Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Milwaukee

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Milwaukee? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

EsterEv

4.8

4.8 (132)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Located in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, EsterEv offers a 6-course chef's tasting experience, which evokes globally inspired nostalgic flavors from grandma's kitchen. Presented by James Beard Best Chef Midwest nominees Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite.

Top review

Joe

Dined 2 days ago

Impeccable service and amazing, creative dishes. Our first time there and it did not disappoint!

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Experience

EsterEv Tasting Menu

Experience

EsterEv Tasting Menu at the Bar

Experience

EsterEv Holiday Tasting Menu

MOXIE Food + Drink

4.8

4.8 (1289)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Whitefish Bay

About the restaurant

Inspired American comfort food, cocktails and wine. Dining room, patio and curbside. Now serving lunch, brunch and dinner.
Reservations or order online: www.eatatmoxie.com.
Our Reservation Policies:
- We do not take PATIO reservations. Patio seating is first come, first served.
- Maximum reservation/table size in our DINING ROOM is 6 guests.
- All guests must arrive within 15 minutes of reservation time.
- Payment with one check is required for parties of 6 or more.
- A 20% gratuity may be added to parties of 6 or more.

Top review

Nancy

Dined 1 day ago

We always have a wonderful time at Moxie - the food is great, service personable and the bar is outstanding. Highest praise

Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (2373)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restaurant is set in a sleek, stylish space in the Cudahy Tower in downtown Milwaukee. Its menu emphasizes seasonal ingredients and its wine list is among the most extensive in the city. Bacchus offers several exclusive spaces for private events, including a glass-enclosed conservatory. Valet is available Monday through Saturday from 5 - 9 PM.

Top review

Mike

Dined 4 days ago

Food was incredible and it was a wonderful dinner experience.

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4.7

4.7 (1710)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Delafield

About the restaurant

A modern American kitchen located in the heart of Lake Country. Small plates, featuring locally sourced ingredients, and craft cocktails headline this farm-to-table restaurant. Choose from the artfully curated wine selection or let the sommelier on staff make expert recommendations. The Sunday brunch menu boasts one-of-a-kind dishes and breakfast classics. Private space for every event--from intimate dinners to large gatherings.

Top review

PaulaVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Every time we come here we drool over the food. What looks like a simple dish is packed with different flavors. There’s nothing we haven’t liked. Plus the ambiance is great and ask for Mike to be your server and you’ll be set for a yummy and enjoyable evening. I.d. even adapts for gluten free folk. Don’t hesitate - make a reservation.

Buckley's Restaurant & Bar

4.7

4.7 (349)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Buckley's is a cozy neighborhood spot in the heart of Milwaukee's East Town. Located two blocks from Lake Michigan and the Calatrava, Buckley’s is an ideal all occasion restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. An ever-evolving menu showcases seasonal ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. To compliment your dining experience, peruse the thoughtfully curated 200 bottle wine list or select a beverage from an extensive cocktail program that has consistently been recognized as one of the best in the city. Customize your dining experience to meet your needs whether you choose to enjoy a four course meal or simply grab a burger at the bar. However you choose to enjoy a visit to Buckley’s, do not forget to order a signature house-made dessert. You won’t regret it!

At this family owned and operated restaurant, guests are treated like family. Come see for yourself!

Top review

NancyVIP

Dined 3 days ago

We have just moved to the area and were delighted to find that Buckley is a very short walk away. It is the Holidays and the restaurant was tasteful decorated. We really like the casual yet upscale feeling and ambiance. Our server Jessica was terrific, knowledgeable, and friendly. For was delicious. Menu is short but encompasses various pallets. Vegan to Burger and fries. We will be back shortly!

The Knick

4.6

4.6 (2164)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Come enjoy an upbeat, contemporary dining experience at one of Milwaukee's favorite restaurants. The Knick offers an exciting menu and great nightly specials. A big city feel with friendly service, we offer an unique specialty drink menu and feature over 60 different vodkas from around the world. Enjoy our homemade desserts or a "Great Maltini" as a nightcap after a night on the town. End your weekend with our fabulous brunch and indulge with our signature "Queen Mary".

Top review

SusanVIP

Dined on Dec 9, 2024

The knick is always a go-to for great food (the shrimp in the shrimp tacos was perfectly prepared!) and attentive service from Nick and Dylan. Good place to go with a small group as well, since it's quiet enough to hear the conversation.

Red Circle Inn

4.6

4.6 (1393)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Nashotah

About the restaurant

- Wisconsin's Oldest Supper Club -

A lot’s happened since we opened our doors in 1848, and I guess you could say we’ve seen it all. From dirt road to plank road to railroad, Red Circle Inn has been serving up good food with good service for generations of people in Lake Country. Over the years, we’ve been a stomping ground for traders, trappers, settlers, working class, high class and everyone in between. There’s so much history in these walls, you can almost taste it.

It was former owner Captain Fred C. Pabst who gave Red Circle Inn its name and iconic red circle logo, a nod to his Pabst Brewing Company. He made the restaurant the place to see and be seen around the lakes, not just for a beer, but for high-quality food and warm hospitality.

Over 170 years later, the legacy lives on. As you enjoy your meal and the nostalgia of Red Circle Inn, you’ll learn why guests have been returning, generation after generation. Some might call Red Circle Inn a legend…that’s fine by us.

Top review

ThomasVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Nice evening put..excellent service and food. Steak and Salmon were top notch...

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Popular dish

Wedge

Experience

FAMILY STYLE SUNDAY SUPPER

Experience

New Years Eve 2024 Pre-Fixed menu

Foxtown Brewing

4.7

4.7 (343)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Mequon

About the restaurant

Foxtown Brewing is steeped in tradition and driven by a passion for great beer. Once the Opitz Zimmerman Brewery in the mid-1800s, Foxtown is a reclamation of Mequon history. We’re not the biggest brewery around, nor the flashiest, but you’ll see that we take brewing very seriously. Every ingredient in every recipe is backed by reason. Our beer is good on purpose.

Top review

Charles

Dined 3 days ago

Good food, nice folks, prompt service, really nice building.

SAGE - MKE

4.5

4.5 (70)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Concept heavily focused on art, color, growth and sustainability. This hip haunt features shareable cuisine inspired by nature’s organic palette. Guests will enjoy bright, dramatic plating on the menu. Plants and protein will be featured, accessing the beauty of the changing seasons. SAGE’s menu to include herbs and produce grown on site. (indoor and outdoor)

The SAGE cocktail program is inspired by flavors from the garden while visually representing a hue derived from the natural ingredients. Guests will access a similar NBV eclectic mocktail menu. Local beer (draft and bottle) and wine to be featured.

SAGE will feature patio and bar seating in the lush gardens on site. (May-October)

Top review

Brian

Dined on Nov 30, 2024

Looking forward to eating here again! Food and cocktails were fantastic. Added surprise bonus visiting the art gallery upstairs while our apps were being prepared.

ARIA - The Restaurant at Saint Kate

4.3

4.3 (684)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

ARIA, nestled on the second floor of Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, is an artful dining experience that captivates with its culinary creativity. Delighting in its offering of Artisanal American cuisine, ARIA transcends tradition and leans into the realm of playful and inventive flavors.

Top review

Sandra

Dined 1 day ago

We had the crispy skin salmon, it was delicious. Service was a little slow but we had planned extra time before a performance. Our server was excellent. Great atmosphere.

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