L'Etoile Restaurant

Madison's best fine dining, very gay friendly too

In their new, more accessible and modern space, they serve French-inspired dishes with local, seasonal ingredients, and an excellent international wine list. Service is what it should be. They were extremely gracious and classy about making a custom menu for our anniversary dinner. 3 courses, dessert, a chaise course, and wine, with tip ran about $100 each, but every dish was remarkable in quality of ingredients, creative mixture of textures and flavors, presentation, and the way the flavors had a complexity where they blend and shift with each bite. Top notch, and the bread was perfect too. This place has always been a Madison landmark, but it used to be stuffy and overrated. Not any more. Despite the menu and price, casual attire is every bit as common as suits. Go as you are, don't be intimidated, and you'll have a memorable meal. A cheaper twin restaurant serving late with a popular bar is right next door too.