Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Madison

OpenTable

Updated June 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 (530)

$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

Ruth

Dined on Jun 11, 2025

Our waitress was great. Very knowledgeable and a wonderful person. The restaurant is spotless and would recommend you to everyone. Thank you.

Eno Vino Downtown

4.8

4.8 (2262)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Madison

About the restaurant

Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro Voted "Madison's Best Wine Bar" By Madison Magazine Readers, consistently over the years. 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.

**Please note**
For outdoor terrace reservations- Please call the restaurant at 608-455-0663.
All guests must be 21 years of age to drink alcohol, regardless of parental accompaniment.

Top review

Robin

Dined 1 day ago

Eno Vino is one of our favorite places. The food and the services is always excellent. The drinks are amazing! The view from anywhere in the restaurant is also amazing. We’ve never been disappointed at Eno Vino!

Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro

4.8

4.8 (1019)

$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

Marjorie

Dined 6 days ago

This is a gem of a Resturant! Fabulous food in a wonderful setting and world class live musical entertainment to boot! The music is not loud or over whelming, instead, it provides a great ambiance. Great place to go for a romantic dinner or dinner with group of friends.

Otto's Restaurant and Bar - Madison

4.7

4.7 (1679)

$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 – 5:00 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

Gina

Dined on Jun 12, 2025

Always consistently amazing food, service and atmosphere at Ottos! They have the best filet mignon in town and the Mediterranean specialties are excellent. Don’t make the mistake of skipping dessert! We also feel they are very reasonably priced.

Rare Steakhouse

4.7

4.7 (2004)

$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

Lisa

Dined 6 days ago

Amily was wonderful along with the hostesses. They made my birthday dinner exquisite! Thank you so much!

D’Vino

4.7

4.7 (721)

$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 5-8:30PM
Patio Reservations now available, in cases of weather changes we will do our best to accommodate seating at available tables or bar.

Top review

Joan

Dined on Jun 4, 2025

Had a wonderful experience, great waitstaff, the owner came by to list the specials and chat, food was exceptional and the vibe lively yet intimate. Chef/owner shopped at the farmer's market that morning so the specials were very specific (and fresh) to the season.

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Middleton

4.6

4.6 (1207)

$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

Karen

Dined 3 days ago

It was my boyfriend's birthday and we received the best service from the staff at this restaurant, the food was very delicious

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The Madison Concourse Hotel

4.5

4.5 (69)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

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

Top review

Lance

Dined on May 11, 2025

Mother’s Day Brunch was wonderful! Prime Rib was so tasty! Awesome variety of tasty food!

Draper Brother's Chophouse

4.5

4.5 (253)

$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

Jordann

Dined 2 days ago

Nicole, our server, was fantastic. We celebrated a birthday and had the best time.

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4.4

4.4 (1393)

$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-11pm Monday through Thursday, and from 10pm-12am Friday and Saturday. The bar is open until 11pm Monday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Top review

Mike

Dined on May 10, 2025

We sat outside, which is just a parking lot. The food is all shareable, except the bistro steak is hard to share. The wine was delicious. Food was fresh and uniquely done. Would definitely go back. Would like to eat inside, although the weather was perfect on our first visit.

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