L'etoile really impressed me, my first 5 star rating in a while. I was taken here as a surprise dinner by my partner to top off our trip here in Madison, and the dishes are all solidly delicious, unique (flavor combinations aren't what I expected), and are plated really intentionally, intelligently, and artfully. L'etoile is a sophisticated white tablecloth establishment, and perfect for a date night with its high ceilings, warm lighting, jazz music, and view of the Capitol. The acoustics are such that conversations from the table beside you are a quiet chatter, and you can hear your dining partner perfectly. We ordered our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd courses a la carte and opted not to do the tasting menu. I ordered the Alaskan king crab for my 1st, the Sea scallops & pork belly for my 2nd, the meyer lemon panna cotta for my 3rd. My partner ordered the charred spanish octopus for his 1st, the duck for his main, and the sticky toffee date pudding as his dessert. I can't recommend any one dish because honestly, all were equally impressive and what you order depends on what flavor you're in the mood for. The servers were attentive and the pacing for each course was even, with little snacks offered in between -- bread with bone marrow butter, a sunchoke foam & proscuitto amuse bouche, chevre cheese cream puffs. We were very full to end the meal, and they even sent us home with an oatmeal creme pie. Some notes below to guide an a la carte course selection, based on our meal -- 1st course: Autum squash w/ alaskan king crab: brighter, sweet, acidic Charred spanish octopus: deep & smoky 2nd course: Sea scallops & pork belly: A dish of contrast- sea scallops are light & almost like eating sashimi paired with an equally light sauce, contrasted against fatty pork belly with a strong plum sauce. Fun to mix & eat strong and light flavors and textures together. Duck: Medium rare duck with a deep flavor - somewhat smoky & earthy, also fun to explore as it comes with a white sauce, berry sauce, and a terrine also made from the duck 3rd course: Meyer lemon panna cotta: Bright and impactful -- the lemon panna cotta and guava sorbet are tart and pack different sweet punches. Lots of elements on the plate (spiced cookie, champagne sabayon, wafer, berry glaze) to play with Sticky chocolate toffee pudding: Decadent, deep, and warm. Not your average sticky toffee pudding, as there are some additional elements in the dessert that take it to the next level. Thank you again L'etoile. This was one of the best fine dining experiences I've ever had. Can't wait to return. read more

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Food: 5 Service: 5 Uniqueness: 5 ---------------------------------------------- This is my favorite restaurant in Madison. Full stop. I had to leave a review because I'm incensed at how low the rating somehow is. Chef Tori is dope. We've been here twice - both times for our anniversary and each time the meal was 100% memorable. The staff are warm and have a way of making the meal feel like a secret being shared just with us. They had personal recommendations and favorites and the wine pairings were absolutely outstanding. I'm more of a beer guy, but this place might convince me to try some new things. Both times we've been the menus been completely different so you know they're being creative with what's in season. The bites are hard to describe how they can be equal parts comforting and familiar yet wholly unique. Last year they had some sort of white fish ceviche type thing that may have been my best bite of my life. I got a second order because they explained how items don't really repeat because chef tweaks even familiar ingredients as they rotate in. It's a hefty price tag but well worth it for a special occassion. read more

I recently treated friends to your $175 per person prix fixe Mother's Day dinner -- not including the $85 per person deposit required to hold our reservation. The final bill for four came to well over $1,000 before drinks, tax, or gratuity. At that price point -- and at a restaurant that positions itself among the city's premier fine dining experiences -- the level of service should have reflected that standard. Unfortunately, it fell short. * The host made no effort to pull out the chair for our female guest -- a basic fine dining courtesy. * As the host sat us down he asked "If this was our first time here?" We all said yes - expecting him to share a little about the history and introduce us to the server. He literally asked the question then left. Understandable if there were others waiting to be seated, but we were the first and only group there. * Our server poured wine without offering a taste and said, "Don't worry, you'll like it," which was both presumptive and unprofessional. * Crumb clearing between courses was token -- a single, half-hearted sweep of one corner of the table. One time. * Most frustrating: every time my guests tried to engage the server with friendly conversation -- questions like "Is this your first time here?" or when one of my guests initiated a conversation "Were really excited to be here... ", "We're celebrating..."-- the server would walk away without responding. It happened repeatedly. My guest would complete the sentence and turn around and the server was gone. Again, it would be understandable if it was busy but we were the only ones in the dinning room. The experience felt rushed, inattentive, and ultimately dismissive. The food was good. The ambiance, perfectly fine. But the service didn't come close to the hospitality or polish expected at this level. I dine regularly at restaurants in this tier and chose yours on a trusted recommendation -- but based on this visit, the staff training and hospitality standards simply didn't measure up. Ordinarily, I would have shared these concerns directly with the manager. However, since one of my guests made the reservation and recommended your restaurant, I didn't want to sour the evening. Still, I felt it was important to post this... so others who are accustomed to certain level of service manage their expectations. read more

I walked in one night and sat down to eat alone. Food , service, and ambiance are worthy of 5 stars. But then I was not able to find it and forgot the name! I luckily was able to find it from pictures of the restaurant from someone else's review I walked in business casual didn't feel out of place and was not frowned upon. It was a long week and just needed a well thought out meal. Their scallops were cooked to perfection and seasoned well. The only thing was just one of the scallop was a little grainy The Gnocchi was amazing I would recommend this place. read more

I stopped by on a weekend evening for dinner. I took a reservation before hand. The place wasn't filled though. I went for an a la carte dinner instead of their 6 course dinner. I had to pick (atleast) 3 items for the dinner. The highlight of the dinner was, they kept providing small complimentary dishes in between to keep you engaged. Dinner started with a complimentary tiny bread. I think that had cheese or duck liver pate, dont remember exactly which. Then came another compelementary course - a yogurt dish with pine nut. Then came my appetizer spanish octopus. Octopus as such was soft and had milder flavor. Then came a complimentary course with some tomato sause. Then came a complimentary bread with tomato infused butter. After that came my entree, which was sturgeon. It was again a mild flavored dish. Sturgeon fish was soft. I wish it had a bit more flavor. The shellfish on it had sand, which gave a very unpleasant feel while chewing. Escargot was not that good. Next came the dessert - doughnut. That was the only item with sufficient quantity. It had 3 donuts with a scoop of coffee ice cream and some chocolate. That was good and heavy. Finally came another complimentary course with a caramal filled chocolate and a cheese marshmallow (i think). After paying the bill came a complimentary cookie to take home. The restaurant had high cieling. Ambiance was good. Tables were spaced well. Plus seats all have direct view of the Capitol. Food items came quickly. read more

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After several months, I still am upset about the ridiculously overpriced menu, the somewhat mediocre food, but mostly because of how incredibly disappointing our experience turned out. Planning and paying 6 weeks ahead of time and knowing it was first come, first seated, to be put behind a partition which blocked the beautiful view, lead to a huge disappointment as well as confusion about the seating situation. Especially when we arrived early and there were empty tables (at least 3) with a view. (can you tell I wanted a view?!?) No , we were told by our aloof host, they're reserved. Huh? Oh well, because of our dining experience elsewhere last evening, we have moved on. read more

L'Etoile - Hmmm...why? - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Attended for a limited edition menu event, will be back for the usual tasting menu! One of the best dining experiences in Madison!! Everything was perfect - food, atmosphere, drinks, desserts. New and unique dishes that are flawlessly executed. read more

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This is true fine dining. Kitchen is innovative , confident, and focused. Wine sings, and the three levels of pairings matches pallet and wallet. Warm service. If Michelin reviews it would be competitive for a Star. read more

Have wanted to eat here for 30 years since I was a physician in training at UW. On visiting Madison we decided to finally go. The decor and atmosphere were comfortable with bright sunny views of the Capitol through large windows. They accommodated an infant with our group of 4 and were so nice. We all ordered the prix fixe meals for $175.00 each. That's kinda pricey, and was expected. However, for that price the food just wasn't that great. We've eaten at more expensive restaurants that ended up being worth the cost, we left them thinking how great the food and experience were. Several things stuck out. First, The crab leg course had a piece of shell and tendon which I had to spit out and put aside. That's no biggy at Red Lobster, but in a small course at such a price, it's unacceptable. The steak course was 3 small slices of a New York strip that were unimpressive and didn't taste like a prime steak. Also, they came around refilling the water for other tables, yet we had to ask after waiting for them to do ours..and when they brought it, it was kinda warm. Odd. Perhaps I am the victim of high expectations, but at that price point, we left disappointed. read more

my bf and i came here for our 1 yr celebration and wow this place is phenomenal. service is impeccable, we were told happy anniversary multiple times and even had it printed on our menus! i admit that i was a bit underwhelmed by the interior but that was just me. our entire dining experience took a little over 3 hours - food and wine came out at a nice even pace. but i was fr struggling with the wine pairings and was consistently 1 drink behind every time they came over to pour me a new one. but the wine pairings were perfect with the dishes. i was kinda hating on the yellowfish tartare before i tried but that and the squash dish ended up being so good. i mean, every dish was perfectly curated (they do change up the menu each night) and clearly a lot of thought was put into sourcing ingredients together. the beef ribeye is cooked in wonderstate coffee and fish sauce caramel - unlike anything i've ever had before. the beef and lamb were both so tender. for the grouper, they poured the oyster chowder right in front of you!! and the dessert???? the tart cherry granita was sprinkled over the cheesecake, which came with bourbon butterscotch and was soooo delicious. the bread came with a squash based butter which was intriguing and very tasty. i was so stuffed and bloated by the end - it was a full 10 course meal with chocolates and a cream pie to take home at the end. very very expensive meal but absolutely delicious. not sure if it's totallyyyyy worth that much money but i would come back again another time without the wine pairing read more

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Came here for a nice romantic evening with my girlfriend. All in all, thought the food was decent relative to most restaurants I have been to but was disappointed by the food given the price point we were paying. At the price point, was expecting food closer to Michelin quality. The proteins of everything we tried were good but the dishes lacked tasty sauces/flavoring to accompany the dishes and that is what I felt would have really elevated the dishes. This was disappointing given the presentation of all the dishes we tried was really superb. The sauce with the salmon we had was quite salty. The rhubarb tart had no flavor at all, rhubarb usually has a tart flavor and this tart was just bitter with no flavor. Would have been better to add strawberry or something sweet to balance out the dish. The restaurant was in a nice location on the Capitol Square with a great view of the capitol with big windows at the front of the restaurant. So much promise for this restaurant, I hope they just make some small adjustments to recipes to make good sauces accompanying the dishes and they can really elevate themselves. Look forward to trying this place again in the near future if they can make some improvements. read more

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L'Etoile, thank you. Myself along with some friends recently dined in for the Estrellon dinner. The atmosphere was dark, gently lit by candles, with soft jazz and the smell of Spanish tapas in the background. It mingled with laughter and quiet conversation. We got some drinks and headed into the first course of olives, followed by cheese, quince, tomato olive oil bread, croquets, and a potato cake. The main after all these wonderful bites was the best of all, perfectly cooked seafood on a bed of what was the most delicious paella I've ever had. Rich and creamy, toasted and umami. What a dish. And for very last, something I've heard all about: the Basque cake. Rich brown butter cake with smooth sour cream ice cream and tart cherry compote. I will honestly cherish this meal as some of the best I've had and look forward to what is in store next. read more

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I came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, and the experience was amazing! We had a birthday card waiting at the table and the service was amazing. This meal was by far the best meal I have ever had in my life. The flavors all worked together and there is such a uniqueness to the dishes we ended up getting that all I can say is that it's so worth it to come here. Starting from the appetizer I had to dessert it was all perfect. My octopus was cooked to perfection and what they paired it was an explosion. My boyfriends dish was also amazing as the pasta was buttery and just melted. I enjoyed my scallops it was balanced well with everything in the dish. My boyfriend had a fish dish and that was delicious! We decided to pick the apple cider doughnuts for dessert and wow what a presentation ! As you may guess it was delicious and perfect as well. I seriously can't wait to come here again. To bad this place isn't in Minneapolis otherwise this would be a place to go to always. Right now they are having a Holiday menu which offers a list of courses and although we didn't have it. I do recommend to do it if you are deciding to come here. Highly recommend this place if you want to have amazing food and an awesome experience. read more

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Good, but not worth the price tag, L'Etoille does not compare favorably to other fine dining establishments at this price point elsewhere in the country. Cured Salmon Mi-Cuit - 4/5 Very good, but not quite the special experience required to knock it out of the park at this price point. A classic combination of horseradish, salmon and dill. Sage Dreamfarm Chevre Agnolotti - 5/5 Excellent. The cheeses makes it. Wild Alaskan Halibut - 2/5 A disappointment, particularly the romesco sauce, which compared poorly to what we make at home. The basil aioli went well with the halibut, but there was hardly any of it. Au Bon Canard 21 Day Dry-Aged Duck - 1/5 Awfully rare and undercooked to the point of it being hard to cut. I'm fond of duck, so this was fairly disappointing. Ela Orchard Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding - 1/5 Sweet to the extreme, to the detriment of flavor. I didn't finish this. My +1 finished hers and immediately regretted it. Atmosphere & Service - 5/5. Perfect for a special night out. Unfortunately, despite the atmosphere and service, the menu was sufficiently disappointing that I can't recommend L'Etoille for your special night out. read more

Ended my last night in Madison for a work trip with a lovely splurge meal from L'Etoile. Knowing that the chef won James Beard best mid-atlantic chef, I knew I had to try it for myself. It did not disappoint. As a solo diner on a work trip, I also really appreciated that they sat me at the front by the Window (with floor to ceiling glass), prime seating and the service was excellent. The bar was completely empty so I opted for a table, but was glad the service was pure class. Now onto the food: The hamachi was among some of the best I have had. Perfectly balanced flavor, and fresh yellowfin. The small bites they give throughout the meal were really good as well. I opted for the duck since that was locally source, and it was cooked medium well and was delicious. I wasn't particularly impressed by the duck, I admit, but the hamachi was really good. I was too full to get a dessert, the portions aren't too small but not too large either. A nice meal to close out my Madison work trip. read more

Destination dining! My friend grew up in Madison and described this as the "prom dream date." Now we travel together a lot and we'll frequently do what we did tonight. We ordered everything on the starter menu and one dessert item. Starters/appetizers are always so much more creative than entrées. Let's face it, there's only so many ways you can cook a steak or chicken or fish. It is the starters/appetizers and the desserts where chef's truly shine. read more

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Celebrated my husband's birthday here. The tasting menu was amazing. Love their cocktails! Service is always top notch as well as ambiance. We try to go at least once per season to try their menu. read more

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An amazing culinary institution. The menu is constantly changing to match the seasons so a single recommendation is short lived but they were 4 for 4 being excellent so hard to go wrong. Did the wine pairing and love both the selections and the descriptions. Great meal on all dimensions. read more

We enjoyed the chef's tasting menu along with wine pairings. Every course was delicious and unique. The flavors and textures were exceptionally curated. We didn't feel rushed at all. Yes it's pricey but we felt the entire experience was worth it. Highly recommend for a really special night out. read more

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. Stuff was friendly and made our night enjoyable. The food was amazing and the wine pairing was perfect, highly recommend! read more

I've been holding out on writing this review because I just didn't think I could quite do it justice. L' Etoile is a special experience and once that deserves a very special review. I was invited to this Madison fine dining establishment by my sister, who knows good food. She has been raving about L'Etoile for years and is quite the fan of all they do. When visiting in late June this was a must-stop for our group of three. Note, reservations are highly recommended. The experience was top-notch from the start. The gorgeous setting, opening up to the square with some of the largest windows I've seen. Needless to say day-time dining would get you some fantastic photos. Our meal for the evening consisted of multiple courses, boasting full of fresh flavor. As per the menu, the courses served would be: * Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio [grilled radicchio, snap peas, beef fat crouton, kaluga caviar, SarVecchio caesar] *Spaghetti Carbonara [guanciale, English, sugar, and snow peas, cured egg yolk, pecorino, black pepper] * Wild Alaskan Halibut [Badger Flame Beets, caularini, beet hummus, herbed yogurt, dukkah spice] * NY Strip [new potatoes, escarole, broccoli, foriana sauce*, SarVecchio, salsa verde] * Sundae [fresh market strawberries, rhubarb sorbet, sour cream frozen custard, strawberry moscato gelée, shortcake biscuits] Every dish was fantastic, and the wine pairing was utter perfection. What we weren't expecting were all the palette cleansing interludes between courses. All told, we were feasting on a good ten different things that evening! I can't imagine ever having a better meal than the one I had at L'Etoile. read more

Went to dinner here with my husband, sister and a friend. The food was amazing, portions for the first and midcourse are for tasting and one person only, so I would recommend ordering one of each (share) and then get your own entree. For us we got 3 first, 3 midcourse, 4 entrees and 2 wine pairings and the bill came to about $350, I think the food was good my husband, friend, and sister absolutely loved it. Here's what we ordered: (menu is seasonal so it changes) beef carpaccio (good) a duck dish (ok) escargot (not a fan, might be psychological) sorry don't remember the rest... main: Sea bass (really really really good) read more

Began with a cocktail they'd added a few years ago at my request. Though it was no longer on the active cocktail list, the bartender was able to consult a library of archived cocktail recipes and make me a fine "Le Fleur Antique," which is based on mezcal and violet liqueur. When I finished the cocktail at the bar, I moved to a table, having already consulted with staff about wine options. Michael the waiter having mentioned that he had an open bottle of Chardonnay from France's Jura department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region abutting Switzerland. The wine is somewhat oxidized, and quite unlike what most people would think of when they contemplate Chardonnay wine. Staff know I'm fond of those wines. As I opted for the Tasting Menu, waitstaff brought me a serving of a lovely rosé sparkling wine from Schramsberg, to cleanse my palate. The tasting menu consisted of: CELERIAC beef tartare, quail egg, oscietra caviar A whole celeriac root was cut open so as to make a round container in which to serve this dish. After cutting it open, a perfect cylinder was drilled into it with a forstner bit! Brilliant idea, Olin! The bottom of this hole held a very delicious beginning to my delightful meal, revealed with a small amount of smoke when the waiter lifted off the cover. A great assembly of mammal and bird and fish, offering gently enjoyably umami. HERBED LAVASH & BEET Pinn-Oak Ridge lamb, cauliflower, lentils This dish looked like a raft with a sail upon it, that would allow it to drift off of the table if a good breeze picked up! One of the more delightfully clever and creative presentations I've seen at L'Etoile. Paste-essences of red and green were spread on the platter, and I was very pleased I had asked for a supply of the epi rolls (in French, "Pain d'Epi" means "bread shaped like ears" {of wheat}) so that I could wipe my plate clean and all of the delicious flavor went where it is supposed to go. BOUILLABAISSE swordfish, shrimp, mackerel I don't usually care for either swordfish OR mackerel, but this combination was great, and I enjoyed eating it with gusto! WILLOW CREEK PORK green garlic, potato, ham hock I am of 87.5% German heritage, and in Germany, pork is the default meat pretty much wherever you go. On my first trip to Germany, I really pleased German restaurateurs when I ordered their schweinshaxe and ate every bit on my plate. That's pork hocks, and their flavor in this dish was wonderfully savory. This was a really great assemblage of meat and herb and carbs. SQUAB 3 Sheeps Brewing root beer, sweet potato, thyme My immediate impression of this dish came (I thought) from the root beer, which tasted of maple. I called the brewery up in Sheboygan to ask if they sweeten the root beer with maple syrup, and the answer was "no." That squab was mighty tasty! Wherever the maple flavor came from, possibly my imagination, it was a nice composition, and very palate-pleasing. HOOK'S BLUE BARNS carrot, ginger, whey This wonderful item was served with a concoction in a siphon of carbonated carrot juice and whey, poured into a nosing glass which had a serving of Plantation Dark Pineapple Rum in it. Alas, the waiter poured the carbonated liquid into that glass before I had a chance to smell and taste it. I mentioned that, and before I knew it, Marc-Antoine had gone and got me a small serving of the rum so I could sense it on its own. WONDERFUL aromas of pineapple, sugar, caramel, and the smell of fine rum, which I quite like. This was a very tasty pre-treat, leading to the dessert which follows . . . WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA passion fruit curd, lavender, kataïfi I was told some staff had not had the highest expectations for this dessert based on what they read, but on tasting it were very pleased at how delicious it was. I'm on board with them! I'd come back just to have this for dessert at an appropriate moment. In fact, it beckoned to me so strongly, I neglected to photograph it before diving in. Great meal everyone, thanks a lot! Kudos to Olin, Michael, Emily, Jillian, Marc-Antoine, and the other staff whose names I don't know yet. read more

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An incredible tasting menu! And the service was friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic. Each course was different and the flavors went from subtle to bold. And it is awesome that Madison has a restaurant like this. Tory Miller is a national treasure. And the vibe of restaurant is perfect for a intimate first date night, a big anniversary, or a family celebration. read more

I've been to L'Etoile a couple times, most recently for my and my girlfriend's second anniversary. Both times, I noted top quality performance across the board in all categories that I am thoughtful of when dining at a restaurant: atmosphere, noise level, service, food and drink. I'll focus on the latter two since the first two are self-explanatory. Before coming, in our reservation, we indicated our allergies and the special event. We were seated and noted that the menus had a printed congratulatory, Happy 2nd Anniversary, an impressive detail. Our waiter confirmed our individual allergies without our need to mention, another detail we don't observe at other fine dining restaurants. Great start. We were greeted by our waiter, Olen, with champagne and a little bite to whet the appetite. He explained this was a congratulatory start to our special night. Olen was consistently on the ball all evening; perfectly timing checking up on us and delivering food, providing excellent recommendations on the drink menu, providing interesting history of the food, and maintaining the utmost standard of courtesy. We were lucky to get the tasting menu; it's my favorite way to enjoy a variety of flavors and explore a diverse creativity. Hats off to Chef Tory Miller and the rest of the chefs here. The food was perfectly cooked and were representative of fresh, local flavor. A great mix of varying temperatures and textures on dishes. Even the dishes that werent neccessarily my preference I could sincerely appreciate for its outstanding significance and presentation. A great evening that could not be improved upon in any particular way. Thanks for an exceptional experience, L'Etoile. read more

L'Etoile - An outstanding dessert to complete the seven course tasting experience. - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We loved celebrating our Anniversary at L'Etoile. We chose the tasting menu along with the wine pairing. The food was fantastically creative both in taste and presentation. Wine pairing was on point. The holiday tasting menu started with the seafood course which featured king crab, oyster, shrimp, caviar -- all very fresh. Then was the foie gras course which my BF loved; I do not care for foie gras and they were able to substitute my course for the squash and king crab dish from their a la carte menu. Next was the ravioli which was one my favorite dishes, the sauce, which had been cooking all day per our waitress, was very flavorful and pasta perfectly cooked. The lobster course had an unexpected but very addicting vanilla sauce. The beef wellington was good but a bit less memorable than the other courses. The first dessert featured cookie/fudge/truffle presented out of a christmas cookie tin (very cute). This was served alongside egg nog -- a bit too boozy for my taste (perhaps may have been due to already being several glasses of wine in at this point) but my BF enjoyed it. The second dessert was a gingerbread cake along with ice cream, very moist and great holiday flavors. Lastly, they gave us both a bag of complimentary granola, which was a nice tasty surprise to end the night. The service was noteworthy -- accommodating towards dietary restrictions/preference and they started our night out with complimentary glasses of cava. They also had fun facts throughout dinner about each wine and the food. Overall, a very special and memorable experience. ​ read more

L'Etoile - Cava. Dark chocolate crémeux. Seafood plateau. Beef wellington. Pommes au Robuchon. Squash and king crab. - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Delicious food, creative menu, awesome presentation. Service was great! Really nice for date night.

I kept hearing about L'Etoile and finally decided to bite the bullet and spend the money to go here. I took my father and my brother for a post-Christmas present and was overall quite content with the experience. Our waitor was incredibly knowledgeable about all of the food on the menu, including what it was, where it came from, and how they cooked it. He was equally knowledgeable about the wine options. My brother and I each did the $55 wine pairing with our meal as well. We started with some kind of unique champagne that was absolutely amazing. I'm not usually wild about straight champagne, but I could have down'd a few glasses of this stuff! We decided to order two first course options to split between the three of us. We split the Duck Confit and the Pinn-Oak Ridge Lamb Shoulder. Both were delicious, and all of the other stuff with it on the plate complemented it immensely. I could have ordered three more of those and called it a night! Since we kind of derailed from the playbook by splitting food, they ended up giving us each a half pour of two different wines to go with the two different dishes. I thought that was very awesome and a testament to their amazing service. While we each ordered our own entree, we knew we would be trying each other's as well but went with the wine that best matched our entree. The selections were fantastic. The food was also quite good. I ordered the monkfish, which was absolutely out of this world. My family members agreed. The cauliflower with it was sooo delicious I didn't even share any. My brother ordered the aged NY strip, and while it wasn't bad, I must say I was underwhelmed. The flavor was bland and the way it was cooked was pretty unimpressive. I've had better elsewhere and in my family's own kitchen. I was quite happy I was not the one that chose that as my main entree :) My father ordered the Red Snapper, which was also quite good (not as good as the monkfish!). The skin had a flaky crunchy texture to it that wasn't fully my style, but that did complement the fish quite well. We skipped dessert, but went with a dessert wine that was part of the pairing recommended by our waitor. Once again, he nailed it! The drinks were fantastic, the food was mostly fantastic, the service was some of the best. A little bit of a let down on some of the food, but overall I had a wonderful experience and would recommend the place to anyone. While it's not somewhere I plan to take my wallet every week, it's a great space for a special occasion and down the road I will definitely go back. read more

Honest review: love the food. There is a tasting menu/ and an a la cart menu. The whole table doesn't have to participate in the tasting menu. For the a la cart menu u pick an appetizer entree and dessert. You can pick more dishes. Ambiance: it's very pretty and there is an amazing window seating to see the capital. There are very romantic seats in the back hint hint. I didn't like the music it was like jazz and was putting me to sleep Service: service was good described things changed plates was nice. Only thing didn't give recommendations n the whole staff was snobby asf n didnt like how server didnt tell me about the 100 day aged steak option Food: think the food was good but can be improved. Like i get the whole fresh thing because its summer but make the dish flavorful first and then use the fresh element to cut through the richness not like the octopus dish which is just straight up freshness makes for a very bland dish. Then update desserts out of 3 only 1 was good desserts are the best part of the meal remember that. Cant wait to come back though the foods good Best things: Heck's English Peas/Soft shell crab/Blue Valley Gardens Duck/Capri St. Dorian/Smoked Peterson Beef Ribeye/Willow Creek Pork/ goat cheesecake Tasting menu: not the best one i ever had but good, things need to be improved though. Bread course: bread was good but it wasn't toasted :( the butter was tasty but its just whipped salted butter add honey or something to make it unique take notes from spiaggias bread service Amuse buche: tasty but was expecting more flavor Washington King Salmon: i didn't really care for this it wasn't flavorful Heck's English Peas:I don't really care for peas but this was phenomenal I was shocked. The potatoes were crispy and supper decadent the peas added freshness and sweetness the cheese added decadence and There was something really sweet that brought this whole dish together wanted to order this dish again Soft shell crab: i loved this it was really flavorful crab was cooked perfectly. Love the iberico that added saltiness and the hazelnuts added a crunchy nutty flavor. My only complaint is the crab needed to be breaded and deep fried instead of pan fried Blue Valley Gardens Duck: ive had a lot of duck dishes in my life and this was phenomenal. duck was medium rare and crispy. The maple syrup was phenomenal. Then theirs liked puffed up fried rice to add crunch and the the bitter greens for bitterness Day Aged Peterson Beef: didnt like this beef was phenomenal and loved the orange carrot sauce that was flavorful but thats where the flavor ends everything else was bland and potato wasnt crispy Capri St. Dorian: most interesting cheese course i ever had in my life. It was really complex like there was acidity bitterness crunch and then green strawberries theirs this black sauce tasted like chocolate but its labeled as coffee. Feel if they used a softer cheese like a brie or a blue any more flavorful cheese would be better hard cheeses dont have much personality Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta: good but basic in flavor was expecting more A la cart menu: Smoked Peterson Beef Ribeye $18 (its not a tartar its a seared steak!!) this was amazing supper flavorful steak was flavorful and cooked perfectly. The fried squash blossom with cheese added crunch and flavor and loved the sauce. The veggies added freshness to cut through the richness Octopus $18: think the octopus was supper tender however wasn't flavorful. Red shrimp and grits $18: worst dish of the nite but they took it off the bill cause even they admitted it was over salted an had to redo the dish. I dont think this dish should be on the menu because it doesnt fit with the rest of the menu. Grits were good texturely thought the idea of blended dried shrimp was a good idea and sweetbreads were tasty Willow Creek Pork $44: amazing. Pork was flavorful and cooked perfectly. I loved this dish because its very bacon forward and who doesnt love bacon and it adds a needed salted element. Loved the mushrooms for earthiness loved the puree and all the fresh elements to cut through the richness. The best part was the fried squash blossom amazing. My only complaint would be it need a sauce and maybe something sweet to offset the bacon. $11 Baked Ganache Cake: this was ok could be improved the issue is the chocolate was extremely bitter the dish needs sweetness badly. Like the thai basil icecream was amazing just it needed a sweet sauce badly dish wasnt balanced $11 Goat's Milk Cheesecake: best cheese cake i ever had really was amazing. The flavor of the cheesecake was phenomenal and the icecream added a nutty flavor so it gave off cheese plate vibes the best part was the sticky sauce it was amazing wanted to lick the plate read more

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Hmm I think a lot of receptions have the assumption that if you are of Hispanic origin you can NOT afford to eat an elegant place. I was told by both of the front desk people that maybe I was in the wrong place and if I wanted to see the menu fist and I said no I want to be seated and I did not have reservations but there was not one person in the restaurant so they had to sit me there. I told them that I knew about the tasting menu and that I was aware you much it cost. With this said to me by the rude people it made my stay there not an enjoyable one. I did have the tasting menu and one of the dishes was way too salty so I made the server aware of this. The food was excellent. At the end of my meal we had paid the check and the managers came to my table grabbing the PAID BILL telling me I am going to take this from you. I yelled at him telling Him I paid for already and I turned around and gave Him a dirty and angry look . I guess the people that work there need special training on how to not over look on your ethnicity. I could have giving this restaurant five stars but the over look made Me giving them a NEGATIVE 10 stars read more

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Was it worth the money and experience? Yes. Would I say I HAVE to go again? No. L'Etoile is easily the most expensive, bougie, and elegant restaurant in Madison. With its floor to ceiling windows, white linens, and location on the square it stands out. and if you didn't think it did, take a look at the menu and then take a look at the prices....$$$$$$ While I did end up paying the big bucks for the 7 course dinner and wine pairing to treat out my parents, I left very buzzed, if not drunk, and happy for the meal, but also still semi hungry. The plates themselves were small tastings, but DEFINITELY packed with flavor. I am in no means saying that this place has mediocre food, i'm just saying, have a snack before and then enjoy each jam packed bite with delicious food. Don't even get me started on the wine and sommelier, who is so charming and knowledgable, you'll be drunk before you take your first sip. Either way, if you make your way here and get over the price, you'll have a great time and enjoyable meal. Happy eating and treating! read more

I cannot believe we have been sleeping on this restaurant!! My husband took me there for our anniversary, and it was quite the experience! We did the tasting menu and everything was delicious!! There are too many foods for me to actually review- we had 5 main dishes and so many more fun little things to cleanse the palette!I know you don't know me- but trust me... this is one of the best restaurants in Madison hands down. The staff was so incredibly nice and helpful! I have some dietary restrictions, and they accommodated all of them! The GF bread with strawberry basil butter was the best I have ever had!! We were also seated by the window which was great for people watching and a view of the Capitol. Get there. Indulge. Don't eat before you go. ENJOY! read more

It's been a while since I yelped, but this experience requires it. While the meal and ambiance receives an A, and the drinks and dessert receive an A+, the service at L'Etoile last night deserves a C, at best. I really hate when you are not checked on shortly after food is delivered to make sure everything is good and nothing else is needed. This never happened at L'Etoile. As a result, I never got a glass of wine I ordered with the first course, some bread that was offered never came, and I had to ask a water boy about getting my wife another drink. The six random people doing various jobs such as bringing us our drinks and courses, for the most were boring and unfriendly. I had to ask our main server what his name was. While I'd like to focus on the amazing smokey martini I had, or all the flavor profiles we enjoyed for my wife's birthday, my biggest takeaway was how terrible the service was. There must be a fine line between being fancy and being phony. The servers last night were on the wrong side of the line. #sad read more

L'Etoile - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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10/10 every time i go. this and graze are madison staples for a reason. The menu is always changing with the produce and the servers always answer my questions. read more

This is probably the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to. Had my friend who decided we were going to check this place out given me a better head's up, I would not have worn my fake Uggs from Target and a cardigan. But I think it was very telling of how wonderful this place is that not one person gave me a dirty look for having a much-too casual look. The wine selection was fantastic. We had the beet appetizer, octopus appetizer, sea scallops main dish, and meyer lemon tart. Everything was amazing. The presentation was beautiful, and it tasted even better. My favorite was the scallops and the lemon tart. The crust on the lemon tart was just impeccable. I will definitely come back...and much better dressed this time! read more

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Not much. This place was amazing, hands down. My boyfriend took me here for my birthday, and everything was just as delightful as we expected. Kind, excellent, attentive service. A birthday nod written on the menu. Beautiful atmosphere. Quiet, but not too quiet with a view of the capital. What a treat! We each started with a cocktail, which have now ruined every subsequent cocktail we've had since we went there. That's how good they were. Both drinks were fresh, balanced, and delicious -- can't be beat! We ordered the tasting menu, plus 2 starters and an entree, which was a good amount of food. They also brought out 2 small tastings before we started. We knew one was an amuse-bouche (we brushed up on our fancy food knowledge beforehand) and the second one was a... bonus-bouche? They perfectly paired and timed the plates. We ate a lot of things we'd never heard of before and seriously -- we couldn't pick a favorite! Everything sang. Perfect pairing of tastes and textures and plated beautifully. This is definitely a special occasion place (unless you're super fancy in which case... nicely done!), and it really felt that way. Thanks, L'Etoile, for a wonderful birthday dinner! We loved every monute read more

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I'm not sure if my experience was different from others since I visited for an event, but we were able to taste many hors d'oeuvres and then selected from a three course dinner menu right on the spot. I will give this restaurant major credit for that, because that requires immense preparation and planning. They had to be fully stocked to serve all guests any combination of the menu items! Let me start by saying I loved the drinks. They were brilliant and the bartenders really knew what they were doing. As all the guests were mingling, the hors d'oeuvres were passed out, and this is when I noticed the repetition of many items that a lot of us didn't care for - there were quite a few exotic meats and "rare" foods that just seemed way too "adventurous." I'm putting these adjectives in quotes because it could be that my palate is not as expansive as some who are used to such flavors. But from my perspective, there were too many misses. The foie gras tasted gamey and honestly gross, and then we were served a crab apple, which I followed with a huge sip of my drink to eliminate the aftertaste - sour as one would imagine a crab apple, but also with bitter notes. I really wondered why they decided that would be a solid item to showcase right before our meal. On to the first course - I ordered a pear salad, which I absolutely loved. The presentation was spectacular, which was also the case for the steak, my next course and entree. I thought they did a great job here, and the blending of ingredients like the vegetables and purees was excellent. I've learned to always order steak in the Midwest, and I haven't been let down yet! The dessert was a home run! As we had with our other courses, my table tasted a bit of each other's desserts. I loved the chocolate option the best. Very artfully put together! Overall, a very pretty restaurant for a special occasion if you have an adventurous palate. read more

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An amazingly chic establishment. Windows reaching to heaven that gaze out at Wisconsin's beautiful state capitol at the heart of Madison. It's amazing how such a beautiful restaurant can appear in the springtime even more beautiful. Our group delighted in the tasting menu, consisting of seven courses and one bonus course. (Not in the menu) it was an extremely special menu personally requested by a person in our party. Whom I should thank profusely! Every course was simply divine presented in the the most elegant fashion, full of flavor and brightly ornate with either flowers or dotted with an essence of vibrance. Course after course... each appealed to the senses. You may never want your evening to end, as the service here is some of the best I've ever experienced. Their wine list is extensive and they are proud to serve all their guests here, better than family. L'Etoile has set a star in my heart and left a glimmer in my eyes. Truly made for a destination, gazing and savoring and delighting. L'Etoile is in a constellation of its own. read more

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Not a good option for vegetarians! Had Thanksgiving dinner made by L'Etoile, of course I knew I wouldn't be having the meat but almost every side had meat in it too! The stuffing had sausage, the red cabbage had tons of teensy bit of beef, and the mashed potato was obviously made with meat gravy; it was very greasy. The mashed sweet potatoes were so sickeningly sweet I couldn't stomach them, and for the first time in my life (I'm 64), I didn't like the cranberry sauce; it had a terrible medicinal taste! Worst Thanksgiving dinner ever!! read more

My little cousin landed her dream job and moved to Madison from out of state, and she made herself a reservation here to celebrate her first night in town on her own. Sadly, the day of her dinner her bf broke things off after helping her move in (and she still took him to the airport!). I called the restaurant and told them she needed a pick-me-up (and asked them to let me pick up the tab). They were so kind. Greeted her with champagne, put a candle in her dessert, and all came out to say "Welcome to Wisconsin!" Plus, she said that her tasting menu and wine pairing were among the best meals she'd ever eaten. Thank you to the team at L'Etoile for putting a smile on her face and reminding us of the magic that's possible through fine dining with hospitable hosts. 5 stars all around! read more