Diners' Choice: Best Ambience restaurants in Milwaukee

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambience in Milwaukee? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Santino's Little Italy

4.9

4.9 (129)

$30 and under

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Santino's Little Italy, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood with rich history echoing years gone by in the City of Milwaukee. The building housing the restaurant is over 130 years old and has been beautifully remodeled by talented designers and carpenters. The vibe has an old school Brooklyn New York feeling and is the perfect place to make wonderful memories with friends and family.

The menu features delicious gourmet pizzas / house-made pastas / salads / appetizers / deserts along with delicious Italian wine / cocktails and are professionally served to you by our attentive staff. Our amazing Neapolitan Style Pizza is hand made with the finest and freshest ingredients and cooked in a 6,000-pound Italian woodfired oven. With humility and gratitude our pizza was ranked nationally as the 46th best pizza in North America and we are very proud to serve many happy diners here in Milwaukee.

Reservations are highly recommended as space is limited. We look forward to serving you.

Top review

chris

Dined 1 day ago

We love Santinos. We have been going for a few years now. From dining in the main room or sitting at the bar, it’s fantastic. The bartender is always great! Just ate there last night again. 12-19-24.

Bavette

4.9

4.9 (329)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

What started out as a butcher shop concept, has evolved and changed over the years to become a full-service restaurant, which was solidified with the restaurant's move to a larger space in 2022. At Bavette, the consumer will enjoy complete transparency of its food moving from farm to plate. Although the butcher shop has been phased out, the restaurant still works with the same farms, and uses the same high quality meats on its menu, which consists of a daily changing menu consisting of salads, sandwiches, small plates, pates, cheese, and charcuterie boards. The restaurant truly is a farm-to-table restaurant, sourcing not only the meat but most of its produce from nearby farms. In addition to the highly seasonal menu, there is a small store featuring chef-curated retail items, such as Wisconsin cheeses, local charcuterie, artisanal jams, pickles, salts, vinegar, and oil. Going along with the thoughtful menu is a select and unique offering of craft beers, wines, and cocktails.

Top review

AnneVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious food. Great service. We will be back. Server was very knowledgeable about wines as well. I’ve never been disappointed with Bavette.

Harbor House

4.7

4.7 (8334)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Milwaukee’s premier lakefront dining destination, Harbor House is a bright, spacious New England-style seafood restaurant on the shore of Lake Michigan. With picturesque lake views, guests will be taken on a journey through New England with its reimagined menu, including a variety of dishes from Cape Cod, Nantucket, New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport, and Boston.

Reservations are recommended, and we have a 15-minute grace period, so please call us if you are running late.
It's important to note that patio reservations are for outdoors only and we cannot guarantee indoor seating upon inclement weather.

Top review

Tom

Dined 4 days ago

Had another great meal at Harbor House. Food and drinks always fantastic.

Discover more

Popular dish

8 oz Filet & Scallops

Popular dish

Salmon Rillettes

Popular dish

Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll

The Capital Grille - Milwaukee

4.9

4.9 (2819)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Make it a day to remember. From birthdays and anniversaries to professional milestones, we aim to make every gathering special at The Capital Grille. Open seven days a week, The Capital Grille is best known for our expertly prepared steaks, which are dry aged in house for 18 to 24 days and then hand-cut by our restaurant's on-premise butcher. The Capital Grille's wine list features more than 350 selections, and its floor-to-ceiling wine kiosk regularly houses 3,500 - 5,000 bottles. Reservations are recommended but not required. For more information, please visit our website. We look forward to delighting you.

Top review

KimVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Our server, Angel, and the table staff Juan and Maria were fantastic!

Discover more

Popular dish

Coconut Cream Pie

Popular dish

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993

4.9

4.9 (3274)

$50 and over

Italian

Wauwatosa

About the restaurant

Nestled in an historic brewery building in the Village of Wauwatosa, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is the flagship restaurant in The Bartolotta Restaurants portfolio.

Conceived by The Bartolotta Restaurants co-founders, restaurateur Joe Bartolotta and his brother, Chef Paul Bartolotta, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is acclaimed for its handmade pasta and authentic Italian cuisine in a cozy, intimate setting.

Executive Chef Juan Urbieta presents the popular “Un Viaggio in Italia” menu series, highlighting a different city or region of Italy with a four-course, customizable menu that takes guests on a journey of Italy and changes monthly.

The restaurant was recently awarded the coveted Marchio Ospitalità Italiana certification of excellence by the Italian Union of Chamber of Commerce. This prestigious award honors a restaurant for its commitment to “Made in Italy” quality and authenticity.

Top review

Stuart

Dined 3 days ago

As always we had an excellent experience! Great service and atmosphere.

Matty's Bar & Grille

4.7

4.7 (243)

$31 to $50

Grill

New Berlin

About the restaurant

Since opening the doors in 1997, owner Matt Anderson and team have transformed the once-typical suburban sports bar into a destination spot for sports fans and foodies alike. Guests can grab a Smokehouse Burger at the traditional front bar, enjoy a gourmet pizza or family dinner in the warm and inviting Four Seasons Room or relax on the outdoor Patio featuring a cozy fire pit and multiple dining areas.
From our all-inclusive Ultimate Packer Experience, luxury coach bus excursions to Lambeau Field and Camp Randall to Brewer tailgate parties, Matty’s will get you to your destination in style. Check out our Holiday brunches for Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to name just a few!
If you are having trouble making an online reservation, please call the restaurant, and let us assist you.

Top review

ROBERT

Dined 4 days ago

Matty's is a traditional popular luncheon location, providing a varied menu, excellent food and great service

The Union House

4.8

4.8 (800)

$50 and over

Contemporary French / American

Genesee

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of historic Genesee Depot just down the road from the famous Ten Chimneys you will find the Union House. Known for its unique menu featuring wild game fused with classic fine dining, our mission is to bring people together while creating a memorable dining experience surrounded by historic photos of the town along with Union House frequenters, Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. The menu is driven by ingredients and is constantly developing throughout the year led by award-winning Executive Chef and General Manager, Dan Harrell and Executive Sous Chef, Christian Garcia-Cortez. We feature an extensive wine, scotch and bourbon list highlighting selections from around the United States and world along with barrel-aged old fashioneds and Manhattans that include our very own hand-crafted bitters. We look forward to having you join us!

Top review

Andy

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

We return again and again due to the veteran servers like Karen, the ambience, and the kitchen magic.

Discover more

An Evening with Sea Smoke Estate

Carnevor Steakhouse

4.8

4.8 (3211)

$50 and over

Steak

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Milwaukee's premier steakhouse, Carnevor is one of Wisconsin’s most acclaimed fine dining destinations. A restaurant consistently topping year-end “Best Of” lists, Carnevor has been lauded for its variety of culinary tastes – from our luscious barrel-cut beef to mouthwatering New York Strips and bone-in fillets. Our steak menu offers exquisite wet- and dry-aged USDA prime beef – a distinction afforded to less than two percent of all American beef – as well as daily selections of the coveted Wagyu imported from Japan. And with a wine list featuring more than 750 selections, you’ll always find the perfect bottle to uncork with your meal. But it’s not merely the “meal” you’ll enjoy at Carnevor. It’s the entire experience: service, music, menu, and more. To top it all, herbivores are always welcome.

Top review

Hellen

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

Service was very good and amazing ambiance. Food was prepared perfectly!

Discover more

Mo's A Place for Steaks - Milwaukee

4.8

4.8 (2492)

$31 to $50

Steak

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Mo’s...A Place for Steaks has an ambience others strive for. A sexy yet sophisticated feel, combined with great food & unmatched service create a customized dining experience. It’s not just the wet-aged steaks that arrive beautifully cut, cooked & plated, or the extensive wine list: Mo’s is a luxury that feels luxurious. Settle deep into a leather chair, listen to tunes playing on the baby grand or relax while sipping a martini & think just how good it feels to be you! Culinary delights don’t end with the steaks – you’ll find a wide selection of delicious entrées, appetizers, sides & desserts.

Top review

TonyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Beautiful time at a beautiful restaurant. This place does no wrong.

Discover more

Popular dish

Shrimp Cocktail

Safina

4.9

4.9 (318)

$31 to $50

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

It’s been over four years since guests last tasted the Sicilian dishes from longtime Milwaukee restaurant Giovanni’s. But all of that changes with Safina: a new casual Italian concept that comes to the historic building at 785 N. Jefferson St.

Focusing on comforting dishes with roots in Sicily and the southern regions of Italy, Safina's goal is to keep the menu familiar and accessible. The restaurant also features a full bar and second-level seating, complete with wood and marble finishes that highlight the rustic, modern Italian ambiance.

Top review

Nick

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

What a gem to the city of Milwaukee. Place had excellent service and amazing food.

Discover more

Explore Diners' Choice best of Milwaukee