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    L'Etoile

    4.2 (312 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndNew American, Bars
    Closed Closed

    L'Etoile Photos

    L'ETOILE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Quiet
    Dogs allowed

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    Complimentary bread
    Sho R.

    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.

    Hmmm...why? - Inside a restaurant, a wooden partition separates the dining area from the window view. The table has a white tablecloth, utensils, and a glass of water. Outside, snow covers the trees, visible through large windows.

    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.

    Ellena K.

    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.

    grouper with oyster chowder
    Michelle L.

    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

    Dessert
    Andrew J.

    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.

    Basque cake - A slice of Basque cake with berry sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a black plate, with a drink and wine glasses in the background.

    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.

    Scallops
    Genesis M.

    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.

    Anaelys B.

    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.

    Herbed Lavash & Beet Anyplace that makes a beet that you love to eat, well, KNOWS what they're doing and does it right - a WINNER!

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

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - L'Etoile

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    Graze - Heirloom tomatoes with local burrata cheese.  Fresh and yum

    Graze

    (1.4k reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    We came for regular brunch menu on Easter Sunday. The ambience is open, airy, and inviting. Service…read morewas prompt and accurate. However, our server wasn't super familiar with the menu and didn't know what was in certain dishes. We ordered a variety of dishes. Overall, everyone liked their meals. The flavors were great. Love the Korean fusion. However... despite that we were the first ones in the door, they did not have the chicken that was on the menu. That seemed strange to all of us that they didn't plan ahead for a holiday weekend. A solid restaurant would usually have their menu items well stocked prior to a holiday weekend. Overall, still a good expertise if you're willing to be flexible.

    I know most people like it here, but everytime I've been here over the years something has gone…read moreastray. This time we went to Sunday brunch with a group, including some kids. We had reservations, so we were seated right away which was a plus. Also, I will say I don't think any of the issues we had were because of our waitress. She was super friendly and quick enough to take our orders on a day when there restaurant seemed full enough, but manageable. We got our drink orders in and our food at the same time to speed up the process for getting little kids food, and the waitress even took note of that. We also ordered an appetizer to help during the wait. It took a while for the drinks to come out, but they were all rather tasty. I think my apple cider mocktail was the best and refreshing since it was getting hot in the restaurant with the sun beating in. Our food however took forever and the kids meals did not come out any earlier than everyone else. One person in our group also initially didn't get his meal, which the waitress apologized and said there was a mixup in the kitchen. That's fine, it happens, but then the staff running meals tried to bring him the wrong order 3 times. The rest of us were all finished eating by the time he finally got his food. Overall, the food was fine. I got the eggs benedict which was a little underdone on the eggs for me as the whites were too runny for me. The kids chicken nuggets were pretty tasty with a flaky breading. I heard decent reviews of the breakfast burger, but the thing that was the best to us was the breakfast sandwich. It was quite messy, but the messiness of the sauce was worth it. We also got an appetizer of the cinnamon roll. I feel like it's a little mislabeled though, as it was more like a morning bun with some frosting/glaze over the top. Tasted pretty good and helped keep kids entertained for a while. Overall, the food was fine, but the experience wasn't great. With the multiple mixups in orders and getting a little green house effect going with the sun shining in, there wsnt a great feeling when leaving. Again, I don't think it was our waitresses fault, so not sure what was going on in the kitchen.

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company - 12 Pack Pub Wings (1/2 - 3 alarm, 1/2 - general tso's)

    The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

    (1.1k reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    A must visit in Madison! The food is great and the beer is tasty…read more Came in early evening on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty. They have a wing deal - 15 wings and 2 pints for $25. We got the Korean BBQ and Habanero. The habanero is SPICY!! My mouth was burning after two wings. I always get the APA beer. Classically delicious! Luckily we walked because parking can be tricky to find. Service can also be a little hit or miss. Today our server was a lil forgetful.

    Every time I visit Madison, it is an absolute guarantee that I will be stopping by The Great Dane…read morePub...most trips more than once! Great Dane Pub has become one of my favorite spots in Madison for a variety of reasons from the drinks, vibes, service and community support! Situated on the corner of Doty and King in downtown Madison, Great Dane is a welcome sight for any visitor or local looking for a chill spot to have a solid drink, tasty bite and/or a good time! The pub is one large space, but it is separated into a few unique areas. One side is quintessential pub with a long bar, lots of dark woods, and a good sized dining room. The other is more of a pool hall vibe where you will find the other side of the bar, several pool tables, lots of TV's, high tops, darts, etc...We have bellied up to both sides of the bar and while I like both sides, I prefer the vibe of the pub side. They have a fairly extensive food menu with several bar/pub classics such as wings, nachos and burgers. But they also offer a good variety of sandwiches, bowls, salads, soups and even tacos. While we are normally here for the drinks, we do enjoy the cheese curds, wings and poutine! Speaking of drinks, they always have a great menu of house cocktails that is constantly updated for seasonality. I have had several iterations of cocktails and since I visit a few times a year, I always get to try new seasonal cocktails and beers! Service is always stellar here, no matter what side of the bar you are on. Welcoming, friendly and helpful...every time! Overall, I am an absolute fan of The Great Dane Pub!

    Lucille

    Lucille

    (656 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    We went here last night to celebrate my daughter's graduation. I had made a reservation in advance…read moresince the holiday time is their busiest time of year from what I hear. I was absolutely stunned when I walked into this restaurant and saw all of their holiday decorations. It was beautiful! We had to wait about 15 minutes for our table, then headed up the stairs to be seated at a half circle booth for eight people. It was very tight, so we asked for a chair to be placed on the end which definitely made the seating arrangement better. However, the one spot on the end seemed as if the cushion part was missing from where people had been sitting, so that was not comfortable, and it should be replaced. The service was outstanding and I'm sorry I forgot to note our server's name. I ordered the chips and salsa, which was delicious. I had to question whether the salsa was indeed vegan since it seemed creamy. Thankfully it was vegan! For the entrée, I ordered a vegan mozzarella cheese pizza with mushrooms and spinach. It did not disappoint! The crust was amazing; I appreciate that it wasn't too salty. The tomato sauce was incredible. Everybody had a great time and Lucille's was the absolutely perfect place for this special occasion.

    Made reservations figured must be a nice restaurant. Took my family there. 1st timers, will never…read morebe back. We decided to order the steel pan pizza. I'll tell you im 57 years old and this by far is the WORST PIZZA I HAVE EVER HAD. It was burnt, cheese was only in the center, most of this was just warm burnt bread with little sauce and basically no cheese. Our bill was over $70 dollars. They took off $10.00. What a complete joke. Do not go unless you eat crap like that waste of money. VERY DISAPPOINTED manager wouldn't even come to talk to us about our 1st and last ever experience at Lucilles

    Madison's - Sliders

    Madison's

    (214 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    Such a good restaurant! It has a smaller menu but various options for everyone. There was plenty of…read moreindoor and outdoor seating and the staff was so kind! There was some very fun drinks that made the instagram :) The restaurant was fairly empty when we went but still had a lively ambiance at the bar. The restaurant was not wheelchair friendly, so just keep that in mind! And parking can be tricky- parking garage is likely the best option when going around supper time.

    Grabbed a spot outside during the Taste of Madison....We were seated promptly and had service…read morequickly. I needed a Bloody Mary and like a ton of Wisco bars they make a good one. We shared appetizers of nachos, curds, and wings. The nachos were slammed with toppings. The chicken tinga was delicious and not completely shredded. The curds were just okay. The wings (half Parmesan and half Buffalo) were meaty and tasty. All in all solid food. Shout out to the staff for de-escalating a belligerent hillbilly and her boyfriend. They were arguing and already intoxicated from the Taste causing a scene. After a while of her refusing to leave, she threw a bottle and her scumbag boyfriend broke a chair by slamming it on the street. The left the scene right before the cops got there. However fun fact...they happened to be staying at our hotel and were being losers there too. This time the cops got there and she was perp walked thru the lobby. It was a great ending of her day that she truly deserved.

    Turn Key Madison - Relish tray

    Turn Key Madison

    (103 reviews)

    $$

    Tenney - Lapham

    The self serve Bloody Mary garnish bar was 100% worth it for brunch. They had meat sticks, pickled…read moreeggs, pickled veggies, hot sauces, etc. It was basically an appetizer. Food was also very tasty. Service was friendly and there was a large parking lot. Would definitely visit again if in the area!

    This is a nice supper club that is away from downtown and has parking. We were sat in their main…read moredining room but apparently theirs an upstairs I don't know if that is for parties or the public though and then the have a large bar area. The area is very moody lighting and even has small lamps on each table. Our server and staff were great and everything came out timely. We got an old fashioned and a sangria. The sangria is strong but you won't know it until you stand up. We started with the cheese puppies and they had a fantastic pull to them. Some of the best version of cheese curds I've had in a while. My husband and I both had salads and the bowl was too small for the salad but it was a decent salad I do wish the cheese was sprinkled on top as it ended up going to the bottom of the bowl. For an entree I had steak frites. Fries were solid and the cooking of the steak was good with the charcoal but it didn't have much flavor. The chard on the side was also good considering I've never had it. For dessert we had the valentine special chocolate cake and again it was good but nothing super special. We didn't stick around the bar too long but enough to get a winning pull tab. I would come back for the bar tenders they seemed chill.

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse - Table Lamps!

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse

    (713 reviews)

    $$

    Willy St, Williamson - Marquette

    The Weary Traveler Freehouse is an unexpected, but also on point eatery and bar situated on the…read morefamed "Willy" Street in East Madison, and have quickly become one of my favorite spots in town! Weary is an eclectic space that is full of a hodgepodge of artwork, mirrors, lighting, decor and a bunch of random items that just make sense together. The vibe here is uniquely local for this part of Madison and from the moment you enter through the large ornate wooden door, you are teleported into a special space where a good time is sure to be had! We have come here for Friday Fish Fry, weekday lunch and weekend brunch, and we have never left unhappy or hungry. The menu is made up of mostly classic dishes such as salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches, with a few mains like steak frites and pork chop. Brunch has your classic brunch dishes such as breakfast plates, biscuits and gravy, burrito and of course, French toast. The fish fry is excellent here, especially the pan fried version, which still provides the light, crisp and fresh fish but less the thick breading. For brunch, the breakfast burrito add sausage was spot on and super tasty! For cocktail, they have a stellar menu of house curated cocktails. For brunch, I went with the Bloody Mary and outside of brunch hours, I gravitate to the Killer Bees Knees gin based cocktail. I will grab a beer on occasion, but the cocktails are too good to pass up! Service is always stellar here whether we are sat in the dining room or bellied up to the bar. Overall, absolutely in love The Weary Traveler Freehouse!

    Stopped by The Weary Traveler for drinks and food before a concert and I'm so glad we did! The…read moredrinks were delicious but the food is what really surprised me. The portions were huge and our entrees came with a side and a salad. I ordered the Banh Mi Dynasty and it was phenomenal. It was super rich, flavorful, and delicious! It was way better than I expected! The vibes were fun, service was friendly, and everything was really good! I'll definitely be coming back!

    The Coopers Tavern - Harvest Soup

    The Coopers Tavern

    (592 reviews)

    $$

    Capitol

    The Coopers Tavern is a local pub-style restaurant in downtown Madison that has the neighborhood…read morevibe combined with a rustic-almost European energy, which makes sense when you learn the owner is from Ireland! The menu is filled with elevated pub food, a few classics and then a few twists on those very classics. Come hinge, because the menu is carb-driven, so be ready to eat! To start, we went with the poutine, because why not! The fries were crispy, gravy was velvety and the curds were firm, yet melty enough for a good cheese pull! For our mains, we both went sandwiches. I went with the Celtic Burger, which is their standard burger with added caramel iced onion, whiskey bacon jam, Irish cheddar and a garlic aioli. The burger was good and cooked well, but it was less impressive than I expected given all the goods they added to it. While the aforementioned additions sound like a flavor bomb, it was still fairly one note in overall flavor. It was still tasty, but again, not as expected. My buddy went with the corned beef sandwich. He enjoyed it, no major issues! I did appreciate that exchanging fries with fried curds was an option, especially after loaded up on fries as a starter. The curds were well fried, pillowy and quite tasty. Perfect side for sure! In addition to the food, they are known for their bar offerings so you know we had to grab a few cocktails! I went with the Golden Dew and my buddy the Old Fashioned. Golden Dew was delightful, however the old fashioned was a bit sweet, but that's possibly the brandy. Service was great. We walked in and hit the wait list, however was able to scoop up a few seats at the bar before our table was ready. The bartenders were friendly, helpful and an overall joy to interact with. Overall, definitely a fan of The Coopers Tavern! When back in Madison, I would certainly swing by again!

    I was kind of nervous about trying this place because of some of the other reviews, but I was…read morereally wanting something quick before I had to go to my Epic training class. I decided to get the grilled cheese with tomato soup and a side salad. It was plenty enough food. Somebody who seemed like he was in charge took my coat for me, which was really sweet and hung it up. The waiters were really attentive, and even though the grilled cheese has made my hand sticky it's given additional napkins to help with the stickiness I would return here definitely for lunch. I was one of the only few people in here, but I did go for an 11 AM lunch.

    L'Etoile - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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