Sardine

Where to Eat in Madison, Wisconsin

"For a city defined by its placement on and around no fewer than four lakes, there’s not a lot of lakefront dining. Easily the most atmospheric dining room from which you can still look out onto water is Sardine, just off the Capitol Square in the Machinery Row building. The main menu offers unfussy French and French-adjacent preparations, and the bar turns out excellent cocktails — as well as one of Madison’s best hot dogs (which still feels like a secret even after a lot of time and attention). Chef-owners John Gadau and Philip Hurley have been crafting this complex and crowd-pleasing menu since opening in 2006." - Kyle Nabilcy