Venues in Madison, Wisconsin

If you're looking for a hidden gem in the heart of the city, look no further than Northside Lounge! From the moment you walk in, you're greeted by an atmosphere that's equal parts modern and retro, with tasteful decor that makes you feel right at home. The space is always impeccably clean, a small but mighty touch that sets it apart from so many other spots. But let’s talk about the drinks — specifically the Cherrywood Smoked Old Fashioned. Seriously, it's the best I’ve had in years. The balance of flavors is perfect, and the cherrywood smoke infusion adds a smokiness that takes this classic cocktail to a whole new level. If an Old Fashioned isn’t your jam, be sure to try any one of their many other specialty cocktails, they will not disappoint, if beer is more your flavor, have a gander at their carefully curated selection of craft taps on constant rotation, featuring local and regional brews. Whether you're a casual beer drinker or an aficionado, you'll find something worth savoring. The real star, though, is the bar staff. Friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to share their expertise or recommend a drink based on your mood. They make you feel like you’re a regular, even if it’s your first time. Plus, the patrons are incredibly welcoming — it’s that rare mix of an upbeat crowd that’s social but never overcrowded. Everyone’s just there to enjoy themselves, and that vibe makes Northside Lounge feel like a community. Whether you're stopping in for a quick drink after work or spending the evening enjoying great conversation, Northside Lounge has it all. I almost forgot to mention they’re dog-friendly, and they have recently created a cozy outdoor patio area for when the weather’s right. If you haven't been yet, you’re seriously missing out. 10/10 highly recommend!

This place is fun! We’ve been twice on Saturday nights and it’s packed, but we’re usually able to find a seat. Great cocktails and options for mixed drinks. Would love to be able to have a drink on the patio, but I know cities can be real sticklers about who they hand permits out to, so maybe it’s a work in progress. Regardless, we love this spot and would highly recommend it!

One of the best selections of tap beer in Madison. They also have great cocktails. The pizzas that can be ordered and delivered to the bar from Falvo Brothers next-door are some of the best in Madison in my opinion. The interior is old school to dive bar, but I always have a good time there.

An absolutely fantastic establishment. Friendly bartenders, delicious drinks and a great atmosphere. The outdoor patio in the summer is a real treat and a perfect place for great conversations. In February of 2018, I went on a first date here and a week ago, we brought our wedding party here to stop for photos and a drink before our reception. Cannot recommend this bar enough.

I went here with a few of my friends and had a BLAST. The ambience was just amazing. There was very nice, dim and colorful lighting. Lots of board games were available as well as a free snack table full of tasty looking treats. My friends I had played an overwhelming amount of rounds of Sequence while we sipped on our very unique and I am not quite sure how else to put it other than 'exotic' drinks. I was experiencing flavors I have never had before and loved every moment of it. I highly recommend letting the bartenders just do their thing for you!

One of the best places for cocktails in Madison! Unique, thoughtful, and tasteful. Haven’t had a cocktail I didn’t love. Pro tip: get the boozy old fashioned

You must come here!!! What an experience. I love creative drinks and eats, I do it as often as I can. I would say I have a refined palette from cooking and eating high end meals myself. The bar is gorgeous, the restrooms are clean and nice. The DRINKS! The quality of the liquor, the mixes, the garnishes. I can’t say enough good things. We came back to this bar twice because we couldn’t get enough. The drinks are strong so one was plenty for both us. We both ended up getting NA cocktails just so we could keep trying the drinks when we were out our limit for drinks. Please come and try. You should sit at the bar to see these drinks get created.

If you asked me right now what my favorite cocktail bar is, I would say Public Parking in Madison. I’m officially obsessed. It has such a chill vibe. Grandma Hates My Neck Tattoo—seriously good, with a funky blend of whiskey and strawberry rhubarb. Then I went for the Good Googly Moogly, which was totally refreshing with pineapple and coconut cream. We Met On Ashley Madison—smoky mezcal mixed with tropical flavors was the perfect way to wrap up the night. If you're looking for a spot to unwind and enjoy some creative cocktails, this place is it. Can't wait to come back and try more!

I really love the sound mixing here. The bass can be a bit much but compared to other venues I can always understand the vocals. I have seen multiple artists here the last year, most recently gojira My number one issue is not enough ada seating. I wish there were more than 20 chairs dedicated to Ada that were reasonably within view of the stage

Amazing place to see a concert. Easy, cheap parking, efficient and friendly admissions. All views are great. Acoustics well designed. One of the best small form (2500) venues I've been to. Hoping to return soon!

Attended comedy night with fantastic DJ after playing all 80's & 90's dance hits. My first time there & it was just like in my college days dancing every weekend in Madison. I had their Long Island ice tea and it was the best I've ever had. Ask for Beth to mix up your drink!

I went here for the first time to see The Soap Girls. It's a really big venue with a lot of things going on in it. It also has a very cool and diverse customer base.

Day 2 at the Robin Room. Can’t stay away from those delicious creations. Kevin was behind the bar stirring and shaking amazing cocktails. Today we ventured of grid to tap into Kevin’s vault of recipes. Highlights of Mezcal Espresso Martini to the OG cocktail from years past. Thanks Kevin for sharing your stories and creations. O by the way the Ham Sandwiches are the Bomb. Ya, I said Ham Sandwiches…holy sh_t do they hit the spot!!!!! Thank you Kevin for a great experience!!!!

Incredibly sheek small bar in the Johnson Street area corridor. Great expansive cocktail list and menu. Lots of choices so don’t be afraid to go up to the bartender and ask for some guidance they are more than willing to help. It’s dark and loud but the music is great and the vibe is impeccable. 10/10

Cool venue to take in a show. Intimate environment with good views of the stage all around. (I’ll admit there’s a pillar kind of in the middle of the venue that makes it hard to see if you’re standing right in the middle of the venue but it’s a GA venue so just move I guess). Prices were generally fair, good drink selection, staff was helpful and courteous. The venue itself was well maintained, clean bathrooms, and not a dive by any means. There’s a balcony which was unfortunately closed for this show that I would’ve liked to watch from but no big deal. Will be back this fall for another concert after the experience we had this last time.

Great sound, make sure to enter from the parking lot behind as there is no street side entrance. Had to wait about 5 minutes outside on a Tuesday night in the cold during the security check that included a wand. Didn’t have to show my ticket on my phone until I was in the warmth of the venue. And as a single female attending with a disability I felt completely safe.

We hit this up as our second bar of the evening and it didn't disappoint! Although loud when the place is packed, this bar still offers a chance to chat with whoever you're with and have some great drinks. I really enjoyed by Honey Coffee Martini, it was milder than a regular espresso martini. The Amari that I had was an interesting end to the night, definitely not for everyone! The atmosphere in here is awesome though.

Tried for the first time with my wife and would recommend as a fun, chill location with some great custom cocktails! We had great service from Alyssa and would highly recommend trying her drink - Gimme Flowers. A little different than my normal haunt but still very fun! Will come back, Alyssa is awesome.

Great location. Indoor and outdoor seating options. Great menu. Friendly server. Service a little slow. Poutine disappointing (dry unsalted fries, one big lump of cheese making sharing difficult, not enough gravy) but the rest of the food was enjoyed.

I was so excited to finally experience Cooper's Tavern with a gift card I received. Reading positive reviews and seeing how busy it was, my hopes were really high for a fantastic meal. We sat outside to avoid a wait to be seated. We started with some good cheese curds, which were a promising start. Isabelle was our server and she explained some items on the menu, which I had questions about. For my main, I decided on the pork belly mac and cheese (without blue cheese) after much deliberation. Sadly, after a rather long wait, the dish was a major letdown. It was surprisingly bland, and even the three pork cubes on top lacked any flavor. Despite being very hungry, I couldn't bring myself to finish it. It's a shame when expectations don't meet reality. I explained to Isabelle when she noticed that I wasn't eating my food that I was dissatisfied, before walking away, she shrugged and said, "Well, it's mac and cheese."

Everyone is really happy and friendly at this bar n grill. Jovial atmosphere. Good food selection. The secret Thursday night Philly cheese steak is awesome. Bartenders are on time although there can be limited seating at the bar so you might be stuck at a table. Prices can vary greatly depending on what and how much you're drinking. Update- I went again for another Philly cheesesteak. I got it with Mayo this time. Yummy

BEST FISH FRY! Had a mountain of perfectly fried Blugill. Best barmaid Cholee gave me 2 heavenly split-fried Shrimp! Happy local sports bar atmosphere.

Very clean, cozy, comfortable lounge bar. Staff is friendly, attentive and hard working. Stopped in with my friend visiting from out of town, perfect place to kill an hour with a couple of drinks. Nice if you are a local or just passing through. They also have a pool table, video games (real video games, not poker) and a streaming jukebox.

First time trying out Jade Monkey as it’s in our neighborhood and we left feeling iffy on the place. The night started out great. Service was a little slow but they were busy and the drinks aren’t exactly the simplest drinks so a little bit of wait isn’t unexpected. No big deal. We had a couple rounds of drinks which were all delicious. Our group enjoyed playing darts and shuffleboard and thought the overall vibes were fantastic. Loved the feel of the bar and decor. However, the issue we had was when they called out last call. Posted hours say they are open until 1 AM but last call was called at 11:00 PM. We felt that was a little early but fine, we’ll grab one more round. By 11:30 PM everyone in the bar was told to finish our drinks and pay our tabs. It just felt a little rude and rushed. Our group was prepared to stay until they closed but ended up having to vacate early and go somewhere else. If this hadn’t happened, this would’ve easily been a 5 star visit.

Great experience tonight. Ordered drinks that came out to about $15 and left a $4 tip (which is more than 20%), and the bartender was super appreciative and friendly about it. We were excited to try out Genna’s since we’d heard great things, and it looked super cool when we walked in, even though it was busy. We were already planning our next round. After that interaction, he totally made our night. Will definitely be coming back!

Terrible experience tonight. Ordered drinks that equaled to about $15 and tipped about $4 (which is more than 20%) and the bartender had the audacity to complain about the tip. We were excited to try out Genna’s since we’ve heard great things and it looked super cool when we walked in, despite it being busy. We were already planning our next round. But after that comment, he totally ruined our night. Will definitely never come back.

The bartenders here have refused to serve me drinks lately. I thought that I was finding community here, but two different bartenders that at least know me by face have blatantly served other people when I was clearly at the bar first. This place cares a lot more about taking care of the regulars that they’re friends with than about serving everybody else. I don’t know for sure, but I think that they really resent pan/bi people. There’s certainly SOMETHING that I don’t experience in other queer spaces. Despite volleyball being their big warm weather draw, they never posted info on how to play or sign up… so if you aren’t in the know, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME. I’m moving to the DC area, and EVERYONE raves about how much friendlier and more welcoming people are there. The sad thing is that I like the clientele at Five and the staff is the entire problem. Madison deserves a place where EVERYONE in the community feels welcome. Five is less inclusive than most “straight” bars.💯 UPDATE: ok… I came here one last time before moving, and I received great service in an atmosphere with a great vibe. I guess that I have a love/hate relationship with Five, so we’ll land on 3 stars.🤷🏼‍♂️

I always feel safe and welcomed at FIVE! All good sexy fun everytime, no worries about how I'm going to be treated. The organizers should open their own strip club too!

This place is really cool. We hung out here in the middle of the day and it was not very crowded. Has great atmosphere, comfortable seating, and nice staff. Prices were fair. We tried to go back later but it was “at capacity”. The tree in the middle of the bar was cool. The music they played was also good.

We came from a concert next door (at the Orpheum) , bartender stole the concert t-shirt we had bought and then randomly started playing the artist we had saw…rudeness through the roof. Will never visit again.

Loved The Botanist Social! We were seated right away on a busy Saturday night downtown. Great food, even better vibes. Risotto, fabulous. Patatas Bravas, phenomenal. Went a little crazy and had a little brownie with ice cream, delicious. Treat yourself.

Exceptional service, food and atmosphere. I came to the Botanist Social for my Birthday dinner with my Husband and my 15 year old. I made a reservation online the night prior, for 7:00 pm and we were seated right away when we got there. The restaurant has a moody, but lively atmosphere. There is a large window at the front that they had open. I enjoyed the fresh air while dining, but still being inside. At the time it was lightly raining which was really nice. The lighting and decor is really beautiful. Everything was clean and well maintained. For drinks my husband got the pain killer which he really enjoyed. I stuck with a Diet Coke and my daughter wanted to stick with water. Our waitress kept all 3 of our water glasses filled without having to ask. She was very kind and hospitable. The waitress and hostess went above and beyond for us. We asked if we could move to the corner booth because it was bit more cozy, secluded and had really nice decor. Our waitress spoke with the hostess who then checked with a manager to make sure it was okay we switched tables. That was very kind of them and I know it was probably a bit much to ask, but my husband insisted to me we ask because he wanted my Birthday dinner to be a little more special. I really appreciated how sweet and kind the hostess and waitress were about it and made it seem like it was no big deal, when I know it was an above and beyond request. I really wish I could remember their names, but they were amazing. The food was really, very good. We got cheese curds and lettuce wraps for our appetizers. The cheese curds were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they were very good, but could have used a little more cheese. The lettuce wraps were outstanding. The lettuce was crisp and fresh and the chicken was juicy and tender with a delicious teriyaki sauce. We all ate both appetizers right up and were basically full before our food came, but then we somehow managed to almost finish all of our dishes. For entrees I actually got an appetizer, I got the forest mushroom flat bread. The caramelized onion, fontina, and white truffle oil all worked really well with each other. It was delicious and very easy to eat. My Husband got the steak and mushroom pasta. He said he was full, but could not stop eating it because he said it was so good. I tried a bite and it was melt in your mouth good. The pappardelle noodles were huge and balance really well with the pieces of steak. The garlic cream sauce was also notable and very good. My daughter got the lobster roll with the truffle fries. It was her first time trying a lobster roll and she really enjoyed it. She also really liked the fries. I had a couple and they were very good. I had to take the rest of my flatbread home because I was so full. I wish we could have tried dessert, but we were far too full. I highly recommend The Botanist Social for dinners, or even just for drinks. It has a really nice vibe overall. It is on the pricier side, but the food quality, the atmosphere and presentation of their drinks and food justify the cost, in my opinion. They also have a large bar, a nice little lounge area at the front and plenty of tables for seating for dining. I would recommend making a reservation to be safe, because they do get busy from what I saw. I will definitely be back in the future, I really enjoyed my birthday dinner.

My friends and I have been for trivia before and it’s such a blast! Great and interesting cocktail menu. Good draft list as well. Seating is sort of limited for trivia but we made it work. Lots of bar space however for whenever you’re just headed there for some fun drinks.

Service isn’t just terrible, it’s nonexistent. I went to meet friends as we were celebrating three birthdays, including mine. I also had a visitor from France who was interested in seeing the hot flash nightclub. In the 20 minutes I stood at the bar, clearly waiting for service, I watched four employees doing shots behind the bar and not paying any attention to who was waiting first. Not once did a single one of them make eye contact with me to let me know they had seen me. I stopped what I assume was a manager (also doing shots) to ask if it was possible to get drinks, and she said she’d send the bartender down. She did not. My visitor and I left in disgust, walked over to Genna’s, had a drink in hand in under five minutes, and enjoyed the evening air outside. I am a pleasant customer who always gets served quickly at just about any place. I don’t know why that didn’t happen at the Cardinal, but maybe staff shouldn’t be drinking on the job if they aren’t able to keep up with the flow of customers.

The fish bowls here are awesome. It's literally a fishbowl filled with whatever beverage (booze) of your choice. Ideally, I would suggest you split it amongst a group of friends. I came here twice, once for lunch where I got the fishbowl alongside a pretty tasty fried chicken sandwich. A second time later in the evening where it's more of a college bar. Both times I enjoyed my experience. 5 stars!

Life is good, and I'm exactly where I wanna be...but don't you just sometimes miss 1997? I do...so I go to Wando's... I was there when it opened with Panos in the paper (Year of the Roses). Still serving fishbowls of course, which you can also now buy (minus the alcohol) at the University Book Store downtown off of Lake St and State. Truly a classy joint now with three floors...no more throwing peanut shells on the floor, or launching unrulies for misbehaving, one helluva guy owns this joint...and I have stories of my days living with the guy on Mifflin, Bassett, and for a time with Chuck in Middleton. Bacon Night on Tuesday...gotta go when you're feeling thirsty and ignoring the doctor's advice never to binge drink again. But I happened to miss the old man, when I checked in with my wife and daughter recently. The bartender was friendly, as was the cook. Better yet...he made us some delicious lunch!

Went on a Saturday night and DJ Jimmy was killing it! One of the most fun club nights I’ve had in a while. 3$ long islands till midnight is a crazy deal and the club filled up by midnight. The only downside was that the floor was sticky in some places; but that wasn’t completely a negative either.

I went there on Wednesday night. It's a perfect place, even if you don't know how to dance , they provide dancing lessons as well. The drinks were reasonably priced, the dance floor was great, and the song selection was excellent. I like the overall vibe, especially on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Try to go early on Wednesday nights to avoid waiting in line. Service is slow as they have very limited staff