26 upscale places in Madison, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Madison: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Madison food.
Heritage Tavern ★ 4.7
capitol-square · 131 E Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703
Heritage Tavern on East Mifflin, chef Dan Fox's farm-to-table dining room one block off Capitol Square, has anchored Madison's new-American tier since 2013.
Tip: Reservations on Resy open three weeks out; the Tuesday-through-Saturday dinner runs faster than the weekend brunch.
The Old Fashioned ★ 4.7
23 N Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin-tavern flagship on Capitol Square, pours hundreds of Wisconsin beers and the brandy Old Fashioned standard.
Cento ★ 4.6
capitol-square · 122 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703
Cento on West Mifflin, the Food Fight group's downtown Italian under chef Michael Pruett, runs handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza in an open kitchen.
Tip: The chef's table seats up to 12 with a custom tasting; Tuesday-Thursday dinners stay quieter.
Tornado Steak House ★ 4.6
capitol-square · 116 S Hamilton St, Madison, WI 53703
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, a block off Capitol Square, runs Madison's traditional supper club tier with steaks and the weekly Friday fish fry.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable a week ahead for Friday fish fry; the bar pours faster than the dining room turns.
Mint Mark ★ 4.6
atwood · 1874 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Mint Mark on East Washington Avenue, a produce-forward small-plates dining room with an open kitchen, runs Wisconsin farm ingredients with strong cocktails.
Tip: Dinner runs daily from 16:30; Saturday and Sunday brunch from 09:30-14:00 is reservable in advance on the operator's site.
The Coopers Tavern ★ 4.6
20 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703
The Coopers Tavern on West Mifflin off Capitol Square is the city's craft-beer-and-Wisconsin-pub flagship with a fish fry, sausages and serious tap list.
Gib's Bar ★ 4.6
1380 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703
Gib's Bar on Williamson Street, the small craft-cocktail bar in a converted Marquette house with couches and an upstairs lounge, runs classic cocktails.
The Square Wine Co. ★ 4.6
16 N Carroll St, Madison, WI 53703
The Square Wine Co. on North Carroll off Capitol Square is Madison's small-producer-focused bottle shop and wine bar with retail bottles pourable on site.
Lombardino's ★ 4.5
westside · 2500 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705
Lombardino's on University Avenue, the west-side Italian dining room reborn under Michael Banas in 2000, serves classics in a mural-painted room.
Tip: First-come, first-served seating Thursday through Sunday; arrive by 17:30 to avoid the wait on football Saturdays.
Sardine ★ 4.5
williamson-street · 617 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703
Sardine on Williamson Street, the French bistro inside the historic Machinery Row building on Lake Monona, runs steak frites and moules-frites lakeside.
Tip: Weekend brunch runs 09:00-14:00; reserve via OpenTable for the lakefront window seats.
Mickey's Tavern ★ 4.5
1524 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703
Mickey's Tavern on Williamson Street, the east-side music and pinball bar, is a Marquette neighborhood institution with a strong burger menu and late kitchen.
Lucille ★ 4.5
101 King St, Madison, WI 53703
Lucille on King Street off Capitol Square, the Underground Food Collective's wood-fire and cocktail bar, runs classic cocktails with the kitchen open late.
Settle Down Tavern ★ 4.5
117 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
Settle Down Tavern on South Pinckney from Sam Parker, Ryan Huber and Brian Bartels is the city's new-American tavern with a deep brandy Old Fashioned list.
Settle Down Tavern ★ 4.5
117 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
Settle Down Tavern on South Pinckney, the new-American tavern from Sam Parker, Ryan Huber and Brian Bartels, runs a by-the-glass wine list with snacks.
Genna's Lounge ★ 4.4
105 W Main St, Madison, WI 53703
Genna's Lounge on West Main, the dim Capitol Square dive next to the Orpheum since the 1970s, runs cheap brandy Old Fashioneds and free popcorn on a long bar.
Maduro Cigar Bar ★ 4.4
117 King St, Madison, WI 53703
Maduro Cigar Bar on King Street off Capitol Square, the second-floor cocktail lounge and cigar room, runs classic cocktails and a hand-rolled humidor.
Merchant ★ 4.4
121 S Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
Merchant on South Pinckney just off Capitol Square is the Mulligan family's downtown cocktail bar with a gastropub menu and long classic-cocktail program.
High Noon Saloon ★ 4.4
701A E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703
High Noon Saloon on East Washington, the city's flagship Americana and indie live-music room since 2004, runs nightly shows and a bar program until late.
Tornado Steak House ★ 4.4
116 S Hamilton St, Madison, WI 53703
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, the Capitol Square supper club, pairs a white-linen wine list with aged steaks and the Friday fish fry.
The Plaza Tavern ★ 4.3
319 N Henry St, Madison, WI 53703
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, the State Street campus bar that opened in 1930, runs cheap beer pitchers and the legendary Plazaburger under the neon clock.
Ohio Tavern ★ 4.2
224 Ohio Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Ohio Tavern on Ohio Avenue, the east-side Wisconsin neighborhood tavern, is a longtime local with bar pizza, Friday fish fry and brandy Old Fashioneds.
State Street Brats ★ 4.2
603 State St, Madison, WI 53703
State Street Brats on State Street, the campus bar since 1953, runs Wisconsin red and white brats and Spotted Cow taps for game-day Badger crowds.
Barriques Wine Bar ★ 4.2
961 S Park St, Madison, WI 53715
Barriques on South Park, the Wisconsin cafe-and-wine-bar from 1998, runs retail bottles pourable on premise with a daytime coffee and sandwich program.
Mickey's Bait Shop ★ 4.1
1004 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703
Mickey's Bait Shop on Williamson Street, the Marquette dive and Mickey's Tavern sibling, runs cheap drinks and weekend live music near Willy Street.
The Rigby Pub and Grill ★ 4.1
119 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703
The Rigby Pub and Grill on East Main just off Capitol Square is Madison's British-pub bar with a long European tap list, whisky bottles and fish and chips.
Lucky's 1313 Brew Pub ★ 4.0
1313 Regent St, Madison, WI 53715
Lucky's 1313 Brew Pub on Regent near Camp Randall pairs a deep craft beer list with a regional wine selection and game-day kitchen one block from the stadium.