Overview

Located in the heart of Kent, Ohio, Maddalena’s is a charming Italian restaurant that blends authentic flavors with a warm, inviting atmosphere. From the moment you step inside at 252 N Water St, you feel transported to a cozy New York City trattoria, where a visible wood-fired pizza oven serves as both a centerpiece and promise of culinary excellence.

The menu is thoughtfully curated with seasonally inspired dishes, showcasing traditional Italian fare made from fresh, high-quality ingredients. Highlights include the tender beef cheek ravioli and the perfectly crisp, flavorful pizzas. Beyond the classic antipasti and salads, Maddalena’s offers elevated entrees like Chicken Saltimbocca and the ever-changing Fish of the Moment, making every visit a unique experience.

The dining space strikes a balance between elegance and comfort, with vintage touches such as crystal cocktail glasses and velvet bar stools complementing a modern design. The cozy atmosphere, paired with nostalgic dinner music, invites guests to linger—whether for an intimate date night or a lively gathering with friends.

What truly sets Maddalena’s apart is its attentive service and community vibe. Guests often find themselves chatting with the chefs at the pizza bar or savoring expertly crafted cocktails from the stylish center bar. This restaurant manages to offer sophistication without pretension, appealing to those who appreciate quality, authenticity, and a sense of belonging.

For anyone seeking a genuine taste of Italy in downtown Kent, Maddalena’s provides an exceptional dining experience where every detail—from the wine selection to the wood-fire oven—speaks to a deep love of food and hospitality. It’s a hidden gem that promises to become a beloved staple for locals and visitors alike.


What Customers Say

Alexis Jackson
Dec 11,2025
5/5
THE CUTEST little Italian restaurant in the area. The relaxed atmosphere and charming decor make you feel like you are in New York City. The food is spectacular, especially the beef cheek ravioli. There is a legit, visible pizza oven on the premises, a lovely bar, and the menu is seasonally inspired. We love coming here for date night.
Michelle Sahr
Dec 11,2025
5/5
Wow. A taste of Italy in downtown Kent. Everything was amazing and delicious. The pizza was flavorful with a crisp light crust. The wine selection was excellent. The atmosphere is cozy and feels like family. We sat at the pizza bar and chatted with the sous chef. I highly recommend this place. We will be back.
Carolyn Pearce
Dec 11,2025
5/5
Tried this new little gem last night. What a find! We will definitely be back! Everything we had was delicious, seasonings were light yet flavorful. Ambiance like part of a big Italian family. Clean and elegant. Attentive staff and a gorgeous mosaic pizza oven!
Michaelanne Petrella
Dec 11,2025
5/5
Perfect restaurant, amazing cuisine, exceptional service, highly curated menu, phenomenal craft cocktails, magical atmosphere. Elevated but not pretentious. Authentic food, modern environment, vintage touches like crystal cocktail glasses and velvet bar stools and the perfect nostalgic dinner music floating around the packed dining room. Just pure excellence. Maddalena’s manages to be cool and modern and classic all at the same time. The music, the centerpiece stylish bar, the wood fire pizza, the community vibe, the elevated cocktails, the lovely service, and the exquisite food makes this place the epitome of taste, in every sense. Impressive. Stamp of approval from this Italian. ????????
Cassie Pleli
Dec 11,2025
5/5
We went here for a friends birthday on a Friday night party of 6. For a Friday night we didn’t wait as long as a thought! And I am so happy we stumbled upon this place. The staff was super nice and attentive. The food was even better! All the ingredients tasted so fresh. Can’t wait to stop by again.
Lynn Bruner
Dec 11,2025
5/5
The menu is amazing. Smaller menu that is changed up giving you more reason to go back. Everything we have had there is delicious and the quality is wonderful. Cute, small, cozy and we love the vibe! Bar is equally as nice and the drinks and service are absolutely delightful! Great experience every time!
Josh Roberts
Dec 11,2025
5/5
Loved the food and the experience! Truly a great experience all around. Some friends and I went for pizza and apps one evening right around 5. Our service was quick and the atmosphere was great. They are still decorating but the service and the food was excellent. Our party had each mixed drink and enjoyed them all. Would definitely recommend the arancini and any of the pizzas. I will definitely be coming back and it will be a staple in our date night rotation.
Lisa Frederick
Dec 11,2025
5/5
Amazing fresh, newly open Italian restaurant. It's definitely not a chain Italian style restaurant with its menu selections. Every item we ordered and sampled was a delicious array to our tastebuds. The presentation of each item enhanced the visual appeal to what delicacy awaited and served on different China place settings, making you feel like you were at grandma's for dinner. Everything on the menu was sourced locally, even from the owners/chief small farm. The portions were perfectly sized, steaming hot, and didn't take long to be served. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and the owners were extremely helpful in the explanations and recommendations of which drinks and food selections to order. The atmosphere and decor were industrial chic from its exposed brick walls, live, large wooden-edge bar with green velvet brass bar stools to its large multi tiered crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the restaurant. Suggestion to customers: Make sure you get there early, when it opens at 4 pm, because the small intimate restaurant fills up quickly and there is a wait to be seated. They do not take reservations, but it's worth the wait. Hopefully, in the future, they will start taking reservations for larger groups. I drove in from the Youngstown area to meet friends here for dinner. Some of them were from Kent, some from Medina, and one from out of town. The perfect meeting spot in the middle for all of us. I will most definitely be returning and bringing my family next visit.

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Location

Opening Hours

Monday Closed
Tuesday 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Thursday 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 04:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday Closed
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