food is pretty good! it's worth going for happy hour, but the prices are otherwise rather steep…read more sushi was solid. staff messed up my bill, but they were overall courteous. it's quiet, and the interior is clean. bathroom was also clean and nicely done. bottom line: go for happy hour and get some sushi :-) cheap beer then, too

This restaurant replaced a longtime neighborhood favorite, and unfortunately it missed the mark…read more The atmosphere felt empty, sad, and lacking energy -- especially for a Friday night when every other restaurant nearby was packed. The staff seemed disengaged and lackluster, which usually reflects management and overall leadership. The food was just okay. The miso soup was overly salty, and the seaweed wrapped around the tempura roll was soggy and tough to chew, which made it feel far from fresh. Freshness is everything when it comes to sushi, so that was disappointing. Sadly, this place did not live up to expectations, and I won't be returning.

Food and service of this level is near impossible to get. Especially late in a Midwest town. This…read moreshit is the bomb. Great beer selection, clean taps, and AMAZING Chinese food available till midnight. The kitchen is very clean and organized and this is reflected in the food

I had previously only come to Natt Spil for drinks, but I was able to try dinner recently and it…read moredid not disappoint. I came on a weeknight around 6pm and had no trouble getting a table for 3. But it's a very small and narrow space so I imagine it can get pretty full on a weekend. The lighting is pretty dark, so it has a moody vibe. I had a vegan version of the Dan Dan noodles (Mun Duck & Tofu Noodles) and they were surprisingly creamy and had a really nice spice. I also tried the Jungle Bird cocktail, which I enjoyed.

Date of visit: January 24, 2026…read more We didn't really want to venture out much more than we had to on account of the crazy low temperatures and decided that there were some good options on the menu here and limit the amount of times we had to go outside. We didn't have a reservation but thankfully did not need one and Pablo took good care of us for the most part. I tried a fun mocktail, the Espresso Impression and it was very good if quite small for the price. I understand why a real espresso martini is $12, but not one without any alcohol... I did enjoy it, just would have enjoyed it more if it was say $7 or $8. Pablo recommended the Birria Sandwich and I asked if there was anything else in it besides the meat and cheese and he said no. Well, that wasn't entirely true as there were quite a few onions in the mixture that had I known about, I would have chosen a different option. I scraped them out as best I could and it was good overall, just disappointed about the onions. Guess I should have specifically asked about them. I ended up finishing my husband's Garlic Knot Chicken (definitely do not need to worry about vampires with this sucker!) and side of Au Gratin potatoes and both were quite good. Prices--excepting the mocktail--were quite good considering it was in a hotel and should I stay here again, would definitely give some other menu items a try.

The cheese curds here were amazing. Lightly fried, great sauced and not too heavy. Our dinner…read moreentrees were all great, too. Don't sleep on the specials! Our waiter Pablo was so sweet. Great experience all around, highly recommend. And they validate your parking!

Excited to try this place, as izakayas (associated with places where people would gather for…read morealcohol and small plates of food) in Japan were really fun. Given this is the only izakaya in Madison, I can see why the skewers were somewhat pricey here. Aside from skewers, we got the spicy miso ramen and omule rice. The spicy miso ramen was so spicy that I couldn't really taste though food though my friend had no issues with it. The omule (omelette) rice was amazing. You can adjust the amount of ketchup, brown sauce, and Japanese mayo. They have a QR code to order with, which makes things convenient. Vibes were great with a variety of sitting options, and decor was representative of Japanese culture.

Ambiance: It smelled like a burnt rubber tire so pretty unpleasant when we dined there. Someone in…read moremy group asked if they could fix the smell but the waiter said he was sick and could not smell anything which was bizzarre. Food: I enjoyed my ramen noodle bowl and the hot sake. Service: They bring out the food pretty quick but you need to scan a QR code then place your order, there is no waiter that takes your order. That was also more work than we anticipated since one person has to order from their phone even if you have a large group. The location is great since it's right on state street.

Otto's was such a wonderful experience! Almost seems like a supper club with a Mediterranean twist!…read more We were searching for a change from the typical downtown scene, and this was exactly what we were looking for. The restaurant is very unassuming but we are so happy we visited! We started with the Mediterranean platter and I will absolutely order this again because the whipped feta was amazing. Most entrees come with a salad or soup so we had the Cesar salad with ours. Dishes were perfect. Proteins were perfectly cooked and the lamb seemed very high quality. I also thought the portions were great for the price. The friendly vibe and incredible staff really put the finishing touches on an awesome night. We decided to sit on the patio and it was such a wonder summer night. Definitely make a reservation for weekends as it does seem to get busy.

We went here to celebrate our anniversary. The servers were amazing and they promptly seated up (we…read morehad a reservation). The setup is perfect for a special dinner with upscale type dining experience, but not quite extravagant style fine dining. The food selection on the menu was good. The quantity and quality of food served was top notch.

I LOVE the concept of this upscale food hall with awesome food, drinks and lake views!!…read more We checked out One Social on a Sunday for lunch. Sunday turns out to be an excellent day to come here, as street parking is free. This food hall has something for everyone. We tried the Seafood restaurant and the Italian restaurant. They give you a "buzzer" to notify you when your food is ready for pickup. That allows you to choose any of the many lake-view tables. The food didn't take too long, and was totally worth the wait. My shrimp kale salad was huge with many jumbo shrimps. Luckily they have to-go containers available if you ask. My husband's chicken parm was better than most. The lake views are hard to beat, and it seems they have outside lake view tables for warm weather. Will be back for sure.

I LOVED this place. I had no idea it was so close to the lake or the capital, but it's location…read moremakes total sense. Under the new apartment complex, across from Tempest sits this food hall. It's a mini, elevated food court with some booths that boast opportunities for new places to try out. The space is open, has a great view of the lake, and plenty of seating. The choices for food that were established when I went were italian, pub, mexican, or seafood. Theres a bar at the end to grab a drink - take advantage of HH during the week. Everything is order at the counter, then get a buzzer or call out your name. The staff was really friendly and the food was good. Not cheap, but good. I enjoyed it and could see myself trying the other options there especially when friends are in town or if it's too cold to go to the terrace.

Food: 5 Service: 5…read moreUniqueness: 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.

Hello! L'Etoile was just what we like. Coursed meals and foodie type dishes. Here is our…read moreexperience: As we are new to area we were given a champagne as a welcome gift and it was very nice, then a small treat like a cake crouton with a cheddar and kimchi spread on top with a sparkling Rose, kinda of a savory treat and palate cleanser, then a Amuse Bouche like a deconstructed BLT bite, very tasty and creative! 1st Course: Fluke Crudo, with a drizzle. Had apples, grapes, and cucumber with peanuts something was spicy maybe the drizzle but not a put off ..just a punch I was not expecting ..this was pretty good. For a 6 course meal as the first dish it was quite large. Wine: Dry German Riesling. 2nd Dish: Gorgonzola and pear ravioli, in a sage butter cream sauce ..tasty and good portion. Ravioli was perfect aldente ... Wine: French Vouvray was nice But then they bring you baguette with mushroom butter..I mean kill me with the carbs!! lol the bread was amazing in the sage butter sauce we forgot about mushroom butter . 3rd dish: Alaskan Halibut over an eggplant ragu, although it was very good the eggplant ragu was not my favorite so the fish by itself was a bit salty. But the entire dish in one bite with ragu and sweet relish/paste on top was a balanced bite and I appreciated the flavor balance all together . Wine: Pinot noir: thought it might be strange but paired well with the red sauce and eggplant 4th dish : heirloom Tomato and some poached tomatoes, with a masa topping in a buerre blanc type sauce the sauce was tasty . Seemed like a play on a salted tomato steak, with some greens on top. The masa came off very salty and the dish was very acidic. I understand the play between two savory dishes for the palate..just was not our favorite. The smaller tomatos were delicious. Wine: herbaceous white wine almost poured with green hint , but paired well. 5th dish: ribeye with broccoli, smoked bacon, small potato ball, in a wine reduction . This was pretty good..again certain things individually were over salty..broccoli salty, wondering if steak was dry brined or aged but it was still delicious, bacon by itself pretty smoky. When all of dish together was great flavors. Wine: a leap frog cab: had a very earthy Brettomyacin type yeasty smell and tip of tongue..or it was going bad but I doubt that. They also gave us a small taste of another cab that was more traditional dry and fruit forward cab . This was much appreciated. 5th dish: maple cake ..wife had this but I subbed for basil ice cream...wow basil ice cream was amazing with the wine pairing. The maple cake was a lot for my palate so glad I subbed so i didn't waste a desssrt. Wine: a semi sweet bubbly moscato. Not my favorite usually but balanced well with basil ice cream, although it was paired for maple cake and under why the cake was heavy spiced like apple maple cake..not my palate lover but I got the concept ... Would recommend people who have the funds or adventurous please come visit this place, awesome people, atmosphere, and views of the capital. Overall we give 4 stars : volume of food for money incredible, but smaller portion and pleasurable bites versus not finishing plates and over stuffed would be better value IMO. Service: our host and server were amazing, they were engaging and checked on us often. Only compliments to them well done. The runners of food were awesome also. Summary: really good food, great service, wine pairings and food volume great for people who can eat that much food. At end of day we got 3-5 extra bites, and bread on top of taste menu, a couple dishes were salty but overall we had a great experience ..we will be back thank you very much for a wonderful experience. The place is beautiful and we enjoyed our experience. Thank you L'Etoile

Ordered the combo A with crawfish! 1/2 snow…read morecrab,shrimp,crawfish + potatoes +rice. Cajun butter mild Excellent service and amazing flavor! Seemed pretty slow and eerie but food came fast and hot !!

Kind of a weird empty gray vibe when you walk in. Service was good - they don't check on you too…read moremuch cuz nobody wants to be interrupted while bib'd up! FOOD IS SOOOO GOOD!