Cardinal Bar

Place was terrible a buncha weirdos in like no clothes all on drugs and they played garbage house music wouldn’t take any requests the bartender was a completely rude and it took us 15 minutes to get a drink we payed 5 dollars to get in and asked for it back after our Interaction with the bartender and the man in charge was very disrespectful saying the bartender was his best friend and that if we did not like it we could leave. Will not be returning

Extremely cool latin place to stop by for a sandwich, drink, or some salsa dancing! Walking distance from the capital and they have a stellar Cuban sandwich.

This place is a five star place because of the variety of crowds it can please. Covers range from free to 15 dollars (which is expensive for madison) Depsite the occasional high cover this place has decent priced drinks and normally have drink specials. At some point the cardinal will be a good fit for you if you go on the right night !

Cardinal Bar is the best in Madison for Latin nights. Thursday and Saturday night they have a nice rotation of Latin music DJ that play salsa, bachata, and other dancable music. Bar tenders are also great, especially Frank!
If you want to social dance, come between 9:30−11. By 11 it starts turning clubby which is also a fun time.

Went here for the first time last night and had so much fun that I’ll definitely be back! There was a five dollar cover but it was worth it, because in my opinion there just aren’t enough places to get your groove on in Madison.
The bartender was really friendly and the bar isn’t super crowded so it doesn’t take that long to get a drink. This is because everyone’s in the back room DANCING! They played salsa music all night, which was a nice change from the music they usually play at Sotto, my usual dance spot. We had soooo much fun attempting to salsa. The room has funky lighting but isn’t extremely sweaty and gross, which is a huge plus.
Yay– I can’t wait to go back!

Thursday nights is Latin dance night. Get here by 8 p.m. and learn Salsa and Bachata basics. Stick around and watch some of the best dancers in Dane County show you how it’s done. Maybe not quite as titillating as ‘Bubble Night’, it will still appeal to your carnal desires and get you ready for the weekend.

This is one of the best places for dancing in Madison. From the few times i’ve been there, it’s never been too crowded, but it’s also never so empty that you feel like there’s a spotlight on you. It’s usually at a good enough level where you have space to do your thang. The music itself is interesting, as it’s usually live DJs catering to a different theme every night. I’ve heard several different types, such as house, latin, and juke. It’s a very refreshing change of pace from the usual top 40 or standard EDM you may hear at other bars.
Drink wise, it’s good. Reasonably priced beers, and a small selection of specialty drinks to get you going as well. The few i’ve had have been tasty.
I don’t have any valid complaints about this place. Note though that if you aren’t there to dance, then you’re not likely to enjoy yourself. It’s what this place is built for.

I am partial to Jazz and I walked by the Cardinal and saw an ad for Jazz nite on Tuesday’s at 9:00. It is an old bar which is very cozy. A room adjacent to the bar is where the jamming is done. Got there early and I asked the bartender if Jazz is on for 9:00. She sadi, yes they will be coming in soon. Don’t iive or die by 9:00. I moved from the bar area into the band room. They were warming up. For this performance there was no min and no cover. All they ask is a «donation». They were damn good. It is unusual as some performers come and go during the course of the evening. There was a poetry reading as well as a great trombone player who played a set or two. They also encourage «amateurs» to join. It looked like College kids wanting to play for real! One woman, Kristen played a nasty tenor Sax. All of the amateurs were not far from being classified as pro’s. It was a delightful evening. Oh yeah… FREE popcorn. Have fun and contribute to your neighborhood! I have seen and heard the keyboard player at other venues in Madison. He is INTENSE!
Johnny Chitown

The bar is well-​put together with a nice atmosphere but to be quite frank, the music is meh, you pay for water, and the dancing is super hit or miss. I’ve been there once to a packed house and awesome tango dancers rockin’ the floor. A few months later, I’ve been there on the same night of the week to the place being dead. However, I can’t say that I didn’t like the drinks or the prices were unreasonable. Plus, I’ve had great conversations with regulars at the bar.
Bottom line? I’d check what’s going on before I head out the door. You can’t bank on it being a sure thing and with cover, you kind of want to know what that dance floor is looking like.

One of the great places to dance in downtown Madison. It’s not as freaky as the inferno or as gay as Club 5 so it’s a good middle-​ground place that is more of a dance situation rather than a bar/​dance place like Brothers. It has really good music, lighting and dj’s on the weekends and used to have really fun things like the foam parties. I love the drink specials here and the bartenders are friendly. Also has nice places to sit like couches.

The Cardinal Bar’s reincarnation is gorgeous– from the expanded bathrooms to the wood dance floor– what a great rebirth of this space! My one suggestion would be focus on more mainstream dance music– Latin is great, but we’d definitely go more if the music was more contemporary.

* sigh * Thursday, July 2^nd, 2009. My last night @ El Cardinal?
Only time will tell. My FaceBook page said this was going to be the ‘Last Latin Night’ at the Cardinal so, being as though I’m mostly a homebody in Madison when it comes to late night, I HAD to go.
Time to get all «suited & booted» so to speak; I mean «The Cardinal». I came here in college; when I turned 21 this was THE place to go SATURDAY night for musica de Salsa y merengue. I came here RELIGIOUSLY, EVERY Saturday evening for 5 years straight to get my Saturday Salsa on. Then they switched it to Thursday AND began 18 and up night here and I stopped going so much…
I enjoyed the atmosphere tonight, even with the teeny boppers. It was a serious reunion. People I hadn’t seen in YEARS were there, it was great. We took lots and LOTS of photographs.
The place had a good vibe going tonight; David Muhammad was DJ’ing some merengue, ol’ skool salsa and Freestyle. Wow. Incredible. I have missed the place; the two (2) Corey’s were bar tending as well as Paulo and my Stoli Strawberry & 7-​Ups were really RIGHT on the money tonight.
All in all, Cardinal you were something else; moments like these really make me feel old even being in my early 30’s. At the end of the evening I hear it is not only the last Latin Night but it’s closing in a day or two (semi) permanently. * sigh * A True Madison Icon this place is.
Your jagged tile floor.
You’re hot-​n-​steamy windows.
Your new and improved Ladies Room.
Your ‘dance on me’ speakers.
I hope to be at your re-​opening/​return should there come such a day…

I have some amount of ambivalence toward the Cardinal Bar (being that I like it fine, but am never super-​motivated to go there). If I ever feel like going out to dance, though, this is the place. I like Latin Dance Night, as well as the 80s & 90s Dance Night. They usually have decent drink specials, and there’s generally not a cover before 10 p.m. If you go, I’d suggest going with a large group to dance in… otherwise, there’s too many lecherous older guys hitting on you and trying to grabass.

OK, got to be here on Thursday’s Latin Dance night. The place starts really hopping after 11:00pm, so it’s perfect if you’re a nocturnal like me who defines the «night» from 10:30−4. The music on the Latin dance night is actually mix of pop/​trance and remixed latin. I like the crowded steamy dance floor (that’s what you need, Inferno), and the crowd is definitely a fun-​loving type.
One negative is the bar tenders — little slow to react, and what’s up with the weak drink? Two rum&coke and a gimlet barely gave me a buzz.
So the suggestion is to buzz up at somewhere else, and then get your booty out here for the late night dance,

this place was definitely poppin on latino night
cool music, cool crowd.
one complaint. why is latino night the only night where drinks are served in plastic cups?
hmmm…

Eh.
It’s ok.
I’m still questioning WHO THE HELL puts tiled floor in a dance area?
I do like the separate lounge area from the dance area.
Too small. Too crowded. Maybe I’m getting old… (Although I do like Club 5)

Pretty average all around; decent décor and drinks, lackluster music and WHERE IS THIS ALLEGED LUST AND DECADENCE??? I have only ever been attemptedly groped there by misshapen people and there’s always some girl crying in the bathroom.

A nice spot, depends on what night you go, but my favorite is Sunday nights with Tony Casteneda — best night around for those into Latin Dance.

I like the Cardinal, I really do. Hell, I met my first boyfriend here, in ’04…okay, ’84…when Ricardo still owned it. Its a nice place, nice looking, adequate music, but somehow it just doesn’t draw me back in that frequently. But you’ll like it, I can tell.

As one of Madison’s only downtown dance clubs, The Cardinal Bar enjoys a reputation as a den of lust & decadance. Usually, it doesn’t live up to this hype (though I haven’t visited yet on the famed Fetish Night) but it does manage to be a pretty decent bar. Cheap drinks and dark décor make up for the lack luster DJ.
If you’re looking for a place to shake that ass or just enjoy a stiff drink while enjoying the night life, head here.