Tempest Oyster Bar
A sleek, stylish oyster bar offering a sophisticated nautical vibe with fresh seafood, craft cocktails, and weekend live music.
Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Tempest Oyster Bar
Highlights
Must-see attractions
A sleek, stylish oyster bar offering a sophisticated nautical vibe with fresh seafood, craft cocktails, and weekend live music.
"Tempest Oyster Bar offers an exceptional dining experience with outstanding food and attentive, friendly service."
Happy Hour Steals
Visit during happy hour for specials on oysters, scallops, and more. Don't miss the discounted cocktails!
Unique Cocktail Creations
Explore house cocktails like Exocet or Navy Pea Coat for uniquely crafted and flavorful drink experiences.
Quick Facts
Cuisine
Seafood
Price
$$$
Phone
(608) 258-1443
Address
120 E Wilson St Suite 3, Madison, WI 53703, USA
Website
tempestoysterbar.com/Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences
Oyster Paradise
Indulge in a superb selection of high-quality oysters, celebrated for their freshness and variety.
Expertly Crafted Seafood
Savor expertly prepared seafood dishes including succulent scallops and decadent lobster rolls.
Intimate & Social Atmosphere
Enjoy delicious cocktails in a chic, stylish setting that fosters both intimacy and social buzz.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Menu
Most Popular Items
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Happy Hour Steals
Visit during happy hour for specials on oysters, scallops, and more. Don't miss the discounted cocktails!
Unique Cocktail Creations
Explore house cocktails like Exocet or Navy Pea Coat for uniquely crafted and flavorful drink experiences.
Reservations Recommended
This popular spot fills up quickly, so securing a reservation is advised to guarantee your table.
Dine in 'The Shell'
Request 'the shell' booth for a unique dining experience, especially for special occasions.
Tips
from all over the internet
Happy Hour Steals
Visit during happy hour for specials on oysters, scallops, and more. Don't miss the discounted cocktails!
Unique Cocktail Creations
Explore house cocktails like Exocet or Navy Pea Coat for uniquely crafted and flavorful drink experiences.
Reservations Recommended
This popular spot fills up quickly, so securing a reservation is advised to guarantee your table.
Dine in 'The Shell'
Request 'the shell' booth for a unique dining experience, especially for special occasions.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Tempest Oyster Bar is lauded for its high-quality, fresh oysters and expertly prepared seafood dishes. Diners frequently praise the attentive service and the intimate yet social atmosphere. While many find the prices reasonable for the quality, some reviews mention inconsistency in food preparation and a few negative experiences with service, particularly regarding staff demeanor.
"Tempest is an excellent seafood spot with an intimate yet social ambience. The oysters are high quality with a nice selection to choose from. Although likely the least thematic “dish,” the bread with flake-salted butter was addictively good. The dining room can get slightly crowded making it somewhat noisy, but I believe this actually contributes to the experience. The waitstaff are A+; very attentive, kind, and professional. The prices are a bit steep, but is reasonable for a nice outing. No parking out front, at least while road construction is underway—we used a garage a block away, which is a short walk."
Alex Hill
"Tempest Oyster Bar offers a truly exceptional dining experience in the heart of Madison. From the moment we walked in, the service was attentive, friendly, and professional. The atmosphere is welcoming, with just the right balance of elegance and comfort.
The food was outstanding. I ordered the 8 oz tenderloin steak, and it was cooked to perfection—tender, juicy, and exactly as requested. The side dish of asparagus was equally impressive—neither dry nor overcooked, but vibrant and flavorful."
July B
"I work in the field in Downtown Madison so I’ve passed by your restaurant a few times, Fam came in town for dinner and I’m really glad we chose this place. Oyster and shrimp cocktail were spot on, great variety of wine and thoughtfully crafted house cocktails for a reasonable price… the dinners and sides were really exceptional as was the carrot cake… we were throughly impressed with our first visit here and for sure will be back."
Jeb Anderson
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Happy hour offers specials on oysters ($2 each), shrimp cocktails ($3), fish cakes, and conch fritters, along with discounts on drinks. It's a great time to sample various seafood options.
Yes, reservations are recommended as Tempest Oyster Bar is a popular spot and can get busy, especially during peak hours and weekends.
Tempest specializes in a wide array of seafood, with a strong focus on high-quality oysters, scallops, lobster, and various fish dishes.
Yes, Tempest Oyster Bar features live music on weekends, adding to its lively and social atmosphere.
House cocktails like the 'Exocet' and 'Navy Pea Coat' are highly recommended for their unique flavors and expert preparation.
Diners can request 'the shell,' a booth shaped like a scallop shell, for a unique and intimate dining experience.
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If you’re looking for seafood during happy hour, visit Tempest Oyster Bar. There are specials on oysters, scallops, oysters Rockefeller, shrimp cocktails, fish cakes, conch fritters and the smoke stack composed of whitefish salad, lox, trout, caviar and horseradish creme. While you can get $1 off taps, $4.50 rail mixers and $7 house wine, it’s worth trying a house cocktail—like the Exocet with Citadelle gin, basil, lemon juice, simple syrup and sparkling rosé—for $8.
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Seafood lovers can bond over fresh, sustainable oysters, scallops, lobsters and fish at Tempest Oyster Bar. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the servers are knowledgeable and friendly, and the menu is constantly evolving based on the freshest seafood available. Start with some craft beers or cocktails from the bar and then move on to a smorgasbord of expertly prepared seafood dishes.
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Gib's Bar in Madison stands alone for many reasons: it's built inside of 19th century home that's been refurbished, feels equally homey inside and requires you to enter through the neighboring Grandpa's restaurant in order to access it. Once you get inside, however, you'll be greeted by some of the kindest bartenders and most unique drink specials in town!
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Other dining options in town include Marigold Kitchen for breakfast and brunch, Sardine for brunch, the Tornado Club Steak House for an authentic supper club experience and Tempest Oyster Bar for seafood. My local friends also love Tempest. For a supper club experience you might you enjoy Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club since 1947 at 1025 N.
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Tempest Oyster Bar – It’s a fun Friday night at your favorite neighborhood bar, that is until you discover it was once a funeral home that doubled as an apartment complex. And then you find out a former Heaven’s Gate member died in this very building. That’s exactly what you can expect from Tempest Oyster Bar.
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120 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703-3423+1 608-258-1443 See Menu. Tempest Oyster Bar feels like a secret passage to the coast, right in the heart of downtown Madison. Its vibe is nautical but never gimmicky, and it’s always buzzing at happy hour with locals who know where to find the good stuff.
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This Wilson Street spot lives up to its name because its oysters and seafood will truly cause a commotion in the most amazing way. Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m. for $10 cocktails, $7 wines, $1 off draught beer, and food specials including $2 oysters, $3 shrimp cocktails, and more.
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Tempest took “nautical” and made it a whole sophisticated vibe. This ain’t no beach shack. Rather than a menu of steaks and sides, this restaurant is all about the seafood: oysters, scallops, fish, crab, lobster….you name it, they’re serving it fresh.
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With live music on the weekends and delectable seafood, Tempest Oyster Bar is undoubtedly an experience. The walls are whitewashed, the decor is sea-themed, and the bar is lined with green glass bottles. There’s even a lovely little patio outside.
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- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (237 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.0/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: American, Seafood- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 120 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703-3481- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tempest Oyster Bar is probably one of the most overlooked fine dining establishments in Madison. Treat yourself to the smoke stack starter made with white fish salad, lox, trout, caviar and horseradish cream.
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Tempest Oyster Bar: 120 E Wilson St, downtown Madison near the Capitol Square. Fresh and sustainable seafood restaurant featuring live Maine lobster, Friday fish fry, oysters, and Saturday prime rib.
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Tempest delivers with fresh oysters, seared scallops, and a raw bar that rivals any coastal spot. It’s a local favorite for fresh catches and happy hour deals.
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Slurp $2 oysters and enjoy other seafood snacks at Tempest Oyster Bar. The best table in the house is a booth that looks like it’s part of a fan shell.
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We had to wipe the drool off our keyboard that came from looking at this pic of Tempest Oyster Bar’s $3 shrimp cocktail deal.
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from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit