Came here 2 months ago for my sister's 21st birthday. Probably the best meal I've had in long time, and I have lived in many large cities where the culinary options are quite plentiful. We had the prix fixe menu with bone in rib eye for two with 4 different vegetable sides. The steak was done perfectly and delicious. The wine pairing was perfect. Our waiter was attentive without being overbearing. Overall, a fantastic experience and well worth the price. read more

So this will now be my wife and I's new "our place" now that we live in Madison. Excellent food, phenomenal service. The a la carte menu had several wonderful options, and as someone with a dairy allergy, the chef was more than helpful in adjusting preparations to meet my dietary needs. This includes creating a finishing course especially for me so I could indulge with my wife. Love this place! read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Madison! We appreciate Chef Tory's commitment to using locally grown produce. It's cool to see him Saturday mornings at the farmers market. My wife and I like to try and guess the menu he is creating based on what we see in his wagon. The food is consistently good and the menu constantly changes based on what's in season. As mentioned in other reviews, they have a wonderful cheese selection. The waiters and waitresses are true culinary professionals. Their knowledge of the menu is impressive. Excellent wine selection - a good selection of old and new world wines. Bottles prices are fair. The only downside is that the restaurant is fairly dressy. I absolutely love their food (obviously), however I don't always feel like getting dress up. read more

This is an amazing place to eat, the showmanship of the food is fantastic and the service is top-notch! L'Etoile is a very classy place, so be sure to dress for the occassion otherwise youbut might feel out of place. My wife and I tried the pheasant and the diver scallops; both were presented perfectly and the portions were nicely sized. Both dishes, amazing!!! For desert we tried the chocolate cake and the sorbet. The sorbet was by far the best, I'd recommend it to anyone for a light way to finish off the dinner. The chocolate cake, not bad, but a bit heavy after a three course meal. For drinks I'd recommend the Meyer Lemon gimlet, it was close to the best thing I've had to drink in a very long time! read more

Fresh, mostly locally grown foods. They get a variety of produce from farms around the city and from the Farmers Market on the Square. I love their warm Croissants on Saturday morning (the Apple one is good as is the Valrhona Dark Chocolate one). They have good desserts too (changes seasonally; I liked their Berry Sabayon). Food is pricey though, so watch out. read more

This chief has really shown his colors. A perfectly prepared Rabbit pate and Red Snapper with an Asian flair to rival many Manhattan chiefs. Thanks for the experience. read more

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

Truly delicious food with wonderful, accommodating service. My partnered called in advance to make sure they could accommodate my dietary restrictions, and they assured us that if we made a reservation, my needs would be built in. Lo and behold they were. That's truly THE example of top-notch service. My only negative feedback is that the decor looks a bit dated at this point and could use a refresher. That being said, the sparkling view of the capitol does a lot to make up for it. read more

Definitely not the budget friendly restaurant, but if you regularly clip coupons, then this place likely won't be your first choice- the food is always outstanding and it goes without saying that you definitely get what you pay for at this high end eatery! read more

Went here last week with two of my friends from Europe. The view is great and impressive. There where only three tables occupied that night. Our waiter was excellent, very attentive and professional. The food in general is excellent - you know if you go to these type of restaurants- the portions are small. So you might end up still hungry after dinner. It is all about the food experience! I had a nice bottle of Californian Chardonnay, in my opinion the wines are overpriced. Will go back on a special occasion again. read more

Coming back to Madison after many years I decided to try L'Etoile with my daughter. We had a wonderful evening and meal. I highly recommend it. We were seated some bit after our reservation time , but the bar was very pleasant and we got to know the barkeep, who is also the sommelier. The food was delicious and just having toured Southwest Wisconsin visiting friends, it was delightful to see many of the local vendors they use listed on the menu. It added to the evening for us. The wine the sommleier chose for us was perfect and fit our meals to a tee. All in all a very nice spot. read more

Get the fixed-price menu. Trust me. You'll look at the portion sizes and you won't think it'll fill you up. I'm a big, hungry dude. And it filled me up. Just shut up and get the fixed-price menu. Trust me. Eating at L'Etoile is like taking your gastrointestinal system to a fine art museum, looking at all the paintings, and chuckling pretentiously at some pompous intellectual's lame pun about Monet. "I guess we know now why they spend so much MONET on this museum!" I went to Graze (their cheaper, homier, larger-portioned next door affiliated restaurant) and had a better time, but this place fulfilled its purpose: A really fancy, really classy, REALLY expensive food experience. read more

My husband and I were visiting from the Bay Area. At the time we were considering to relocate to Madison (which is hard given the weather differences) so I decided to explore the culinary options in the city (this is very important for me). We got the tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was good and the staff was very nice. We have finally decided to relocate to Madison so I am looking forward to visit this place again. I hope the quality of their food and service is consistent. [During our visit we also tried the Blue Marlin and Otto's - we are going to miss the Bay Area's Cusine but I think we will survive] read more

This is an awesome place to go to if you would like some great food and nice environment in Madison. We loved it and we are planning on coming back in the future. read more

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With 212 Yelp reviews already, I'm a little late to the L'Etoile review party! I really loved the food and my experience at L'Etoile. I feel that it could be deserving of 5 stars, but I have a few minor complaints. First things first. L'Etoile is different because: You don't eat dinner -- you're on a culinary adventure. Everything at L'Etoile is about the food. The menu is vague, so the server describes the dishes in great detail with lots of fun adverbs and adjectives. The server later points out and explains each ingredient of the dish when the food arrives at the table. The food is delicious. The flavors are so interesting and foreign because this isn't like cooking at home and this isn't like any other restaurant. Pros: - The staff people are EXTREMELY accommodating. The host was warm and inviting, our server was very friendly and attentive, and the other staff people who came to our table for some reason or another were also very personable. L'Etoile's staff make you feel like you're royalty when you are their customer. When our server asked if we were celebrating anything and told her it was our anniversary, she offered a champagne toast on the house. - The food is incredible. With every bite of every dish I tried, I found myself noticing the sweet flavor, the salty flavor, the citrus/bright flavor, the earthy flavor, the softness, the crunch, and the list goes on. (Yes, all in a single bite.) The manner in which L'Etoile puts together the ingredients based on complementary and contrasting flavors and textures is beyond anything I've ever experienced at a restaurant before. - The food presentation is superb. The food that shows up at your table at L'Etoile is so pretty that you almost don't want to eat it! - The extra little dishes are nice. Since this was my first time dining at L'Etoile, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy extra bites throughout the meal that I didn't order. We received extra small cheese/asparagus appetizers and extra dessert snacks in addition to the appetizer and dessert dishes we ordered. Cons: - The two Ps: portion and price. I know L'Etoile is not Applebee's, but I have to mention the price. I am not a big eater. I can eat a 6 oz. filet of fish and feel full; yet I felt that L'Etoile's portions were very small. While the food was delectable and the presentation beautiful, I felt hungry a few hours later. After an almost $200 price tag, I don't want to be hungry that quickly. - Dress code: L'Etoile does not have a dress code according to its website. For our dinner, my husband wore a suit, and I wore a black dress with my most uncomfortable but most classy d'orsay pumps. Other guests were also wearing formal clothes. But what about the guy two tables down wearing a hoodie, baggy jeans and dirty sneakers? It's only natural that when you're dressed to the nines, you notice the very under-dressed guy in the restaurant. For what is considered the most upscale and the priciest restaurant in the entire city, L'Etoile not having a dress code seems strange to me. Will I return? Probably, but only for another dinner celebration when splurging is the objective. For random birthdays or just a nicer-than-usual dinner out when we're in the mood, my vote still goes to Graze. read more

L'etoile is it. Fresh from the gardens of Wisconsin farmers, the food will exceed your expectations. From the fresh bread and butter, to the creamy delectable soup to the exquisite main course. This is the an amazing restaurant exprience. The waiters are professional, caring and compassionate about the individual palate. My review does not justify the exprience I had there. It is vegetarian friendly, with an amazing vegetarian main course. The food takes the main stage, I was so immersed in the food that the setting was secondry in my mind. The restaurant is quaint. The tables are set up to view the city of Madison from the 2nd floor of the restaurant. The view is like a moving portrait of Madison. My boyfriend and I went there for our 2nd year anniversary. This is a restaurant one must exprience. read more

This is our go to restaurant for special occasions. The space is beautiful and the food is fresh, local and excellent quality. Service is very good . Don't expect a quick meal here. If you are going to a show or other event tell them when you walk in. The menu changes regularly based on what's available in the season you visit so it's hard to comment on specific dishes since they will be gone by the time you read this. Prices are high here for Madison but it's worth the splurge. read more

first of all, i'd suggest you to make a reservation to dine here. then, i'd suggest you take note that the restaurant has a seasonal menu and extensively uses local farmers for their ingredients. that the executive chef knows his food. then, i'd suggest you to dress up real nice because let's face it, we hardly ever do that anymore. let's do something for the hell of it. then, i'd suggest going here for a special occasion. whether it be a birthday, marriage, graduation, childbirth, or conquering the last level of that video game. then, i'd suggest selecting the 5-course option along with the six-wine pairing. it's definitely worth the price. then, i'd suggest letting yourself indulge in the haute cuisine. close your eyes and savor the flavors and textures. and how they complement one another. then, i'd suggest in letting the waiter pamper your every whim and inquiry. engage in some lively conversation with the enthusiastic, earnest sommelier about the varietals and regions of the offered wines. but finally, embrace the moment you're in. enjoy the discourse; truly enjoy the person(s) you're with. yes, it's just dinner. but if you let it - it's a memorable experience. read more

Are you a fan of healthy eating? Do you love the whole 'farm to the table' thing? Big advocate of locally grown products? If so, L'Etoile is where you need to be eating. Mixed locally grown field greens and grilled chicken breast with a lovely champagne vinaigrette - So simple and so healthy yet so light and sooooo delicious. Cup of French onion soup (without cheese as I'm counting the calories) - Divine. The soup has a sweet edge that I loved. Cozy set-up complete with bench seating along one wall and soft, cushy pillows - Check! Minimalist décor - For sure. Chef that actually brings out your food - Absolutely! Jealous of Madion-ites who can eat here every day? You betcha. read more

AVERAGE. NOT WORTH IT. A NOTCH ABOVE OLIVE GARDEN! Maybe its' cause I'm from Chicago, but I have better restaurants blocks from my house - at half the price. I do not care about spending money - if the food is great, but this was . . below great? C'mon, Madison, I know you've got more than this? Are you Yelpers cuckoo??? starter, dried out, mini-biscuit tasted just like a Goldfish cracker (not in a good way) amuse bouche - parsnip soup - good little combo of subtle flavors $15 first course - Korean stew - AWFUL! I kept asking her what was in the broth bc it tasted like a salty, oily, can of condensed soup. She said, "Korean hot sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. One - these are all things I can put together at home, but Two, I SHOULD NOT just mix together and call it a broth. No depth of flavor whatsoever. $44 Red Snapper- tasty, but very basic. I cook make this myself. Greens were way too salty and came with oily potatoes $56 Rib Eye - LOTS OF FAT. Again, decent flavor on the steak, but nothing that anyone can't do at home. Came with spinach, which tasted like . . spinach. They served bread and butter, which tasted like . . uh bread and butter. $10 chocolate cake was decent, but the little tray of sweets they brought at the end, just made them look worse. Popcorn, truffles, and something else. Truffles were disgustingly sweet (Fannie May is better and I hate Fannie May) and popcorn? Please! overly sweet and just gross. I hate to write this, but I felt gypped! Server was nice, but disappeared for an hour and I had to flag some other lady down to get a dessert menu. Timing was long between some of the courses as well. Never again Why did this guy get an award? Did they eat at this place first? Do not understand. read more

"We are an amazing restaurant" That is the message you get loud and clear from L'Etoile. The only problem with that message is that it simply isn't true. Besides, a truly amazing restaurant doesn't need to beat you over the head with how great they think they are. The restaurant experience speaks for itself. The dining room was nice, but had a somewhat cavernous and empty feeling to it. It just didn't feel very warm and inviting. I felt somewhat like I was in a fishbowl on display to the capitol square. The view of the Capitol was nice. The service was overbearing. Every single dish had a long list of ingredients, and each ingredient had a story to it. I'm definitely a foodie. I find it impressive when a restaurant will highlight an ingredient and tell you about it's provenance. At some point though, I would like the waitstaff to disappear so I can actually chat with my friends and not be talked at. Seriously, waiter, go away! Let me be. The food itself was beautiful on the plate, and in it's description. Taste was average. There was not a single bite that I had where I went that was an amazing bite! My large steak was somewhat awkwardly stacked on top of a small amount of potatoes. My apple salad was mediocre at best. Dessert was good, but I have had better. The food looked, and sounded special, but it just didn't taste that way. For the price I paid, I was expecting a lot more from L'Etoile. I will not be back because the Madison restaurant scene has too many outstanding restaurants at 1/3 the price of L'Etoile. This place simply isn't good enough to be charging the prices they are. read more

My husband took me to L'Etoile for my birthday, because he knows how much I love fine dining. Coming from Europe I miss that experience of top chef cuisine, dishes that melt in your mouth, creative combinations prepared to perfection. In a restaurant, the quality of food comes first, then the atmosphere, then the service, and then of course the price. Well..... how should I start .... not a bad atmosphere, great views at the square, for premium restaurant a jazz duo or a pianist somewhere on a side would have been nice. Service was little slow, but alright (plates weren't cleared immediately). But the food.... When I read through the menu, nothing really sounded too appetizing to me. Not a good selection of meats, a lot of components, that didn't complement each other in any way. I still wasn't ready to throw the towel and was still hoping to be wowed, once I'd order. Don't remember the fancy names, but to put it simple, I had a duck ragout on a slice of white sour dough bread as a first course, corn chowder with scallops as the midcourse and finally sturgeon as the entree. In regard to duck ragout, it tasted overcooked and bland, missing any kind of zest or structure. The berry sauce on the side of the plate was extremely sweet, almost like or rather exactly as simple jam. The corn chowder was excellent (this is why I am giving 2 stars). Besides scallops there were other components (might have been calamari pieces?) that made the dish and every bite interesting. The sturgeon - great fish, was made tasty and juicy. But the unpleasantly crispy rice squeezed into a triangle, and the incredibly salty soy sauce (honestly, appeared to me like soy and salt only) completely spoiled the dish. Organic and fresh ingredients are always welcome on my plate, but it's not enough to make a dish great. The 5-star prizes ($40 for a rather small portion of sturgeon, $16 for duck bruschetta) were not justified by any means. If I want to spend so much money on food, I do expect excellence! Overall my experience with L'Etoile was disappointing and I would not go there again other than to maybe get a cocktail and enjoy the views. The only way how I can explain why this restaurant is still rather popular ad not out of business, is because 1. of the location and 2. the residents of Madison including myself are desperate for an upscale fine dining experience. It is definitely remaining a market niche and I can't wait for someone to fill it one day. Until then - c'est la vie! read more

I see myself as someone that takes a certain amount of pride in knowing food. My review list shows, i think, that I have had some great meals, including Joel Robuchon, Rick Bayless,etc. Whenever I travel, I always like to try the "best" restaurants in wherever town I'm in at the moment. The Yelp reviews led me to expect a great meal at L'Etoile--perhaps not Joel Robuchon great, but something truly above the norm. What I got were plates of seriously imbalanced flavors, some weak wine choices, and mediocre service. For my starter, I had the Honeycrisp apple and duck confit. The apple was so powerful and sweet that I really had no idea what else was on the plate. The duck confit could have been canned tuna for all I could tell, my palate was so overwhelmed with apple. To top it off, it was paired with a dreadfully sweet rose that simply emphasized how out of balance the dish was. This was followed with the beef tongue mid-course which was OK, but thinly slicing the beef tongue tends to result in overcooking, which happened here. Given how rich/fatty tongue can be, I was shocked it was paired with a sweet sav blanc, which did nothing to cut though the richness at all. I actually had to refuse the pairing and suggested something more appropriate, a Grüner Veltliner. My main, a lamb dish with a Mediterranean spin on it, was easily the best part of the meal and the red pairing with it was fine. My service was generally solid--the wine steward was very patient and put up with my wine fussing better than many would, but my servers were pretty anonymous and did not stand out at all. Then the check arrived. While I have paid larger checks, $130+ before the tip for one person was out of balance given what I ate and drank. For a point of comparison, I paid LESS for tasting menus with wine at John Besh's August & Hubert Keller's Fleur D'Lys, both restaurants with international reputations for amazing food. Perhaps L'Etoile is, in fact, the best food in Madison, but the only thing comparable here to the better restaurants in the nation are the prices. read more

I'll give four stars for the food and one star for service. We arrived at 7:05 and I liked the rooms, large, airy, with very nicely spaced tables. However, after we were seated, it was like we were invisible even though the restaurant wasn't even close to being half full. What was odd was that the lady who sat us told us a waiter would be with us shortly only to find out that she was our waiter. I only found out who our waiter was because I asked the manager, "who is our waiter?" I was able to put in an order for two champagne cocktails with him. This was around 7:20. At 7:25, two glasses of champagne came out and I had to send them back for champagne cocktails. Sometime around 7:35 our cocktails FINALLY came out. It took us 30 minutes to get our drink! This is absolutely unacceptable in a restaurant where the average main course is $48. This is a huge NO-NO in fine dining and set the mood. I actually suggested to my dining partner that we finish our cocktail and get the heck out of there. I was in the process of checking YELP to find something within arms reach where we could get a bite to eat when our waitress came to place our order. My dining partner looked at me and suggested, "let's just try it" so I mistakenly agreed. We each ordered a starter and a main course along with a lovely bottle of 2009, Vincent Giradin Puligny Montrachet; something to really look forward to. We were nursing our champagne cocktails, waiting for our bottle of wine to come out when the waiter comes out with our fist courses BEFORE bringing our bottle of wine. When you're dropping loot on a great bottle, you better bring it out before the food comes. This was another huge, inexcusable mistake, you can't do this! I told them to take the dishes away and go get the wine. They then came out and hurriedly opened the bottle and quickly brought back the same plates. Now we're left with two champagne cocktails, have drunk, have a wonderful bottle of wine in front of us with our first courses which we wanted to enjoy with our wine but didn't want to waste the cocktails. Just terrible timing, something I wouldn't expect to happen anywhere but would tolerate in some place that charges 15 bucks for a plate, not $50. By this point, we could only take solace in the excellent wine but giggled to ourselves about how terrible the front of the house ran. The food was tasty but was overshadowed by these series of events. The bottom line is that if you're going to brand yourselves as a high end, white table cloth dining experience, the service needs to match the food and the price and is simply doesn't here, they're not even halfway there, IMO. read more

I'm always surprised there isn't broader consensus that this is the best restaurant in Madison, because it is. After 15 years here (and in NYC before that) I've eaten everywhere, and this place is a gift. The kitchen has, miraculously, gotten a hair better (and more creative) since Odessa left. To those who say it's stuffy, you're probably criticizing the genre more than the restaurant, but don't know it. L'Etoile's is a well-executed version of a traditional (but casual) fine dining service that anyone in a large city--with money to spend--would be familiar with. There's nothing wrong with not liking it, but recognize that what you're disliking is precisely what they're going for, and not a failure to achieve the more chummy vibe typical to upscale Madison restaurants. Service is exceptionally attentive but not obsequious, and the staff KNOWS the food. It's way too expensive for regular people, but if you can afford it, it's worth it. I will add that Michael Kwas is a great sommelier and server, although there are several other equally excellent, long-time servers, including some who work the source farms. Like I said, they know the food. If you've never eaten here, do so. Get dressed up, get excited about the food and communicate that to your server. Expect to be treated well, and eat your heart out. read more

The first time I went to L'Etoile was back in 2000 while I was attending school there. It was a "stumble upon" as a friend and I were just walking around the Capital Square and decided to enter. At that time, it was in a different building on the same street. We walked up the stairs to the second level. Dressed in street clothes we almost turned away, but the staff was so warm and inviting. I preferred this location much more than it's current all open, no privacy, and wall to wall windows... definitely lacks the warmth that it's previous location had which was more Victorian' esque. AND, being a vegetarian I remembered that there was still at least one soup, appetizer, and mid course and entree which catered to my diet. I still remember the entree to this day, which was spinach, shiitake mushrooms, and tomatoes in a saffron like sauce but placed in phyllo wrappings. In 2000, 6 stars... My last visit was very nice but my taste buds weren't exploding. And at a cost of $160 plus a $25 tip I would have rather gone to a few of my other favorite restaurants in Madison, like Kabul, Chautara, Himalchuli, Baraka, etc. Thankfully my date paid, but I talked it up so much, I think he probably felt the same. I was also bummed out that there were less choices for vegetarians. The entree I picked (the only option) was a cute idea... little pumpkins that were filled with seasonal ingredients, but definitely not worth $36. The salad was good, but again, overpriced... I can get a ridiculously delicious salad somewhere else for half the price. And since it was a semi chilly day, mid fall, I was craving a bowl of soup. Big mistake L'Etoile... any restaurant, especially a high end one should ALWAYS have a vegetarian soup as an option. This establishment emphasizes local organic food, and many of those types are going to draw in vegetarians. When I asked the server if they could make a soup he said no. The attitude was more snobby than the last time and I was even dressed much more formally. Not going to eat here again. Sorry "L'Etoile", but you are no longer "The Star" restaurant which you claim to be. read more

We have dined at L'Etoile many times over a 20 year period and have always had a wonderful time with excellent, often inspired, food, and very good service. The ambience was refined and added to the quality of the experience. We dined at the new L'Etoile last week and had a thoroughly disappointing experience. We were seated at a round booth table without a tablecloth in a location cut off from diners in the front and upstairs dining areas. The booth table was reminiscent of corner booth tables at Perkins! The server had to ask a couple of diners to hand plates to her because she could not reach over the expanse to get the plate. To make matters worse, when asked why the table had no cloth, she responded that management was considering removing tablecloths from all tables for ecological reasons and because laundry often returned cloths without stains thoroughly removed. With the exception of a couple of mid-courses and a cheesecake dessert, all diners felt the food was not up to previous standards. The third courses were remarkable for lack of memorable flavor and the pasta with seafood was bland and flavorless. The market cut ribeye came out as a very large slab of meat sprinkled with a few frites. There was little that was subtle about the dish. The amuse, a liquified cottage cheese concoction, was the flavor highlight of the meal. The food was memorable for lack of flavor, the service was adequate and somewhat perfunctory and the ambience was terrible due to the table. We will probably give L'Etoile another try because of our history of excellent dining experiences there. But it will not be for a very long time. read more

I am sad to say that I also had a very disappointing experience at L'Etoile. My mother and I were so excited to have dinner there based on the reputation of the original owner and the original location. While the new location is very modern and upscale with high ceilings and a beautiful view of the capital, the quality of service and the food were far inferior to the the hype. We first went to the bar where the bartender was aloof and seemed perturbed that we were there. Not one ounce of friendliness came from him. The drinks were fine, but you can get good drinks almost anywhere. When we were ushered to the table the hostess was as bland as milk toast. Our waiter was apparently doing his best to emulate the rumored rudeness of waiters in France. I've been to France, waiters there are not nearly as rude as this fellow. He rarely looked at us at all, instead rotating his head as he gazed out the windows reciting whatever he was reciting, on and on, never even checking in to see if we were interested. When I tried to interject a question he talked over the top of me, ignoring me completely. If it weren't so abhorrently rude it would have been laughable. I found the menu dull with few interesting items to choose from, but we were hopeful that we would be pleasantly surprised. The prices are very high so one would expect the meal to be amazing. When the meal arrived, both dishes were boring and practically tasteless. For the exorbitant prices they charge, the food should have been delicious, memorable and worth it. In the 25 years I was in the restaurant business I learned that going out to dinner is an event and the establishment you choose to visit should treat everyone as if they are coming into their home. No one wants to be looked down on and treated with disregard when they have taken the time and effort to visit your restaurant and spend their money. I do not understand the trend toward snobbery at any restaurant; it is simply bad business sense. In my opinion, the worst thing for a restaurant is for even one of it's patrons to leave forgetting the meal and unable to forget the poor service. Unfortunately, this was case for our experience at L'Etoile. The ambiance of the room is nice, but the scowl faced and downright rude staff combined with the flavorless food and exorbitant prices makes this a definite pass. I can recommend walking a block away to Harvest where I have had fantastic food and professional, friendly waiters who deliver simply wonderful food for a fair price. read more

I had dinner there again, and while the food and service is great the portions of the food is for a 10 year old kid to eat out of. Every time I ate at this restaurant I left and went to another restaurant to fill my body demand. The food taste great and I don't mind spending few hundreds for a dinner but at least I'll like to leave with a satisfied stomach. I'm not an overweight person but if you give me a steak of the size of a half dollar bill then it's clearly that I'm not going to be happy about that. read more

The family meals the last few weeks have been phenomenal in taste and a great value, too. I hope this model continues in the future.

I had an amazing 4 course meal here with my family from philadlephia. my father runs a farmers market there and was very impressed with their use of seasonal and local foods. We had an amazing pork belly salad and I had duck wrapped in bacon and stuffed with pate, which sounds insanely heavy, but it was not; the portion was small enough not to be overwhelmed and it was not overly greasy at all. It was a fantastic meal. I think l'etoile is on par with top restaurants in bigger cities. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE. My absolute favorite restaurant in madison and with good reason. The dinners I've had here are the ones I dream about. And Chef Tory's commitment to locally produced, sustainable foods is the icing on top of never-ending deliciousness. read more

L'Etoile is probably the only restaurant that I would consider "formal" or "fancy" in Madison (though there was a group of 20-somethings in t-shirts for what looked like a work or recruiting event last time I was there). I've probably been 7-8 times over the last decade, going back to when they were upstairs and down the street. Definitely a special-occasion type of place. I keep wondering, given the mediocre and mixed reviews of Tory Miller's other restaurants if L'Etoile is going to start to slide (something you worry about if you're going to drop the amount of $$ this place requires). Based on a recent visit and every previous visit I'd have to say that they're staying the course-- every dish, every bite, completely nails it. I think it's tied with Forequarter for best in Madison, but my wife gives L'Etoile the edge. read more

for some reason waited like 20 years to eat at this place. finally did it and although the food was mostly quite good, we were astonished to have the world's worst waiter....not incompetent in the usual sense but actually appeared to think he was too cool and sophisticated to actually do his job. Weird...told us his daddy was a doctor and kind of let us know he didn't really need the the job...and then proceeded to ignore us after our initial order (on a not very busy week night) such that we had to flag other employees to get our drinks refilled and even to order our desert....all the while, this cream of the millennial crop leaned against a wall and talked to other employees. I've waited tables at fancy restaurants and been a cook at others and this is the second time in recent months I've been to a great Madison eating establishments (Pig in a Fur Coat being the other) where a 20 something male waiter was neglectful, seemingly for no other reason than the belief that no effort is required because the customers are obviously rubes... who will tip no matter what. Sadly, In Madison people have a hard time not tipping people who don't deserve it....but one wonders; having given that unearned tip, whether they ever bother to come back? I'm unlikely to bother with L' Etoile again even as I suspect this was an anomaly. read more

Our waiter made ONLY FOUR stops at our table during our dinner-to take our order (someone else delivered it), a 20 second stop to smile and say "how is everything?",to drop off the check, and to pick up the payment! No offers for a second drink or wine-nothing! My $56 ribeye stake was tough and the rest of the food was only so-so. VERY disappointing after driving from MKE to spend the weekend in Madison for our special celebration. Thankfully, the rest of Madison didn't let us down! read more

Spectacular. My parents offered to take me anywhere for graduation, and the decision was a no-brainer--the final "fancy" place in Madison I had left to visit...L'Etoile. For graduation weekend, it was a prix fixe dinner, 4 courses with multiple options. To reiterate: Spectacular. The "welcome dish" was asparagus with whipped cottage cheese, ppepitas and pumpkin seed oil. Absolutely delicious, with gorgeous presentation--the cottage cheese was whipped and had a light, delicious airy quality. Superb. We all ordered different dishes from each course, and it just seemed to get better and better. The seared pork belly with kimchee, crispy shallots and pork belly? To die for. Beef tenderloin carpaccio? Delicious. Sunchoke and bacon soup? Sublime. Oh, and that was just the second course. Really. I could go on and on about each course--you know, the seared sea scallops, NY strip steak, or even the halibut over polenta with escargot...but I guess it'd get pretty repetitious, huh? I could talk about how good dessert was--the almond bar with chocolate ganache or lavender shortbread with Italian meringue--but it's still not going to change my one-word summary of L'Etoile: Spectacular. read more

Last year I gave it 5 stars, this year, 3. The chef has just gotten lazy - they have gone from a full menu full of fabulous choices to 2 set menus - a 3 Course at $65 (granted, selections within this, but nothing enticed at all...) and a 7 course, all if which sounded delicious, for $125. Since we are not allowed foie gras in California, I'm on a mission on my yearly visit to Wisconsin... The usual plan is to sit at the bar and let the excellent and knowledgeable bartenders guide us through wine, drinks and food for dinner 2 nights in a row at L'Etoile, as their fish selections were varied and always wonderful. Usually only one incredible foie gras starter, but the helpful Bartenders would have a word and the chef would create something new, different and exciting for our return the next night to accompany one of the other fish dishes we were dying to try... That is no longer possible with this set menu. I'm normally all for Prix fix, IF you have a choice of that or the usual menu. 2 Set Menus only? Not happy, and neither are some of the other regulars we met last night. So, onto the menu which granted, we shared, but still incredibly puny portions. Montauk Grilled Scallops - was one of the teensiest scallop singular I have ever seen sliced into 4 slivers. Had to put on reading glasses to find its accompaniments and impossible to experience all together. Foie gras 2 ways and all to myself as husband knows better... - one teensy pear "cracker" with buttery heaven on it - would have killed for a bowl of this, a 1" seared piece in a duck reduction that was very interesting in a good way... Would have killed for more than 3 little bites of this too. I was able to accompany with a lovely glass of Sauternes, but the foie was gone well before the wine. Lobster was small but yummy. Lamb "Rack" - ha... Not memorable. Eye of Rib - again, meh. Hooks 12 year cheddar with apple - I missed the usual calcium lactate crystals I love to find in the Hooks 12 year, so this was a letdown. Pumpkin cheesecake was a hit. Small, but yummy. Scott, the bartender, is amazing and would love to have him guide me through wine and drink menus always. Sad as I loved this place, our yearly 2 nights in a row food feast "pilgrimage," but we're looking elsewhere for tonight. Highly recommend sitting at the bar though, totally different experience than the tables and you meet amazing people who know their food. Met the Pleasant Ridge cheese maker last night, one of my favs. So, after a $125 7 course menu which granted, we split, hit the Tornado and split a $9 beef tenderloin sandwich, which was incredibly satisfying. Last night reminded me of our dinner at El Bulli, when my husband had to stop for an Iberico and cheese sandwich after 37 courses! We really aren't that big of eaters, usually split a starter and an entree, but another amusing end to a food feast evening ;-) L'Etoile, please go back to giving us choices! read more

Is pricey but delicious. What's nice about this place is that even though it's pricey, you get everything you pay for... you're not going to see someone in board shorts and a sweatshirt, it's probably the best and nicest restaurant in Madison. We compare this one to Harvest and although we adore Harvest, it's rustic elegance doesn't make the extra dosh feel ok. However at L'Etoile... you can dress up and get treated like a king and queen. The waiters are extremely knowledgeable about every dish and the chef changes the menu every week based on the freshness of the food. The waiters go through the entire menu and explain where the food came from and how each dish was prepared. It makes eating so much more special. Terra got the fois gras and Chris ordered the soup. Both starters were amazing and you really find yourself savoring every bite. We ran the numbers and it does make sense to get the tasting menu. They say they give half portions but it was plenty of food and we were full by the end of the evening. We recommend ordering the least expensive bottle bc ANY bottle on their menu is outstanding! You won't go wrong. We will definitely go there again and the new venue makes you feel like you're in the modern quarter of any big snazzy city! Luv it! read more

The staff was super stiff and overly formal. I found a hair in my first course, and my friend found a hair in her second course. Disgusting. I would have forgiven it or turned the other way, but the service was so awkward we couldn't finish. We felt so uncomfortable we walked out before finishing our meal. read more

Went to dinner here last night. We had the 7 course paring with wine which is a total of $190.00 person not cheap. The food was good not great. Portion for both the food and wine are very small. If it wasn't the bread we would have to stop at McDonald's. The service was excellent. read more

I recently celebrated my sixth anniversary with my partner at L'Etoile. It was an amazing experience during which I ate some of the best food of my life. First, having told them that it was our anniversary when scheduling reservations, the staff was incredibly attentive and polite. We received complimentary sparkling wine at the start of our meal to toast, followed by custom menus with my name and a special message at the top. For eats, we started with carpaccio and an oyster stew. The carpaccio was served with a raw, kohlrabi salad and fingerling potato chips. The grass-fed beef was some of the best meat I've ever had. Our oyster stew was a combination of cornmeal fried oysters and a salsify poured over mushrooms and sunchokes. Our main courses were the turbot served with roasted fall vegetables and truffle mashed potatoes, and then the pork chop. Both dishes were succulent and perfectly balanced in the flavor and texture departments. For drinks, I opted for the wine pairing. At $36 for three glasses of well-matched wine, it's really a good deal. My partner opted for cocktails, which were expertly imagined and refreshing. Overall, we had a really wonderful experience at L'Etoile. I think the only negative comment I have about this place is that our waiter was weird. Other than that, it was lovely and we'll definitely return to celebrate future special occasions. read more