Madison’s 20 Hottest Restaurants
From the European-inspired tastes of Germany, Italy and France to exquisitely prepared homegrown meals, Madison is a haven for foodies everywhere. Treat yourself to the ultimate food tour with our guide to 20 of the capital city’s top eateries:
- 1. A popular Monroe Street eatery starring Moules Et Frites (Prince Edward Island Mussels in a Garlic, Chardonnay, Shallot & Butter Broth with Frites). Ahh, we heart you, Brasserie V.
- 2. Graze – The casual companion to Chef Tory Miller’s L’Etoile restaurant, Graze serves a range of comfort foods made from local, sustainable ingredients found right in Madison. Oh we bet you’ll love your view of the State Capitol almost as much as the meal in front of you.
- 3. Harvest Restaurant – Located off the Capitol Square on Pinckney Street, Harvest takes local and organic ingredients very seriously. Menu favorites include Wisconsin farm-raised rabbit roulad, Door Country cherry glazed foie gras, toasted crostini, cocoa nibs and house-made chocolate stout gelato.
- 4. Forequarter
- 5. Lao Laan-Zang
- 6. Lombardino’s
- 7. Banzo
- 8. Marigold Kitchen
- 9. Merchant
- 10. Nitty Gritty
- 11. Nostrano
- 12. The Old Fashioned
- 13. A Pig in a Fur Coat
- 14. Quivey’s Grove
- 15. Essen Haus
- 16. The Roman Candle
- 17. Smoky’s Club
- 18. AJ Bombers
- 19. Tornado Club Steak House
- 20 .Weary Traveler Free Haus
Mouthwatering meals are a guarantee in Madison. Food comas: very likely. (Hey, you’ve been warned.)
Want more Madison Dining? Watch our full episode.
What about Paisans? Best pizza!
Paisans IS pretty darn amazing! We had a tough time dwindling this list down to just 20…there are so many awesome restaurants in Madison! Thanks for reading, Chris.
I guess I’m surprised to not see Vintage Brewing Company, especially with the inclusion of the lackluster Sprecher restaurant. I would think the drastically superior food and beverage options, with the beers and sodas both being made on site, would make Vintage far outshine Sprecher. But then again, the inclusions of Quivey’s and Nitty Gritty are pretty surprising too, at least from a food perspective. They certainly have atmospheric merits, but I wouldn’t think that would make up for food that’s average at best. Just my opinion of course.
Sprecher’s, really? What about BonFyre? Other than Sprecher’s, I agree with the list.
http://www.sushimuramoto.com/sushi_mobile.html
Missed a great sushi restaurant.
Thanks for sharing! We love Muramoto, too.
The Nitty Gritty’s food is unremarkable and I’m surprised something like AJ Bomber’s would be put on instead of something like Nat Spill or Sardine. Essen Haus’s food is also boring and overpriced. These inclusions definitely show that this is not a list to be taken seriously.
You could certainly see your skills in the work you write.
The world hopes for more passionate writers such as you
who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. At all times follow your heart.