Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Madison

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants 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

5.0

5 (518)

$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

Dined 3 days ago

Went for a Friday Fish Fry.it was excellent! Appetizers and drinks were very good as well...fried green tomatoes were out of this world!

Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro

4.9

4.9 (998)

$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

DavidVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Our second trip there and both times the service has been outstanding, the food wonderful

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Bonfyre American Grille

4.8

4.8 (2375)

$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

Kelsie

Dined on Apr 26, 2025

Great food and drinks. Our server Chad was fantastic, wonderful girls’ night out.

D’Vino

4.8

4.8 (705)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Italian

Madison

About the restaurant

Wine/Cicchetti (pronounced: che-kett-ee) Bar
Fine Italian Dining
Irresistible little snacks of every imaginable configuration from the varied regions of Italy. Eat them at the bar with an ombra (shadow) of wine with an aperitif. Fine Dining Menu Also available Wed-Sat-Classic Italian favorites and daily chefs specials including Chicken Parmigiano, Sicilian Steak and Shrimp Scampi. Sunday Supper 5-8PM

Top review

Thomas

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent food,ambience,and service! Highly recommended.

Rare Steakhouse

4.7

4.7 (1991)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Madison

About the restaurant

Dining and libations on Capitol Square with an incredible view of the Capitol, Rare combines craft cocktails, in-house dry aged steaks and attentive service in an unabashedly old-school steak house setting. Madison's downtown steakhouse features specialty cuts dry aged in-house, like the Rib Cap and the Delmonico as well as offering more traditional cuts like our filet and our rib eye. Rare is also one of the only purveyors of A5 Wagyu in Madison.

Complimenting our steaks and entrees is a specialty cocktail list and an extensive wine list with everything from wines for a big celebration to a weekday dinner.

If you're just looking for a drink after work, Rare offers discounted cocktails, wines and snacks at happy hour.

Top review

SaraVIP

Dined on Apr 25, 2025

Tahari was fantastic! Very knowledgeable and fun. Food was excellent. Owen helped us pick just the right Pinot noir for my finicky palate. Bananas Foster is always a good show and delicious finale. Thanks for another great experience.

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Middleton

4.6

4.6 (1199)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Madison

About the restaurant

One day call-in advanced reservation is required for Wine Dinners, all guests must order from Wine Dinner Menu, no substitutions.

For reservations on holidays, 20% GRATUITY WILL BE ADDED TO ALL CHECKS

For parties of 6 or more, please call the restaurant and ask to speak with a manager.

For parties of 5 or more, gratuity of 18% will be included.

***Separate Checks will not be accepted for parties of 9 or more***

Ruths Chris Steak House serves the finest aged, corn-fed USDA Prime beef. Broiled in a trademark 1,800° oven & served on a plate heated to 500 degrees, your steak is presented sizzling hot at your table.
Additionally, the menu includes select fresh seafood & other meat entrees. A variety of fresh-cooked vegetables, including seven kinds of potatoes, salads, homemade desserts & an extensive selection of over 100 domestic & imported wines complete your dining experience.
Ruths Chris never fails to please

Top review

Kellie

Dined 6 days ago

Love celebrating special occasions and date nights at Ruth’s Chris- excellent cocktails friendly bartenders Recommend filets ( especially w grilled shrimp) delicious food- perfectly prepared. Loaded baked potatoes are delicious too! Great waitstaff ( thank you Winton) since we celebrated our anniversary we received a beautiful yummy dessert 💕

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The Melting Pot - Madison

4.6

4.6 (663)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Middleton

About the restaurant

At The Melting Pot, fun is cooked up fondue style, creating an out of the ordinary dining experience.
You'll discover all the ingredients for a perfect evening, including attentive service, private tables, & an atmosphere of casual elegance. In addition to the cheese & chocolate fondues which have made The Melting Pot famous, they offer a fine selection of beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian & gluten free entrees, as well as an exceptional wine list & a full bar. You may enjoy a romantic evening for two, a special occasion with forty of your closest friends, a dining experience to impress your boss, or a night out with the family. Whatever the occasion, an evening at The Melting Pot is always a celebration. Reservations are highly recommended. We do our best to ensure every guest receives the highest level of service. As such, we are unable to hold your reservation longer than 10 minutes past your selected time. If you are running behind schedule, please just give us a ring!

Top review

Halie

Dined 4 days ago

Jake was so helpful. He was very attentive to things that we requested and definitely will go back!

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Experience

Graduation 5/10

Experience

🌷Mother's Day - Sunday, May 11th🌷

Experience

Perfect Night Out package for Two - $219

The Madison Concourse Hotel

4.6

4.6 (64)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

Join us for a special holiday brunches in our Grand Ballroom!

Top review

Chris

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

We enjoyed a delicious Easter Brunch with a variety of foods for everyone. We had very attentive wait staff. We will be back next year.

Eno Vino West Side

4.5

4.5 (1390)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Madison

About the restaurant

Eno Vino offers 200+ wines by the bottle & another 45 by the glass. From the beginning, Eno Vino was established as a place to share great wine, sensational, hand-crafted cocktails and fresh, inviting food. Whether you would like to entertain friends, enjoy an evening out with a loved one or unwind during happy hour ~ we invite you to enjoy an evening at Eno Vino! Kitchen serves a late night menu from 9pm-10pm Sunday through Thursday, and from 10pm-11pm Friday and Saturday. The bar is open until 11pm Monday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Top review

Jenny

Dined on Apr 18, 2025

We brought a guest and were very pleased with everything

Draper Brother's Chophouse

4.4

4.4 (248)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Madison

About the restaurant

Step back in time to 1867 when the Draper Brothers founded their renowned meat house in the heart of Madison. Their passion for quality and taste quickly made them the region's go-to destination for the finest cuts of meat.

Nestled within the walls of the iconic building that was once home to the renowned House of Wisconsin Cheese and Blue Marlin, our stunning interior design celebrates the building's rich history while introducing a new level of elegance and sophistication to Madison's culinary scene.

Sink into our plush, comfortable seating, bask in the warm glow of soft lighting, and enjoy impeccable service that attends to your every need. If you're looking for an intimate evening for two, a celebratory night out with friends, or a sophisticated venue for a special occasion, our restaurant provides the perfect ambiance to create unforgettable memories.

Top review

John

Dined 1 day ago

Beautiful restaurant with wonderful ambiance and excellent food.

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