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✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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French-inspired dishes are served in this laid-back eatery with a bar & a dining patio.
Hours
| Thursday | 4–9 PM |
| Friday | 4–9 PM |
| Saturday | 4–9 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 4–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 4–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2540 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705
Phone: (608) 819-8555
Website: http://www.cadrerestaurant.com/
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Cadre
Madison, WI 53705. 4-8:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday. (608) 819-8555. [email protected]. Newsletter Signup. Sign up for all the Cadre news. Email …
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Madison, WI 53705. 4-8:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday. (608) 819-8555. [email protected]. Newsletter Signup. Sign up for all the Cadre news. Email …
Reviews
lisa giroir
Every aspect of my experience at Cadre was outstanding! I can’t stop thinking about several components of the meal and how expertly crafted they were. I truly can’t wait to eat there again! The service was phenomenal and it is refreshing to see a restaurant pay their staff a living wage by implementing a service fee. This staff and every restaurant staff deserves to be paid fairly for their hard work. Eat at Cadre!
… moreRose Cao
It’s probably best not to think of this as anything other than a casual place, as the food is only average, the service is barely a notch above non-existent, and the atmosphere resembles the love child of a diner and a bar.
My husband and I visited Cadre on the eve of 2/13/25 to celebrate my birthday; we were unimpressed and disappointed.
The food was adequate. We had appetizers (Blood Orange Salad, Chickpea Panisse), entrees (Scallops on lentils, Duck Breast with tart cherries), and dessert (Crème Brûlée, Napoleon in Rags), as well as the sommelier suggested wine. The appetizers were the best, food-wise, of the night–flavorful and a good combination of taste and texture.
The scallops left much to be desired. They needed more sear, were a bit tough, and overly salty. The flavors did not complement each other at all. The duck was better, with less discordant flavors than the scallops, but the dish was was more of a collection of individual flavors and textures (crisp mushrooms, limp spinach, smooth pureed sunchoke), which were fine on their own but did not contribute to a harmonious whole.
Dessert was okay. The brandied crème brûlée tasted mostly of brandy. There was a crunchy layer of sugar on top, as crème brûlée requires, but it was rather thin and the accompaniments did not seem to add anything (other than dressing up the plate). The Napoleon was basically chocolate mousse with freshly diced mango. The puff pastry garnish was more akin to thin, salty cracker pieces and the two herb leaves on top didn’t add much. It looked nice, but was basically a deconstructed mango chocolate mousse.
The best part of the meal was the sommelier-suggested wine, a Pinot Meunier. It brought out the nuttiness of the salad and the cherries from the duck. Top-notch pairing despite the so-so food. Food presentation (how the food looked) was also great.
The worst part of our visit was easily the service. (We made reservations well in advance, so it wasn’t like a surprise visit.) Food was slow to come out. Our server barely interacted with us and, more importantly, was highly inattentive. She left our water glasses empty for quite a while and my husband had to explicitly ask for more water when she next visited, after which she brought out a water jug to set on our table (she didn’t even pour to refill the glass while she was there). I don’t think she even gave us her name, much less ask if we were celebrating anything, which would have been an easy conversation starter given that their Valentine’s menu was out.
We’re believers in waitstaff being able to make a living wage, but if there was ever an argument for why tipping should be a thing, this was it; we would have been better off without a server, even if we had to wait to be called up to get our own food or use a drink dispenser. The automatic 20% service charge was just salt in the wound.
The atmosphere was definitely more on the casual side. Most of the patrons we saw were dressed more casually (or just plain casual). If you’re looking for a place to dress up and not feel out of place, this is not it. I was in a knee-length dress with a knit cardigan, black tights, and boots and I felt overdressed…. Parking was not great. There’s a little lot to the side that was full when we arrived and full when we left. We parked on the street, which had space due to all the snow piled up there.
All in all, if you’re looking for a place to be forgotten about, unacknowledged, and for imitation eye candy that tastes bland (or maybe just for the bar), yeah, this is your place. If you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or to make (good) memories, look elsewhere. There are MANY better options with better food and service at this price point, and we’ll be going to one of those for all our future celebrations.
… moreMy husband and I visited Cadre on the eve of 2/13/25 to celebrate my birthday; we were unimpressed and disappointed.
The food was adequate. We had appetizers (Blood Orange Salad, Chickpea Panisse), entrees (Scallops on lentils, Duck Breast with tart cherries), and dessert (Crème Brûlée, Napoleon in Rags), as well as the sommelier suggested wine. The appetizers were the best, food-wise, of the night–flavorful and a good combination of taste and texture.
The scallops left much to be desired. They needed more sear, were a bit tough, and overly salty. The flavors did not complement each other at all. The duck was better, with less discordant flavors than the scallops, but the dish was was more of a collection of individual flavors and textures (crisp mushrooms, limp spinach, smooth pureed sunchoke), which were fine on their own but did not contribute to a harmonious whole.
Dessert was okay. The brandied crème brûlée tasted mostly of brandy. There was a crunchy layer of sugar on top, as crème brûlée requires, but it was rather thin and the accompaniments did not seem to add anything (other than dressing up the plate). The Napoleon was basically chocolate mousse with freshly diced mango. The puff pastry garnish was more akin to thin, salty cracker pieces and the two herb leaves on top didn’t add much. It looked nice, but was basically a deconstructed mango chocolate mousse.
The best part of the meal was the sommelier-suggested wine, a Pinot Meunier. It brought out the nuttiness of the salad and the cherries from the duck. Top-notch pairing despite the so-so food. Food presentation (how the food looked) was also great.
The worst part of our visit was easily the service. (We made reservations well in advance, so it wasn’t like a surprise visit.) Food was slow to come out. Our server barely interacted with us and, more importantly, was highly inattentive. She left our water glasses empty for quite a while and my husband had to explicitly ask for more water when she next visited, after which she brought out a water jug to set on our table (she didn’t even pour to refill the glass while she was there). I don’t think she even gave us her name, much less ask if we were celebrating anything, which would have been an easy conversation starter given that their Valentine’s menu was out.
We’re believers in waitstaff being able to make a living wage, but if there was ever an argument for why tipping should be a thing, this was it; we would have been better off without a server, even if we had to wait to be called up to get our own food or use a drink dispenser. The automatic 20% service charge was just salt in the wound.
The atmosphere was definitely more on the casual side. Most of the patrons we saw were dressed more casually (or just plain casual). If you’re looking for a place to dress up and not feel out of place, this is not it. I was in a knee-length dress with a knit cardigan, black tights, and boots and I felt overdressed…. Parking was not great. There’s a little lot to the side that was full when we arrived and full when we left. We parked on the street, which had space due to all the snow piled up there.
All in all, if you’re looking for a place to be forgotten about, unacknowledged, and for imitation eye candy that tastes bland (or maybe just for the bar), yeah, this is your place. If you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or to make (good) memories, look elsewhere. There are MANY better options with better food and service at this price point, and we’ll be going to one of those for all our future celebrations.
Алина
The first time experience was lovely. Both entree dished were delicious. As for desert, creme brûlée had some sort of liqueur in it which we didn’t care for as we excepted classic desert. The presentation was absolutely beautiful.
The 20% service fee added by default set the experience a little on a wrong foot. While I understand the reason behind this approach, as a customer I rather pay higher dish prices. Transparency sometimes can be hurtful, as many reviews serve as prove.
Otherwise, there is two hour parking lot on the same block, so parking was easy. The service was fine as well. Overall we enjoyed the menu offerings and the restaurant.
… moreThe 20% service fee added by default set the experience a little on a wrong foot. While I understand the reason behind this approach, as a customer I rather pay higher dish prices. Transparency sometimes can be hurtful, as many reviews serve as prove.
Otherwise, there is two hour parking lot on the same block, so parking was easy. The service was fine as well. Overall we enjoyed the menu offerings and the restaurant.
Dan Burnett
Went here with for dinner on a Saturday night and had a lovely time on the patio. The patio offers plenty of shade, and the nearby street isn’t too busy with pedestrians or traffic noise to be distracting. The asparagus, escargot, and bread appetizers were quite good. The bread and asparagus especially were done especially well. Their walleye special was some of the best walleye I’ve had, and their fries are superb.
Elijah, our server, was helpful, prompt, friendly, and otherwise added to the experience.
Would recommend highly.
… moreElijah, our server, was helpful, prompt, friendly, and otherwise added to the experience.
Would recommend highly.
Nathan Riesen
We had a great dinner at Cadre tonight. Shout out to a fantastic menu executed perfectly with wonderful presentation. Very nice cocktail menu featuring unique and classic cocktails. Our server was wonderful and took great care of us. We loved it.
… moreMargaret Jackson
Absolutely delicious! While visiting Madison, I found this restaurant for dinner. The servers were extremely welcoming. The food was insanely flavorful. I tried the escargot, cheese curds, soup du jour, beef bourginon, and the bouillabaise. To drink, I had a glass of the Gascon malbec wine. Everything was simply perfect. I definitely recommend this wine to anyone who is visiting the area!
… moreKristin Redman
Sat at the bar for dinner and drinks the moules frites had a heavenly winey creamy broth with oyster mushrooms – we had to get bread to take full advantage of the broth. The Fried green beans dish with polenta and pancetta was such a lovely pairing for a great meal. Our bar tender and servers were delightful. We’ll be back soon!
… moreAlexandria Cull Weatherer
Cadre is one of my favorite places in Madison. Pretty much everything we have had there has been amazing. The staff is incredible and accommodating to my unique needs. The patio is a perfect little spot for outdoor dining. The happy hour has nice specials. They have wonderful drinks including non-alcoholic options. I highly recommend the moules frites, soups (that vary), and cheese curds. Price tag can vary widely- if you do a happy hour it can be quite cheap, or you can really go all out for a higher end expensive meal. It’s been a fantastic dining experience every time.
… moreRayelle Berola
Our first experience was lovely. We had 5 dishes in total and 3 drinks and all but 1 were magnificent and we plan to return. The service was spectacular, great coordination and quickly met all our needs. Be aware and additional 20% is included on the bill for service, and we felt good about it. The only one disappointment was the dessert, similar to a cheesecake with lemon curd was not as expected. It was rubbery. Which was a bummer ending with how everything else was tastebud mindblowing! Do check out this amazing gem soon!
… moreDerek DeShields
Had a fantastic time having dinner at the bar. The bartender was super cool and added to the great atmosphere. The food was fresh and delicious, and the whole place had a really good vibe. Can’t wait to come back!
… more