Cento: Elevated Italian dining in Madison with refined pasta, creative cocktails, and welcoming ambiance.
Cento is a Madison, Wisconsin Italian restaurant offering elevated, classy dining with quality pasta, seasonal small plates, and thoughtful cocktails. Highlights include creste di gallo with tomatoes, spinach, and spicy sausage, a standout butcher board, and attentive, knowledgeable service. Gluten-free pasta and pizza are available; reservations are recommended on busy nights. Some guests note the open layout can be loud.
122 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703, USA
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Artisanal pasta creations like creste di gallo and gnocchi al tartufo, cooked to perfection with seasonal ingredients.
Shareable starters including butcher boards, meatballs, and arancini, featuring locally sourced flavors.
Innovative, complex cocktails and a curated wine list to complement your meal.
Dedicated gluten-free pasta and pizza for dietary preferences, ensuring everyone can enjoy.
Reservation-friendly service for parties and special events with attentive, knowledgeable staff.
Overall rating
christopher kopp
Made a reservation for dinner on Saturday night. The table was ready and waiting for us, and we were seated right away. Service was prompt and friendly. He was knowledgeable and friendly, checked in often but wasn't overbearing. We really enjoyed our mixed drinks. Our food was absolutely delicious. I was surprised at how quickly it was served and we ate it. We wanted to stay longer so we went to the bar to enjoy a few more beverages.
Maya Shb
I was so happy about displace. The quality of the steak was amazing. I would definitely come back for the sake.. all the passes were great hit. Great environment I saw a lot of people having date over here which I think it’s a great idea.
Sofia Irigoyen
Cento is the go-to for elevated, classy, quality pasta in Madison 🍝 🥂 I love the creste di gallo—tomatoes and spinach bursting with flavor balanced with crumbles of spicy sausage create a light, savory sauce. The pasta is always cooked to the perfect bite. Their butcher board is to die for—the seasonal mixes of sweet and savory bites are masterfully arranged. Cocktails are complex, creative, and thoughtful. To top it off, the servers are knowledgeable, professional, and so kind. I will always come here to celebrate a special occasion—I especially adore the vibes in the winter ✨❄️
Michael A.
Had a group of friends and made a reservation long in advance. Definitely need to make reservations as this place gets busy . We were quickly greeted and taken to our table which was located close to the kitchen . Our server was excellent . She did a truly great job explaining the menu and recommended several small plates appetizers to share . Service was truly great . Drinks and cocktails were all well prepared . We got a combination of multiple appetizers and several main dishes . Classic meatballs with a spicy marinara sauce were good and sauce had that desired spicy touch to it . Smoked tomato arancini with onion jam were okay . I was hoping for a bit better flavor punch having been to Sicily a few times . Fried artichokes with a lemon aioli for me fell short and was not my favorite of the various appetizers we got . Main dishes were served for the table all at the same time after the first starters were all finished . I appreciated that our server had timed everything so nicely with the kitchen . I only took two photos of the Main dishes as we started eating them . Gnocchi al tartufo was good fluffy gnocchi with a heavier sauce that included peas and mushrooms. The crispy Parmesan was a good touch - Okay dish . Also tried the ravioli di Drago . The sauce was a walnut crema base that was something I hadn’t tried before and I really enjoyed it . We also got the chicken Parmesan which looked big portion and allot of food . A very good selection of small plates and main courses along with great cocktails and super service . It was also nice to see they offer gluten free pasta and pizza ( it we did not try any this time ) Our main complaint and especially for me , was the noise level was very high . It was almost impossible to carry on a conversation and often hard to hear what the people next to me were saying . I understand the open concept and popular with younger people approach , but it was a bit too overwhelming for my personal preference. I would come back for the good service and food but I would try to return on a week night when it is less noisy .
Maria Terese
Was visiting Madison for the day and made reservations at Cento. The food was amazing! Everything we had was a 10/10 in my opinion. We wanted to try the ravioli and the gnocchi so they split the dishes for us which was great! Tiramisu for dessert - can’t go wrong. Plenty of seating, happy hour during the week, and street parking. Highly recommend.
