Tempest Oyster Bar

I work in the field in Downtown Madison so I’ve passed by your restaurant a few times, Fam came in town for dinner and I’m really glad we chose this place. Oyster and shrimp cocktail were spot on, great variety of wine and thoughtfully crafted house cocktails for a reasonable price… the dinners and sides were really exceptional as was the carrot cake… we were throughly impressed with our first visit here and for sure will be back.

Tempest Oyster Bar offers a truly exceptional dining experience in the heart of Madison. From the moment we walked in, the service was attentive, friendly, and professional. The atmosphere is welcoming, with just the right balance of elegance and comfort. The food was outstanding. I ordered the 8 oz tenderloin steak, and it was cooked to perfection—tender, juicy, and exactly as requested. The side dish of asparagus was equally impressive—neither dry nor overcooked, but vibrant and flavorful.

Food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! Service was spectacular too. The happy hour price on oysters was such a steal ($2 per oyster). Pictured below is their daily special for Monday, April 14th 2025 which are the black cod (dish with the red fish roe on top and broth on bottom), corvina (dish with the yellow purée and the orange colored fish), and rainbow trout (has sage brown butter sauce and vegetables on the side).

The oysters were very good. For the main course, we had a spectacular New York steak. The potato oyster was delicious, and the Caesar salad was homemade

Amazing food, friendly staff, delicious cocktails! Will be back for sure to try more things. Oyster Rockefeller was very delicious. Came out with some shell flakes, but nothing out of the ordinary. Smokestack(?) was a tower of smoked fish and a bunch of other delicious things! Very good! The scallops on my scallop, shrimp & grits were incredible, and I would like to eat a whole plate of JUST the scallops! My husband got the chicken and it was pretty good. Nothing that blew us out of the water like the rest of the food, so he probably won't get it again. It still has good flavor and there was a large portion! Presentation for everything was great! They were almost *too* good at bussing the table, kept trying to take plates or cups away when we weren't finished. They were VERY on top of it, so we had to make sure we were on top of speaking up to leave plates :)

Tempest is an excellent seafood spot with an intimate yet social ambience. The oysters are high quality with a nice selection to choose from. Although likely the least thematic “dish,” the bread with flake-salted butter was addictively good. The dining room can get slightly crowded making it somewhat noisy, but I believe this actually contributes to the experience. The waitstaff are A+; very attentive, kind, and professional. The prices are a bit steep, but is reasonable for a nice outing. No parking out front, at least while road construction is underway—we used a garage a block away, which is a short walk.

We had a wonderful dinner here with Eva taking exceptional care of us. The Crème Caramel, Conch Fritters, and my Navy Pea Coat cocktail were a particular highlight for us. We will definitely be back!! Thanks

Incredible meal. Best scallops we have had so far. Charlie is an exceptionally skilled and gracious server. The pink moon oysters were “some of the best I’ve ever had” -husband. Love that they have “six pack for the kitchen” available. They deserved it.

Had our anniversary dinner at this location Because it is always phenomenal. Perfect for special moments. The staff is very friendly and attentive. It has a very classy ambience to it. The shrimp cocktail is phenomenal, the horseradish cream is something that my husband can't have because it has dairy in it. However, the shrimp cocktail sauce has plenty of horseradish so you don't even need the cream if you're dairy free. The Summer love oysters were phenomenal! And you can never go wrong with the pear upside down cake.

First time visiting and will be back. Staff was very nice and personable. I just came for a cocktail and couple appetizers. Everything was fantastic.

I happened to have a work event in the area and found myself stopping in for a taste of East coast oysters as someone from the West coast. After asking for their customer-favorite raw oysters, I was told it was a split half between the Summer Love and the Acadian Pearl. I sat at the bar and the bartender was glad to make me his favorite summer mocktail (a drink with cucumber and a pink hue), it was very refreshing. I ended up ordering 3 (normally to try one alone/with lemon, one with the mignonette sauce, and one with the cocktail sauce and horseradish) of the Summer Love oysters, 3 of the Acadian Pearl, and 3 raw clams. My favorite was hands down the Summer Love oysters which was a pleasant surprise. I had never tried raw clams and they were a bit too briny for my preference. Sitting at the bar also meant I had no wait for seating. The ambiance was chill and perfect for a date night. I also ran into a couple who shared what it was like living in Madison, Wisconsin and overall had a great time. If I found myself in town again, I would definitely come back!

Had a great time - the service was great and the food was amazing. The ambience was good. Will definitely go back the next time in Madison.

This place was so fab. To be so honest, my boyfriend and I were pretty drunk of their cocktails so our memory isn't super sharp, but we do recall the food being great. We started with oysters and the smoke stack. The oysters were so fresh and the smoke stack was a very cool concept. My boyfriend got a warm lobster roll to eat and loved it. I got the bucatini pasta, which was very flavorful. Would highly recommend!

Okay, Madison. If you're looking for a cute date night spot with some class and seafood for days, this is the place for you. Double up with some HH deals from 4-6pm on weekdays and you're golden. HH extends to the main dining room too so if you want to make a rezzie you can still take advantage. I would definitely recommend getting some oysters, which are $2 each and the scallop which was cooked perfectly with some lovely bacon and brown butter. You also can't forget the $10 cocktails. They're delish and I promise will top your night off perfectly. I would pass on the conch fritters as they were a little mushy and not as crispy as they could have been. For entrees we shared the table bread haha but also a large clam chowder which was rich, savory, and had plenty of clams. We also got a lobster roll that had plenty of butter on the side, large chunks of lobster that was perfectly poached nestled in a crusty brioche bread piece. I do have to say, the fries that came with the lobster roll might be the best in Madison. It's like the Belgium recipe and the old brasserie v kind! Anyways, service is superb and the food comes out fast! So take your friends, coworkers and loved ones here for a nice night out with some seafood. We walked away at about $50 bucks each, were full and felt like it was a nice treat. Happy eating!

Had a very nice meal at Tempest last night with my co-workers. Two of us had a black cod that was excellent. It was served in a broth with garnished vegetables. The interior was very interesting with a large old wooden boat in the entry way. And the service was great.

Went to Tempest for the happy hour and dinner. Started with the oysters - did 4 different varieties- and we all thought they were the best oysters we've had. They were served with a vignette, horseradish and cocktail sauce. We also had some of their house cocktails - Aniker and Sadie the Goat. Both refreshing. For dinner my friends had the fish and chips, shrimp and grits and I had the Bucatini. Everyone finished their plate. Savannah was our server who was great with her suggestions and made out time very enjoyable. The restaurant is beautifully decorated- seeing the life size driftwood boat in the first room was a surprise and the bar is beautiful. Can't wait to come back

My family had a long day of driving so we thought a stay in Madison would be a good idea. After an evening of the kids swimming at the hotel pool, I looked up restaurants nearby that had Oysters. After a short drive over we were able to walk in at a pretty late hour and thankfully seated without a wait. We felt self conscious being out so late with younger kids, but the staff was nothing but hospitable. We ordered a few local beers and the kids had kiddie cocktails. The kids shared a shrimp cocktail, which they loved. My wife and I shared some fresh oysters from the West coast and the oysters Rockefeller. Both were solid and the order of fries we had hit the spot. We would love to return one day.

I stopped by for happy hour on a weekday evening. I got a bar seat right away. This is probably the best happy hour in the town. I would say $2 oyester is the star. One need to order 6 minimum. And there are 12 kinds of oyesters to pick from. I don't know a single kind of oyester, so asked the chef to pick for me. Oyester rockefeller was another item I went for. It was oyester plus some toping. I went for a scallop for $6, and it was literally one scallop. it had good flavor too. Conch fritter was my other item. I went for a couple of awnikers. It had a nice jalapeno spicy touch.

My coworkers took me here for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. One of my favorite restaurants in Madison! The decor inside of the restaurant is incredible. Our waitress Nicole was phenomenal and she was able to accommodate my requests and modifications for my food. I had the scallop appetizer with the bourbon glazed apples which was delicious . My entree was the shrimp, scallops, and grits in the white wine sauce and that may have been one of the best dishes I have ever had in my lifetime. Absolutely recommend this place for any celebration!

The staff is the best hands down. The service is consistent every time. I'm obsessed with their happy hour but will also stop by at any hour because it is that GOOD! The best Espresso Martini in Madison. Jazz night every other Thursday?! 100/10 will recommend! Scott, KJ, Kevin, Cherry, Chloe, Chip, Isaac! All the above!

We enjoyed the ambiance and the oysters. The shrimp cocktail was delicious too. My husband had the yellowtail and it was ok, nothing great. I had the lobster roll and it wasn't spectacular. The butter poached (mostly end of claw meat) was chewy. The flavor was good but the texture left me craving that tender meat you often get. When I booked the reservation I mentioned we were celebrating our anniversary. We ended up with a small table scrunched between other tables. We were hoping we'd get a nice corner table away from the hustle. Our server had no idea we were there for a celebration. However, once she asked what brought us to their restaurant and I told her she did comp us a dessert. Which was very thoughtful and generous.

Made reservations for this spot after doing some yelp research. I loved their menu and was excited to check it out with our family. Our party of four was seated quickly after arrival. The restaurant is beautiful and had a coastal vibe which fit perfectly. I loved the boat in the middle of the room. Our group ordered different drinks: beer, wine and cocktails. Word of warning- drinks are strong! We appreciate a heavy handed pour but use caution. We started with oysters and shrimp cocktail. Both were very good and were on our list of top foods we enjoyed that weekend. Oysters were clean, fresh, and briny. Perfect. For mains, our group picked the lobster roll, pork chop, shrimp po boy, and seafood pasta. All delicious. My lobster was perfectly cooked and served with the most delicious aioli. My one negative I want to mention was noise level. We were in a large room and voices carried easily. I understand there isn't much that can be done about this- but it's something to consider when planning a night out. We would definitely return to the tempest when in Madison again.

Visited here for a 5pm happy hour cocktail and dinner with friends and it did not disappoint! We took advantage of the special priced drinks and food options which run from 4-6pm...highly recommend! The shrimp cocktail was fabulous - and I am one picky shrimp eater. So fresh & delicious, and the combination of the cocktail sauce & horseradish sauce was perfect. We actually ordered a second round they were so good. Pan seared Scallops are a must! Great size, and cooked to perfection. Tender & very flavorful. Happy hour is a great chance to try them at a discounted price! I do not like oysters in general, however the table ordered multiple rounds because they were so fresh & delicious. I was very excited to find Broiled Ono fish on the menu, as I haven't had it in years! Omg it is AMAZING! The hazelnut pesto and lime aioli also gave it a vibrant flavor and the crispy leeks on top were a great addition to all of the textures. The boys ordered the Lobster rolls and both said it was delicious with a good sized portion of lobster. I snagged a few of my husband's fresh cut fries and couldn't believe how tasty they were...I will definitely be ordering those as a side next time! The only item we ordered & not a fan favorite of were the pan roasted brussel sprouts. I was thinking they would have a little more crisp to the edges, but there was nothing crispy about them. They at least had a good cooked-crunch texture and good flavor, but I will skip next time. We were celebrating my and a friend's birthday at our visit and our server graciously gave us dessert as a treat! The flourless chocolate cake was rich and topped with fresh berries and homemade cream; the key lime pie...omg the key lime pie!!! It was the best I've had - ever. Gold metal lol. We also had a couple dessert drinks, HIGHLY recommend the espresso martini - another best I've ever had! Have to also call out our server Scott - he was great!! He had great recommendations and was on the ball. He made our dinner a very pleasant experience :) We will 100% be going back in the future! Best seafood restaurant I've been to in Madison! A+

I just don't know how you could go wrong! Unless you order the chicken, which I've never had, but I am ordering for a chicken loving friend!

not a bad spot for seafood in madison!!!! happy hour here is daily from 4-6 and it's a great deal. we got $2 oysters, $6 conch fritters and a discounted price on the scallops as well. also $10 cocktails!! really enjoyed the wianno oyster but all were delicious. my favorite appetizer by far was the scallops. it's seared in brandy and brown sugar with bacon bits - which lended to the perfect sweetness in every bite. conch fritters were alright, could be crispier imo. bread was good (though i wish it was toasted more and warmed) and the butter had flaky salt pieces embedded into it. we ordered the clam chowder, lobster roll and brussels sprouts for our entree. lobster roll was surprisingly good, the aioli was smeared along the bottom but the pairing with the butter made it overall pretty tasty (obvi can't compare to lobsters in maine but who can??). fries were perfect as well. clam chowder was creamy but i can't really remember getting much of a bite of the clams?? maybe i wasn't paying enough attention. but the brussels sprouts were incredibly mid and maybe even undercooked. wish it had more of that vinaigrette taste. service was great though and i liked that the ambiance gave upscale seafood restaurant vibes, kind of as if you were on a fancy cruise ship or something lmao

I came here with a group to celebrate a friend's birthday. Decor was fun, maximalist, and nautical. Our server was a lot of fun. We ordered mussels oysters rockefeller, and oysters on a half shell as appetizers. The oysters on the half shell were the best I have ever had. The mussels were very tasty. I ordered the Bucatini. It was very flavorful although I questioned having such a thin sauce with an al dente bucatini -- the sauce was inclined to splatter while you were eating. A thinner pasta may have worked better. Each of the seafood elements in the dish were great. I would order it again. My friends ordered the Ono and the jerk Mahi Mahi. Both were fantastic. The preparation of the mahi mahi was unique and incredible. Brussel sprouts weren't great. I found it a little odd that they didn't offer a dessert for my buddy's birthday. Upon my prompting, they brought of coffee shots instead, which were easily the best coffee shots I've ever had. Overall, it was a great experience and I am excited to return.

CANNOT believe it took me so long to try this place!! Started out with happy hour wine. $7 seems a little high for a house wine happy hour but it was delicious regardless. Then ordered a dozen oysters and tried a couple east and couple west coast oysters. ALL were fantastic! The complimentary madison sourdough was AMAZING. On to the entrees, I had the lobster roll with asparagus. BOTH were incredible. The asparagus was huge for not being in season locally yet. Well seasoned. The lobster roll, as you can tell from the picture, was OVERFLOWING with meat. Definitely get your moneys worth!! Overall, I was so pleased by the whole meal. They were fully booked on reservations so it would have been cool to eat in the bar area, hopefully next time! It's well decorated and has lots of natural light in the front room. TRY THIS PLACE NOW!!

We didn't have a reservation but they were able to squeeze us in on a very crowded night. I really appreciated them helping us as my son was in town for business and we wanted somethg nice. Drinks were poured well. Oysters were amazing and my fish was outstanding. It's a little loud but it was a busy night.

Amazing oysters, service, hostess, and bartender. I highly recommend, you will not be disappointed.

Cute Oyster diner. Love the variety of oysters they offer. We had reserved for dinner online and wasn't aware that happy hour was only for the bar. Our waitress was kind enough to give us happy hour drinks and appetizer specials. The entress were delicious. However, the pasta was a bit too al dente. We ordered all the oysters to try and west coast was our favorite. The east coast was just a bit too salty for our pallets. Service was great. Staff was amazing.

I got engaged here! Been twice, my favorite place for a special occasion. Love the towers, find their specials really great. Sadly typically bad luck with the service.

Went with a larger group (11 people) on a Sunday night. Appetizers (scallops, oysters, mussels and shrimp) were all amazing and came out in a timely fashion. Bread was very good, and sides were delicious. 50% of the drinks were not made properly and sent back. Main courses took an hour and forty five minutes to come out and every steak was sent back due to under cooking. Another fish dish was sent back and all dishes were under seasoned. Steaks were reheated and second time around we're cooked mostly to temp, but cooking steaks a second time dries them out. Others who have been here before mentioned normally it is significantly better but hard to justify a return trip based on the experience.

I went here for a birthday dinner. It was really, really good. We had kumamotos and the conch fritters to start, which were all top notch. Their black cod dish was killer, probably the best I've had. Environment was super lively and the service was awesome (we loved the vintage lake boat in the waiting area). This place was as good as the places we have in California. We're definitely coming back!

Do not underestimate the power of a expertly-shucked oyster. The happy hour here is phenomenal. Tempest offers a quality selection of fresh oysters for $2 each, without any sand/shell scraps mixed in to ruin the experience. Plus, they bring out a little basket of Madison Sourdough and butter, which is a great starter. Outside of the oyster offerings, we also really enjoyed the drinks (favorite cocktail: The Awniker) & the smoke stack. We tried the oyster po'boy as well, but the bread-to-filling ratio was a little bread-heavy so I would probably recommend trying other entrees instead. Overall, an awesome experience, especially for happy hour (weekdays only). Grab a reservation if you can!

Charlie is amazing!!! This is my favorite restaurant in Madison and he made it so much better. The oysters are obviously phenomenal and the bucatini is to die for.

Very great food that didn't disappoint. Have a large menu with options for everyone. Many east and west coast oysters to choose from (as well as some tower options). New York strip was very good (and the fries), as well as the tuna. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the server was very friendly. Restaurant gets a little loud but great vibes generally. Restaurant is laid out in a way that makes it feel much more private / intimate with your group.

The service was great and the appetizers such as the seafood and oyster tower were both wonderful. I was not impressed by the main courses at all and would probably go back there just for an appetizer and drink.

I so badly wanted to love tempest as we love fresh seafood which is hard to find in the Midwest. But unfortunately we left underwhelmed -SERVICE - efficient but no recommendations were given. When we asked for recommendations she replied "oh I didn't even look at the features tonight". Not at all helpful -OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER - was plain bad. Fishy tasting, almost gritty. Awful and I don't know why. Luckily things did improve after this -MUSSELS - good. Probably favorite part of the meal -RED SNAPPER - pretty good actually. The sauce accompanying it was tasty but unfortunately they didn't provide much. Needed more sauce -PAN FRIED FLUKE - also pretty good but not a standout.

The food and the service was excellent. I had the salmon. The atmosphere was very enjoyable and allowed for good conversation.

This is hands-down our favorite date night spot in Madison, and we've tried just about every other restaurant downtown but none meet the service and quality of Tempest. Food: Everything on the happy hour menu is delicious! We love the oysters, shrimp (they're huge!), and scallops. Some of the best scallops I've ever had. And the variety of West Coast and easy cost oysters is amazing. Their Caesar salad is also the best we've had in Madison, we order it every time. We haven't had many of the set entrees because we typically order off of the specials menu. On Friday we got a crab soup which had SO much crab it was insane. The only downside was that the crab was cold so the soup cooled off too fast. We also ordered the other special which was a lemon and almond crusted fish that was spectacular. You get extra lemons with most dishes but the fish dish definitely doesn't need any more! Drinks: we always use the happy hour deals to get either red wine, beer, or cocktails. My favorite cocktail is the Awniker and my partner's is the Jib. He also loves the painkiller on tap so that one usually comes after happy hour since it is so reasonably priced. Photo attached of our end-of-meal coffee which was SO good and strong not like other restaurants' mass-produced coffee. Service: spectacular, always. Servers are so hospitable and well-mannered. I love their relaxing demeanor in such a potentially high-stress environment. They also come around often enough to resolve any issues, which we rarely have, but not so often to be suffocating. Final thoughts: book a reservation for happy hour 4-6 M-F! Sitting in the boat room is always fun otherwise I like the bar counter.

Been here three times, food and service always amazing. Came here for valentines and the crab cakes were delish and would love to see them pop up on the menu again!

When the temp touches 50 in December in Wisconsin, this is definitely the place to be! Started with a Jungle Bird cocktail on tap, the Duxbury and Bosu oysters. Shared an amazingly prepared Ono and a King Crab leg. Perfect! Thanks to Eric, professional AND friendly.

This might sound silly, but I absolutely loved the Cesar salad! The Clams with Chorizo (Daily Special) were delicious, the lobster roll was very good, a tad bit pricy, but nevertheless worth it since we don't have many options in Madison.

So yummy! We have zero complaints :) We came here for a light appetizer and drinks and they did not disappoint. The shrimp are huge and the horseradish cream was perfect! The oysters were also phenomenal. Definitely will be back

Could not have been happier with our experience here. We sat at the bar and enjoyed excellent oysters, drinks and entrees. Pork chop was substantial and perfectly cooked. Walleye was an enormous meal and very tasty. Service was spot on. I'm ready for my next visit.

I heard a lot about Tempest from friends. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice and cozy with a cute theme. The waiter was knowledgeable about oysters, which was great for us since we were new to oysters. We decided to try each one, which was a good decision because I was able to compare them. We ordered the salmon smoke stack because it seemed popular. I was a little put off by the presentation of the dish and the flavors were okay. The oysters rockefeller, however, was my favorite dish! The flavors were really outstanding and went well together. The tuna was also ok. I didn't really enjoy the outter crust, but other than that, it was good! Finally, the mussels were good too. Overall, I felt like each dish had unique flavors and characteristics that I haven't seen in other restaurants. I would definitely be open to coming back to try other dishes. (:

Ambience in the bar area is way cool, would love to sit here again. Prices are way too high for what you get, even on the happy hour menu. Food is fine. We stopped for happy hour and had everything on the menu. My favorites were the Oysters and Scallops (though prices for the scallop is outrageous!). Everything else was just okay.

Great service and good food. We will probably make a return visit. There was live music that I could have done without

Overall, 5 stars for the oysters and 1 star for the entrees: rainbow trout. 1. Oysters are fresh. I had it raw without any sauce and it was really good. 2. The daily special rainbow trout literally has zero flavor. It's unsalted and unseasoned. There is a thin crust of some sort of nuts covering the fish. The crust is not crispy and it adds some weird milky or fatty hard to explain flavor to the dish, which I cannot appreciate.

My second favorite restaurant in Madison! The best for seafood by far and a fantastic happy hour to match! I normally visit for happy hour and sometimes try and entree or two every now and then. My only gripe with their entrees is that like most Madison restaurants they fall flat in the seasoning department. But for happy hour their oysters always hit nicely and it's always a great time! They have a great staff to match as well!

Start with the seafood tower, then go to the bucatini, Apps, arugula salad, then entree it up with the black cod, king crab legs and scallops!!! One of the best meals of me and my GF's lives!!! Fabulous!!! Service is perfect and fun, great vibe!!! Ask for Kaylee as your server!!!

Best seafood in Madison! Location is central to downtown near the capital. Service is always excellent and their happy hour is worthy!

This place is absolutely fantastic! I've never ever had a bad experience here. From the kitschy boat room to the more upscale dining room and band "shell" stage, the vibe is perfect. The staff are always accommodating and will go out of their way to make your meal a wonderful occasion. Oh and the food is actually amazing too lol!

Food , service, and ambiance were exceptional. If you're looking for an evening or on the town or just visiting for the weekend, this is one of the best places to check out.

Great atmosphere and oysters were so fresh and delicious! Server was so kind and helpful.

One of my favorite places for seafood in town. Never disappoints each time I go. Went for happy hour and got basically everything on the HH menu. Oysters are so good and fresh. Shrimp cocktail with the sauce is amazing! Creamy and rich. Smoke stack is always good. Scallops were melt in your mouth. We also got the lobster Mac and cheese and the pieces of lobster were so delicious. Can't wait to go back!

Best place to get oysters and seafood in Madison Wisconsin. They have a wonderful cocktail called the awnicker which is a spicy tequila drink, it's very unique and delicious. Oyster happy hour is from 4-6 and oysters are only $2. Vibes of the restaurant are nautical and the bar is a nice place to grab a drink if they're not to busy otherwise make sure to schedule a reservation. Sitting outside on the patio in the summer is lovely as well. Favorite dish: Shrimp , Scallops , & Grits