the Cardinal Bar

I can’t tell you how happy I am that this place is open again. They truly made my college experience incredible and I enjoyed the time I spent here. I’m so glad they are open again and providing the same great service and cocktails to the Madison community. This place is a Madison staple and is showing folks that things truly get better with age. Glad to see this space is still doing well and is still loved by myself and countless others. Also Will was AMAZING! Please let him know! But Madison folks please give this the place the love and patronage it deserves! You won’t be disappointed 🙌🏾

Loved our experience at The Cardinal Bar this evening. The space is beautiful and the drinks are delicious, but the staff are true stand outs. We were lucky enough to have William (bartender/sound person) help us out this evening and what a hoot they were! We were laughing, swapping stories, learning the history of the bar, etc. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time we had so much fun chatting with someone new! We cannot wait to come back, esp. for the delicious chicken wings we heard so much about!

Awesome place that was renovated to its former glory. Beautiful woodwork, tile, and bar. The cocktails were made with care. Very friendly bartenders and owners. There were 3 of us and we split 2 orders of each empanada flavor. All very good! There is a vending machine with odd items, one of which was a mystery bag. They also have pull tabs.. Love the vibe and will make it point to visit this place next time I am in the area.

So happy to see this iconic bar open again. Between the remodel, style of events and music, its as if it never closed. Try the Bloody Mary some early weekend morning. One of the best in Madison, IMO.

We went there for a comedy night with some friends. Unfortunately, the pictures make the place out to be much nicer than it is. The bar itself is pretty basic as far as hard alcohol and the tap beer selection was very one dimensional. There are other bars nearby that are much nicer and have a far better selection for drink options.

I use to love go dancing to this place, wonderful environment, everyone respect the dance floor, nobody had their drinks in their hand when they were dancing, the bathrooms were clean and there was men and woman separated, nobody smoke inside their electric cigarettes.Now everything has change, since they make the bathrooms all gende which I have nothing against, but the bathroom that used to be for womans is dirty, and smells horrible.The dance floor become dirty sticky because people dont respect the dance floor , they dance and drink at the same time on the dance floor.The only thing that still great is the staff, bar tenders who still wonderful caring people my big respect for them.

Will never return here or give this establishment my business. I had a disgusting experience with the co owner Carrie Tobias (short bloated women with a sad bob and dilated eyes) as they were closing Saturday night I was waiting 25+ minutes for the bartender to close my check she proceeded to tell her paying customers to “ GET THE F OUT!!” After telling her to not speak to me like this as I’m waiting for my check she verbally assaulted me and proceeded to come outside to attempt to physically fight me a black man with one of her skin head friends i don’t know if this lady has drug issues or what but the way a owner of a business treats her customers who paid money is INSANE I see why they have been closed for years….. what a wicked women they all need serious training on how to operate as a professional business in what world should it take almost 40 minutes to close a $8.44 check? Get some anger management lady.

First time there in over 20 years. It has the same cool vibe. Beautiful space will have to go back to listen to music. Welcome back Cardinal!!

A super location with on street parking often available this spot is a go-to with one major asterisk. Last we were there we had amazing service, great drinks, and really enjoyed the atmosphere until the live music started. We had intended to stay longer but we packed up our game and left after ~15 minutes because even seated at the bar one room over the live music (jazz with flute) was so loud it literally hurt our ears. I will definitely go back, but would be greatly inclined toward another place if o heard in advance live music was on the docket.

Stopped in here for a happy hour with some friends. The place has a really cool vibe; something like hipster meets old-money. Some of my group ordered some food and had good things to say. I tried a couple of their cocktails and was generally happy. While we were there they had some live music, and they had another event, so it seems like they have some cool stuff going on. Ill definitely check them out again.

Great little place for special cocktails and a space to spend time with friends. Drinks are great and the vibe of the place is really chill. I also dig the art deco feel of the place. Service is good and can be very busy at times, but I swear its worth it. Good location to barhop to and from as well. Get the Corpse Reviver!

Great events, atmosphere, and service! The bar is lovely, dance floor is a bit small but still a great time.

Cardinal is back! The staff is friendly and the cocktails were great! The owners have managed to restore the Cardinal to its former glory.

Excellent place to spend time with friends and meet new people. The exterior draws you in to a warm and friendly interior featuring plenty of comfortable seating and a spacious dance area. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun night out!

Used to come here years ago to dance with my coworkers and was treated like a Queen. I stopped in tonight and was accosted by the female bartender for no fucking reason. What the fuck?

Not much in the food department here. They have some, just nothing I wanted to actually get.(I have the palette of a man-child)They have beer, and sometimes comedy in the back room. Thats pretty sick.Staff is super nice and quick. Not too shabby at all.

Friendly staff but not good drinks. I thought the first time was just an off night but I don’t think I will go back for a third visit. When I asked why the drinks seemed watered down they told me it’s just the way they make them.

We didnt eat there, but the cocktails and bartender were both fantastic.

When it comes to queer spaces in Madison, this easily tops my list! Such a wide variety of ages and demographics here, and their dance scene is everythinggg.Big thanks to the staff for maintaining a safe environment. I have first hand seen them proactivity deal with rowdy customers. Cannot recommend enough!

Been here twice and BOTH times have been treated completely horrible by staff. Wish we had that experience BEFORE we bought expensive drinks and tipped over 20%. Thought I’d give this place a second chance, but there will not be a third.Edit: Turns out it was one of the OWNERS that treated my group like garbage. Good to know.Fun fact: they are now trying to add me on my personal social media accounts from their other business pages :) so they’re stalkers too

Cardinal is one of my favorite bars, its got a nice atmosphere for having some drinks with friends and they have a wide variety of music/entertainment. The drinks have always been made well and reasonably priced for downtown Madison

So wonderful to have the Cardinal back! They have so many inclusive events, and the staff is so fun and friendly. Its an amazing historical building if the atmosphere isnt enough to get you there. Highly recommend!!

The Cardinal is incredibly vibrant and unique. The owners and staff have clearly put in the time and effort to give this space it’s own heartbeat. The cocktail menu contains a good mix of classics and creative house recipes. The Amor Tropical is my favorite drink. The snacks are great as well.The Cardinal also has amazing events that add an immense amount of value to our community. From jazz nights, to DJ’d events, to queer nights: the Cardinal has something for everyone. How lucky are we to get a revival this strong.Been loving the Hot at Nite events lately! A great space for a safe and friendly LGBT event!

The Cardinal has been a Madison institution for years. It had been closed for several years. I have been there numerous times. Im happy to see the Cardinal is open once again. Its a great venue for live music.

Incredible cocktails — the Old Fashioned was the best I’ve ever had. Andy and William welcomed my buddy to Madison and gave us great recommendations. 100% will be coming back next time I’m in Madison.

I have been here a few times now and had bad experiences every time. The staff is unfriendly and inattentive. I wanted to like it because the atmosphere seems cool, but it’s not worth it. Absolutely will not be going back after giving this place so many chances.

Pack too many people, cover charge just to get in, you have to like to stand on your legs cause al the chairs are takken

A fun bar that often has live music. They put the bands in a fun back room so that you can enjoy the music and dance floor, or a quieter drink out front. Definitely worth a visit!

The worst DJ, thats why its empty. They need to improve, bad music.

Was really excited to check this place out for the first time and instead was treated with little to no respect from the staff. Maybe was just a bad night but I don’t see that as a reason to treat customers that way.Edit: not all disappointed customers come from/associate with the same person. Not sure why I got the response I got.

Was so excited to visit the newly opened bar but unfortunately staff were incredibly rude and did not exhibit any hospitality toward their patrons.. Don’t spend your money here, many other places to get a drink downtown.

I like this place! went on a Friday and a couple Saturdays. ... Saturdays Latin music a fun crowd! live music for part of the evening then DJ who played mostly Latin music....bartenders were fun make good strong drinks. ... Friday was more of an urban crowd hip hop R&B DJ played lots of current hits. will be back

Love the event they do love the atmosphere how it changes

The Cardinal is a fun place to go, but recommend you check out what music is playing beforehand and there is usually a $5 cover. It is a great if you like dancing, and a decent bar. I did have a bad experience with a very rude bartender, but they personally apologized for it so I modified my review.

Cool vibe. queer friendly. fair prices

Great ambience, solid food and service. Perfect spot for listening to a band in the side room.

New favorite bar!!! Can’t wait to return. Great drinks, amazing dance floor.

Super cool downtown vintage vibe, excellent service and food, and a perfect venue for local music!

My go to club for many reasons. Staff is friendly, classy and prompt. Drinks always served in glass. Live music for happy hour is always exceptional and Wednesday night EDM djs are some of the only consistent electronic nights in Madison. No TVs except for special events, I like this.

Come prepared to pay a cover if youre a dude $5... Not sure what it was if youve got the cha-chas but I think they had to pay a cover too, sorry ladies... Was unfortunately dragged here on my girlfriends birthday by some drunk coworkers, 14 of us came in... No discounts for the group... Drinks were OK. Latin music was OK, wish it would have been anything else. I guess there was a variety of fast and slower.We ended up leaving because the dancefloor is SMALL and not what we thought it would be.I wish I wouldve known what it was before we went there, my $5 for 20min learning experience taught me not to come back here again... I thought about asking for my $$ back but the door people were rude to these nice old people who tried to go around us young people getting carded when we came in so I didnt bother...

I went there for some drinks on Thursday night; the service to us #whitepeople was fine =) but you were able to hear how racist they were towards minorities.... And, by 12:30 pm you can see people fighting ....bottles of beers flight around. The servers dont have any common sense of whats happening, because they are drunk or frustrated with clients. Basically, I am disappointed of the Cardinal Bar. Im sorry if I offend someone with my posting.

Its cleaned up quite a bit since its heyday, but it still has the old Cardinal charm.

Went there one night and it happened to be a foam party night. The music was too loud. Drinks didnt have hardly any liquor in it. Plus the sight of half naked people running around making out in public is extremely trashy!

Great place laid back retro themed. Bigger than it looks on the outside just keep walking further in.

Great food, good drink selection, LOVE THE LATIN MUSIC THEY HOST

Ive been to Cardinal twice and both times the staff were incredibly rude and disrespectful. Terrible service. The $5 covery charge is asinine. I cant think of any redeeming quality about this place. Heed my advice and spend your money elsewhere.

The Cardinal is a true Madison landmark and treasure. Its rich in both history and warmth. There are few places in Madison that can compete with the authenticity that the Cardinal holds. Its a place of connection, acceptance and memories. Its a true reflection of its conservator, Ricardo.

Classy place. Fun to watch the latin jazz band play there

A welcome and cozy establishment. Great music, dancing, and events. Never tip the staff, it makes them cranky.5 nuts.

Salsa, Cumbia, bachata, Thursdays!! $5 to get in. Great drinks n huge dance floor. Perfect for date night.

Good service, great vibes

Best bar in Madison. So glad the Bird is back.

Beautiful space with the coolest vibe, wonderful service always.

Please come visit ! It is completely restored! Amazingly beautiful!

Great bar! Cool atmosphere

Insane how they make you pay a $15 cover charge

I love this place, I dont know where Id be without these very special people. Its been a good ride.

Fun place for a night with friends that will be worth while

Horrible service. Go to another bar instead

Great staff, drinks and service!

Nice looking spot but terrible service

Classic atmosphere!

Best staff on the planet. 😍

I love coming here to see groups perform. A great hang!

Loovvee cardinal! Great night

I always enjoy Friday night electronic music

Best place in Madison to relax and have a nice cocktail

People make it great 👍🏾

Nice bar and interesting club scene.

Newly renovated & awesome.

Disrespectful staff

This institution is closing fun place

Great place to dance

Dancing and nice atmosphere

Salsa lessons love it!!!!!

Fancy

Good

Another bar in madison

Im just going to dance to salsa, bachata and merengue music, excellent atmosphere for all those who know about music...