Love it! Best meal I had in Madison. Fantastic service and ambiance, well thought out wine and cocktail list, and a French bistro menu that would probably hold its own in Paris. read more

I went to Sardine with friends for brunch in the fall. I had been for dinner before, and thought the food was just OK for the price. This visit, I really enjoyed the brunch. The frites really are great. But our service was very, very awkward. My friend ordered a bloody mary, and waited quite a long while to get it. Our food also took a very long time to come. I guess if I could give it a 3.5, I would. The food was good. read more

The location and decor are fantastic. We went in December and the whole place was decked out with poinsettias. Stunning. It is so bright and open; even visiting in the winter, the lake view was stunning. The brunch food did not meet the hype, but the Duck Confit salad was a very satisfying meal. I would return for dinner for a special occasion. read more

Sardine is just so great every time I go there. I had a delicious farmer's market omelette (the special - love the ramps!).

I enjoyed the Seared whitefish, shrimp and wild rice dumplings, sauteed baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms and sherry cream sauce. They provide a small carafe of water on the table. read more

The acoustics are horrible, unless you're in the bar area or patio. The food is pretty decent- well thought out. However, I don't eat pork, and there are very few dishes available porkless. The Valentine's Day specials menu was fabulous- as there were Camembert Croquettes- really wonderful, on a bed of sauteed greens with (I believe- it was dark) cherries, grapes, walnuts and a mustard sauce. Very good- I wish it were a regular on the menu. I'd have a go to thing to order. Otherwise, not much for me on the menu. Nice wine list. read more

We ordered the mussels here and my husband was throwing up later that evening. I think he ate a bad one. You have to be really careful when cooking those things as they can make people VERY sick if not cooked properly. I wouldn't eat here again. read more

I've been here twice and both times I was disappointed with the food. The first time, we had a dish with olive paste, and the olive taste overpowered the whole dish. The second time we went during restaurant week and the portions were not large enough to feed a child. read more

Great vibe inside and one of the few places in Madison where you can eat 'near' the water. Only a few tables outside. Good seafood menu

This place was great. We went for dinner over the holidays and had a great dinner. We didn't get to enjoy the lake view since it was covered in snow, but the space was fantastic. We started with an arugula salad and scallop dish. Both were fantastic. I had the lamb chops and my husband had the rigatoni with sausage(sounded so boring but was great!). We had a fantastic time and would definitely go back. read more

Great service, delicious salmon sandwich, yummy bloody mary's and lovely location right on the lake.

We've gone here more than anywhere else in the 10 years we've lived in Madison. Sardine is our go-to restaurant bar. Recently the service has taken a turn for the worse. Its sad. Sardine is slipping a bit in the food department too. Perhaps too many new restaurants stealing talent? Don't know, but my favorite go-to place just lost a star. read more

I love this place for brunch. The food is terrific, the staff is friendly and the setting is unique, right on Lake Monona in a historic building. read more

Food and portions are good. What brings me back is the decor. You can have a very have a very nice brunch there where seating is comfortable. The restaurant definitely is a step-up from the usual vibe around Madison eateries. read more

Went here for Brunch after the Farmer's Market. My omelet was one of the best I've had. Never would think of putting Brie Cheese in an omelet! read more

Only been to the bar. Nice atmosphere, good service, not too loud, reasonably priced drinks.

Sardine is an adorable restaurant, and would be perfect for date night or a group celebration. The dinner menu is really awesome, leaning towards seafood, but with other items as well. My group split the warm goat cheese crostini, which sounds unassuming but OMG it was amazing. For my entree I had the monkfish, which was an unusual mix of flavors but it really hit the spot. I knocked off one star just because it's a bit expensive for Madison, but honestly, worth the price to this Chicago girl. read more

What happened? I moved a couple of years ago and was so excited to have brunch during my visit this weekend. I used to eat here frequently. Whether it be oyster happy hours, brunch or dinner and NEVER had a bad meal. Did they change chefs? We had 4 entrees and one kids meal. The "soft" eggs with the eggs/sausage took on the literal meaning of soft - they weren't cooked. I mean raw and snotty. Two people ordered that and both were cooked the same. The server suggested we get something different because she can't promise the next round wouldn't be more of the same. My meal was the ribeye with poached eggs and hollandaise. It looked good and was ok but I expected more. It was pretty bland to be honest. The re-orders decided on simple side orders for their meals which were hard to mess up. Surprisingly, they were charged full price for those items. Yes, the returned meals were pulled from the ticket but she didn't offer anything while they waited which constitutes bad service in my world. Especially at a restaurant with the reputation of the Sardine. The other meal was the crab/shrimp cakes. Gross. Looked like a cross between chicken fried steak and a fried buffalo chicken patty. I've never seen a deep fried crab cake before. I won't be wasting one of my precious trips to Madison on the Sardine anymore. read more

My family is from San Francisco, and devotees of great food. Sardine's brunch is always on the agenda when they come to visit. We are all obsessed with their creamed eggs, and Belgium waffle. One of the best brunches in Madison. read more

One of the best places to eat in Madison. The food, the ambiance, all great. I've never had a bad meal at Sardines. The only gripe, I wish they would change or expand the menu. read more

The space is gorgeous and the atmosphere is relaxing and bright. The open air patio with view of lake (over a busy parking lot) is also quite nice, although often a long wait for seating there. Although the restaurant was quite empty on an early Sunday morning, we were seated next to a table with 3 rather rowdy children. We also found that flies were lighting on our bare legs and feet, which was quite creepy. We asked if we could be seated elsewhere but the server admitted that the files were problematic all over the space and she didn't have any suggestions as to where might be any better. I was almost tempted to walk out, but had an idea. On a cool morning, not so many flies outside. We asked to be re-seated on the patio. The hostess seemed annoyed (she often does), but we were delighted to have no more flies. My meal was average (the waffle with fruit). Sadly there were many bitter pieces of a burned prior waffle stuck in mine. My friend enjoyed her egg dish and coffee. Service was poor as had to ask repeatedly for beverage refills. We did, however, linger awhile after the meal without any dirty looks. Overall, rather average food, nice atmosphere, but pricey. read more

We have been back to Sardine a number of times for brunch and once for dinner. The atmosphere of Sardine has such a cool pleasant vibe I always expect a more creative experience. Brunch is good and dinner was fine, just not overly remarkable. read more

Overrated. Staff is sweet and fast for groups. However, the menu is overpriced, especially at brunch. The seafood cakes are not light and bursting with seafood goodness, rather deep fried and odd. The waffles are bigger than the photos appear, but still for the price... Try elsewhere. I do recommend Sardine's Friday happy hour. Oysters and mussels and wine on special. Also, I have tried the duck, lamb and steak for dinners. All were prepared well. Be ready for the steepest playing charge in Madison. Though we called ahead, we brought cake for a friend's birthday and were charged per person, plus. read more

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Favorite place down town Madison. The menu rotates regularly and always features some locally sourced options of all courses. Very vegan/vegetarian friendly. Great selection of oysters as well. The best bone in pork chop I've ever had was eaten here too. 12/10 read more

Food is great. Waitstaff functions and presents well. The drinks are made exceptionally well. Must visit for Madisonians.

I've eaten here a lot and had great meals, but on visit this week, I felt for the first time like the food did not justify the cost. The cocktails were great as always, the charcuterie and goat cheese apps were top notch, and the mussels were good, but the steak and salmon entrees were nothing special, and frites were subpar. I'm sure we'll go back, but we may stick to brunch and cocktails and appetizers. read more

Yummy , easy to get to. Highly recommend. The blue cheese with fig sauce is delicious . Friendly staff.

Very cool, trendy atmosphere w a great view of the lake. Had the spinach, goat cheese, tomato, bacon omelette w/ frites and salad. The omelette was very good and the frites were AWESOME!! Our server was very friendly and the only complaint was that once the food was served, we didn't see him again til he dropped off the bill and noone ever came around to refill our coffees or check in on us. Id definitely go back, they had several items on the menu I'd love to try read more

I've only gone twice so far and its been an amazing experience. I love this place. The crab cakes are to die for...

Came here during restaurant week. Everything was so good esp the Salmon and Duck confit is a must try. 4 Stars for the price (pricey) but otherwise great service. read more

A regular brunch spot for my wife and I. Maybe a little on the pricy side, but a nice treat. I'm in love with the mussels, but the buckwheat Belgian waffle can't miss either. Great bar to have a coffee/cocktail at while you wait for your table. read more

I've been to Sardine twice for dinner and it was outstanding both times. The ambience is upscale casual and slightly noisy. It wouldn't be the best choice for a romantic evening. The food is incredible and the crab cakes were the best I've ever had. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Sardine is located in a beautiful setting, right on the lake, and the decor is outstanding. We sat outside and ordered the shrimp and crab cakes and the smoked salmon sandwich. Both dishes were delicious. Service was also incredible, they did not rush you, which we liked as it was a beautiful day and we wanted to have a leisurely meal. read more

We made a reservation for brunch for Father's day, and brought in-laws with us. 5 of us arrived there in time, but we were told by the hostess that they needed to set up a table and would take a few minutes. Fine, so we, including our 8-year old kid, waited. We could see some one finally started setting up a table for us. The place was packed, but 20 min. past our reservation time we finally saw our table ready. Then, we realized the hostess was missing when the table was ready. When we looked around, we saw her chatting, taking pictures, having a good time with other guests. 25 minutes past our reservation time, she decided to make us wait longer and didn't want us to interrupt the great fun she was having. Then, it took forever for someone to come over to take our order and took another 30 min. to serve food. By the time, we were all too hungry and our father's day was semi-ruined. We've always found the hostess somewhat unapproachable - but she was particularly indifferent to our dismay that day. read more

Pleasant surprise in Madison. Was traveling from Chicago up to Canoe Bay for a romantic getaway with my wife, and we stopped in for brunch. Wow. Authentic french food, great service on the water in Mad town. We'll be back! read more

Very smart and attentive service + delicious food = great experience - extremely noisy acoustics = almost there!

A very consistent favorite with enough gradual evolution of the menu that there is always something new to try, though it's hard to resist the old favorites of moules, duck salad, salmon, and steak. The special this time was cassoulet, which was excellent. read more

A nice clean restaurant with good service and some outside seating. I had the salmon, my friend had arctic char, and the other person had whitefish. The dishes are somewhat small, especially the whitefish dish. It was one thin slice of white fish for 25 or 26 dollars. The salmon and the arctic char were excellent. Price based on portion is a little high. read more

Sardine is high on the list of reasons why returning to WI seems to be a good idea. I'm no food critic but this place deserves kudos for their efforts and success. I've had some amazingly and unforgettable pieces of meat, incredible sides and salads, and lovely wines here. Sardine has quickly become a necessary stop on my visits to Madison. My understanding is that one of the owners or chefs worked at Zuni Caffe in San Francisco. It doesn't surprise me because it has the same fresh take on traditional fare. In addition to the excellence above, Sardine has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Its busy, maybe a bit noisy, but the energy of the space is contagious. But you won't be feeling claustrophobic in this place. There is plenty of breathing room. Anothe important point to mention is the hospitality and proficiency of Sardine's staff. Their exceptional service lends itself to an extended evening, including bellying up to the bar to taste the bartenders concoctions and hanging with this friendly crowd. read more

Was in town visiting some friends, and had a great dinner here. Delicious mussels appetizer, nice salad, and special sea bass with local and heirloom tomatoes, the latter of which I am a complete sucker for. The view was gorgeous, and we got a great table near the windows overlooking the lake. The service was slow on the night we were there, but I get the sense that was an unusual circumstance, because the waiter was otherwise very attentive and courteous. read more