Sardine

"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

"Sardine is the Madison restaurant that checks every box: the patio has a great view of Lake Monona, it’s the perfect place for a first date, and the French food is all excellent. Stick with Sardine’s staples, like the moules-frites, duck confit frisée salad, and the slightly unexpected gruyère-draped hot dog, which you can only get at the bar (a.k.a. the best seat in the house). Speaking of the bar, we love hanging there for Happy Hour when they do $5 Kronenbourg and discounted East Coast oysters." - sarah probst

"Sardine is the Madison restaurant that checks every box: the patio has a great view of Lake Monona, it’s the perfect place for a first date, and the French food is all excellent. Stick with Sardine’s staples, like the moules-frites, duck confit frisée salad, and the slightly unexpected gruyère-draped hot dog, which you can only get at the bar (a.k.a. the best seat in the house). Speaking of the bar, we love hanging there for Happy Hour when they do $5 Kronenbourg and discounted East Coast oysters." - Sarah Probst

"A warm, inviting, lively French bistro with sweeping views of Lake Monona. Celebrated, seasonal cooking with a focus on local, sustainable foods."