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Nadia's Restaurant & Grapevine Lounge
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
12 reviews for Nadia's Restaurant & Grapevine Lounge
12 reviews in English
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Review from Joo-Hyun K.
Madison, WI
11/9/2009
I tried to stay away from this place based on shabby reviews here but my experience here last month turned out to be surprisingly pleasant.
The decor is nothing to write home about, but the warm lighting, live piano playing in the background & a lovely view of State Street made for a very comfortable atmosphere. The server was consistently attentive to our needs.
The menu is run-of-the-mill French, with familiar items like escargot, bouillabaisse, foie gras, etc., and all the dishes we had were competently executed, . The hearty bouillabaisse, in particular, was the best I've had yet in Madison, with generous fillings of lobster, shrimp and mussels. I'm definitely going to crave it on cold days. My friend kept raving about his New York Strip steak as well.
I also have to give a special shout out to the baked garlic they serve with bread. It was simply incredible, and I could probably have just that and some baguette for one complete meal. Generously topped with herbs and spices and soaked in olive oil, it was intensely flavorful and went perfectly with the airy, warm bread they served.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed dining at Nadia's. The atmosphere is charming and the food is good, and I would choose this place over other soulless State St. establishments like Icon and Fresco any day. -
Review from Veeder V.
WI
10/18/2007
Ahh...Nadias...where to start...
I'd love to write that I can overlook the grimy dining room and horrendous service because the food is so good. The truth is that the food is decent if pricey but not nearly good enough to make up for Nadia's many other shortcomings.
I know this is a strong statement but it was the worst service I've EVER had in a restaurant at this price range. Yes, I mean that.
A quick list of 'to dos' for Nadias:
1. Hire a service for that fish tank. Nothing is more gross than an algae -filled fish tank in a restaurant.
2. Replace the missing ceiling tiles and clean the chandeliers.
3. Install a new rug.
4. What is the deal with the circa 1994 TVs in the dining room? I felt like someone was flipping channels all evening.
5. Sashimi Tuna @ $32 should not be served well. And it was small.
6. You should not run out of your Prix Fix Chocolate souffle at 7:30 PM on a Wednesday night. Oh yea, and it shouldn't have the consistency of Jello pudding.
7. The alcohol prices are a bit high. $7 for a local brew is not ok.
8. Figure out your french onion soup - it should be a staple. Its WAY too sweet.
I'll stop here. Nadias rests on their laurels and their State St location. I can not recommend. 2 stars only because I think there is potential in some of their dishes. -
Review from Arthur S.
Madison, WI
8/22/2007
Grade: C-
Good food. Lousy service. WAY OVERPRICED martinis @ $10 each. I thought the bat flying around the dining room was a nice touch. Skip this hole. -
Review from Molly O.
4/28/2009
Oh no. Nadia's was supposed to be our special mother/daughter dinner when I came home for the Christmas holidays. I would call it less than special.
Unfortunitly, we were the only diners throughout our entire meal. The place was e-m-p-t-y. They started to take down their holiday decorations while we were dining...which made it even more depressing. Can't that wait until you close??
We ordered some nice wine by the glass, and bread and some sort of compound butter came to the table. Pretty good. We ordered a roasted veggie tartine, which was also okay, not great. Now, for the main course.....
I ordered the cassoulet - French restaurant, brutal winter weather outside, and the promise of duck confit...you would think this would we a wise choice...that is until it came to the table. I swear to god, it came out in almost a 9x13 baking dish it seemed...two pieces of duck confit, about three sausages, and some pork...all covered in a pile of white beans and breadcrumbs. Is this family style? All I could taste was the salty duck - I love duck confit, but this was overload. The beans turned in to a bean goop mass as soon as I used my fork. I picked at it, and took the rest home in a to go box. I don't even remember what my mom got.
Shucks. -
Review from Super M.
Seattle, WA
5/12/2007
The thing about Nadias is that it DOES remind me of a restaurant that you'd find in the Quartier Latin or in St. Germain du Pres, where ambience is not in their top list, but top notch food is.
And that's exactly what you'll get here.
The decor is pathetic. Sorry, but they can afford to renovate the place.
But their food is delish, their staff is INCREDIBLY attentive, and for some stroke of luck, everytime I go there for my birthday, the owner's best friend also is there in the next table, he orders a full flourless chocolate cake for him and his wife, not eating it all, and sees me and remembers that it's also my birthday, and orders me a cake and champagne too.
Ok, that's neither here nor there, but it's pretty cool that that happens.
NO, I WILL NOT tell you when my birthday is... Hmph.. . You think I'm gonna divulge my secret?!??!?!
*(hmphy, I wonder if that's already in the yelp info about me... Damn it!)Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Abhijit G.
Philadelphia, PA
4/17/2008
My wife and I went there for a Valentine's day dinner....so my experience may not be typical of an average day. Anyways, here's my bit...
We had a reservation for 7.30. We were not seated until 9pm....by which time, I had lost my temper, appetite, and the mood for some over-priced, sub-par rack of lamb! The food was barely ok....the tables were too close to each other and we were seated pretty close to the kitchen with a darn pillar blocking most of my view. Guess the window tables might be fun...but I don't think I'll ever go back to find out. -
Review from Gabriel U.
ALLSTON, MA
4/28/2010
So this is a sort of unusual Yelp review, given that we didn't actually end up eating at Nadia's. Here's why:
1. The food was pricey. And I am a person who can be willing to spend on occasion, but for Madison, this place was a little too expensive for its location and food.
2. The main reason we didn't eat there. There was nobody in the restaurant. I mean NOBODY. No host, no customers, nobody. And yes, it was open for business (according to the unlocked doors and times posted).
3. The kitchen looked disgusting and the fish tank (as noted earlier) could definitely use a good bath. Ironic, yeah.
We strayed off to find some other food and settled for the close-by Porta Bella. -
Review from Christine L.
Madison, WI
4/29/2010
I enjoy Nadia's but I can't really comment on the food. I've only been to the bar. Their drinks are on the expensive end for Madison but the martinis are EXCELLENT. The bartender knows what he's doing. I usually come here for a drink with a good friend and share a creme brulee. Their creme brulee is also delicious, but how crispy the top is is a bit of a hit or miss. I love the atmosphere at the bar because it's cozy and quiet and the waiters mostly leave you alone to enjoy your drink and dessert. It's a super enjoyable way to have a long conversation with a friend.
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Review from Kelly E.
Madison, WI
1/13/2006
Another of my top five favorite Madison restaurants. A great mix of French and Mediterranean cuisine. You never know who you are going to run into here....last time I sat next to Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton and the controversial Nino Amato also frequents the place. The owner, Abdul, is Moroccan and quite the character! Fantastic wine list and you can't beat the atmosphere. Second floor, right on State street, this place is a favorite for the classy in Madison to take in the Halloween party without actually partaking. The calamari is fantastic, as well as the duck in a plum sauce. I've never heard of something that wasn't superb. Just be prepared to pay.....entrees are $36-40 and I've never seen a couple eat here for less than $100 (with wine). Don't miss the cookie cup dessert...it's a masterpiece!!! 5 stars!!
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Review from mary b.
Madison, WI
4/19/2006
i had heard that this was an excellent place for a fabulous meal. great meal? check. excellent venue? ummm ... i think i was initially just weirded out by their large fish aquarium up front. it cast a weird 1980s miami vice blue glow out into what could be transformed into a really upscale room.
the lighting needs work. but the waitstaff is helpful. it's pretty expensive - they've got prices i'd justify if they could get the atmosphere right. -
Review from Sarah C.
Sun Prairie, WI
2/7/2009
We went to Nadia's for some kind of special occasion about 5 years ago. I dont remember anything being particularly dirty, like a previous reviewer said. I do remember the huge fish tank., but not the TVs. The fish tank wasn't dirty when we were there, though we do agree it did give a Miami Vice kinda vibe, haha.
The service was very good. The food was bland, other than salt , sugar, and butter. By this chriteria, I agree it was way overpriced. Exotic varieties of fish etc, but if you want monkfish, baked in butter, etc it's abailable fresh at seafood center, and very easy to cook at home.
The walk up the stairway to enter was kinda weird, but overlookable. I enoyed the character of the old brick building. -
Review from Mermodfreres F.
Los Angeles, CA
2/14/2009
This has always been our favorite restaurant for celebrations but we're going to have to rethink that. This is now the 3rd time we have had either bad service or less-than-excellent food. Nadias is not a cheap restaurant -- the two of us each had one cocktail, an appetizer and main course: $110 before tip. For that price I expect that my food will be top-notch and the service impeccable. First our foie gras went to another table and sat there for quite a while before the waiter realized it had gone to the wrong table. By the time it got to our table it was stone-cold. We ended up sending it back to get heated back up. Then, no soup spoon -- we had to ask for one. Then my salad had the wrong dressing on it -- had to send that back. On top of this we witnessed multiple f***-ups so bad that I over heard the owner/chef griping at the wait staff -- and later, the sous chef had to go to the wait staff area/garde manger kitchen to get them to pick up their dishes that had been sitting on the line. Nadias used to have an edge but it seems to have dulled with time!
