This was one of the best dining experiences I have had in Madison!…read more Fantastic atmosphere Exceptional service Amazing food Highly accommodating for dietary needs They went above and beyond to make this a special occasion to celebrate my wife's birthday. Well worth every penny!!! The trumpet mushroom appetizer= chef kiss! I had no idea you could make mushrooms taste so absolutely delicious. I have been dreaming about them now for weeks. James Beard award winning chefs. Yeah, I can see why! Oh, I can't forget to mention the deviled eggs are simple but some of the best I have had. They are just done to perfection. Well done

Great experience - there were for of dining so we had two different past a dishes, swordfish, and…read morepork tenderloin... as well as several sides. This was by far one of the best fine-dining experiences I've had in Madison. The attention to detail from service to taster to presentation was outstanding. I'm generally hesitant to order swordfish in the Midwest, if even at all as if it's not properly prepared or fresh it can be off-putting. This was perfectly cooked, moist and tender. The bold flavors accompanying the fish were not at all overpowering, rather very much enhancing and complimentary. My understanding is they have a rotating menu and I look forward to my next visit.

Was a little disappointed at first this isn't the kettle black kitchen I thought it was going to…read morebe...HOWEVER the food was still incredible! The cocktail menu had excellent choices as well. They were accommodating to our dairy free request. Every dish was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Portion sizes were perfect. The Mac with the short ribs had a bit of spice I wasn't expecting but tasted great. The elote was also spicy! Overall I'd recommend this restaurant however I'd warn it's not the French restaurant it was a year ago and a lot of the pics shown on Yelp are not offered anymore.

Updating review as the restaurant changed ownership (but kept the name). We stopped in on a…read moreSaturday night post game-it was jumping! Special hats off to our server who allowed us to grab a table in the back. A cute and homey interior with random artwork-it was loud with the full house. An eclectic menu which leans southwestern offers a decent variety of dishes although vegetarians might not have too many options. I wasn't that hungry so opted for the biscuits and the poblano risotto. The chef doesn't hold back on the flavor-bold, spicy, intense. The biscuits were dipped in a smoked chili butter and honey-best eaten with a fork. The risotto was well prepared although a little soupy. Again, big bold flavors. Opted for the house made carrot cake-it didn't disappoint. One of the best I've had. Definitely a place I will come back to as it's a 7 minute walk from home.

We stopped by for dinner after a pretty draining couple of weeks, and I can't say enough about the…read moreexperience. The food was great, but our server, Lily, was incredible. She had no way of knowing we were feeling worn down, but her warmth and genuine care completely turned our evening around. She made the visit feel special in a way that really stuck with us. Lily is a massive asset to the team, and we're beyond grateful for the hospitality. We'll definitely be back.

We came without a reservation for brunch on a cold, snowy Sunday. We got in right away!…read more Favorites: The cinnamon roll was a crowd favorite and the schnitzel was crispy and rich. Service was just fine considering the busyness. Some long gaps every now and then but I rent taken care of.

The food was absolutely unreal so great. Had guys get wagyu American and other got Japanese. I got…read morethe bone in ribeye. We all got different things and tried each others and it was amazing all of it. One guy said you don't even need teeth to eat the wagyu. It does melt in your mouth. Sides we had the cream spinach best spinach I ever have eaten. We had oysters east coast and west coast. The service was excellent Susan And Olga and the crew were so sweet. The ambiance is a high end steak house in the back and a bar and patio out front. So if you're on a date out with the crew you have a nice spot for either. Cannot recommend this highly enough. Thank you so much to all the staff. Cooks Waitstaff and managers. Sorry folks didn't get a picture of the food.

Always a treat to return to Rare! Decided to treat the kid & his girlfriend for his birthday…read more The surrounding are best described as "early Scorsese" or dark lighting with burgundy leather banquet seating. Cool vibes. Waitstaff, mostly college age, all in formal attire. Classy. Y'know? Greeted warmly & professionally by our server, Ashton, who informed us about the foie gras special & took our drink orders. My shaken Hendricks martini with a twist was delivered shortly thereafter & scratched the itch! Ashton then took our order of sweet chili shrimp with lime, the foie gras special with roasted apple, Caesar salad, bone in ribeye, New York strip, brussel sprouts and creamed spinach. The ribeye was cooked perfectly & tender. The NY strip was medium (mid rare was the target temp) and was swiftly refired and served. Shockingly fast too! Delicious. The sides were excellent as well. Somehow he had room for dessert. He ordered the bananas foster (made table side & always a fun show) & the espresso creme brûlée. Ashton kindly served a super smooth chocolate mouse cake square with graham crust topped with whipped cream and a candle. Nice. Just a lovely night all around. If you're craving steak & professional service in an old school setting...I suggest a reservation at Rare!

This was my second time visiting. I swore I wrote a review the first time but it didn't pop up…read more Anywho, this time my daughter and I were in Madison for the day and visiting the museum across the street and decided to come for dinner. It was Thursday evening and they had a ribs/pulled pork special. We waited about 10 minutes at the bar for a table. The bar and atmosphere is great. Pretty bar lights and an old wood bar. We were seated by the window with a great view of the capital. My daughter and I shared the rib dinner and had plenty of food for us. Our waitress was new and learning but was doing a good job. I'd definitely come back.

The ambiance is amazing warm woods which were very inviting. Wednesday night 5:30 a party of 6 and…read morewe were seated immediately in the bar area at a round table. The waitress was quick to come over bringing menus and taking our drink order. We order the cheese curds of course and the cheese plate. Visiting from Florida so I can't really speak on the curds. We all thought they were tasty. For our main course two of us had burgers all claimed they were well prepared and tasty, Mac n cheese was dry, spinach salad with salmon was fresh and flavorful. I had the wedge salad which was over a half head of fresh crispy lettuce. Two dressings combo so refreshing. The cheese tray was nice for $14.00. Overall service was great and the food was good.

It was our first time here, so we asked for seats at the bar, which looks directly into the…read morekitchen. We had so much fun, and we could see that all of the staff were also having a good time. Nothing but positivity, and it transfers into each and every delicious dish! We absolutely loved the complimentary cheese puffs (Gougeres). It was the perfect start to a fantastic meal. I enjoyed a starter of beet, walnut and cheese tart, and my dining partner thought his French Onion soup was stellar. I chose Monkfish stew for my main dish. It was incredible....silky, savory broth with melt-in-your-mouth monkfish plus tender shrimp and asparagus. The bread served with the stew was so delicious to soak it all up. My dining partner thoroughly enjoyed his Bistro steak with king trumpet mushrooms. The mushrooms were so elevated and so delicious. We shared a side of charred carrots and thought very highly of them, too. We closed out our epic meal by sharing one slice of Gateau Basque cake. It was served with a side of a tart cherry compote, and together this dessert was perhaps THE BEST dessert outside of France. Incredible! Sitting at the bar, our server was bartender Nina W. She was entertaining and didn't mind all of our ongoing questions. She added a another level of true enjoyment to our experience. Just as we were finishing up our dining experience the orchestrating chef stopped over to introduce herself. Once Annemarie said her name, I knew she was one of the founders of Lallander and next-door Bloom Bake Shop, having been a customer ever since their first bakery in Middleton. I told Annemarie how impressed we both were with the food, and how all the staff seemed so happy. She said something like a restaurant is only successful with good people. It seems she is keeping her people, and her customers, very happy.

This French inspired place was on our list to try so with a reservation made two weeks in advance…read morewe arrived on a cold snowy Friday evening. We were ten minutes early and they had just opened - strangely they would not seat us though our seats at the kitchen bar were open. So we huddled on the bench five feet away from our seats. It was not a great start but that was soon forgotten given the rest of the evening was fun. When I went on-line to make a reservation the only seats available were at the kitchen bar - that turned out to be fortunate because it was highly entertaining. When we return we will book these seats again as a couple (if you are with a group it is not a good place to hold a conversation). The bartender/ our server Jackson was super friendly and did a great job answering all our questions as we quizzed him on the action in the kitchen which was right in front of us (it's a small tight space). We ordered a beer and a wine followed by a small cup of French onion soup which was very tasty and a serving of their pate which was also very good. It was good that we had these front row seats because for some reason the kitchen appeared to be running a bit slow so the wait for our mains was pretty long. We did notice that when the owner arrived she started to direct the kitchen staff and the pace picked up! I got the pork tenderloin which was very flavorful and done with a bit of pink so it was not dry. It was a large serving. My wife got the sea bass in a puff pastry which was beautifully presented. The sauce was essential otherwise the dish would have been a bit plain. She really liked it. We were too full for desserts but they looked tempting though they did give us some savory cookies from their Bloom Bakery which is next store. This is not an inexpensive place to dine but it was well worth it. We will be back!

This place was our choice for our 15th wedding anniversary celebration weekend and it didn't…read moredisappoint! Bartenders were great and service was spectacular! They gave us a free dessert of choice for our anniversary. I love the stone walls and gothic themed decor, definitely an upscale supper club at its finest! Recommend reservations ahead of time as they get busy on the weekends and bar seating is FCFS.

Walked in after walking state st and I must saw wow! Food was so yummy, I had the chicken Marsala…read moreand my companion had shrimp pasta. The front entrance is dark so you might pass it, but the ambiance is super cute. Perfect place for a date or to grab dinner if you're going to comedy club. Service is the best, from the hostess to the waiter. I would come back. This is our favorite place to eat around the capital.

The food was EXCELLENT. I had the Blackened Blues. Wonderful combination of brisket, bacon and…read moreblue cheese crumbles. Host greeted us with smile and welcoming voice. We felt like we belonged. Server was amazing. Great balance of friendliness and checking in without feeling overbearing. It was our first time but definitely won't be our last.

We've been to both the Verona and DeForest location. Food and service are great at both locations!…read more I like that Verona allows reservations but DeFroest does not and it fills up quick on a Friday night and parking is limited. Friday night fish fry IS A MUST!!! It is such a value and one of the best fish fry's we've had. I love that you have so many choices for sides and your not just stuck with fries and slaw. Verona also has a great outdoor space as well. We're hoping at some point they will branch out to McFarland, Monona or east Madison as it's about a 30 minute drive for us to get to any of there locations. They are such a hit, I can not imagine them not being successful at yet another location.