L'Etoile Restaurant

“Several weeks ago, I dined at L’Etoile toward the end of winter, early spring. I had eaten here on a couple other very, very special occasions and this evening was no different than close to perfection. Absolutely incredible job with the food and the consistency of their quality. From the first cocktails to the final desserts (even those cookies) everything was thoughtful and very well executed. The amuse-bouche set the tone right away. The carrot gazpacho-style dish was refreshing and vibrant with the dill and the raclette with prosciutto, baby potatoes, and tomatoes with melted Swiss cheese was just on another level—simple idea, but done extremely well. Reminded me of Switzerland. The seafood dishes, especially the scallops and salmon really stood out and the smaller first appetizer courses in between had balance and execution behind them. Sommelier knows his wines ! He recommended and excellently balanced Riesling from Austria to go with our seafood . Dessert : wow! The donuts were excellent, the cardamom ice cream was a nice touch and the GF meringue with sorbet was light and balanced exactly how you want to finish a meal. That is why they are constantly my number one spot for very special occasions. Service is on point and all the staff is very attentive while the pace of the meal adds to the experience. Definitely accommodating to dietary restrictions such as gluten free they can work around them without sacrificing the quality of the dishes. Thank you so much guys !”

“I went last Friday for my birthday. The experience was fantastic. At first I was going to be by myself doing the tasting menu with the wine pairing but the day before I needed to add 2 persons with allergenic requirements and not wanting to do the tasting menu but a la carte but do the wanted to do the tasting like mine. They accomodate our requirements. Long story short, the experience was fantastic, service was suberb, the Sommelier was very knowledgeable. Waiters and busers were making sure we were having a good experience. My favorite plate was the Hiramasa sashimi and least favorite the ribeye. My company liked the NY strip steak, the agnolotti and the pork belly that I was served. For deserts we had the brown cake, donoughts and a cheese plate. All of the were excellent. Thanks for a great night and Happy 50th birthday to you.”

“If I could give 10 stars to the team at L’Étoile I would! My wife and I chose this restaurant to celebrate getting married. The staff was so sweet the entire time! They went above and beyond to make our experience special. The food was so fresh and light and spectacular. We chose the a la carte menu and everything we ordered was magnificent. We will absolutely be returning to L’Étoile, hopefully sooner rather than later. Thank you all so much for making our night wonderful 😊”

“This was not my first time at L'Etoile, as we've been several times since moving to Madison about a year and a half ago. I have been meaning to leave a review! We typically opt for the tasting menu with the wine pairing, and it never disappoints. The ambiance is exceptional, with a stunning view of Madison’s Capitol building. One of the highlights is the sommelier—he is an incredible storyteller and takes the time to answer any questions we have about the wines. The waitstaff is always professional and attentive, adding to the overall experience. We’re already looking forward to our next visit at the end of the month! Here are a few photos from our most recent meal.”

“As a preface, my reviews are weighted based on type of establishment with this obviously being in the realm of very high end. 8 pm resy (which the restaurant confirmed), 2 people, tasting menu with reserve wine pairing...~$850 including tip. So...we arrived just before 8 and they said our table would be a few minutes and we could have a drink at the bar which only had a few people. After about 10 minutes, we got a drink menu from the bartender and then ordered drinks to wait for our table. At between 815 and 820, they came to get us for the table. Normally a place like this would offer to carry the drinks to the table but when I asked, they seemed surprised so we just carried our martinis. Certainly not looking for anything free but a nice gesture would have been to cover the two cocktails based on the wait for the table...just my $.02. While the menu was good...it seemed to lack some cohesiveness and limited "wow" factor. The tartare stood out. Several of the items were definitely only a taste. The wine pairing was fine (really glad we chose the reserve level) with the high point being a small taste from the cellar collection at one point...thank you! Service was good but not much depth in explanation other than Michael with the wine menu which was very appreciated. Net/net, friendly service but definitely overpriced compared to other similar scenarios IMHO.”