Naples 15

Naples15 is an institution— Period . I have been here several times in the last few years and I have never left a review . I was in the mood for a Neapolitan style pizza and a cocktail and decided to pay Naples a visit . I was not expecting to get a reservation last minute as usually this place is booked up but i was in luck so i took it ! Upon arrival the hostess greeted me and let me know my table would be ready in five ten minutes . Place was extra busy which is not unusual. It is that good ! So please make reservations in advance. The pizza is extraordinarily good and authentic . Transports you to Italy with the ingredients and depth of flavors . The crust has the traditional dough with just the right amount of char on the outside . I got #7 Pizza Capricciosa : mozzarella & San Marzano base with black olives mushrooms artichokes and beautiful thick bacon . Unbeatable . They also offer their pizzas with gluten free crust options and during another visit it is lacking the char bubble but the toppings are just the same and perfect for gluten free customers . Pasta menu is extensive but always on par with authentic flavors . Gluten free pasta is also available. Service is always very good although they could need some help especially on crowded days like today . They do a great job the staff . I will continue to come to Naples15 as it is a jewel for the restaurant scene in Madison . Keep up the great work.

WHO WROTE THOSE GLOWING REVIEWS?? It’s rare for me to leave a restaurant feeling conned, but last night was one of those nights. Positives: We had a parking place right out front, which was great for the person with mobility issues. The tablecloths were clean. My bowl of pasta and chicken had a decent flavor. Negatives: $150 for two people - absurd.That decent flavor cost me $35. The prices are nothing less than exorbitant for what you get. The waiter was simultaneously pushy and absent - can I get a bottle of wine for the table? (The cheapest bottle was $90.) How about those appetizers? (Ugh, ok, if it will make my glass of wine come faster.) 10 minutes for a salt shaker. We struggled to figure out the chaotic multi-section menu, about which our waiter helpfully responded “I’ve already told you what I recommend so you can just order that.” And please, I beg you - if you’re going to extort me, stop calling us “guys”. Two “specials” on their own page, one of which was a $75 twisty slab of steak with a plop of greens next to it. Caprese salad: A handful of basil leaves on a plate with 6 grape tomato halves and an ugly hunk of burrata cheese (which was warm on the outside, refrigerator cold in the middle). Pear appetizer: Same basil leaves, pears in hot milk, something stuck on the bottom of the cute little cast iron pan. Can we have some bread? Oh, sure - and returns 10 minutes later with a seasoned pizza crust - I suppose it WAS cooked in the wood-fired oven, though. Red sauce tastes like nobody tasted it before they served it. Pizza options (which the waiter will tell you is not meal-sized, and by the way, they have a gluten free crust but it’s not good so don’t order that) so weird as to be downright unappetizing. Just. Awful.

Authentic Italian atmosphere….amazing pasta options…gluten free was the best! Fantastic service!