Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Madison

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Madison? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Williams's Pine Gables Supper Club

4.9

4.9 (497)

$31 to $50

American

Madison

About the restaurant

Welcome to William's Pine Gables Supper Club.
We look forward to seeing you soon

Top review

DavidVIP

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Excellent Rouladen. Highly recommended. Filthy Martini, MMM!

Sultan

4.9

4.9 (15)

$31 to $50

Pakistani

Madison

About the restaurant

Small plates Pakistani restaurant serving modern takes on South Asian cuisine showcasing Wisconsin and Midwest ingredients. No tipping restaurant that pays all staff a living wage and profit share.

Top review

Todd

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Everything was delicious. The host and servers were very kind and friendly. They also took time to explain each dish. We would definitely recommend and we’ll be returning for sure.

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Experience

Decolonize Tasting Menu

Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro

4.8

4.8 (953)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Madison

About the restaurant

Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro is located on the banks of the Sugar River in Paoli, WI. The Schoolhouse was built in 1864 and was converted into a restaurant in 2008. We pride ourselves in supporting local vendors and ingredients to bring you the best quality dishes.

Enjoy a meal in our beautiful bistro or on the deck/patio as weather permits. We have a great selection of wine, cocktails, and carry a variety of domestic and craft beers.

The Schoolhouse is also a great venue for small events - micro weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, baby showers, and any other celebrations!

Top review

Jeff

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing experience again. Been there twice and is now hands down my favorite restaurant in the Madison area

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Buck & Honey's - Sun Prairie

4.7

4.7 (1571)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Sun Prairie

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's. We're locally owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare made from scratch with only the freshest available ingredients.… Sun Prairie's taken notice by awarding Buck & Honey's 'Best Restaurant', 'Best Steak', 'Best Dinner', 'Best Place for Live Music', 'Best Lunch', (and more) every year! Great pastas, tender steaks, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out the extensive wine list. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Now serving brunch from 10A-2P on Sunday!

Top review

Dave

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and friendly staff! It’s a great place to meet friends for cocktails and dinner.

Stone Porch Alehouse

4.7

4.7 (64)

$30 and under

American

Verona

About the restaurant

Stone Porch is named after it's huge stone wrap around porch but we don't let that vibe end there. Comfort food, refreshing cocktails to warm up the insides and a great team looking to make your visit memorable. Our head chef, Jacob Goldsberry, believes that from scratch is always best and that brings an authenticity to each dish that will remind you of home.

Top review

Krista

Dined 1 day ago

Waitstaff was so friendly and knowledgeable ! Food was great and service was quick !

Buck & Honey - Mount Horeb

4.7

4.7 (84)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Mount Horeb

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's house. We are privately owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare with only the freshest available ingredients, curated by our Executive Chef, Sammy Millan. We are new to the Mount Horeb community and couldn't be more excited! Great pastas, tender steaks, seafood, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out our extensive wine list too. We offer a cozy environment with amazing staff. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Also We serve brunch from 11am-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. We also have an amazing event venue on the second level. We are here to show what Wisconsin hospitality is all about!

Top review

Ashley

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

A group of my girlfriends and I went out to eat for my birthday and we had such a great experience. Not only was the food and drinks amazing, but so was our service. Our server was so sweet and attentive, and they gave us free champagne for my birthday which was so nice! I would highly recommend Buck and honeys for any occasion!

Otto's Restaurant and Bar - Madison

4.6

4.6 (1662)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Madison

About the restaurant

A locally owned Madison favorite, Otto's is set in a beautifully restored 1870s stone farm house with two dining levels. The menu features creative, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, fresh seafood, Certified Angus Beef steaks and more. A friendly lower-level bar serves classic cocktails and fine wines, and half-price appetizers from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday – Friday. Outdoor dining and live jazz are featured on the deck Spring through Fall, weather permitting. Otto's is also open the first Monday of each month (excluding holidays) in the Spring and Summer when live music is being performed. Main level dining area is wheelchair accessible. Online reservations are available for the dining rooms only, bar and deck table reservations should be made via telephone. Reservations are recommended for dining in the bar, outdoors, and inside for parties of 6 or more. In the event your party is unable to attend, please contact us by phone to cancel your reservation.

Top review

TomVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Food was excellent and very nice wine selection at good price points

Villa Dolce

4.6

4.6 (641)

$30 and under

Italian

Middleton

About the restaurant

A modern Italian cafe in the heart of downtown historic Middleton. With a contemporary vibe this fusion Italian gem features unique topping gourmet pizzas, handmade pasta and famous Gelato.

Top review

Rene

Dined on Nov 17, 2024

The food is so tasty and the staff so friendly, the restaurant has the warm of a home kitchen it permeates into everything. We moved away and never miss an opportunity to go back.

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Popular dish

Meat Lovers

Liberty Station - Madison

4.5

4.5 (554)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Madison

About the restaurant

Liberty Station - Madison offers BBQ and American comfort food in Madison.

Top review

Patty

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

Very good meal! The experience was excellent. It was a bit overpriced so that's why the 4 points.

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Popular dish

Brisket Quesadilla

Bonfyre American Grille

4.4

4.4 (2359)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

Bonfyre features Contemporary American Cuisine in an upscale-casual environment. In addition to our hand-cut, wood-fired steaks, guests can enjoy fresh seafood, rotisserie chicken, pastas, signature salads and so much more from our seasonally changing menu.

To complement the cuisine, Bonfyre’s bar features classic cocktails with a modern twist, creative new libations, domestic craft beer selections and a wine list consisting of 60 labels from both North and South America.

Top review

Kevin

Dined 6 days ago

We had the calamari and the Thai chicken flatbread. The calamari was good with great flavor, but smaller pieces. The flatbread had a thin crust that we really like and it had great flavor, great sauce, and lots of chicken

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Popular dish

6oz Filet Mignon

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