Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Madison

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Madison? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sultan

4.9

4.9 (15)

$31 to $50

Pakistani

Madison

About the restaurant

Small plates Pakistani restaurant serving modern takes on South Asian cuisine showcasing Wisconsin and Midwest ingredients. No tipping restaurant that pays all staff a living wage and profit share.

Top review

Todd

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Everything was delicious. The host and servers were very kind and friendly. They also took time to explain each dish. We would definitely recommend and we’ll be returning for sure.

Discover more

Experience

Decolonize Tasting Menu

Buck & Honey's - Sun Prairie

4.7

4.7 (1571)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Sun Prairie

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's. We're locally owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare made from scratch with only the freshest available ingredients.… Sun Prairie's taken notice by awarding Buck & Honey's 'Best Restaurant', 'Best Steak', 'Best Dinner', 'Best Place for Live Music', 'Best Lunch', (and more) every year! Great pastas, tender steaks, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out the extensive wine list. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Now serving brunch from 10A-2P on Sunday!

Top review

Dave

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and friendly staff! It’s a great place to meet friends for cocktails and dinner.

Eno Vino Downtown

4.7

4.7 (2188)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Madison

About the restaurant

Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro Voted "Madison's Best Wine Bar" By Madison Magazine Readers, consistently over the years. Eno Vino offers 200+ wines by the bottle & another 45 by the glass. From the beginning, Eno Vino was established as a place to share great wine, sensational, hand-crafted cocktails and fresh, inviting food. Whether you would like to entertain friends, enjoy an evening out with a loved one or unwind during happy hour ~ we invite you to enjoy an evening at Eno Vino.

**Please note**
For outdoor terrace reservations- Please call the restaurant at 608-455-0663.
Eno Vino does not accept Discover card or Apple pay.
All guests must be 21 years of age to drink alcohol, regardless of parental accompaniment.

Top review

RobVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Some of the best food offerings in town, on top of the most stunning views in town!

Discover more

Experience

New Years Eve- 5 Course Prix Fixe Menu

The Melting Pot - Madison

4.7

4.7 (649)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Middleton

About the restaurant

At The Melting Pot, fun is cooked up fondue style, creating an out of the ordinary dining experience.
You'll discover all the ingredients for a perfect evening, including attentive service, private tables, & an atmosphere of casual elegance. In addition to the cheese & chocolate fondues which have made The Melting Pot famous, they offer a fine selection of beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian & gluten free entrees, as well as an exceptional wine list & a full bar. You may enjoy a romantic evening for two, a special occasion with forty of your closest friends, a dining experience to impress your boss, or a night out with the family. Whatever the occasion, an evening at The Melting Pot is always a celebration. Reservations are highly recommended. We do our best to ensure every guest receives the highest level of service. As such, we are unable to hold your reservation longer than 10 minutes past your selected time. If you are running behind schedule, please just give us a ring!

Top review

Charlea

Dined 4 days ago

10/10 would go again! Loved the service as well as the food!

Discover more

Experience

Christmas Eve

Experience

Holly Jolly Fondue - Available 12/21 thru 12/23

Experience

New Year's Eve Masquerade Party

Stone Porch Alehouse

4.7

4.7 (64)

$30 and under

American

Verona

About the restaurant

Stone Porch is named after it's huge stone wrap around porch but we don't let that vibe end there. Comfort food, refreshing cocktails to warm up the insides and a great team looking to make your visit memorable. Our head chef, Jacob Goldsberry, believes that from scratch is always best and that brings an authenticity to each dish that will remind you of home.

Top review

Krista

Dined 1 day ago

Waitstaff was so friendly and knowledgeable ! Food was great and service was quick !

Buck & Honey's - Monona

4.6

4.6 (1462)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's. We're locally owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare made from scratch with only the freshest available ingredients.… Great pastas, tender steaks, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out the extensive wine list, craft cocktails and beer selections. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Located on the Yahara River in Monona, featuring 23 boat slips for boat parking and dock side carry out.

Summer months include patio seating, that is first come first serve, and non-reservable.

Top review

Pam

Dined on Dec 9, 2024

Nice ambiance, service and food was very good. Servers friendly and timely. Have been before and will continue.

Discover more

4.5

4.5 (1132)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Madison

About the restaurant

Lucille is currently open for indoor dining! For large group reservations (15+ people), please email us at info@lucillemadison.com or give us a call at 608-283-0000 for availability.

We are excited to have you in!

Top review

Tristan

Dined 6 days ago

Best Christmas pop-up in Madison! Fun drinks, great pizza, and wonderful service.

Discover more

Liberty Station - Madison

4.5

4.5 (554)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Madison

About the restaurant

Liberty Station - Madison offers BBQ and American comfort food in Madison.

Top review

Sarah

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

Everything was perfect so glad this was an option for Thanksgiving would definitely do it again

Discover more

Popular dish

Brisket Quesadilla

Bonfyre American Grille

4.4

4.4 (2359)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

Bonfyre features Contemporary American Cuisine in an upscale-casual environment. In addition to our hand-cut, wood-fired steaks, guests can enjoy fresh seafood, rotisserie chicken, pastas, signature salads and so much more from our seasonally changing menu.

To complement the cuisine, Bonfyre’s bar features classic cocktails with a modern twist, creative new libations, domestic craft beer selections and a wine list consisting of 60 labels from both North and South America.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 6 days ago

We had the calamari and the Thai chicken flatbread. The calamari was good with great flavor, but smaller pieces. The flatbread had a thin crust that we really like and it had great flavor, great sauce, and lots of chicken

Discover more

Popular dish

6oz Filet Mignon

Palette Bar and Grill

4.3

4.3 (498)

$30 and under

American

Madison

About the restaurant

Palette provides a colorful dining experience with an American inspired menu featuring in-house cut steaks and 21-day aged 100% black Angus beef.

As we inherited a space as historical as the former Mautz Paint Company warehouse, we had to do it justice. We kept our building’s architectural features intact while updating the space with contemporary design elements and nostalgic touches. We wanted to keep the space faithful to its roots; filled with hues of colors and textures reminiscing of times when the East Washington corridor was a booming industrial area in the city.

Our menu features steak cuts made in-house, chef’s masterpieces, artisan salads and soups, along with a unique beer and hand-crafted cocktail selection.

Top review

andrew

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Parking was horrendous. No street parking and had to go up to level 5 in the parking garage since the other levels are all reserved. Also, the restaurant is inside the hotel. There are no signs outside stating this. The decor is amazing and such a great theme that pays homage to its history. The cocktails are phenomenal as is the food. A bit pricey for apps and small plates but worth it in the end.

Discover more

Explore Diners' Choice best of Madison