The rooms worth a reservation in Milwaukee, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Milwaukee. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Sanford on North Jackson Street has anchored Milwaukee fine dining since 1989, with a tasting menu chef Justin Aprahamian has run since 2012.
Signature: Surprise tasting menu, Tuna Fauxnaise
Order: The Surprise menu, a multi-course tasting that changes with the season and the kitchen's mood.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks out and the dining room is small; book before the JBA semifinalist announcements each spring.
Birch on East Pleasant Street on the Lower East Side cooks New American plates from a wood-fired hearth, with Wisconsin produce and Lake Michigan fish leading the seasonal menu now.
Signature: Wood-fired hearth dishes, Whole roasted fish
Order: Whatever the hearth is roasting whole that night, plus a sourdough loaf.
Tip: Sunday Birch Roast is a single-set family-style menu; book on Resy two weeks ahead.
Morel on South 2nd Street in Walker's Point runs a small-plates menu off Wisconsin farms with hand-cut pasta and Lake Michigan fish on the line.
Signature: Wisconsin trout, Hand-cut pasta
Order: Whatever pasta the kitchen is rolling that week and the trout if it's running.
Tip: The chef's bar seats six and books on Resy; ask for the front bar for the kitchen view.
Amilinda on East Wisconsin Avenue, Gregory Leon's Spanish-Portuguese room, serves bacalhau, Iberian pork and tapas downtown since 2015 in a small storefront.
Signature: Bacalhau, Iberian pork
Order: The salt-cod bacalhau and whichever Iberian pork cut is on the menu that night.
Tip: Mid-week dinners stay quieter; Sunday is closed. Reservations on Resy.
Buckatabon on North Farwell Avenue is a Lowlands Group Wisconsin supper club, serving Old Fashioneds, fish fry and broasted chicken in a Northwoods room.
Signature: Brandy Old Fashioned, Friday fish fry
Order: A brandy Old Fashioned at the bar and the Friday perch fry with rye bread.
Tip: Friday and Saturday book on Resy a week out; weekday dinners take walk-ins easily.
Three Brothers in Bay View, a Serbian tavern in an 1897 Schlitz tied house, has run by the Radicevic family since 1956 with burek and roasted lamb leading.
Signature: Burek, Roasted lamb
Order: The cheese burek, slow-baked in a layered phyllo round, and the roasted lamb when available.
Tip: Cash only and burek takes 90 minutes; phone to order it ahead. James Beard America's Classics, 2002.
Mader's on Old World Third Street has served German food in Milwaukee since 1902, with sauerbraten, schnitzel and a Knight's Bar of beer steins on the wall.
Signature: Sauerbraten, Wiener schnitzel
Order: The sauerbraten with potato dumpling and the schnitzel a la Holstein.
Tip: Lunch is the value play; the steins on the wall include over 200 vintage German pieces.
Goodkind on South Wentworth Avenue in Bay View is a small-plates kitchen with cocktails and whole-hog charcuterie since 2014, no reservations taken.
Signature: Crispy potatoes, Whole hog charcuterie
Order: The crispy potatoes with herb aioli and a charcuterie plate from the daily butcher list.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at 17:00 or 21:30 for the best chance at the bar.
Odd Duck on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View runs a rotating small-plates menu pulling Korean, Indian, Mexican and Italian influences across one dinner.
Signature: Roasted carrots, Pork belly
Order: The roasted carrots with seeds and yoghurt and whichever pork belly preparation is up.
Tip: Sister room and bottle shop The Vanguard sausage bar across the street if Odd Duck is booked.
Carnevor on North Milwaukee Street is a modern downtown steakhouse serving dry-aged Allen Brothers cuts and Japanese Wagyu, with a cocktail bar at the front.
Signature: Dry-aged ribeye, Wagyu tasting
Order: Dry-aged ribeye for two and creamed spinach; a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar before sitting down to dinner.
Tip: Bar runs late on weekends; reservations on OpenTable a week out for the dining room.
Five O'Clock Steakhouse on West State Street has been a Wisconsin supper club since 1948, with bone-in steaks broiled at 1700 degrees and a relish tray.
Signature: Bone-in ribeye, Brandy Old Fashioned
Order: Bone-in ribeye and the relish tray; a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar first.
Tip: Friday and Saturday book a week out on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins from 16:00.
Lupi and Iris on North Van Buren Street is Adam Siegel's Mediterranean room with views of the lakefront, wood-fired pizzas and Provencal seafood plates.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Charcoal-grilled fish
Order: Charcoal-grilled whole fish for two and the wood-fired focaccia to start.
Tip: Patio seats face the Calatrava; book sunset on OpenTable two weeks out summer.
Onesto on North Broadway in the Third Ward runs an Italian menu of hand-rolled pastas, wood-fired pizzas and natural-wine pours, opened by the Cibo team.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Wood-fired pizza
Order: Whichever pasta is being rolled in the open kitchen and the Margherita off the wood oven.
Tip: Sister room Cibo nearby; both share the same pasta program and chef.
Kawa on North Farwell Avenue on the East Side serves tonkotsu and miso ramen alongside a sushi counter; UW Milwaukee students fill the room weeknights.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Spicy tuna
Order: Tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu and the spicy tuna roll.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 18:30 weekends or expect a 45-minute wait.
Hue on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View runs a Vietnamese menu of pho, banh xeo and bun cha for two decades, the Bui family's first Milwaukee opening.
Signature: Pho, Banh xeo
Order: A bowl of beef pho with extra brisket and a banh xeo to share.
Tip: Cash and card both; weekday lunch is the best window before students arrive.
Crafty Cow on West National Avenue in Walker's Point makes smash burgers with Wisconsin cheese, fried cheese curds and craft beer; opened by the Lowlands.
Signature: Smash burger, Cheese curds
Order: The double-stack smash burger with American cheese and a side of fried curds.
Tip: Lunch is quieter; the Walker's Point patio fills after Brewers home games.
Centro Cafe on East Center Street in Riverwest is a small Italian room run by Peter Sandroni since 2009, with hand-rolled pastas at neighborhood prices.
Signature: Pasta Bolognese, Eggplant parmesan
Order: Pasta Bolognese with hand-rolled tagliatelle and a side of eggplant parm.
Tip: Cash only at the original; Centro Cafe in Bay View takes cards. Walk-in policy at both.
Honeypie on South Kinnickinnic in Bay View runs a Midwestern comfort menu around buttermilk fried chicken, biscuits and a daily pie since 2009.
Signature: Buttermilk fried chicken, Pie of the week
Order: Buttermilk fried chicken with a buttermilk biscuit and a slice of whatever pie is up.
Tip: Brunch is the busiest window; book on Resy or arrive by 09:00 weekends.
Casablanca on East Brady Street has run Lebanese cooking since 1997, with mezze, shawarma and the city's deepest hummus list on Brady Street.
Signature: Lebanese mezze, Shawarma
Order: The mezze platter with hummus, baba ghanouj and falafel and a lamb shawarma plate.
Tip: Hookah lounge upstairs runs late weekends; the main floor closes at 22:00.
Lazy Susan on South Howell Avenue in Bay View runs a small-plates menu of wood-roasted vegetables, steamed buns and a cocktail program with an Asian pantry.
Signature: Wood-roasted vegetables, Steamed buns
Order: Wood-roasted carrots and the steamed pork buns with kimchi.
Tip: Weeknight dinners take walk-ins easily; weekend bookings open on Resy two weeks ahead.
Smyth on East Buffalo Street in the Third Ward serves a New American menu with hand-cut pastas and seasonal Wisconsin produce in a brick-walled corner room.
Signature: Seasonal tasting, Hand-cut pasta
Order: The pasta course and whatever vegetable plate the kitchen is featuring.
Tip: Bar seats hold space for walk-ins; the dining room books on Resy a week out.
La Merenda on East National Avenue in Walker's Point serves global tapas across Spanish, Argentine, Greek and Moroccan plates from chef Peter Sandroni.
Signature: Empanadas, Patatas bravas
Order: Beef empanadas with chimichurri and patatas bravas with a glass of Spanish red.
Tip: Sister room Centro on Bremen Street shares Sandroni's pasta program.
Thief Wine inside the Milwaukee Public Market on Water Street runs a wine bar with cheese plates, charcuterie and retail bottles in the Third Ward.
Signature: Charcuterie, Cheese plate
Order: Cheese plate from the Public Market cheesemonger next door and a glass of natural orange.
Tip: Sister bar Thief Wine Shorewood; both shops do tastings most Friday evenings.
River Lane Inn on West River Lane in Brown Deer is a North Shore seafood room with Lake Michigan perch and cedar-plank salmon, running since 1981 here.
Signature: Lake perch, Cedar plank salmon
Order: Lake perch fry on Friday and the cedar-plank salmon with lemon-butter.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable for Friday and Saturday; bar takes walk-ins from 16:30.
Kompali on East Wisconsin Avenue downtown serves a Mexico City taqueria menu of birria, al pastor and esquites alongside mezcal cocktails since 2022.
Signature: Birria tacos, Esquites
Order: Birria tacos with consomme on the side and a small esquite to share.
Tip: Walk-in lunch is best; reservations on Resy for dinner Friday and Saturday.
El Tsunami on South 6th Street in Walker's Point cooks Sinaloa-style seafood with aguachile, tostadas de marlin and ceviches for the community since 2012.
Signature: Aguachile, Tostada de marlin
Order: Shrimp aguachile with cucumber and a tostada de marlin.
Tip: Cash-friendly; weekend afternoons fill the small dining room.
Story Hill BKC on West Bluemound Road runs a bottle shop and wine bar with small plates near American Family Field, with steak frites on the menu.
Signature: Steak frites, Wood-fired flatbread
Order: Steak frites with bordelaise and a glass from the bottle shop, opened in the room.
Tip: Same-day reservations on OpenTable; the bottle shop pours any retail bottle for a $15 corkage.
Movida on South 2nd Street in Walker's Point is a Spanish tapas room from the Bartolotta group with paella, Iberico ham and a long sherry list since 2018.
Signature: Paella, Iberico ham
Order: Paella for two and a plate of Iberico ham with a glass of fino.
Tip: Sherry happy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 weekdays at the bar; reservations on OpenTable.