Wow! I was in Madison working for a few days and just happened to find this place while walking…read morearound the capital one night, and man, was I impressed! Such a great vibe and nice atmosphere! I was with a coworker and we ordered beers and found a table and watched as the locals piled in, and suddenly it was packed and hopping! I ended every evening here, the beers were cold, and even though busy, service was friendly and fast. Downstairs is great, but the upstairs is even cooler, and had an even better vibe. If I lived here, I would definitely be here every night!

Cue the music... "Where everybody knows your name!" This is the absolute vibe of Genna's and even…read morethough no one knew our name, we felt like they were at least interested in learning it. We belied up to the bar and ordered a few cocktails. The bartender was super welcoming and friendly and had the best pour of my trip! As the afternoon progressed, more locals and regulars continued piling in, each welcomed personally and in some cases were greeted by their favorite beverage. The space is divey, but not dirty. It's eclectic, local, retro and homey. Downstairs has a simple local dive bar feel, while upstairs has more of a "scene" vibe. Overall, really enjoyed Genna's and is definitely on the "visit list" for my time in town!

Totally Whimsical!…read more My partner came here for a drink before our last date night. Such a fun spot with eclectic decor! Madison needs more places like this! The vibes are spectacular, and make you just want to sink in and read a good book. I love this part of Madison!! The only thing to keep in mind, is that the drinks are a tad on the pricey side. Expect $12 plus for a small cocktail. They are definitely worth it, stop in, have a drink, then go out for dinner.

Still my absolutely favorite cocktail place downtown. The decor is fantastic, and I love the old…read morelooking tvs playing movies. The menu didn't have exactly what I wanted but I talked with Atticus and he made me the perfect drink, something on the menu with a bit of spice added. 10/10

I really enjoyed my quick stop in. The slushie was delicious and the chat with the bartenders made…read moreme feel at home. This place is cute, clean, and has a great spirit selection.

Pay with cash or massively incompetent and "not able to read words good" bartenders will hand your…read morecard off to someone else and then play it off like it's not a big deal because again, they can't read words and just give anyone with the same type of credit card your credit card and then pretend it's not a big deal or a massive inconvenience to cancel and reissue a credit card. This place used to train and produce talent. Now it's not functionally literate. Totally pathetic. Won't ever return. Will tell them at tales and Portland what's happening in Madison. Total losers.

You can either have dinner here or stop in just for drinks. Either way, we have loved visiting The…read moreBotanist Social. For dinner I recommend the Salmon bruschetta, mushroom risotto (soo good) and the crab cakes. The drinks are simply sublime. Gin is the spirit of choice here and you can get it straight up or mixed in a cocktail while watching the bartender. If gin isn't your thing, they have other spirits as well including a very thorough whiskey offering. I have been here now about 10 times and each time I am surprised by the drinks and entrees and each time I am greeted with excellent friendly service.

Came to Botanist Social for a cocktail and dinner before a game…read more Walked into the cool vibe and decor and got a nice welcome from the hostess as well as the waitress. I had the clover club cocktail and it was delish. Nice and refreshing and not too heavy. CLOVER CLUB Gin, raspberry syrup, egg whites*, lemon We shared the butter's salad and it was a nice mix. BURRATA SALAD Peaches, tomatoes, burrata cheese, sweet vinegar dressing I had the Campanella pasta as the main and it was very savory. Noodles could have been a bit more al Dente. CAMPANELLE PASTA Campanelle noodles, braised short rib, poached egg, balsamic drizzle Service was good throughout, our server did several check-ins. Cool spot. Small food menu but would come back again.

Great service! Terri was wonderful and very attentive to all of our needs. The breakfast was huge…read moreand everything came out exactly as ordered. We had a great experience and really appreciated the excellent service!

Went for breakfast, we were one of two tables there. Food was not worth the wait. service was poor…read more Would not recommend.

The Corral Room is perhaps downtown Madison's best kept secret. It's cocktail lounge beneath the…read moreTornado Room that only opens after 9pm. The menu is mostly small plates and drinks. The lighting is intimate and the decor relies heavily on dark corners and draped curtains. The place simply oozes atmosphere and looks like something straight out of a David Lynch movie. It's hard to categorize the Corral Room Bar. It straddles the line of both divy and classy. Both seedy and romantic. If you're on a date and you REALLY want to impress someone, take them to the Corral Room. P.S. I'm pretty sure this is the only place in madison where you can order escargot.

This is no Tornado room...but, it's kitchy and if you're in absolutely no hurry and in the mood to…read morefight for a table and have a small party, what the hell. Give it a try. We ordered the French onion soup, cheese curds (not available on the upstairs menu), scallop appetizer, steak sandwich and the pineapple upside down cake (also not listed on the late night menu but on the upstairs Tornado room menu). Pros: We could get quality cheese curds that weren't normally an option here! They had many of the fav's from the upstairs menu available as a late night late night option. The dessert was amazing, as always! Con: The steak sandwich had been rumored to be a showstopper but ours was thin pieces of tough, chewy steak. Nothing close to what I'd have ever guessed possible for this usually elite steak house on even its worst day. Major disappointment.

The best craft cocktail bar in Madison. Very experienced bartenders, an owner that knows the…read morebusiness inside and out, and at atmosphere that is unmatched in Madison. I appreciate the rotating cocktail menu. I get to try a new and exciting cocktail every time I visit PP.

Such a cute cocktail bar! I tried the drink "He's Not You, But You're Not Here" and if you love…read morecucumber, I would definitely recommend. I love the ambiance of the bar and it would make a great date spot. The bartender was also so nice, my friend wanted a drink but was allergic to one of the ingredients, so the bartender whipped something similar up and my friend loved it! Great drinks, great people, great vibes.

Another first-time experience in Madison, and this spot came highly recommended if you're a true…read morewhiskey or bourbon lover, and wow it did NOT disappoint! It happened to be near the theatre we went to, so we decided to stop in and check it out. They have nearly 775 different types of whiskey to choose from, which is wild! I loved that they offer different ounce sizes so you can sample a few, and they even pair it with water so you stay hydrated while tasting (smart touch). Price ranges between ~$7.50-$20.00+. The place had a cozy, lounge-like vibe and was pretty busy, but the staff was friendly and helpful. It's first come first served for seating, just like any bar. We sampled a few whiskeys and also tried their premade espresso martini. The whiskey selection was phenomenal, the espresso martini was decent, not the best I've had (it was premade), but still enjoyable (it's made with Tito's, which isn't my favorite base, but I appreciate the fresh coffee beans they used). All in all, this place is a hidden gem. Great whiskey, friendly staff, and the perfect cozy spot to escape the rain for a while. I'll definitely be back next time to try even more from their list!

The perfect chill spot for a couple, if you need a cozy booth with dim lighting & good cocktails…read morethis is it! We also loved that the football game was on and it wasn't too loud. It's intimate and the drinks are fire. We stuck with the classic old fashioned and felt they were strong and well crafted - thank you for a true luxardo cherry too! We ordered at the bar but chilled in a booth. So many whiskey options!!! Service is friendly & quick!

Another very hipster and vibey lounge that really describes Madison, WI! The cocktails are all on a…read moregun and not handmade which obliviously lowers the rating. The service is always very fast and friendly though! The extremely narrow seating along with the other seating options in the other room are very odd. It usually fill up pretty quick but the seats overlooking King St. are the best! Plainspoke is a great experience, but there are a few other cocktail bars in Madison that rank above them.

Stopped by here for a night cap. We honestly had no idea this space was here. You can almost miss…read moreit, but the entrance is to the left of Young Blood (be careful on the stairs up!) The interior was such a fun vibe. We loved the purple lighting and all the decor, made for great photo backgrounds. Also, the view is so underrated. The windows on the right side overlook King Street! The drinks were great also! Our favorites were the clear old fashioned and Miami vice. Staff were super nice. They were a little busy for a Friday night but we still got everything we ordered relatively fast. Overall great experience. So happy to have a place to go where I can order a fun cocktail!

I was out and about, exploring Madison, and Merchant looked like a cool place to stop for happy…read morehour. I sat at the bar, and Mi took great care of me. I had dinner plans, so I just wanted to stop in for a drink and snack. They have some really good offers for HH and their cheese curds are half off. I had never had one, so it sounded like the perfect time to try. I got a glass of wine and the curds. They came out quickly, hot and fresh. It was a big bowl of fried cheese. They come with ranch and hot honey, and apparently they recently won best cheese curd at the cheese curd crawl. They were super tasty. Well seasoned, perfectly fried, and kind of chewy. I am not on the hot honey frenzy train, but I tried it and thought it paired well, just wasn't for me. The ranch was tasty though. Even the happy hour portion was hefty and I couldn't put down half. A little wine and cheese on a beautiful day, just makes for a good experience. They were making some pretty interesting cocktails behind the bar, and it is definitely worth coming back to try out their other options.

Wanted to sit outside for dinner and came across Merchant. Waitress was quick to come over with…read moremenus and water. We started with the cheese board for $32.00. Let's say not the best board I've ever had. Very light on the cheese for the price. Wouldn't order again. Cheese curds were tasty. My husband at the steak which came rare had to return to cook more. The fries were over cooked. My son had the Mac n cheese with chicken that he enjoyed. We also ordered a salad which was fresh and tasty. The menu was small but a nice place to come and have a drink after work then move in for dinner.