Below are some common Lunch suggestions in the area around the Fluno Center; Dinner suggestions in the downtown area follow. These are in alphabetical order, but be sure to ask if you have a favorite cuisine. In a city that has one of the nation’s highest number of restaurants per capita, this list is far from comprehensive. Be sure to check out State St and Library Mall as well as the Memorial Union!

Lunch

Bassett Street Brunch Club: At the corner of W Johnson and N Bassett at the Hampton Inn, the Bassett Street Brunch Club offers comfort food revved up with a little style and sophistication all day until midnight . Website

Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry: Located right across the street from the Fluno Center circle drive, Dotty’s features some of the best hamburgers in Madison as well as a relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of mid-20th century. Website

Estacion Inka: Across University Ave, Estacion Inka is famous for their Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, with exciting new Latin flavors along with more vegetarian options. Website

Fresh Fin Poke: Across University Ave, then a short walk to the northeast. Poke bowls with the freshest ingredients. Website

Ian’s Pizza: Located right across the street from the Fluno Center circle drive, Ian’s offers a wide variety of pizza, including some very unique creations. Ian’s also allows you to create your own salad, with many of the ingredients coming from the Dane County Farmer’s Market. Website

Nitty Gritty: Just diagonally across W Johnson St, the Nitty Gritty is best known for its burgers and celebrating birthdays. Website

Poke It Up: Diagonally across University Ave from the Fluno Center in the triangle, Poke It Up is known for its poke bowl and sushi burrito using high quality fresh ingredients. Website

Porta Bella: North of University Ave on Frances St, Porta Bella is known for its pasta, homemade Italian dinners, pizzas, steaks and seafood. Website

Strings Ramen Shop: Focuses specifically on ramen but gives the option of adding more deluxe ingredients. The menu includes four types of ramen broth with a variety of high-end ingredients that are added to make the dish even more delectable. They use fresh noodles, genuine broth combined with only the best ingredients. Website

UW’s student unions: Memorial Union along Lake Mendota and Union South across from the AOSS Building. Website

Dinner

Cento: Located just off Capitol Square on W Mifflin, this premier Italian restaurant combines Old World traditions with modern techniques. Website

Coopers Tavern: Located on Capitol Square near the top of State Street, this gastro pub features a neighborhood atmosphere as well as gluten-free meal options. Website

Merchant: Merchant is a casual farm-to-table restaurant, inspired by the American Craft Movement – tradesmen and women who look to history to proudly perform their craft with knowledge and care. Merchant works directly with local farmers who grow their crops and animals with care and natural methods, bakers who make bread and pastry by hand, and cheese makers, distillers, and wine and beer producers who use top ingredients and age-old methods. Website

RED: Chef-created entrées combine the highest quality ingredients in a intimate, modern environment. Even traditional items on the RED menu are executed with painstaking precision, accentuating the fresh flavors of the ingredients and the beauty of the presentation. Website

Samba: Located just off State Street, Samba offers a unique dining experience. Waiters go from table to table with skewers of different meat that they will carve for guests upon request. Samba also features a large buffet of various salads, roasted vegetables, artisanal cheeses, breads and much more. Website

Sardine: Located on the shores of Lake Monona and a few blocks east of the capitol, Sardine offers a menu inspired by French bistros with some Mediterranean touches. In addition to the menu, Sardine also features a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere looking out across Lake Monona. Website

The Old Fashioned: Located on the Capitol Square, the Old Fashioned is known for serving traditional fare inspired by Wisconsin’s rich cultural heritage. Experience the best of the foods and spirits that Wisconsin is best known for. Website

Vintage Spirits and Grill: Located just across Frances St at University, Vintage is the quintessential Madison bar with 16 beers on tap as well as salads, sandwiches, wraps and burgers. Website

State Street, Library Mall and Memorial Union Terrace

State Street is a mile-long pedestrian corridor that connects the heart of the University to the State Capitol Building where you can find formal sit-down restaurants or stand-alone food carts. At the west end of State St at Lake St, a throng of food carts collect at Library Mall. From fruit smoothies to Korean tacos, there is so much to explore! Or walk a bit further and have lunch on Lake Mendota at the Memorial Union Terrace, Madison’s informal back porch. Several restaurants can be found indoors as well including the famous Babcock Hall ice cream.