The Bar

Reviews

• Ryo Hanalei Z.

  star star star star star 14 June 2026

  Located inside the Madison Concourse Hotel, this is a great intimate bar with not only good drinks but also some bar bites.
  
  I've been here a few times with some new friends I've made during my visit here in Madison.
  
  Enjoy!

• Derek L.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 7 June 2026

  Surprisingly fun bar with a nice selection of drinks that definitely exceeds your expectations for a hotel bar. So why the one star? Because of the service. Wesley the bartender was super rude and possibly racist. I was there for an Asian American Studies conference, and it was probably the most Asians in a room some of the folks (employees and customers) there had ever seen, and they definitely let their feelings show.
  
  Wesley grunted a "what can i get for you" when I walked up to the bar, but instead of making my drink for me right away, he went to help this white biker dude sitting in the corner first. Then, after he made my drink, I asked to close out and he just plopped the check in front of me without a word of thanks, and sulked off to help another Asian gentleman, in a similarly gruff manner. Given that hotels are part of the hospitality industry, and their livelihood as an establishment literally depends upon providing service to customers, you would think that they would know better than to be racist like this! But I guess they figured that this is ok because they rarely get guests who are Asian? I don't know, but if you're Asian American I would steer clear of this place because you are not welcome!

• Lauren J.

  star star star star star 6 June 2026

  Incredible little bar that exceeds all hotel bar expectations. Very reasonably priced for a hotel - $2 PBRs!
  
  Can't complain about the drinks - highly recommend the Sconnie Old Fashioned!
  
  The drinks are great but the food stole the show. Everything we got was amazing, especially the spinach and artichoke dip. I don't say this lightly, but it is the best spinach and artichoke dip I have ever had!
  
  The staff was nice and attentive. Highly recommend making a visit, even if you aren't staying in the hotel!

• Loren H.

  star star star star star 28 May 2026

  This restaurant is in the bar of the Concourse and easily missed. We stopped for sandwiches before a concert on State street for something different and were pleasantly surprised. The food was outstanding as was the service. Of course there were only two other people dining so maybe that is not always the case. I had a French Dip sandwich in a perfect bun which was seasoned just right and the fries that came with it a little above average as well. My wife has a chicken parmesan sandwich  which was equally good. We had a couple of Manhattans before dinner that were correctly made and not bad in price,$ 7.50 each, a good price for the uptown area. The only negative thing I would comment on is that at one point the entire room started shaking like ship in a storm!  When I asked about this I was told it was the laundry equipment in the basement that vibrates the whole place. We had to pretend we were on a cruise ship in rough water for ten minutes or so until it stopped. This was around seven PM so maybe the laundry shuts down around then. We did not feel it again after that. Good food and good value. Give it a try if uptown.

• TroyKim S.

  star star star star star 27 May 2026

  I came in here last night after hearing about this place. I was so amazed at the ambiance, but what was even more amazing was my server, Tristan. He was very attentive to my needs and recommended absolutely delicious drinks and appetizers. I will be back very soon, 5/5.