Paoli Schoolhouse Café

My husband and I went here for the first time today, and half way through our meal we made reservations for Valentine’s Day weekend. We were so impressed with every aspect of the restaurant! The décor is wonderful, food was amazing, and staff was so friendly. I had the shrimp po’boy, and my husband had the Schoolhouse Burger. We finished with the chocolate pudding cake for dessert. All items were just delightful. We got married across the street at the Paoli Mill last fall, and somehow hadn’t stopped at the a Schoolhouse Café until today. I’m already looking forward to going back in two weeks!

Looks like a gift shop from outside. So glad we went in. Excellent restaurant. Nice bar, great food, great service. Zero issues.
Had a great goat cheese salad, avocado grilled cheese and a grilled cheese with caramelized onion. All fantastic.
Reasonable prices, and a very upscale place without being stuffy.
Well worth the 20minute ride from Madison!

Nice and clean place.
But — for very simple food — the price is way too high.
We order mussels (among other dishes) and it was big mistake. Yes I know — it’s the wrong month to order mussels but its but it was much more «not ok» to serve us these mussels — regardless the way too expensive price.
Big disappointment.

Visited: 6-​14-​2015
3.25 — 3.5 stars would be more accurate.
Everything was pretty solidly average, sometimes slightly above-​average. Nothing awful, but nothing was outstanding, either. I’d have no problem dining here again, but probably wouldn’t go out of my way to make it happen.
We ordered a salad to share as an appetizer, and our server split it evenly between two plates before bringing it to the table (without us asking her to); that was a nice touch. However, I just realized (after perusing their online menu to refresh my memory regarding the details of the dishes we had) that we didn’t receive the «Tribeca Ovens baguette and chive & honey butter» with the salad. The only other misstep was pesto missing from my sandwich (though I didn’t realize it was missing until about halfway through, since there was fresh basil on the sandwich). My husband liked his shrimp po’ boy with potato salad.

After seeing great reviews on Unilocal,my wife and I stopped by for lunch. We had high expectations which doesn’t always bode well, but the food exceeded our expectations.
My wife had the crab cake sandwich and she loved it. I was able to get a bite and also thought it was tasty. The portion size was large enough that she skipped dinner.
I enjoyed the Cajun shrimp po’boy and would have it again. The spices were perfect. They gave the sandwich flavor, but was not overpowering. We are planning on going back soon.

Joined some friends here on Friday, October 24 for dinner. I had been to the Schoolhouse previously, but only for Unilocal-​sponsored events, so it was a pleasure to visit as a «civilian» and to have the great experience that we did.
+ The setting. Plain and simple, it’s just gorgeous, both inside and out. The interior dining areas are elegant without being pretentious. They’re big and comfy, yet intimate and encourage great conversation with the table. The little gift shop area located outside of the dining area feels a touch out of place, but it’s definitely not «in your face.»
+ The menu. I guarantee there’s something here for everyone. Huge selection of salads, with dressings that are all divine and obviously house made. Prices are more than reasonable, and the quality of everything truly shows.
+ The drinks. While I stuck with a few beers, my friends chose cocktails, of which I sampled a few. The whiskey old fashioned sour was perhaps one of the best I’ve tried in quite some time. The simple, yet classic, gin and tonic was balanced perfectly. Wine and beer selections were decent and priced very fairly.
+ The service. Our server was attentive and helpful. Water glasses were promptly refilled. Food delivery was timed perfectly. It helped that the place wasn’t very busy, but I assume service would remain top notch even at busier times.
== And now, the real star of the evening: the food.
+ Crab cakes appetizer. Perfect. I’ve had crab cakes in San Francisco and Maryland, arguably the two best places to get them from, and these were extremely close contenders. Very delicious — nicely fried, balanced flavor, great texture. The mustard remoulade was awesome as well. Three large cakes per plate were also a value.
+ Mandarin pork salad. As Corey D notes, this place knows pork. What a great salad. Truly divine.
+ Walleye. I wished I had ordered this; it was light, flaky, nicely breaded, and pan fried better than any I’ve ever had before. The roasted potatoes were also amongst the best I’ve tried.
+ Chicken Bruschetta. Tender. Full of flavor. Generous. The accompanying mushroom risotto? Off the hook.
+ Beef tenderloin. I’m a sucker for a good steak, and this one was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. The cut was huge — at least 10-​ounces. The sear was deep and crispy. The finish was a perfect medium rare. I shared this with the table and everyone raved about it. The side of grilled asparagus was equally excellent, and the house made steak sauce was divine (roasted red pepper base?).
All-​in-​all, this was one of the more memorable meals I’ve had in quite a while. Do yourself a favor and make the short trek out to Paioli and visit this gem. You won’t be disappointed!!!

What a hidden gem! My boyfriend and I decided to visit Paoli one Sunday and I’d only ever been to the Creamery in Paoli (it is now closed). We were greeted at the Schoolhouse by very gracious, welcoming staff and seated immediately. Our waitress was warm and fun and the restaurant is beautiful! Some old schoolhouse aspects and some vintage french touches. Great combination. We had a lovely view of the stream and everything we ate was amazing. My boyfriend loved his bloody mary and salmon, asparagus, cream cheese omellete. I had a cherry coke and strawberry french toast. Really good! They even brought me the grenadine in a cute little shot glass. The bacon that came with our meals and in Tom’s bloody was the best I’d ever had and I’ve had plenty of bacon! Highly recommend! New favorite spot!

Great in the summer. Sit outside near the river. Great food and service. Paoli is a beautiful place visit any time of the year. Visit the galleries and the cheese store. 1of a kind town.

Although my date is usually my husband, this is without a doubt your classic «ladies who lunch» place. From the literal shopping at your fingertips to the décor, this is a place to take your mother for her birthday, have some girl time over drinks and dessert or just plain-​old grab your friends who like good food surrounded by pretty things and quality yet casual service (you are in Paoli, WI after all).
Never had a bad meal, lunch or dinner. Oh, and did I mention the desserts are made in-​house? The coconut cream pie is TO DIE FOR! Seriously. Go just for the pie and I promise you will not be disappointed. The most recent yummy menu items we tried was the burger… OMG. Truly wonderful.
Out of all the place in and around Madison, this is where we always want to take our out of town guest. We are luck to live so close to such a gem.

Literally one of the best meals I have ever had. Good service too! Worth the trip. Can’t wait to come back!

Found this place on Unilocal,and it certainly lived up to the reviews! The inside is beautiful — with a few small seating areas which keeps it feeling intimate and a wonderful attention to detail in everything from the walls to the table settings.
From being greeted to when we walked out the door the staff were friendly and attentive. And the food. I honestly can’t wait to go back. We went on Father’s Day, so there were some specials, including a steak and eggs which included a 4 oz tenderloin (cooked to perfection, exactly as requested), home fries (maybe the best I’ve ever had), and two eggs (these came cooked wrong, but were so good I didn’t even care or mention it).
They have a nice bar menu, the cheesecake mentioned in another review absolutely did not disappoint, and I am already thinking of going back to try out one of their burgers (which come served on a Stella’s spicy cheesebread bun). The only thing we wished was that they had more of a brunch menu. The regular menu was all lunch items (except maybe the quiche), though they did have a couple of breakfast items for the day’s special.
The shop in the front carries small gift items, bath items, and jewelry. I managed to find the perfect wedding gift for a picky relative on my way out. Definitely worth the trip.

Delightful, delicious lunch. The Décor is pleasant and relaxing in a lovely rural setting. The round table in the corner was perfect for a quiet lunch before where we also enjoyed the very recently updated wine list. Our waitress was talkative, pleasant and attentive. Every one of us felt our meal was Very good. We will definitely be back often. As some other reviews said, a real gem.

Ok, everyone’s said it already, but I’m going to say it again anyway. This restaurant is soooo cute! I love the concept of a schoolhouse converted into a posh looking café with delicious food. The best part is, it’s super bike friendly! My bf and I rode out here from Madison and decided to stop in for brunch before riding back. They suggested we take our bikes around back to the outside patio and keep them on the grass in our sight, which was very considerate.
We happened to get there while they were hosting a brunch event, so they gave us ample warning that our food might take a while once we ordered. Neither of us thought the wait was long at all, and we were starving from our bike ride. We ordered the reuben and the chicken salad, and both were very tasty and served with the perfect sides. The chicken salad was especially unique, with grapes and dried montmorency cherries mixed in with a poppy seed dressing. We were both impressed with the food and the attentive service. They even gave us extra water for our ride back!
I highly recommend visiting this place to go relax on the patio or sit at one of the charming indoor tables and enjoy a delicious meal!

A very cute restaurant outside of Madison. It’s casual fine dining. You can get the quality from Madison Capitol restaurant for a lower price. Also the staff are really sweet.
I suggest the salmon. Cooked to perfection.

This is the cutest place EVER!!!
My boyfriend and I chanced upon it a few years ago when we stayed at Cameo Rose (another 5* business). The Cameo Rose host directed us to Paoli Schoolhouse and told us her guests visit there for lunch and dinner.
So where’s this gem? Well, its only 15 minutes away from downtown Madison! I would say it’s as far as Middleton is!!!
Yes, I’m kinda debating whether I want it to become as crowded as those restaurants downtown and Middleton… But, it’s such a wonderful place it is injustice if I don’t share it. Do make reservations on holidays, the place does fill up.
Come on over! This place was previously a schoolhouse and now remodeled into a quaint little shop and romantic place for dinner.
I really liked the crabcakes and stuffed mushroom to start. Then the pork tenderloin my boyfriend had was great! My friend also really enjoyed the salmon. For me, the chicken cordon bleu was a little disappointing as it was dry (I’m sorry but I AM a chicken snob.) but the flavorful taste and delicious polenta was enough to save the dish.
Lots of local wine and drinks. The waitress kept filling us up with bread and honey butter. YES, honey butter! you can’t get enough of it! When it took too long to serve our food cos of the huge crowd, she offered to get our drinks! So sweet.
I would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a tasty gem that isn’t packed with hungry wolves (unlike the square on weekends). Very romantic and guaranteed to please the lady :)

I came here with a friend who grew up in the area and was so very surprised when I walked in. The charming gift shop was full of beautiful pieces and the décor that awaited us in the dining room was absolutely lovely. I felt very inspired by the chandeliers and color scheme to redecorate my own apartment! It was truly that beautiful.
Now, as for the food, decadent and fresh are two words that apply perfectly. Everything is local and prepared fresh, so I wasn’t surprised when my salad/​sandwich arrived and the grapes served with it were still on the vine. I love picking them off, it added to the whole «homemade» feel. The food tasted amazing as well. The salad I tried was lightly dressed yet full of flavor, as a salad should be. The turkey club was equally yummy. Served on Madison sourdough bread (my companion was gushing over this) I decided it must be somewhat of a local thing. I normally don’t even try bread that isn’t french but I gave it a try and, all my snobbery aside, it was quite enjoyable. The bread served with the salad was crisp and fluffy, and the butter it was served with was a delight! It tasted very familiar to me as I grew up in France it can be very hard to get me to like varieties here in America. But this little café reminded me of Paris! How lucky for these people who live here.
I give it 5 stars because the food is great, and the décor reminded me so much of my little Parisian cafes, I fell in love. I would love to come back and try dessert next time! Maybe I will be in Wisconsin again and I will have the chance!

Look up in hidden gem in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Paoli Schoolhouse Café.
It reminds me of my grandmother’s house in a good way! Most of the space is a gift shop, but tucked in the back is the cutest little restaurant.
I came by the café for the Unilocal beer dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The food and service were top notch and I’ll definitely be stopping by for another meal soon.
Also: watch out for Gwen, the resident spirit!

First things first: Shout out to Unilocal events! I’ve been to two of them this week and they were both a blast. Not to mention, I would have no idea this place existed otherwise. I was a plus one at the elite Unilocal event and beer dinner at the Paoli Schoolhouse, but I’m going to Unilocal my way to elite status just so I get more invites to these things.
Now, without further ado, my glowing review:
The Paoli Schoolhouse staff told us all about Gwen, the school teacher’s ghost that haunts this former one room schoolhouse turned café and boutique gift shop. Gwen apparently likes to light up unplugged christmas trees and make appearances in turn-​of-​the century garb. The stories were entertaining, and believable for one reason. If I died today, I would drive my ghost car directly to Paoli and join Gwen in the schoolhouse for an eternity of delicious food, a cozy environment, and wonderful staff.
We were told that Chef Krista is new to the restaurant and the profession in general. After eating the 4 courses she prepared for us, and being blown away by every dish, I found it hard to believe. Sure enough, she introduced herself after the meal and is a recent grad from the MATC culinary program. As an employee of a very young company myself, I suppose I should recognize that talent is not always exlusive to the expierenced.
The café is small and intimate, with just two rooms of tables. The fireplace and patterned wallpaper add to the cozy atmosphere. Maybe it’s just my style, but it really made me feel at home. I think some time around course #3 was when I started getting decorating ideas for my own apartment, but that might be because it was also when we started beer #4.
Paoli isn’t that far outside of Madison, but it’s definitely off the beaten path. I don’t know how a restaurant that feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere ended up with such phenomenal service. Maybe it’s small town hospitality? In any case, I think Gwen and I will have a really great time haunting such a friendly group of employees.

Let me tell you a little story about one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life!
Once upon a time I went to Paoli Schoolhouse Café.
Krista made pork.
It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life.
The End.
Not sold? Honestly, I don’t know what else I can say about the place that will do it the justice it deserves. First of all, I hate pork, so the fact that chef Krista got me to eat it is pretty remarkable. How did this happen? Expert preparation. Juicy, easy to cut through with just enough pink. It was simple, flavorful, absolutely perfect, and I’m not certain when or if I’ll have something so great again. Flash forward to dessert and she did it again, this time with cheesecake. Aside from my aversion to lactose I don’t love cheesecake because I loathe it’s main ingredient, cream cheese. Call me crazy but the idea of shmearing thick white sour dairy on a bagel just doesn’t get me going, but I digress. This cheesecake was phenom. Sweet chocolate with a cookie crust that had a tinge of salt to balance the sweet… again simply perfect.
In addition to the rad food that’s being plated, the place has a staff that knows they have something special and that level of care and appreciation runs rampant throughout the building. I’ve been on a few occasions now and each time I’ve had incredible servers who are quick to make menu recommendations and don’t mind making substitutions as they arise.
The history of the building (ask someone about Gwen) is chilling, yet warm and inviting, and when I’m there I can’t help but think, «Man I wish this were closer to the capitol.» Then I think, «Who am I kidding, it took me 20 minutes to get here, it takes me longer to buy toothpaste at Target (damn you end caps distracting me from my goals).» Point is, they’re close. They’re worth it. Check ‘em out.
The End (really this time).

Sometimes when you call a place a hidden gem people will think «Ok, sounds good, I’ll keep that in the mind.» and if they ever walk/​drive/​hear about your recommendation later on in life they will remember and they might check it out.
But this time when I say WOW Paoli’s Café is AMAZING and you NEED to check it out NOW I mean, go get in your car, turn on your GPS and go there. Now. No seriously. Here are your keys… and I call shotgun!
I was here for a Unilocal Elite event earlier this evening and as I was driving to Paoli’s SC I was really skeptical. I was driving through corn fields then all of a sudden my GPS is telling me to veer off to the left and onto this street where everything is named «Paoli _​_​_​». There was a joke that we doubled the Paoli population the night we had the event ;)
But I parked and went in… and I literally stood in the doorway for about a minute taking everything in. If you are active on Pintrest or you like interior decorating the Shop in the front of the house is really beautiful. Everything there is vintage-​esque and it has the rusty ventian chic look going for it.
The food that was served was immaculate. I’m not sure if it is food of their regular menu but the chef has magic hands and I would trust that anything she made would be fabulous. Chef Krista hasn’t been with them for long as a Chef but she sure knows what she is doing!
The service was by far the best I’ve ever had (save the Four Seasons in DC). The staff were always refilling glasses, replenishing silverware, removing plates and bottles, and all done quite stealthily I might add. It’s always refreshing to see people that take the true meaning of customer service and take pride in giving the best that they can.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, this place is truly a hidden gem… but now that I’ve found it I can guarantee that I will be back many more times. And I will be forcing many of my friends to go here as well ;)