Get a peek at some of Milwaukee’s top 25 restaurants for 2025
Check out a sampling of some of Rachel Bernhard’s top 25 restaurants in Milwaukee for 2025, from Italian favorites to a bright new sushi spot.
Finish the year with a feast, and make a reservation at any of these Milwaukee restaurants that are offering special dishes, pre fixe menus, and multi-course tasting dinners to celebrate the New Year on Dec. 31.
Amilinda
The Spanish and Portuguese-inspired restaurant at 315 E. Wisconsin Ave. will serve a special menu that celebrates the flavors of Portugal from 5 to 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve. The menu features starters such as a Galician-style octopus with olive oil-poached potato medallions ($16); and smoked duck breast with radicchio and turnip green salad, pickled cherries and cherry vinaigrette ($15). Entrees include seared Iberian black pork secreto with red wine-grape reduction, chestnut-morcela purée and charred winter vegetables ($40); rabbit salmorejo with braised carrots and arrowhead cabbage ($38); and beef short ribs with caramelized pearl onions and Manchego mashed potatoes ($50). Reservations available online at opentable.com.
Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant
The East Town restaurant at 925 E. Wells St. will serve a customizable three-course menu from 4 to 10 p.m. Dishes include duck dumplings with mushrooms, white shoyu, duck consommé, mint, and garlic crunch; Duroc pork shanks with lemongrass broth, roasted maitake mushroom, rice cake and scallions; and chestnut pavlova with meringue, whipped chantilly, vanilla ice cream and toasted chestnut. A la carte caviar service and an optional wine pairing is available, as well. Dinner starts at $130 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/bacchus.
Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro
The French fine-dining restaurant at 3133 E. Newberry Blvd. will serve a customizable three-course menu from 4 to 10 p.m. Dishes include butter-poached lobster and braised leeks tossed in an orange and vanilla vinaigrette; creamy mushroom soup with Madeira wine, celery root, leek, porcini mushroom matignon, creme fraîche and chives; marinated Rohan duck breast with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, sautéed broccolini, and orange duck sauce; crispy pastry shells filled with vanilla diplomat cream and glazed with Caribbean chocolate and praline sauce. Dinner starts at $125 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/lake-park-bistro.
Braise
The farm-to-table restaurant at 1101 S. Second St. will offer a New Year’s Eve pre fixe menu from 5 to 9 p.m. Options in the four-course menu include beef cheek and potato pierogi with charred cream corn; foraged mushroom ragout; braised short rib with creamy polenta and Italian salsa verde; and dark chocolate lava cake. The cost is $85 per person, with $30 optional wine pairings. Reservations can be made online at braiselocalfood.com.
The Commodore – A Bartolotta Restaurant
The Lake Country restaurant at 1807 Nagawicka Road in Hartland will host a three-course menu from 4 to 10 p.m. The menu includes roasted chestnut soup, oysters in the half shell, black truffle ravioli, beef Wellington, roasted duck breast, lamb chops, sticky toffee pudding, Mississippi mud pie and house-made sorbets. Dinner starts at $150 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/commodore.
Dream Dance Steakhouse
The restaurant in Potawatomi Casino Hotel at 1721 W. Canal St. offers a four-course meal including your choice of appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and dessert from 5 p.m. to midnight Dec. 31. Entrees include petite filet mignon with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetable; almond crusted whitefish with wild rice pilaf and seasonal vegetable; twin lobster tails with twice baked potato and seasonal vegetable; or pan-roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes and cipollini onions. Dinner is $100 per guest, or $150 with champagne pairing. Reservations recommended; call (414) 847-7883.
Harbor House
The seafood restaurant at 550 N. Harbor Drive on the shore of Lake Michigan will host a three-course customizable dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Dishes include oysters and caviar with four baked oysters, warm champagne cream and Ossetra caviar; filet mignon with Yukon potato purée, green beans and béarnaise sauce; and espresso crème brûlée with caramelized custard and chocolate espresso beans. Dinner starts at $130 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/harbor-house.
Il Cervo
The rooftop Italian restaurant inside The Trade Hotel at 420 W. Juneau Ave. will serve a four-course Italian dinner with seatings starting at 4 p.m. Dishes include chicken parmesan, Scottish salmon, filet mignon, conchiglie vodka with red shrip, and your choice of cheesecake, Italian wedding cake or tiramisu for dessert. Dinner is $100. Reservations can be made online at ilcervorestaurant.com.
Il Mito
Chef Michael Feker will host a special Chef’s Counter dinner at the Wauwatosa Italian restaurant at6913 W. North Ave. at 7 p.m. Dec. 31. Dishes on the three-course menu include gnocchi with ragù of lobster, shrimp and orata; beer poached and grilled cotechino on a bed of lentil ragù; smoked mushroom-crusted Kubota pork chop; and panettone bread pudding with house-made lemon ice cream. Each course is paired with sparklings and wines, with Limoncello after dinner. The cost is $119.95 (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations required; call (414) 443-1414.
Le Reve
The Wauwatosa French bistro at 7610 Harwood Ave. will serve three- and four-course prix fixe menus from 5 to 10 p.m. Dishes include butter-poached shrimp; roasted Brussels sprouts; red wine-braised short ribs; winter greens with duck prosciutto, Marieke gouda, blood oranges, caramelized hazelnuts and cherry balsamic vinaigrette; squash bisque with pepita, sage brown butter and fig crostini; pan-seared sea bass; grilled New York strip; house-made puff pastry filled with mushrooms, leeks and truffle béchamel; and a chef’s selection of three cheeses with spiced nuts and fruit nut bread. The three-course dinner is $90 and the four-course dinner is $100. An optional wine pairing is available for $40. Reservations can be made online at lerevecafe.com/visit.
Lupi & Iris
The downtown French- and Italian-inspired restaurant at 777 N. Van Buren St. will offer lunch and dinner options for New Year’s Eve celebrations. A three-course prix fixe lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., starting at $50 per person. A four-course prix fixe dinner is served from 5 to 9:45 p.m., starting at $155 per person. Special dishes include lobster, octopus, sea bass, wood-roasted lamb, roasted duck breast and Wagyu flank steak. Enhance your celebration with caviar and champagne for an additional charge. Reservations can be made online at lupiandiris.com/special-events.
Mason Street Grill
This downtown finer dining restaurant at 425 E. Mason St., attached to The Pfister Hotel, will serve a three-course prix fixe menu from 4 to 10 p.m. Dishes include lobster bisque, South African lobster tails, New Zealand elk strip loin, and a choice of raspberry brown butter tart or chocolate mousse for dessert. Dinner is $125 per person. Reservations can be made by calling (414) 298-3131 or online at masonstreetgrill.com/happenings/specials-events.
Mother’s
This Bay View restaurant at 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. is offering a first seating from 6 to 8 p.m. and a second seating from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., with two tiers of menus. Select either a five-course ($125) or nine-course ($225) menu. The five-course dinner menu includes scallop crudo, canneloni, mushroom soup, NY strip and sake savarin. The nine-course includes a fois gras tartlet, char sui porchetta, kung pao chicken ballotine and a pretzel profiterole. Beverage pairings are available for each tier: $80 for the five-course menu; $125 for the nine-course menu. Reservations can be made online at opentable.com.
Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993
The Wauwatosa Italian restaurant at 7617 W. State St. will serve a four-course customizable menu from 4 to 10 p.m. Menu items include seared duck foie gras; pasta quills with Bolognese meat ragù; grilled lamb chops with a warm roasted garlic-thyme vinaigrette; and cinnamon-caramel frozen chocolate truffle. Optional white truffle enhancements are also available. Dinner is $125 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/ristorante-bartolotta.
Sanford
The east side fine-dining restaurant at 1547 N. Jackson St. will serve a five-course menu beginning at 5:30 p.m. Guests may choose an appetizer, entree and dessert, while the soup and salad options are prix fixe. Dinner is $135 per person, with an optional wine pairing available for $65. Reservations can be made by calling (414) 276-9608.
The Wolf
Join the celebration at 600 N. Broadway for a collaboration with Phat Dumpling offering a six-course tasting menu and optional drink pairing. The courses include hamachi, chicken dumplings, crispy potato, tom yum shumani, chicken and champagne, and ube tiramisu. Dinner is $75 per person. The optional drink pairing is $45; a nonalcoholic pairing is $35. Make reservations on Tock.
Rachel Bernhard contributed to this story.
Dining and Cooking