Osteria Trevi — Restaurant in Madison

Dinner at Osteria Trevi on a Saturday night at 7PM. The Calamari was OK, average at best served in a paper lined metal basket about the size of a 10oz coffee cup with a small bowl of tomato sauce - small portion for $17. The cooking time was spot on, the flavor not so much, including the sprinkle of salt that dressed them. My wife had the tri color salad - a few greens (nice and fresh) with a light dressing that was hardly noticeable and garnished with three thin slices of cheese that were about one by three inches - if that for $13. The lobster ravioli in pink sauce were under cooked and virtually empty - one ravioli did have a tiny piece of lobster in it - the ravioli did not have any other filling such as squash or ricotta as they lay there flat in a flavorless pink sauce. I tried one them from my wife's dish and was disappointed by an empty shell of pasta and one of the worst empty ravioli I have ever sampled. - $29 I had the chicken campagnola with sausage which is three small slices of chicken breast in an opaque flavorless sauce (actually goo would be more accurate) that seemed like a mixture of water and cornstarch flavored with nothing. There were a few pieces of mushroom and a piece of cherry pepper. The dish came with sausage mixed in with the chicken. There were three tiny pieces of thin sausage that were the diameter of a nickel and worth almost as much. There were a couple of pieces of boiled carrot and squash under the chicken - which were cooked well but bland. Also, there was a small scoop of mashed potatoes that made me long for my high school cafeteria. $29. I wanted to like this place but at no point did my wife or I think any dish was good. We were in and out in just more than an hour as the food hit the table quickly and the entree followed my appetizer with barely a moment between the two. The bread they served was enjoyable and unfortunately the highlight of the dinner. Dessert was a no thank you after our dinner experience. I do not expect perfection - but do expect edible. Also worth noting is that the restaurant is located below a dance studio so that you can enjoy the sound of shoes pounding the ceiling above you. Its a noisy restaurant to start as the tables are at most a foot apart lined up against the wall. The bill plus tax and 20% gratuity was $115.00 Its BYOB and if you dare go bring a beverage - you will need it. My lowest standard for a restaurant is -- would I eat here it if it was free? NO I...

Tried this for the first time tonight - my summary: mediocre to bad service coupled with just average food.

We had heard good things about this place so decided to give it a try. General advice: It's a fairly small dining area so seems like making a reservation is your best bet.

After our arrival (4 adults plus a sleeping infant in a baby carrier) we were led to a table for four. The person seating us then just walked away and left us wondering how 4 adults and a baby carrier were supposed to fit on 4 chairs. After talking to the server we eventually got another chair. Service throughout the meal was so so - the way dishes were served and you were talked to certainly didn't live up to the promise of an upscale dining experience.

The appetizers (house meatballs & calamari) were excellent. However, the main dishes (all pasta) tasted fairly average. One of the deserts (chocolate mousse) turned out to be a chocolate cake with zero character. 2 Tartufo orders seemed to be too much so we ended up with only one (we were told they ran out and were not even asked whether we wanted something else). At the end of the meal we were presented with the check without asking for it, so they definitely seemed to be in a rush to get the next guests to the table. Needless to say the check was also wrong and had to be corrected... All in all, a pretty...

Magnificent, that's the word to describe Osteria Trevi. The food is amazing, you won't be disappointed in the choices of food you pick. I recommend the following dishes, Oster, Salmon and Lamb. Those dishes are my favorite...If you ever decided to stop by for dinner, I guarantee, you won't be disappointed. - I drove from New York just to dine at Osteria Trevi... Ask for Vinny, he's very friendly, very professional and he knows his stuff.

Osteria Trevi, is one of the best restaurant to me in Madison, NJ to eat. Since COVID-19, I have only eaten out to 2 different restaurants and Osteria Trevi is one of them. Their eat out dining is privately secured, no patrons walking between while you are eating and no exhaust smoke from cars driving by. It is well secured and private, far enough away from the street. They also provide private parking for their customers. -- And by the way, did I mentioned, the food is impeccable, absolutely amazing.

This place overall, is awesome! Don't take my words for it, go and try it for yourself but be careful, you will get addicted to Osteria Trevi --- You've been...