The Icon

We were in Madison for the first time ever and saw this place. We decided to give it a try. Overall experience was good. Service was excellent. Most of the food was good. Atmosphere was great. Prices seemed high compared to what I'm used to with our local tapas. And only a couple of the 5 dishes we tried were great. That said, I recommend going.

😕 Well, this used to be our favorite place to eat. They had crazy good fine-dining-style tapas and paella. Proximity to the Comedy on State and the atmosphere were a plus. So we went there again. I've noticed that the menu changed, duck and grilled octopus were missing and some Mexican dishes were added. Asked waitress and she told us that they have a new chef. Just ordered paella. Wow, what happened there? How can you mess it up - just rice with seafood. Made it at home many times. This one had plain rice on the bottom burned to the pan. On top there were a few shrimp and a few clams, and a drizzle of .... siracha sauce (?) - not sure, some orange stuff. Well, that tasted accordingly. I refused to give up quite yet! Since panacotta and all the other tasty deserts were gone, I ordered the one of two things they had, something that is hard to mess up - tres leches cake, usually my favorite. Surprisingly enough (or not?).... it was horrible! It was an american birthday cake with some blueberries on top. Really? Now we have to find a new restaurant to go to before a comedy show 😕

Not a good selection for YayMakers Paint Night. The restaurant is not exactly made for these kind of events. It's a lounge, which means it's too tight & narrow with limited space for painting. The bartender couldn't keep up with simple drinks which was mimosas, which is actually not hard to make. I tried to order breakfast but changed my mind once he act like he was overwhelmed. Eventhough I like my painting I cancelled my next paint night at this location & with the instructor Tad. He took his playfulness too far throwing a pen at another guest which almost hit me in the head😡 Overall not a good experience.

When I first moved to Madison almost five years ago, The Icon was hands down my favourite restaurant. I love tapas and I love cocktails and Icon had some of the best of both. I've went well over a dozen times in the first few years and always enjoyed myself. 1-2 years ago, the restaurant got new chefs, and since then there's been a steady decline in quantity and quality of the food. The menu is half the size it used to be, the paella is watery, the baked goat cheese smaller, and nothing feels worth the price. You can find comparable food for half the price elsewhere. The service is fine, staff is friendly, it's great for wine / drinks when you're waiting for a show, but I'm still particularly heartbroken because this used to be the place I recommended to anyone and everyone, but now, I don't think I have a reason to ever go back.

We had dinner there last Thursday. Its in a such a wonderful location....right on State Street across from the Overture Center. The atmosphere is beautiful, kind of modern decor with pictures of movie stars on the walls. The music was 1940s and 50s crooners and Big band. Wonderful! We had the Thursday night special which was Paella. It was made for 2 and came with our choice of a bottle of wine. The food was fantastic. I would have loved the Tapas but the special was perfect (I will just have to go back). Its a perfect location for those going to see a show. Thank you for such a fantastic evening!

I love Icon - particularly the Tuesday happy hour when a grouping of appetizers and a decent selection of drinks are offered at reduced prices. It's also a great place to have a drink before and/or after a performance at the Overture. We did recently check out their brunch, and were somewhat disappointed in the food. It was good, just not as tasty or, perhaps not prepared as well, as that which is offered on their evening menu. Had brunch been as good as all of my previous visits, this rating would have been 5 stars instead of 4.

We have been here reasonably often. It has declined some. Service was slow. The quality of the wine list had decreased as selection is not as good and price has increased. Food was good with nice presentation. With so many options in downtown Madison, Icon will need to step up its game before we return.

Made reservations for eight. A friend of ours recommended this restaurant and even joined us for dinner on our visit. She thought she needed to apologize after. The meal started with one of our drinks being brought to the table in a dirty glass; lipstick. No big deal but it got worse from there. Salads that came with meals took ages to appear or didn't appear at all until asked for. 3 meals were inedible and returned. We spent at least 2+ hours here before a show and most of us left hungry. We had to have a second dinner after the show. It wasn't cheap either. Wouldn't recommend.