On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: French, American (New) [Edit]
617 Williamson St
Loading...
Sardine is awesome. Really cool interior/use of space, cool location by the lake and the food is really good. The cheese spreads are phenomenal and the bread is also pretty slick.
A little tip- the mussel appetizer is the best deal there. I think it's $9 and it's just as big as the entree. Yummy.
Sardine had all the makings of an excellent dining experience, but it fell a bit flat in my opinion.
As a visitor to Wisonsin, I was very excited to see a Cheese Plate appetizer and ordered it immediately. When it arrived, I was SUPER disappointed that not ONE of the cheeses on the cheese plate was made in WISCONSIN! How do you have a cheese plate in the CHEESE STATE and not represent your own products?
As for appetizers, the scallops were tasty but TINY. And an odd number of scallops (3), makes it difficult to share. The smelt was interesting and pretty good, not something I had had before.
I had a salad as well and the dressing was really too oily.
Overall, I was not impressed with Sardine. Especially due to the lack of Wisconsin cheese on the cheese plate!
When my friend reserved a table at Sardine for her birthday, I was pretty excited. I'd heard good things about it, and while it's a little above my usual going-out budget as a grad student, I was happy for an excuse to splurge. However, I wasn't impressed at all. It has a nice atmosphere, some interesting wines on the list, but the food and service, while not offensive, were just fine. As the two star rating explanation above states appropriately, "Meh."
First off, we had a table for 10, and they set us up in a strange L-shape that made for awkward conversation. Not a huge deal, but when I nicely asked the waitress if there was anything we could do, given that there was a lot of empty space around us, she just looked at me, perplexed.
On to the food. My husband and I split the blueberries and belgian endive salad with spiced pecans, purplette onions, Roquefort cheese in champagne vinaigrette to start. Sounds tasty, right? I think it epitomizes my experience - multiple fancy-sounding foods, locally sourced, paired well - it all sounds good in theory, but ended up being rather boring. It was good enough to eat, but wasn't something that I would pay $9 again to eat. Similarly, my entree, orechiette with broccoli rabe, oven roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, niçoise olives and parmesan was bland, extraordinarily oily, and disappointing.
Sardine is probably my favorite restaurant in Madison. Their skatewing is absolutely wonderful and one of my favorite dishes ever. Their frites are pretty good too. They have high ceilings, huge windows w/ a lakeview, and a wooden floor and bar that make for a great and open atmosphere. The food and atmosphere are upscale casual and kind of reminds me of europe. We've tried the salmon and trout which are great, but in my opinion nothing beats the skate. They have a good wine list and beer selection. They also offer a bar menu w/ a salmon sandwich and burger w/ fig jam. Everything on the bar menu has been pretty tasty and everything runs around $10. Also, their icecream sandwich is grrreeatt!
Beautiful and delicious dinner tonight! Wonderful atmosphere, came with my college daughter. We both loved it. Started with the seared ahi tuna appetizer with avocado - so so so good. I had the mussels with frites/mayo which were ridiculously addictive. The mussels were fantastic. Followed by the duck confit salad - INCREDIBLE! and the chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese. I am frequently wary of chicken (esp breast) in restaurants because it's often so dry but this was bone-in, juicy, tender. It was served on a bed of corn, fava beans and BACON. I could have eaten a bucket of that stuff. SO GOOD. We both wanted dessert but were way too full. Maybe next time...
Living close to home again has its perks. One of those perks is dinner with Sandy B. (aka, Mom) at Sardine.
After leaving Madison for many many years of west/east coast fun, coming back to the Midwest and discovering new restaurants in my hometown is a nice way to spend the week. I had not yet been to Sardine, but had heard about it many times - finally got to go last night!
I can already say that I cannot wait to come back to sample the rest of the menu - this might take many weekend trips. I LOVE the atmosphere...on the lake, off the bike path, lovely long bar...and the food, the food is, well...
Bottle of Chardonnay? Check.
Artisan cheese plate? Check.
Amazing, seasonal entree options? Check.
Service service service? Check.
With all our basic human needs fulfilled, we left two happy, sated ladies. Oh, and get the flounder, or anything else for that matter. And the coconut creme brulee....you too can be happy!
I finally had a chance to check this place out, although it was just for a professional networking happy hour. Regardless, the atmosphere is really nice and the service was pleasant.
I guess the only complaint I have is their beer tap handles. They use fashionable knobs that all look the same and lack any sort of labeling. Sure, it looks pleasing to the eye, but I want a beer and I don't know what you have on tap without bothering you to verbally list everything. Unfortunately, this meant I drank what everyone else was drinking because I didn't want to be that guy in a buys bar taking up too much of the bar tenders time.
Now I just need to come by for a meal and truly experience what Sardine is all about.
Sort of a predicament. We went for brunch and the food sucked. Look Sardine, learn to cook eggs. It's not hard. They do it for a 1/4th of the price at greasy spoons across the country. When you order over medium eggs, the yolk shouldn't be solid. YOU SHOULD NOT FUCK THIS UP WHEN YOU CHARGE 12 dollars for two eggs and a 3/4th inch segment of ring bologna and the end of a dried out brat (billed as the 'german sausage' - god, fuck off, for fuck's sake. German sausage...).
Also, when you make an omelet, you need to do a little more than insert some tepid chunks of brie and mushroom into a folded over egg-pancake. Omelets are light and fluffy. Not chunky and soggy. Gross.
But we still liked it because of the atmosphere. Really kickass view of the lake. If you go at noon and you concentrate real hard, it's almost as if the you're not looking out onto a frozen lake. (It was winter.) Sun shines right in, reflecting off cars in the lot. It's like not being in Wisconsin. I almost felt like I was home for a second. Thank you, blinding sun.
Went for brunch on Sunday. Pretty reasonably priced, compared to the dinner menu.
The restaurant is nice inside. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that they wouldn't push together two tables together by the window to accommodate our party. So, we squeezed five settings onto a four-top. The view is just lovely, and the ambiance is nice. I have to say, I was impressed with our waitress. Either she's a veteran, or Sardine just hires excellent staff in general. She was right on top of everything, including topping off our beverages, and making sure that everything was going well, without being overbearing. The only thing more annoying than a server who never comes around is a server who is at the table between every bite!
I ordered the smoked salmon sandwich(which came with radish, cucumber, egg and watercress) and was very pleased. The salmon was very good, and there was a decent portion(in fact, I didn't even finish it).
*in case you didn't read my man's review...his sister found a bug in her greens. Gross. The waitress was really nice, and swiftly replaced her meal, and of course took it off the tab!
I will definitely go back on a Sunday morning, maybe next time I'll get one of their fruit pastries, which sounded delish!
Went with a group for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday mid-February. Bar was the site of some Onion Beer Tasting event that night and was incredibly crowded, loud and pretty young. The dining room was much better (calmer). Of the 6 of us - 4 loved our food. Most curious was that 3 got the steak frites and 2 were thrilled. The 3rd ended up with a steak that, while cooked medium rare, tasted as though it has been marinated in liquid smoke. For days. When we notified our server of the issue she was unfazed and didn't really offer any remedy but to cook it more (???). This was neither the first, nor the last, time that night that our server seemed indifferent to us / her job / her tip (???).
Service and craziness in the bar certainly left something to be desired but otherwise, nice drink / wine menu, very good food for most of our group (the other person who wasn't thrilled ordered the skate wing and found perhaps that it just isn't to his taste), tasty desserts and a simple but upscale atmosphere (in the dining room).
I rarely give 5 stars, but I wish I could give little more to this place.
I had a surprise birthday party with crowd of 10+ people. My friend reserved the back place for the party, and they even let us decorate the place with the giant happy birthday tag. The staffs were extremely kind and polite. The service throughout the evening was impeccable.
With all the comotion, I didn't have time to thoroughly inspect the wine list, but the French brut I was drinking was perfect accompaniment to steamed mussels, vegetable fritter (piccolo fritto - airy fry of zucchini, fennel, tomato, eggplant - superb), and ahi entree. The ahi was cooked slightly longer than I would have liked, but the seasoning was spot on for the fish as well as for the accompanied salad.
The restaurant has very clean tone. Open, airy, and perfect amount of lighting for the good mood. I loved the dark wood floor as well. A perfect date spot? You bet!
A really decent meal, Sardine managed to give me my fish fix, even in the middle of a stark Wisconsin winter.
The evening started out with a fantastic Veltliner at the bar, though I was tempted by the great beer menu (Anchor Steam Ale? In Wisconsin?)
Then, onto the $35 prix fixe:
Lobster and fennel ravioli in a rich, creme fraiche-y sauce really knocked my socks off. To follow that up, sea bass en papillote (steamed in parchment paper) with greens, potatos, and herb butter. The preparation was excellent but the fish could have been a little more flavorful. Definitely not bad for Madison, but not great for the price I paid.
Dessert was a series of sorbets, all bursting with flavor, but a little over-frozen (little ice flakes and such, as if freezer-burned).
I liked it and would definitely come back for lunch, but might hold off on coming back for dinner.
haven't been here for an actual dinner yet, but i'm certainly excited to try:
Brunch was incredible, especially with the outdoor seating overlooking the lake. I had a delicious omelet stuffed with tons of fresh vegetables and my boyfriend had the french toast- we were both thrilled with the unique flavors, friendly and knowledgeable service, and great setting.
We also attended their first family style dinner and could not have been more impressed. For $50 each we received unlimited beer (a selection of 4 kinds, handpicked by the owners, and a dessert beer), appetizers, the mussels that everyone raves about, an incredible German dinner, and a selection of desserts...served to us by what seemed to be their entire serving staff, who were very attentive. It is clear that John and Phil have a vision for this relatively new restaurant.
The family, girlfriend, and I went there for bruch. They did a great job of converting the old factory beautiful dining space, and the view of Lake Monona is spectacular.
I had the spinach and cherry tomato omelet, which was great. So did my sister, and the waitress made a big fuss about getting her a whole new meal when a small bug was found in the greens. Not that it bothered us, we're used to that with organic vegetables, but it showed they have committeed service. They also appear to have a good bakery selection.
Brunch is very reasonably priced, which is why we went early in the day. I still can't open up my wallet for dinner there.
I've been to Sardine several times and they've never done wrong. Both breakfast and dinner are always excellent and when coupled with their beautiful interiors, superb waitstaff and gorgeous outlook on to Lake Monona it is perhaps the best restaurant in Madison. The only possible complaint I could make is that the appetizers might be a little over priced but are otherwise all excellent. And I don't believe you'll find better seafood in Madison.
After 5 years living and frequenty dining out in San Francisco, I lived in Madison for 6 months while working on the Obama campaign. Another ex-San Franciscan I worked with and I would generally measure the Madison restaurants we frequented by the "Could this place stay in business in San Francisco?" yardstick. (Sorry to be a Bay Area food snob, bring on the hateration.)
Sardine is one of the only restaurants that unquestionably passes that test. In fact it is better that this restaurant is in Madison, because if it went to San Francisco with food and service this good, you'd have to wait an hour for a table.
The service is absolutely fantastic. I've had many different waiters here and they are all friendly, knowledgeable and go above and beyond for you. Want your martini with kalamata olives? No problem. Friend needs cornstarch for the cooking contest you're on your way to? Let me bring some out in a baggie from the kitchen.
And the food is top notch. Especially the desserts. And the oysters. And the skatewing. Yum!
Sardine is a lovely restaurant. The ceiling is high, like in a converted warehouse. The building overlooks the water. The menu is simple and refined to the point of being printed on a place mat - but don't be fooled. They have truly delicious food. Service is formal and agreeable.
Word to the wise: this restaurant is populated largely by academics at UW-Madison. If you want to bump into a professor or a scientist, this is not a bad place to get lucky. Watch out though - it's hard for them to argue about plasma physics when they're drunk on the good stuff, and Sardine serves plenty of it.
Best things on the menu? OYSTERS! They always have a selection of raw oysters on the half shell. I get that and champagne. Then I usually move on to the salmon with lentils and buerre blanc.
Probably my top pick in Madison. If you're female, dress mousy but make sure your hair is ultra-shiny. If male, put on a bow tie and a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches, fasten your cuff links, groom your goatee and shine your shoes. Pretend you have an English accent. Ok, NOW you're ready for Sardine.
Sardine is high on the list of reasons why returning to WI seems to be a good idea. I'm no food critic but this place deserves kudos for their efforts and success.
I've had some amazingly and unforgettable pieces of meat, incredible sides and salads, and lovely wines here. Sardine has quickly become a necessary stop on my visits to Madison.
My understanding is that one of the owners or chefs worked at Zuni Caffe in San Francisco. It doesn't surprise me because it has the same fresh take on traditional fare.
In addition to the excellence above, Sardine has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Its busy, maybe a bit noisy, but the energy of the space is contagious. But you won't be feeling claustrophobic in this place. There is plenty of breathing room.
Anothe important point to mention is the hospitality and proficiency of Sardine's staff. Their exceptional service lends itself to an extended evening, including bellying up to the bar to taste the bartenders concoctions and hanging with this friendly crowd.
Do you know how hard it is to find a good restaurant when you're in town for business for 1 (maybe 2) nights? I dined at Sardine this evening and had a great meal and great service.
First, the space is large and looks very cool -- loft-like with a white tile/mirrored bar area. I dined alone at the bar and was very comfortable. The bartender said that it was a slow night (the bar was never full) and it was very nice. He was attentive and tailored his spiel to fit my needs ( I wanted a glass of wine and dinner, not oysters, desert and a lenghty discussion).
I read reviews and ordered the skate wing along with a glass of rioja and a house salad. The food was amazing. The skate wing was tender and flavorful -- the lemon/caper sauce was perfect. The broccoli rabe was cooked al dente and just my style. The little (fingerling) potatoes that accompanied it were a perfect accompaniment. The salad (again, my favorite food) was very well done. I didn't think it was possible to f up a salad until J. Christopher's (see 1st review) but this salad was delicious...crunchy chick peas and even the thinly slice leeks were good with everything else (i hate raw onions). The dressing really complimented the greens (which I can eat all by themsleves) and the wine was perfecto (the rioja by the glass).
It wasn't that expensive considering the quality and the quantity and if this place we're in Atlanta (where we have amazing restaurants), it would be packed every night. i'd dine at sardine every night if only it were only in the ATL.
I went to Sardine with friends for brunch in the fall. I had been for dinner before, and thought the food was just OK for the price. This visit, I really enjoyed the brunch. The frites really are great. But our service was very, very awkward. My friend ordered a bloody mary, and waited quite a long while to get it. Our food also took a very long time to come. I guess if I could give it a 3.5, I would. The food was good.
Where to begin? Well, how about at the beginning. The magnificent, hand-crafted, custom made pewter bar that spans some 50 feet of the open, 100-year old plank wood and new "period" tile floor with stunning views of lake mendota! A classic cocktail or wide-selection tap beer with Nate is a must to get you started. Wine list - by the glass or bottle - is great, too. The menu is superb with lots of variety for every taste. Try the perfect duck confit salad with lardons - yummy - to start. The skate wing in brown butter sauce with broccoli rabe and fingerling potatoes is a tremendous entree. There's a great bar menu, too, if you want to make things a litte simplier. Don't forget to say 'bonjour" to chef and owner Phil Hurley.
It seems people either love or hate Sardine. I'd vote its much better than the haters say and not quite as good as the ravers claim. Here's why:
Pros:
The mussels and frites rival some of the best I've ever had.
Appetizers are outstanding.
The bar is comfy, the drinks are strong.
It just feels cool in the space.
Lake. View.
Not nearly as expensive as it could be.
Cons:
The entrees are good but not outstanding. Portions are large but some selections are hit-or-miss.
Sometimes crowded.
Go for some drinks, appetizers and the mussels and you won't be disappointed.
This place was great. We went for dinner over the holidays and had a great dinner. We didn't get to enjoy the lake view since it was covered in snow, but the space was fantastic. We started with an arugula salad and scallop dish. Both were fantastic. I had the lamb chops and my husband had the rigatoni with sausage(sounded so boring but was great!). We had a fantastic time and would definitely go back.
I've been a huge fan of Marigold Kitchen for years. I really like what John and Philip have done there.
I've been to Sardine only three times, so I can't really have a strong opinion just yet.
The roasted half chicken was to die for. Steak was good, but not great. House cured salmon salad was also good (but not great).
The frites are simply the best in Madison. Hands down.
Decor is excellent, I love what they've done with the space. Now they need to work on the noise level which right now is simply not acceptable. It is LOUD and totally detracts from what could be a *very* wonderful dining experience.
Sardine, as I'd expect from these two, will probably become one of my favorite restaurants in Madison. Just gotta give them some time to work out the kinks.
I was a little doubtful that Madison could execute French cuisine well, but this place proved me wrong :) The bar area was tres chic Euro with tiles, lights, and bonus points for reminding me of the cute bistro my boyfriend and I first went to on our first date. The squash soup I ordered was a deep orange, smooth, creamy and delicious. To take down its sweetness there was some broccoli rabe puree mixed in. For my entree, I was also wowed by the skate wing garnished with capers. The little potato slices it was served with were cooked JUST right with the right amount of seasoning. If the dish could be improved at all, the skate wing might have been cooked just a little less.
Granted after all this food, I did not have room for dessert, but the creme brulee sounded tantalizing! We also had a gracious, attentive server. She was more than happy to substitute hericots verdes (green beans) for the broccoli rabe my dish came with, making my dinner all the more delicious.
I might also take away this place's paper menus and replace them with more formal ones. Otherwise, bon appetite at Sardine, and you will be glad you came. Sardine is easily one of my more favorite restaurants in Madison!
Stopped in for Sunday night dinner late and had the chicken I'd heard so much about. Fantastic. Others in my party had more traditional bistro dishes and all were satisfied.
Can't discuss the noise issue too much since the place was pretty much empty at 10 PM on a Sunday but I'll be heading back for sure.
Walk in (by yourself, even) grab a seat at one of the high tables around the bar area, or at the bar itself, on any weeknight and enjoy it. Or bring some friends on a weekend night, either way Sardine satisfies.
Start with the confit salad. Its lovely and maybe french onion soup? Then move on to the moules frites. Have the appetizer portion - its plenty of food and will let you save room for desert....the molten choc cake is typically good., not what you'd expect in a higher end resto or your corner bistro in Paris for example, but tolerable (hehe). Work your way around the wines by the glass on the chalk board above the bar, or dive into a bottle from the well rounded wine list. No complaints about this place other than not availing myself of its charms frequently enough.
Have been wanting to try Sardine since it opened and I was mostly not disappointed. Some things I observed:
1. Apparently, Sunday night is NOT a good time to go; it was crowded (oh well) but more importantly, they seemed to be out of EVERYTHING. Salmon? No. Whitefish? No. Signature sardine appetizer? No. Beef carpaccio salad? No. This leads me to number 2...
2. Rather disappointing rainbow trout with watercress cream, which my dining companion resorted to given dearth of salmon and whitefish. Presentation was nice, but it was a little bland. He raved about the accompanying vegetables (carrots, vidalia onions, etc.) but considered the trout forgettable enough that we actually forgot the leftovers on our kitchen table and had to toss them the next morning.
3. That said, the warm duck confit salad was awesome. I am normally anti-frise, but I was seduced.
4. Charcuterie plate appetizer was a welcome substitute for the sardines. I devoured the duck liver.
5. Tables were a little close together, close enough that I was embarrassed on behalf of the guy at the adjacent table when he asked what "haricots verts" were and the waiter was like "green beans." Awkward.
6. Foie gras? Such an illicit thrill for a Chicagoan!
Bottomline: pretty tasty, and I will go back.
This has to be the best restaurant in Madison! A very relaxed open atmosphere in the Machinery Row loft. I love the look of the space - exposed beams and ductwork, gorgeous tile and pewter bar. I also really like the flip out windows at the kitchen - you can look in and see what is going on.
Checkout this article for why it made the Best Eats 2006 at the Isthmus newspaper.
http://www.isthmus.com...
The food is out of this world - french bistro. Don't miss the warm duck confit salad, skate wing, and steak w/ frites. All are delicious. I have not had a bad dish there yet. The prices are very reasonable for someone used to Chicago restaurant pricing.
Newly opened, the place is very popular. In fact, at one visit we had a 5pm reservation (due to an event that evening) and at 4:45, there were about 10 people waiting to get in!
If you like Sardine, you should also check out their breakfast & lunch place, Marigold Kitchen, which is right off the square.
A creative menu, good quality food, good prices, and excellent service. I ate there on a Friday evening, walk in without a reservation, and received a table for two without any wait. The appetizers were their piccolo fritto and scallops, of which I'll avoid the fritto next time but highly recommend the scallops (only 2 of 'em though). We followed that up by entrees including the fish of the day and the lamb chops. Both, quite delicious, served hot, and were very well timed to our own pace of the meal (which was a quite slow).
I would highly recommend this place for the good food I mentioned above, but the fact that they can keep up with what's going on in the 'dining scene': having both people at the table try the wine, serving only still water without pushing the bottled/sparking unless requested, more reasonable sized portions, etc., are all the 'little things' that made Sardine more enjoyable than many other nice restaurants.
The interior is spacious, but has levels and dividing walls that make for good seating everywhere... and the casual feel of the place is inviting, yet it never lacks a touch of class.
Prefer the brunch, or simply sitting at the bar and eating appetizers, to the dinner. The dinner entrees okay; actually, some of it is extremely exceptional, but I never actually find that dish that I love or that I'm dying to try. I love the space, which is kind of '80's throwback industrial.
This is a very lively, fun restaurant. Don't really understand the haters here; you can do so much worse than this. The food is good, sometime excellent. This ain't fine dining, nor is it intended to be. This is so much like a casual brasserie on the left bank of Paris. Madison is lucky to have this place! This place would easily have hour plus waits in Chicago.
Always want to try Sardine after so many people raving about it and finally try it the week before. The sardine appetizer is nice and interesting. The salmon my friend has is slightly overcooked like 95% of the salmon you eat in the States. My veal is nothing to rave about, not bad, but nothing special. To conclude it is not a bad experience but I don't see the reason why everyone is raving about it.
Nice time if I visit Sardine again I might opt for sharing a couple appetizer and salads instead of going for the entree. The appetizers and salads seems more attractive than the main course.
Madison, WI
Category: French
Madison, WI
Category: Nightlife
Madison, WI
Category: French
Madison, WI
Category: American (New)
Madison, WI
Category: Steakhouses
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Madison is in my blood...along with beer, cheese…
Some of my favorite french food destinations in…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
