Barolo Wine Bar

Love this place. Best destination for wine in Madison. Great small plates and large outdoor courtyard with an ambiance that is tough to beat in Madison.

Really knowledgeable bartenders to help you through their extensive wine selection. They also serve beer and cocktails for the non-​winos. Cool and cozy feel, good for a pre-​dinner drink before going to Julep. Barolo has access to the Robinia Courtyard area of you’d rather enjoy the outdoors. Their small plates are great and meant to pair well with wine — I had a beet & avocado mousse salad that was so delicious. Definitely planning on spending a lot of my summer at the Robinia establishments.

Amazing wine representation. Love the bartenders. Love the small plates and suggest the mixed cocktails. Highly suggested.

So sad that I waited so long to check out Barolo. It’s the perfect spot for drinks and appetizers.
Roommate and I sat at the bar, which I recommend. The bartenders are super fun — ask them to play bar bingo! I like the environment at Barolo because it’s not a rowdy college bar but it’s not at all pretentious.
The beef tartare was out of this world delicious. I’m excited to try other dishes from the menu to see if they’re as fantastic!

PROS: Good wine, hip atmosphere
CONS: Limited food menu
A good spot to have intimate, heart-​to-​heart discussions over a glass of fine red wine. Though if you’re hungry, you’d best chow elsewhere as the wine bar only serves up finger foods. A cheese/​fruit and wine pairing would greatly spice up the menu.

Stopped by with a party of 6 last Saturday. We got there early and were hoping to snag the swanky circular booth but it was already claimed. The staff was very accommodating and seated us at the booth at the back of the room, which is also very nice. Very knowledgeable server helped us with the wine and beer list. We ordered three plates to try: the flatbread of the day (with spicy andoulle sausage), the onion tart, and the beef carpaccio. They were all delicious and we ended up ordering a second flatbread and two more carpaccios. Great atmosphere, classy but not pretentious. Will be back, especially when the weather warms up so we can enjoy the courtyard!

Wow. We stopped in last night for an appetizer and a glass of wine before dinner. Great ambiance. Cozy and quiet. Service was excellence (Lucas I believe). Prompt, thorough, unobtrusive. Wine was reasonably priced and tasted great (we ordered by the glass). We ordered the brussel sprouts and roasted carrots. Perfectly prepared and presented. Delicious. Will definitely return.

Nice atmosphere, friendly waitstaff and well priced wines. They carry High West which is a bonus. Good spot for a date night or drinks out with friends.

I came and ordered a few mixed drinks. All were just fine, and our waiter was great– very friendly. Atmosphere was clean and nice. I also ordered the scallop ceviche. It was not terribly expensive (between $ 6 – 12, I can’t remember). This is where things took a turn for the unacceptable.
It was served in a martini glass and included about 1 – 2 scallops (it was hard to tell, as they were chopped up). It was really only 2 bites. Okay, I figured it was not expensive and I know scallops are an expensive ingredient. I was still prepared to be happy with it.
However, when I tasted it, I immediately detected the taste of plasticy bottled lemon juice. I cannot stand anything that is made with that stuff. A classy wine bar that serves 1 or 2 scallops in a martini glass as an appetizer should use fresh lemon juice.

Really nice space inside. Very cozy, but not cramped. Parking could be an issue since it’s right on E. Wash, unless there’s a secret parking lot I don’t know about, finding space on the street can be a hassel. The wine selection is good and the mixed drinks have a pretty unique flair to them. We got the salt cod corquettas to share, the portions are small, not really ideal for sharing unless you plan on ordering half the menu. Overall a very nice addition to the E. Wash neighborhood. Will definitely be back.

Great ambiance that’s a little bit different than a typical Madison bar. We enjoyed the classy design, yet the bar seemed chill and approachable. The layout is tight, but there were plenty of tables and one left open for our twosome. I second Catherine’s comments about the music — a tad poppier than unidentifiable techno, but not Top 40 by any means.
It was too late to appreciate wine, but we liked the adventurous-​but-​not-​too-​adventurous tap list.
Happy to straighten my collar, iron my shirt, and head back to explore the wine list in detail.

Went to Barolo tonight for the first time, I was impressed by reasonable prices and a good menu. I also liked the ambiance, great chill place to hang out and catch up w friends. It had an interesting music choice… Maybe not what you’d expect from a wine bar, I was expecting something a bit more high brow, and was pleasantly surprised by their pop aesthetic. it ended up being a great non condescending atmosphere, which I expected and felt nervous of going there, not a usual wine bar frequenter. I really appreciate how friendly and chill our waitress was.
I ordered a few different wines and the Arancinis. They were definitely cooked to order and yo very quickly. Wine list was interesting and a nice treat compared to the usual.
Overall great experience, will definitely go back. I almost hesitate to post too good of a review because it is such a great little hang, not too crowded, but still a hot spot to be– don’t want it to become too crowded ;) !

Very cool vibe with a chandelier made of wine glasses. Very knowledgable bar tender and the small plates are incredible. I know this sounds crazy but I literally came back a second time for the carrot dish.
Great place for a date or hanging out with some of Madison’s swank crowd.

Barolo elevates the wine bar scene in Madison, without a doubt. I recently moved here and have patronized Barolo several times for food and drinks. The voluminous wine menu nicely compliments their selection of small plate items, and the food is consistently delicious! The bartenders and servers are attentive, knowledgeable, and welcoming. The atmosphere is enchanting… relaxed yet refined. Barolo is in a class all by itself here in Madison– highly recommend! (Oh and the easily accessible location is a definite bonus!!)

Barolo is such a wonderful addition to this area of E Washington. Parking is easy and available along the street out front, and it’s far enough away from the busyness of Capitol Square to be considered a more intimate venue for wine and cocktail sipping.
The outdoor patio adorned with plants and lights is also a wonderful place to enjoy a glass of wine.
Barolo is aiming to be one step above many «wine bar» establishments popping up as of late, and they succeed (in my book). The vino list is eclectic and well-​curated, and after a brief glance at the food offerings I was quite impressed with what they have put together. Upon chatting with the friendly and knowledgable bartender, he divulged that the entire concept of the leased space is divided into separate entities offering specific amenities in a convenient manner. The farthest tenant to the back is a southern-​inspired restaurant, then there is Barolo, and then a coffee shop closest to the entrance (which was yet un-​opened on our visit). I thought it a clever arrangement of establishments, and wish the minds behind the idea all the best with their endeavors.
I’m excited to be back and enjoy another glass of wine with friends.
Cheers,
Victoria

One of my biggest pet peeves is customer service. While Barolo had excellent service, the vibe was killed by the manager/​owner (?) scolding the bartender and wait staff for their every move. Yes, I know that they are new, but the staff were clearly doing an excellent job, and publicly critiquing the staff is unacceptable. I would recommend walking down the hallway and heading to Julep until the the gentleman at Barolo works out the distrusting kinks.