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Start a Top 5 for MediterraneanEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Madison Magazine. Updated August 2026.
Banzo · East Side
Fresh made falafel and housemade hummus and baba ganoush anchor an East Side counter that also turns out a fried chicken schnitzel in pita. It took gold in the 2025 readers' poll for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. The menu stays vegetable forward without feeling limited, and the housemade chips are a frequent side order.
Parthenon Gyros · Downtown
Madison's longstanding State Street gyros counter, open until 3 a.m. and built around a basket of gyro meat and fries. A roof garden opens up for outdoor seating when the weather cooperates, giving the late night crowd somewhere to sit outside of the counter service line. It took silver in the 2025 readers' poll for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food.
OLIVA Italian Mediterranean Cuisine · West Side
A west side kitchen working across Italian and Mediterranean cooking, which took bronze in the 2025 readers' poll for the category. The menu leans on shared plates and familiar Mediterranean staples alongside Italian dishes, giving it a wider range than either cuisine alone might suggest.