Smitty’s Study Pub

Highlights/​lowlights
1) cool views of the city
2) not much of an atmosphere
3) rockin restaurant week menu!
I’m so torn between 3 and 4 stars! I think your impression of Smitty’s will all depend on what you are looking for. If you are staying at the hotel in the Fluno Center, it’s a great place to eat! Head right upstairs, take a seat, enjoy the view and have a decent meal. However, if you are a local Madisonian there are other places in the city where you can get better food for about the same price.
We visited during winter restaurant week 2016. The vibe is very casual. Half of the restaurant seems like a banquet hall and has clothed tables and conference chairs. The other half is a restaurant with several TVs, a pool table and a bar. We didn’t have a reservation but we were seated right away. We were given both the normal menu and the restaurant week menu. I glanced at the normal menu and it had a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and a few entrees. The restaurant week menu was only $ 25 for the three course dinner and I chose to do that. The restaurant week menu clearly labeled which items were gluten free which I thought was great. I chose to start with the potato skins appetizer. I’ve been around the block a few times wth restaurant week and I knew what to expect… a teeny tiny appetizer taste. Whoa was I wrong! Pretty sure Smitty’s gives full portions for restaurant week. Big plus! I had three huge potato skins stacked with cheese, chicken, black beans etc. My salmon entrée with rice and broccoli followed and same thing… Full size entrée. The salmon was great and the entrée was so big I had to take some home. Same with the dessert, full size cheesecake. If you are hungry, but still want to experience restaurant week, Smitty’s is the place to be!
The ambiance here is ok. I think if there was a big event going on and it was busy it would be fun, but we just got a Tuesday night at the hotel restaurant. What does make this spot cool is the view of University Avenue and the Capitol from the tall glass window walls of the space.
Overall, we are glad we tried Smitty’s, they have the most generous restaurant week menu out of anywhere I’ve ever been, but we probably won’t be regulars.

Good hidden spot with a pool table.
Atmosphere depends a lot on the rest of the bar guests. Majority are people staying at the hotel.
Friendly staff.

As a bar, I give it 2 – 3 stars. A pool table and free chex mix at the bar are the highlights. They have a limited tap beer selection and looks to be a full bar.
The location is what makes this place a hidden gem. On the 8^th floor of the Fluno center, near the bend of Gorham/​University, it provides a very impressive view of the city and UW’s campus. Hard to find a better view (with a bar) in the city.