Check out some of Milwaukee’s most romantic restaurants
From a swanky spot for seafood lovers to a retro lounge for cocktail lovers, these are some of Milwaukee’s most romantic bars and restaurants.
When it comes to date night, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all romantic restaurant. Every couple has their own unique spark – ignited by laughter, adventure, shared passions or quiet intimacy. Luckily, Milwaukee has plenty of dinner-and-drink spots to make you swoon – no matter your love language.
Whether you’re a couple that’s more comfy at someplace casual, a chic set that lives for fine dining, or a duo just down for some delicious drinks, you’ll feel the love at these Milwaukee restaurants that set the scene for romance.
Buckley’s: For something cozy and casual
If your style is more laid-back and loose than glitz and glam, this lower east side charmer is a perfect pick. The dining rooms are very pretty – especially in winter when the fireplaces roar – but far from stuffy, and the bar room is one of the neighborhood’s coziest spots to sip, snack and savor. And depending on how low-key or luxe you’re feeling, there’s something for anyone on the menu: Smashburger? Check. House-made pastas? Absolutely (and quite good). Fresh salads? You bet. Steaks and seafood? For sure. To start, go for the sourdough with Hook’s truffle cheddar and chive butter or the addictive truffled fried artichokes.
You could even go just for drinks and dessert and walk away with butterflies. Buckley’s cakes are otherworldly, including its moist and fluffy carrot cake that’s one of the top sweet slices you’ll find anywhere, and the rich chocolate tuxedo cake swaddled in buttercream frosting and capped with a layer of creamy ganache.
Go: 801 N. Cass St.; (414) 277-1111; buckleysmilwaukee.com
Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro: For amour with a view
The setting at this Bartolotta-run restaurant is sort of the opposite of what you imagine for a traditional French restaurant. Instead of a dark and moody room with candlelit tables pushed closed together, Lake Park Bistro goes the farmhouse route: airy and bright, with crisp white walls and a stretch of picture windows facing east. It’s set in a former park pavilion and keeps a lot of that breezy charm with a bit of French countryside polish.
You can’t beat its view, either. Outside of those windows is Lake Michigan, which glistens in the sun during the day and glows under the moon at night. It’s a breathtaking setting for date night. With classic French fare added to the mix, it’s a recipe for romance, whether you’re there for brunch in the elegant pavilion, dinner in the lake-facing dining room or just a laid-back date over steamed mussels and crispy frites at the ornate bar. Whenever you go, don’t miss the French onion soup, the oeuf mollet salad with a delicately fried soft-boiled egg, or the roast chicken. You can’t skip desserts, either – they’re just as pretty as the space they’re served in.
Go: 3133 E. Newberry Blvd.; (414) 962-6300; bartolottas.com/lake-park-bistro
Safina: For passionate pasta lovers
It’s love at first bite when you drag a hunk of soft bread into the fresh and beautifully grassy olive oil at this sultry, cozy Italian joint that opened near Cathedral Square Park in 2023. It’s produced by the restaurant’s owners, the Safina family, who make the oil in Sicily and have decades of experience treating Milwaukee to some of the best Italian food in town.
The restaurant is set in a historic, 1850s-era building, with an intimate but lively dining room decked with glistening chandeliers and warm candlelight flickering on cream brick walls. It’s a cozy setting for lingering over Safina’s menu of scratch-made, Nonna-approved fare like fusilloni with pistachio pesto, veal Parmesan, ragu al forno, juicy bone-in pork chops, burrata salad and crispy breaded eggplant strips served with bright marinara sauce. This is a modern take on the classic red-sauce restaurant tailor-made for intimate nights out.
Go: 785 N. Jefferson St.; (414) 677-8518; safinamke.com
Sanford: For old-school opulence
No Milwaukee restaurant makes you feel more special than Sanford, which has smoothly set the tone for the city’s fine dining scene since it opened in 1989. If you want your loved one to feel taken care of, this is where you take them, where haute hospitality has never gone out of style. It starts when you make the reservation (phone calls only!), greets you with valet service in the tucked-away east-side neighborhood, stays steady with service that knows what you need before you do but never hovers, and bids a graceful “goodbye” as you walk out the door.
Sanford may feel fancy, but it’s rarely showy. Music is soft, decor is subtle and the relaxed pacing puts diners at ease. It’s easy to talk and to take it all in, from the surprise seven-course tasting menu to the three-course prix fixe menu filled with inspired, rotating dishes made with peak-season ingredients. At nearly 40 years old, it may not be the hippest restaurant in town, but there’s a reason after all these years that couples still come here for their most meaningful celebrations.
Go: 1547 N. Jackson St.; (414) 276-9608; sanfordrestaurant.com
Strange Town: For the plant-based pair
So many romantic restaurants skew toward decadent steaks, seafood and creamy pastas, but this hip and dreamy space on Milwaukee’s east side proves there’s lots to love about vegan food, too. Even from the outside, the restaurant tucked into an enchanting Spanish Revival building looks like it was made for date night: Glowy lighting, two-tops tucked away from other guests, windows steamy from conversation and tables filled with vegan comfort fare inside.
In winter, share dishes like velvety cauliflower cacio e pepe, rich mushroom tartine on Amaranth bakery toast, and vibrant fig and olive tapenade. Don’t you dare leave without a slice of the luscious chocolate layer cake, either. These aren’t just meatless dishes – they’re artful and flavor-forward, with as much style as the blink-and-you’ll-swear-you’re-in-Brooklyn space it’s served in. Add a brilliant list of natural wines made by small producers and it’s hard not to fall deeper in love the longer you linger.
Go: 2101 N. Prospect Ave.; strangetownmke.com
Third Coast Provisions: For swanky seafood lovers
If ambiance is as alluring as the food for your romantic rendezvous, this high-style seafood spot in downtown Milwaukee is for you. Downstairs, the soft-lit chandeliers hanging from sky-high ceilings make the whole room sparkle, while the cozy upper level is an intimate space to celebrate.
Start with fresh raw oysters topped with caviar or lobster potholes in white wine butter, move on to seared sea scallops or king salmon in preserved lemon cream, go for surf-and-turf with a filet mignon and lobster tail, and end with a rich chocolate layer cake with fluffy chocolate mousse and chocolate truffle. Fun craft cocktails and a focused-but-fresh wine list are something to toast to, as well. A bonus? Sneak away to its lower-level bar, The Loon Room, for a pre- or post-meal cocktail in a swaggy speakeasy setting.
Go: 724 N. Milwaukee St.; (414) 323-7434; thirdcoastprovisions.com
At Random: For cocktail-loving couples
Some couples aren’t looking to be wined and dined … perhaps just the wine will do. Or maybe a mai tai, pink squirrel or Tiki Love Bowl for two. It’s not a restaurant, but the dim lights, retro vibes and sultry drinks at At Random make this beloved Bay View bar a sweet spot to spend Valentine’s Day or any other date night. The classic cocktail bar has been around since 1964, but a 2018 interior glow-up added a little polish to the charmingly stuck-in-time space. (Its exterior facade got a facelift in 2023.)
It’s lovely for any date night, but it goes all out on Valentine’s Day. Make a reservation for the weekend and you’ll get a glass of the bar’s signature Valentine’s Day punch, a long-stemmed rose and dark chocolate sea salt caramels from Burke Candy (tickets are $40 per guest).
Go: 2501 S. Delaware Ave.; (414) 481-8030; atrandommke.com
Dining and Cooking