Restaurants near Lake Mendota

food was great. server was good. manager was great. view of capital was excellent. maitre d' was a dud, never even said thank you when we left.

We loved Basil! Made my brothers bday experience super fun! Thanks!

Great drink, great burger…liked the deviled eggs, did not love!

Always a treat to return to Rare! Decided to treat the kid & his girlfriend for his birthday. The surrounding are best described as "early Scorsese" or dark lighting with burgundy leather banquet seating. Cool vibes. Waitstaff, mostly college age, all in formal attire. Classy. Y'know? Greeted warmly & professionally by our server, Ashton, who informed us about the foie gras special & took our drink orders. My shaken Hendricks martini with a twist was delivered shortly thereafter & scratched the itch! Ashton then took our order of sweet chili shrimp with lime, the foie gras special with roasted apple, Caesar salad, bone in ribeye, New York strip, brussel sprouts and creamed spinach. The ribeye was cooked perfectly & tender. The NY strip was medium (mid rare was the target temp) and was swiftly refired and served. Shockingly fast too! Delicious. The sides were excellent as well. Somehow he had room for dessert. He ordered the bananas foster (made table side & always a fun show) & the espresso creme brûlée. Ashton kindly served a super smooth chocolate mouse cake square with graham crust topped with whipped cream and a candle. Nice. Just a lovely night all around. If you're craving steak & professional service in an old school setting...I suggest a reservation at Rare!

Another fine dining experience at the steakhouse. The cheeseboard is a wonderful appetizer as well as the brussels sprouts with cauliflower. We enjoyed the salmon and the baramundi this evening. Both fish were cooked perfectly. The autumn cheesecake is a wonderful seasonal dessert.