Overhyped, overrated, and overpriced.
I think these three words are pretty accurate when describing L'Etoile. Sure, the food here is great. There's no denying that. But how does it stack up to other fine dining restaurants? The three stars on Yelp equivocates to "A-OK", and that's exactly how I feel about it.
I've had the four course meal option at L'Etoile. The first and second course menu items are indeed fancy and I commend the chef for that. But the main entrees are not as original and hence, significantly overpriced. In addition, the portions are smaller than expected. Anything under a four course meal would leave a normal man still hungry and unsatisfied afterwards.
I do think that L'Etoile is as good as fine dining gets in Madison, but it definitely isn't worth the $$$$ price tag you'll have to pay.