Phenomenal. Stands with Michelin star peers. Food is familiar, but excellently executed. Service is exceptionally friendly and approachable. The location is a surprising highlight in the evening sunset. 10/10, would recommend, will return!

We had an early dinner reservation on Friday night. I was happy to see some non-alcoholic options on the menu and they were served in fancy glasses/garnishes to make them feel special. There were 3 options for oysters which were delicious. I loved the goat cheese appetizer as well as the pappardelle. Unfortunately, we were too stuffed to try dessert.

Sardine is absolutely wonderful. The service is always spot on and the food is unbeatable. I love sitting near the open kitchen with the brick oven. Watching all the yummy food going in and out helps me choose my dish. Brunch was excellent we all enjoyed each dish. The Croque Madame hit the spot and after we all finished we followed it up by sharing the amazing Belgian waffle, a perfect ending to brunch!

We went to the restaurant based on an article in the Washington Post highly praising the food. We were not disappointed. Our waitress was very knowledgeable when I had questions about the wine choices. I had grilled octopus for appetizer and my partner had asparagus soup. Both were excellent. For entree we both had salmon. It's superbly grilled, tender and juicy. It shows the chef's calibre because salmon (and chicken breast) could be dry when overcooked. My partner also had a chocolate tort for dessert that he said was delicious. One minor minus for the attention of service: I was into the first bite of my appetizer when I realized that there was no napkin offered. The waitress initially brought only silverware. We had to ask for it. But overall, it was a great dining experience.

so good! lovely interior, it had the vibe of an east coast inspired french bistro! expensive, but delicious. our waiter was really nice too, it was my bday and he noticed and gave our dessert for free :)) will def come again.

Great service and food. The atmosphere feels a bit busy but still nice during sunday brunch time. They have the best bloody mary in town, and the oysters were great. Be sure to try the oysters from new zealand!

We decided to try somewhere new. We ordered two appetizers, WARM MONTCHEVRE GOAT CHEESE and CHICKEN LIVER TOASTS. The grilled bread for the goat cheese was way too hard. Could barely bite through it. The "toast" for chicken livers was not toasted enough. More bread than toast. The flavor of both were very pleasant though. We started with a brandy old fashioned sweet for him and chocolate martini for me. I specifically asked if the (chocolate martini) would be okay and assured they "have the best" alchohal selection. Quite honestly, the worst chocolate martini I've ever had. Served with orange peel and orange flavor in the drink. I then moved on to a lemon drop which was good. Not great but good. Our entrees were the swordfish and seared duck breast. My duck was quite lovely but the accompanied risotto was lackluster and the "greens" tasted burnt. The swordfish was cooked nicely. We then asked our server to bring a "sweet" drink/martini to share with dessert. Bartenders choice. Not sure what it ended up being but it too was okay. We ended the evening with the pear tart tatin. The flavor was very nice. Really enjoyed that. The service was very good throughout once we were seated. All in all it was an okay experience. But I must say if I want French cuisine I'll stick with Cadre in Madison. Sardine was a 7 out of 10 and Cadre is a 10 out of 10. Total bill was $185 for two appetizers, two entrees, one dessert and 5 adult beverages which is approximately the same as Cadre.

We had a great experience at Sardine! The restaurant is extremely clean and very charming. It really does look like a French bistro. We enjoyed the creative seasonal menu. There are lots of seafood options here that are hard to find in Madison! We ordered the goat cheese appetizer, which was fantastic. I had flounder, and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. I especially enjoyed the combination of roasted squash under the fish and crispy squash chips on top. Our favorite drink of the night was the Sardine Cola (pictured). I think this restaurant is definitely worth the price point. The only reason I’m giving it a 4/5 for atmosphere is because it’s pretty crowded. I understand wanting to be able to seat more people, but some of the small tables are right on top of each other. We were almost touching the couple next to us. But our server was kind enough to offer to move us to another table by the window without us even asking. Honestly, I don’t think the layout is a reason not to go there. It deserves an overall five stars. The food is beyond worth it, and we will absolutely be back!

We went there with our little 5 months old baby. We got seated right away because we had a reservation. The waitress is new and she is super sweet. She made sure we got what we needed and answered our questions regarding the menus and drinks. The food is delicious. We will definitely go back!

The food was amazing. I had the cod and it was done perfectly, melt in your mouth perfect. The butterscotch dessert was also extremely delectable. Good wine selection. Definitely recommend.

We had a wonderful brunch with Eater as our server who was helpful, kind and friendly. The food was perfectly prepared and presented. We had the savory oats, the creamed eggs and omelets. They were happy to make substitutions and the place definitely has a cool Euro vibe. We will be back!

A great place to have exquisite cuisine. Place has parking in the back. For the lucky ones you can have a lake side view while you enjoy the food. The main menu is fixed and you would have house specials not listed on the menu. The drinks are pretty good. You can order wine by the bottle or glass. The place is definitely not cheap and you can expect a check of $30-40 with drinks per person. I ordered small plate of octopus and mussels for main course. Mussels were okay ish but octopus was good. The servers were busy during the dinner time but overall decent service.

Got there early for a table ouside for su day brunch. Very nice. Very good service and food was good. Kinda bland compared to the wonderful dinners we have had. Still good brunch and view.

Excellent French restaurant with great location by the lake and beautiful indoor setting. The bar area is always busy. We've tried the oysters, tuna, steak frites, wood roasted chicken breast and Moules Frites, everything was wonderful. Dessert is exceptional too, highly recommend the deconstructed creme brulee with blueberry sorbet, it's perfection. Service always top notch!

Awesome experience. Sam was a great waiter, very interactive and knowledgeable. The food was amazing. The steak and octopus were like butter. Mussels were ridiculously good as well. As someone who loves cooking, the open kitchen concept is just pleasant to observe the hustle and bustle.

Truly one of the best places in Madison. The atmosphere can’t be beat, with the fresh bistro elegance, lakeside seating, and charming service. Everything here has been fantastic, from the endless oysters, mussels, to even their burgers and other treats (you’ll die happy eating the chicken liver toasts). Grab an absinthe or excellent house wine and enjoy.

What a great find! We had a really hard time choosing, everything on the menu sounded amazingly good... and the things we had were! Call for a reservation so you're not disappointed. Excellent and friendly service. Outstanding cocktail menu as well! A little hard to find during construction, it is BEHIND on the back side of the Bicycle building.