Thief Wine Shop and Bar is a wine bar restaurant in Third Ward, Milwaukee.
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 dishes: Charcuterie, Cheese plate
Must 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.
Address: 400 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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.
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.
