don't go for this place for the atmosphere I go for the incredible pasta. This place isn't trying to be upscale italian, it's trying to be comfortable with big portions of good pasta. They also have decent outdoor seating on State Street in the summer and a small selection of decent beers on taps (Blue Moon goes great with pasta). Maybe the location on King Street has a nicer atmosphere, but this place still gets five stars. I really miss it and try to squeeze it in every time back up.
(5)Joshua M.
Not sure what the deal on the other reviews are, we thought the food here was great, and the service on a Monday afternoon was just fine. We had the chicken parmigiana and rigatoni pino. Both of which were good, although the chicken on the rigatoni wasn't as good as the parmigiana. The bread they brought out as an appetizer was awesome.
(4)Jessica S.
I used to love this place. In high school we went here for homecoming dinners and such, but now? I don't know what happened but my bf and I went there recently and the food was mediocre, service was slow, and all I could think was that I've had better italian from a frozen box. I wouldn't spend that much money on that kind of food again anytime soon. My boyfriends chicken with his meal was unbelievably small and pathetic, and it was a chicken based dish. I wish it was what I remembered from high school, they used to have much better food.
(2)Super M.
Seriously, run away from this place. I'm just sorry that I can't give it a negative star rating. Besides the obvious (and already stated) inconveniences that come with the fact that some think that greasy pasty dishes good italian food makes and hence frequent it, recommending it as a top notch italian food place in Madison (which is rather an oxymoron if you ask me), this place SUCKS. Their pasta is DISGUSTING (Seriously, how can you screw up pasta), their sauces are just all salt, and three times I've gone and THREE TIMES i've gotten food poisoning. And not just me, OTHERS going with me also. Then again, my husband ACTUALLY IS italian, therefore, I have different standards of real italian food that doesn't come from a box possibly originating from the same location that the Olive Garden gets it too.... And on a side note, I'm IRATE that Griglia Tuscany went under and what did they put in... YET ANOTHER Tutto Pasta... ARGH!!
(1)Melissa W.
Eh. Not really that good. The chicken wasn't well trimmed, and the pasta was nothing special. I'll skip it in the future.
(2)Merdy T.
I gave this place three stars for these reasons: * good tasty foods. we had thecalamari fritti (fried calamari appetizers), spaghetti carbonara, osso buco (pork shank marinated in some spicy tomato-based sauce with risotto). The calamari fritti is one of the best I've ever eaten in Madison, and I am always picky about my squid. * BIG portions, we could not finish everything in one meal, although my husband and I were normally not light eaters. * reasonable price, especially since the restaurant is located on State St. and the portions are big. However, I wish they can serve smaller portions of foods for less price. * good bread and relaxing italian ambience *a very friendly and good customer service (we got there at 9:30pm and left after the restaurant closed. When I told the waiter I wanted my osso buco to go and I would like some extra sauce if they have any left, the waiter asked the kitchen staff to make more sauce. I was soo impressed with this service).
(3)B Y.
Pros - Food was made very very fast, we ordered and started eating in no more than 5-8 minutes. Very decent portion, I had to box 40% of it home Cons - I've had better pasta. On menu everything looks great but the food came on a common looking oval dinner plate, which made the food looked even more bland than it already was, like *almost* something that came out of a can, same can be said for the taste Overall - Food - Nothing great. I ordered the Tutto Pasta, bowtie in red pasta sauce with a bit of chicken, a bit of mushroom and not a lot of anything else, the sauce was more orange than red, nothing stood out from the dish Price - For the price you pay ($15 tips included for 1 dish of pasta and water), you can definitely find something else better on State St. Service - Average
(2)Kate M.
This review is for Tutto's bar, not their restaurant; though on the many occasions I, too, went here for dates and other various meals I thought the food was quite good, especially the bread and olive oil they give you at the beginning of your meal. So the bar.... oooh, the bar. It's not very big - it's the first thing you hit when you walk through the front door on your way into the dining room. But it's dark at night and moody and kind of sexy. Or maybe it's just sexy because I had emboldened myself that night and everything was sexy. Anyway. There are big black booths looking out onto State Street and high, close together stools at the bar. There are strong, strong martinis to be drunk while shamelessly flirting with a guy you've had a crush on for months. There are *cherries* in certain martinis which, it turns out, are very good for slowly feeding to said crush. There are bartenders who wisely make themselves scarce during this ridiculous show of female flirtation... and know when it's time to get you that bill, STAT. I like this bar. ;)
(5)Kelly E.
Love it, but be prepared to be surrounded by freshman on first dates...this place is THE place for the looking for love college crowd. For something a little more intimate....check out the one on the other side of the capitol. You can't go wrong here...huge portions and very flavorful. I love the pesto and chicken! I am reserving my 5 stars for the other Tutto.....3 stars.
(3)Hobo J.
I think people have been a little harsh and probably not all that honest about this place, in my opinion it's the best italian food I've ever had and I'm a fat man so I've had lots of italian. Their whole menu is actually based around pasta instead of silly italianized chicken and steaks and pizza and crap and it's all authentic and well prepared. My server was no genius but he was certainly competant enough and doesn't deserve to be put down just because he was a student. I think it's great that they'd hire and help out students, better than working at taco bell. It is romantic inside to an extent but not entirely with the huge windows that face state street as everyone walking by can see your foot caressing your wifes. Keep your hands to yourself if you are sitted by the window and enjoy the grade A pasta.
(5)Ryan T.
Good quality Italian for the State St. area. Comfy booths (there's also outdoor seating), nice decor, good weekly lunch specials. I can't really say much else that would separate them from a typical Italian restaurant. Good deals on wine; liked their house wine. Enjoyed the olive oil they served with their crusty bread.
(4)Gabrielle P.
I've never had a bad meal here, but the service is slow. Great location and a great place if you want to take your time and catch up with friends. They can cram a million people into that place!
(3)Abhijit G.
Good pasta...but a little over-priced I think.
(3)boots b.
The pizza here is like the kind you buy in the freezer section of a grocery store and seriously, I'd rather eat frozen pizza than have pizza here again.
(1)John N.
We just visited Tutto's this past Labor Day on Monday. We had 8 people in our dinner party. Upon entering we came into a smaller but cozy bar area, some stools and some booths facing State Street. Everything was full, that's a good sign. We were soon seated upstairs. Our table of eight had a nice view overlooking the sidewalks of State Street. Since we were their for lunch we mostly took advantage of the lunch specials. The basket of warm bread and dipping oil is wonderful. Careful not to eat too much! All the food was wonderful and plenty of it. Enough to take home for another meal. Service was good (however one side salad was missed) and the price point was very good off the lunch special menu.
(4)Megan M.
I just had my rehearsal dinner here for my wedding. Pam could not have been more pleasant and generous to us. She gave us the entire basement area for our day when she could have had guests turned over many times down there. She let us bring in our champagne without a corking fee. Her staff cooked us the best food and treated us incredibly well the entire night. It really made the who experience for me and my husband. I would not have changed a thing. The food and wine was so reasonably priced as well. Pam just wanted to see that her staff was taken care of for the night. I cannot wait to go back for the Farfalle Salmone again soon.
(5)mary b.
kelly, your review is totally right on. i actually wasn't going to write about it cause i thought, ugh, i went there on so many dates in college, i'll probably never go back again. i mean, it's good for what it is and where it is. and every college student looking for an affordable, nice date locale should go here. but if that's not you, pass it up. and hit the tutto on king instead. ahh... memories...
(3)