Best Restaurants in Madison
After a day of traversing the stunning University of Wisconsin campus and the shores of five glistening lakes in Madison, you’re sure to work up an appetite
Stop and refuel at one of the city’s excellent eateries or grab a pint of craft beer from any of the region’s renowned breweries. Every Saturday from April through November, you can visit the enormous Dane County Farmers Market, filled with fresh produce, meats and cheeses hailing from the surrounding area. Local chefs often shop for fresh goods here, to be used in Madison’s top restaurants. Make your way through the farmer’s market to get some fresh produce of your own or see what top chefs create with the state’s natural bounty.
Dairy Days
Discover a hidden gem on the University of Wisconsin campus—the Babcock Hall Dairy Store. A functioning dairy plant since 1951, the facility sells blocks of cheese and offers both a light breakfast and lunch menu. Kids will love the ice cream, including such tempting flavors as peaches and cream, cinnamon snickerdoodle and raspberry swirl.
Cheeseheads unite at Fromagination, a cozy shop across the street from the capitol building. Settle into the small outdoor seating area and nibble on shared cheese sampler plates or enjoy club sandwiches that include the local specialty, sliced or in a cheese spread.
American Cuisine
Munch on standard American cuisine such as big burgers, club sandwiches and salads at The Old Fashioned, just steps from the capitol and Madison Children’s Museum. Partner your meal with a local beer and unwind in the easy-going setting outfitted with tin-pressed ceilings, rustic hardwood floors and exposed brick walls.
Choose from an array of pilsners, ales and lagers at Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company, just a block from the capitol. The laid-back tavern, tucked inside an old Victorian building, serves pub fare such as chicken pot pie and meatloaf, and has an outdoor beer garden dotted with lush trees.
Italian Fare
Gobble up cheesy goodness at Pizza Brutta, a casual, counter-service pizza joint in the city’s Vilas neighborhood. Inhale mouthwatering aromas as your pizza—topped with house-made mozzarella, artisan cured meats and tomatoes from the soils of Mount Vesuvius—bakes in a wood-burning oven.
Ian's Pizza, with two locations in the Madison area, is a casual quick-service restaurant that stays open into the wee hours. Order pizza by the slice or a whole pie, but be sure to taste test the restaurant's legendary concoction—the mac n' cheese pizza. Wolf down the hearty dish featuring a thin crust topped with crème fraiche, shredded mozzarella and cheddar, and cooked macaroni.
Sweet Treats
Toss your diet out the window and treat yourself to pies, cakes, tarts and cookies at 4&20 Bakery and Café in the Emerson East neighborhood. Relax in the quaint cafe’s limited dining space as you sample quiche in the morning and sandwiches in the afternoon. All the meats and dairy products used in the cafe come from local farms.
Fall into a sugar coma at Chocolaterian Café, tucked away in the city’s Schenk-Atwood area. Delight in the cafe’s brownies, cookies, cakes, fondue fountains and gourmet toffee candies, but not before nibbling on savory soups and paninis. Grab a seat by the large windows near the kitchen to watch candy makers in action.
Ready to travel? Find hotels in Madison
More to Explore
Things to Do in Madison
Rediscover your sense of wonder in Wisconsin's vibrant capital city.
Water Parks Near Madison
Wisconsin Dells is called the “Water Park Capital of the World,” for good reason!