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    The Bar

    4.4 (16 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Sandwiches
    Closed 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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    a plate of food with pita chips, carrots and celery
    Ryo Hanalei Z.

    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!

    Booth area and menus.
    Stacey L.

    Ah, The Bar. I really liked you when I first discovered you when invited to a meeting here and was excited to come back. You have so much potential. You need to have more than one person working the entire room, though. The bartender/server was great from the little we interacted with her, but her visits were few and far between because she was running through the bar all night. Literally. Occasionally someone else would run food out for her, but she was waiting on 40 or so people by herself. Bonkers. I ordered a hot toddy - dark rum, vanilla, honey, and mulled spices. My table mates were served long before me - in all it took over 30 minutes to get my drink. At one point the bartender did check back in with me to let me know they might be out of one of the ingredients, but it eventually appeared. It was delicious, so I'm glad for that, but 30-40 minutes to get a pretty simple drink is outrageous. It took about 45 minutes to an hour after arriving for us to be able to put in a food order. We ordered from the woman who was occasionally popping in to order food. She was nice, but didn't know the menu. We were curious what the white sauce was on the chicken wings, and she had no clue, but at least offered to go back to the kitchen to ask (if you're curious - mayo and miso). We ended up passing on that and getting the mini meatballs with romanesco sauce, artichoke and spinach dip, and the assorted Wisconsin cheeses with pickled vegetables and mustards. After we finally put in our order, the food came out in a reasonable amount of time after. The food runner gave us our cheese plate with no explanation of what anything was - I was able to catch the bartender and she was able to tell us what cheeses were on the plate - a blue cheese whose name I forget, a butter kaese, and a five-year cheddar. The pickled vegetables were just one variety - I believe it may have been zucchini? They had a strong, spicy kick that was delicious. The mentioned mustards ended up also being singular - all I can say is there was some sort of sweet element to it. Not my thing. The meatballs were indeed mini, but tasty. The bread served with it was really delicious. I don't know if the five tiny meatballs were worth $9, though - the quality didn't equal out to two dollars a bite. The artichoke and spinach dip came out bubbling hot, and was good - it tasted like it may have had a beer base, but there's no mention of that on the menu. The chunks of artichoke were hearty and there was a good amount of spinach. It was nice because it didn't have an overly cheesy/greasy/heavy feel that many such dips do. I love the colors of The Bar, and the booth-like chairs were really comfy. We had a TV in our area that was set to a good volume on a music channel until the World Series came on. I'll be back to give it another go, possibly before a show at Overture, but I have all my fingers crossed that service will improve. At the rate we went tonight, there's no way we would have made showtime despite arriving at 5:30 if that was our goal.

    Delicious coconut chocolate martini!
    Emily R.

    This is a trendy little bar inside of the Concourse Hotel. I loved the ambiance and would definitely go back! Their prices are reasonable, I honestly expected it to cost much more than it did. We tried a speciality coconut chocolate martini that was delicious, a Bloody Mary that was on the spicy side, and cheese curds. Everything was great!

    a sandwich and a drink on a table

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    11 months ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great service and the bar itself has a nice comforting atmosphere. Prices were reasonable and selection of higher end spirits were good

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    This place is great. Sliders. Fried pickles. Deviled eggs. Really really good for a hotel bar.

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    Review Highlights - The Bar

    This restaurant is in the bar of the Concourse and easily missed.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Cask & Ale

    Cask & Ale

    4.2(77 reviews)
    0.1 miCapitol
    $$

    Another first-time experience in Madison, and this spot came highly recommended if you're a true…read morewhiskey or bourbon lover, and wow it did NOT disappoint! It happened to be near the theatre we went to, so we decided to stop in and check it out. They have nearly 775 different types of whiskey to choose from, which is wild! I loved that they offer different ounce sizes so you can sample a few, and they even pair it with water so you stay hydrated while tasting (smart touch). Price ranges between ~$7.50-$20.00+. The place had a cozy, lounge-like vibe and was pretty busy, but the staff was friendly and helpful. It's first come first served for seating, just like any bar. We sampled a few whiskeys and also tried their premade espresso martini. The whiskey selection was phenomenal, the espresso martini was decent, not the best I've had (it was premade), but still enjoyable (it's made with Tito's, which isn't my favorite base, but I appreciate the fresh coffee beans they used). All in all, this place is a hidden gem. Great whiskey, friendly staff, and the perfect cozy spot to escape the rain for a while. I'll definitely be back next time to try even more from their list!

    The perfect chill spot for a couple, if you need a cozy booth with dim lighting & good cocktails…read morethis is it! We also loved that the football game was on and it wasn't too loud. It's intimate and the drinks are fire. We stuck with the classic old fashioned and felt they were strong and well crafted - thank you for a true luxardo cherry too! We ordered at the bar but chilled in a booth. So many whiskey options!!! Service is friendly & quick!

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    Cask & Ale
    Cask & Ale
    Cask & Ale

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    FIVE Nightclub - FIVE's stage/show area

    FIVE Nightclub

    3.4(36 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $

    As far as bars go, it was decent. It had plenty of room, the music wasn't overpowering and the…read moredrinks were not overladen with alcohol (some gay bars are 90% alcohol, 10% soda or whatever. It would have been nice to have 2 bartenders working the main room during the WI Leather Pride event I'm not sure what happened but the bartender they had was literally running the whole time trying to keep up. The parking lot is a mess. I mean, literally a mess. The pavement was uneven, broken and needs some maintenance. I hope they have that on their future improvements. It might sound I didn't enjoy FIVE but I did. I kind of wish we had more of these in the Twin Cities.

    I REALLY LOVE THE FAMILY FRIENDLY DRAG SHOWS!!! They hold them once a month, usually on a weekend…read morefrom 7-9pm. And politely ask for families to close tabs & exit for the next adult drag show to start at 9:30pm. I really want this place to continue its offerings so hear me out (below) on why I chose a low star review). Drinks are super reasonable, just as other review posted. And bar staff (and everyone else there for that matter) are extremely friendly and respectful. They offer free popcorn on the backside of the bar (help yourself)! And pizza for the late night cravings. The reason for my 3 stars (should really be 2 but I truly want to promote this place in hopes they keep it going and can pay for a deep cleaning... lol). I get it's a late night spot, but I'm very conscious when it comes to bathrooms. I don't think these have been cleaned in years. If they weren't half as bad as they were at 7pm -- I'd be willing to give it 3.5 stars. Clean them up right and I'd give it an EASY 5 stars. I hope the owners/managers hear me out on this one!

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    FIVE Nightclub
    FIVE Nightclub - Show Tunes Happy Hour! Fridays 6-10pm! Followed by college night!

    Show Tunes Happy Hour! Fridays 6-10pm! Followed by college night!

    FIVE Nightclub - December Bear night!

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    December Bear night!

    The Bar - bars - Updated May 2026

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