L'Etoile
- ★ 4.8
- Modern European
- $$$$
L'Etoile on Capitol Square, opened by Odessa Piper in 1976 and run by James Beard winner Tory Miller since 2005, is Madison's seminal farm-to-table flagship.
9 splurge places in Madison, editor-picked. Tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Madison. All Madison food.
The splurge list
9 places
Heritage Tavern
- ★ 4.7
- Modern European
- $$$$
Heritage Tavern on East Mifflin, Dan Fox's farm-to-table dining room a block off Capitol Square since 2013, anchors Madison's chef-driven new-American tier.
Graze
- ★ 4.6
- British gastropub
- $$$$
Graze on Capitol Square, Tory Miller's American gastropub next door to L'Etoile since 2010, sources about 80 percent of its food locally with Capitol views.
Book food experiences in Madison
Mint Mark
- ★ 4.5
- New American
- $$$$
Mint Mark on East Washington, the produce-forward small-plates room with an open kitchen, runs fine-dining brunch and dinner from Wisconsin farm produce.
Tornado Steak House
- ★ 4.3
- Steakhouse
- $$$$
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, Madison's traditional supper club tier a block off Capitol Square, runs aged steaks and the Friday fish fry every week.
Sardine
- ★ 4.2
- French fine dining
- $$$$
Sardine on Williamson Street, the long-running French bistro in the historic Machinery Row building on Lake Monona, runs steak frites and moules-frites.
Lombardino's
- ★ 4.1
- Italian
- $$$$
Lombardino's on University Avenue, the west-side Italian fine-dining room reborn under Michael Banas in 2000, runs hand-cut pasta and wood-fired veal.
Nothing matches.