Creative French food, rotating between regions, really done perfectly. Amazing happy hour, great…read morebeer & cocktail selections. Nice outdoor patio!

We loved the ambiance, but unfortunately the rest of the experience fell short…read more We chose to sit at the bar and told the bartender it was our first time dining there. We were hoping for a little guidance or enthusiasm about the menu, but she never really talked about the food. When we asked what she recommended, her response was simply, "Snapper." Every question we asked was met with very short, one word answers. She wasn't busy. She just seemed completely uninterested. Having worked in restaurants for most of my life, I know hospitality is about creating an experience. Bartenders are representing the restaurant and helping guests feel excited about the menu. If this were my restaurant, I would be disappointed by that level of service. The food itself was just okay. The presentation was beautiful and definitely deserving of five stars, but the flavor did not live up to how impressive it looked. After reading other Yelp reviews, we also realized a 20% gratuity had already been added for our party of two. We did not notice it at the time and tipped on top of it. While that was our oversight, it made the experience even more disappointing given the lackluster service. This was our first meal on our first visit to Madison, and we were really looking forward to it. Sadly, the overall experience did not meet our expectations. I will say that our first encounter was with the hostess, and she was very friendly. She welcomed us warmly, thanked us for coming, and even made a point to tell us goodbye on our way out. She was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing experience. Great dining is about more than just the food. It is about the entire experience, and this one missed the mark.

This was a wonderful dining experience from our entry into this rustic but elegant dining room with…read morea boat at the entrance, to the bar in the middle of the dining area. The hostess was accommodating and our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The star: FRESH seafood! The Lobster Roll- with or without flying fish roe-EXCEPTIONAL! However, my Bucatini--sauteéd lobster, shrimp, a scallop, mussels and clams with capers, an experiential tomato saffron broth and parmesan with a PERFECTLY prepared pasta was incredible.

I love the food here! The oyster selection is the best in Madison. The steak and lobster roll were…read moreamazing.. both very high quality. The service is amazing our server came by with a few minutes left in happy to check if we wanted to put in any last minute orders which was very appreciated. The decor inside is very vintage nautical themed. Super cute! My favorite date night spot.

I don't know why some people give the Statehouse mediocre reviews. I and my family have dined many…read moretimes and it has always been great. The food is always excellent, the service is usually good, ( come on, this is a huge hotel with hundreds of employees, you are going to get newbies with awkward service sometimes.) So, you have a large beautiful dining room with incredible views of lake Mendota and great food. What's not to like?

It's a pretty view but the staff wasn't welcoming. It was an empty dining room but we were sat near…read morethe kitchen near the server station so it felt like we were always in the way as servers took turns putting in orders or whatever. Our server didn't want to be there. The vegan soup was good but the fish and chips and Wellington were from the senior home. Little flavor lots of salt. Good fries. Not worth the $$. Wish we'd eaten on campus at the wonderful lakefront dining and entertainment spot

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!

It was nice but I'm not sure it's worth a second visit. The space is nice but a little weary with…read moreits strange heavy curtains to the patio area in the back. The only restrooms were upstairs (or at least that's where we were directed) there was a very dirty and rusty lift. Wings and cheese curds yes. The relish tray is not worth the money and it's too far away from my supper club expectations. No to the French onion soup and the Italian beef. My fault on the sandwich I wanted Chicago I got an interpretive version. I hear the fish fry was good even though the fries were over salted. They're strict on your seat time we were getting together after a long time apart so being told we should prepare to leave was an awkward way to end but it's the policy I guess. Server was lovely patient and kind.

Great service and very accommodating! The happy hour is perfect and so many options. I highly…read morerecommend the cheese curds of course. I love the vibes of the hotel and the restaurant. Outdoor seating is available too. The French 75 is so refreshing and not overly sweet even though it has rhubarb and strawberry. Highly recommend

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.

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

Did someone say Friday night Fish fry?…read more Nice to not have to go far north Wisconsin for one. Great drinks and fish fry was just what we needed. Lots of fries, which were touch of salt, perfectly fried and worthy of saying- yum. Nice remodel, fair prices, great service.

Great outdoor patio area. Our severs were friendly and…read moreprompt. Their truffle fries are like crack. Seasoned perfectly and fried to have a wonderful crunch. And the truffle seasoning steals the show! I also just tried their tenderloin tips. Nicely seasoned and slightly spicy tips cooked to tenderness and the red wine reduction is oh-so tasty. Don't need the bead, but I'll take it, to sop up the sauce! Our fettuccine Alfredo came al dente and with just the right amount of Alfredo sauce. Not overly seasoned. The chicken was a nice neutral protein added in. There was even enough for lunch the next day. It was our first time on the patio. It's a nice, calm, and relaxing way to have dinner outside. I would definitely return.

honestly pretty solid overall. best calamari i had in awhile. ambiance a little crowded but love…read morethe little italy vibes. portion and prices are fair but still higher end. loved the service

They were super busy, so service was a little bit slower. Our server was super friendly and got all…read moreof our orders correct. The mushroom pasta dish (tagliatelle) was definitely the stand out of our meal. While the budino was delicious, I didn't get the butterscotch flavors as it was noted in the menu. It almost tasted more like pumpkin and cinnamon. Warm fresh bread and the traditional cesear salad were delicious. I really liked my white sangria but my husband didn't care for his barrel aged Negroni. Love the tiles behind the bar and the history of this classic place.