The restaurants 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.
27 places
Order The Surprise menu, a multi-course tasting that changes with the season and the kitchen's mood.
Sanford on North Jackson Street has anchored Milwaukee fine dining since 1989, with a tasting menu chef Justin Aprahamian has run since 2012.
Order Whatever the hearth is roasting whole that night, plus a sourdough loaf.
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.
Order Whatever pasta the kitchen is rolling that week and the trout if it's running.
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.
8 of the restaurants on this list are in Downtown. So are these tours and tastings.
Order A brandy Old Fashioned at the bar and the Friday perch fry with rye bread.
Buckatabon on North Farwell Avenue is a Lowlands Group Wisconsin supper club, serving Old Fashioneds, fish fry and broasted chicken in a Northwoods room.
Order The cheese burek, slow-baked in a layered phyllo round, and the roasted lamb when available.
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.
Order The sauerbraten with potato dumpling and the schnitzel a la Holstein.
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.
Order The crispy potatoes with herb aioli and a charcuterie plate from the daily butcher list.
Goodkind on South Wentworth Avenue in Bay View is a small-plates kitchen with cocktails and whole-hog charcuterie since 2014, no reservations taken.
Order The roasted carrots with seeds and yoghurt and whichever pork belly preparation is up.
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.
Order Dry-aged ribeye for two and creamed spinach; a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar before sitting down to dinner.
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.
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Order Bone-in ribeye and the relish tray; a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar first.
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.
Order Charcoal-grilled whole fish for two and the wood-fired focaccia to start.
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.
Order Whichever pasta is being rolled in the open kitchen and the Margherita off the wood oven.
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.
Order Tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu and the spicy tuna roll.
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.
Order A bowl of beef pho with extra brisket and a banh xeo to share.
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.
Order The double-stack smash burger with American cheese and a side of fried curds.
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.
Order Buttermilk fried chicken with a buttermilk biscuit and a slice of whatever pie is up.
Honeypie on South Kinnickinnic in Bay View runs a Midwestern comfort menu around buttermilk fried chicken, biscuits and a daily pie since 2009.
Order The mezze platter with hummus, baba ghanouj and falafel and a lamb shawarma plate.
Casablanca on East Brady Street has run Lebanese cooking since 1997, with mezze, shawarma and the city's deepest hummus list on Brady Street.
Order Wood-roasted carrots and the steamed pork buns with kimchi.
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.
Order The pasta course and whatever vegetable plate the kitchen is featuring.
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.
Order Beef empanadas with chimichurri and patatas bravas with a glass of Spanish red.
La Merenda on East National Avenue in Walker's Point serves global tapas across Spanish, Argentine, Greek and Moroccan plates from chef Peter Sandroni.
Order Cheese plate from the Public Market cheesemonger next door and a glass of natural orange.
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.
Order Lake perch fry on Friday and the cedar-plank salmon with lemon-butter.
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.
Order Birria tacos with consomme on the side and a small esquite to share.
Kompali on East Wisconsin Avenue downtown serves a Mexico City taqueria menu of birria, al pastor and esquites alongside mezcal cocktails since 2022.
Order Shrimp aguachile with cucumber and a tostada de marlin.
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.
Order Steak frites with bordelaise and a glass from the bottle shop, opened in the 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.
Order Paella for two and a plate of Iberico ham with a glass of fino.
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.
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