Natt Spil

On a perfect summer day in Madison we stopped by to grab a late dinner snack at Natt Spil, one of our favorite relaxed but obscure spots with the decor of an opium den slash western saloon. It was lively but we found seats right away, close to the window since their few al fresco sidewalk tables were all taken.

No more duck duck soup on the menu, but a BBQ pork soup instead. We opted for the Natt Spil sausage pizza, which had a crunchy crust and juicy center, with spicy fennel and pepperoncini seeds mashed between bites of goat cheese and tomatos. The High Tea was a refreshing, citrusy gulp and an appropriate accompaniment. Music-wise, they played everything from motown to grunge - but all good music - until the DJ came on around 9pm.  

Cash or local checks only!

Considering how roughly eight months of the year in Madison could be described as "winter," it's not much of a surprise I've only been to Natt Spil when the weather was chilly and the restaurant's dark, warm, somewhat mysterious confines enticed me off the street. I've described Natt Spil to friends as "a Leaky Cauldron incarnate;" a pub with somewhat of an intangible mystique. (Plz excuse Harry Potter references).

Now, the promise of sipping an Oberon on a sunny summer evening could get me in the door of basically any spot in town. The perfectly spicy, tangy Three Cup Tofu and nice (albeit teensy) outdoor seating area is what drew me to Natt Spil last night and it definitely did not disappoint. My boyfriend got the Greek Goddess Love Nest pizza (feta, artichokes, olives, red peppers) and raved. My tofu was cooked to perfection (a feat rarely achieved, vegetarians/vegans can I get a hell yeah?) and came with a side of spicy tomato and cucumber salad. For those inclined chicken can be subbed in for the 'fu. Definitely staying at the top of my list for a certifiably great dinner and drink.

It took me a while to construct this review - mostly because I forgot that I'd even tried this place. TBH, the most memorable aspect of the meal was the company of my dining companion. While there is nothing wrong with that, for a restaurant that had quite a few yelpers raving, I was disappointed.

My first impression of the place was that it was really, really dark. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but after they did, I was able to appreciate the oriental-inspired decor.

While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I ordered a Green Thumb per the recommendation of our host. It was a refreshing cocktail of cucumber juice, gin, and a splash of ginger beer. It also happened to go extremely well with the food we ordered. What a happy coincidence!

Other than that, our meal was average...nothing spectacular and definitely nothing I would find myself craving on any given day. We ordered the shu mai and brie/apple pizza. The shu mai comes as an order of three good-sized dumplings doused in a splash of dumpling sauce. They certainly don't skimp on the shu mai ingredients, but I think it was really the dumpling sauce that did the trick. As for the pizza, I'm not a big fan of brie or apple, but together, they worked. The thin crust was a little lacking in flavor, but otherwise, it was a solid pie.

All in all, I'd say that Natt Spil isn't quite a 3, but it also is not so mediocre as to only merit 2 stars...so take that as you will!