La MerendaTop Milwaukee restaurantI have nothing negative to say about this restaurant, other than it's unfortunate that it's not located next door to me. I've only been here a few times, but each time I'm thoroughly impressed with the food and I walk away far beyond satisfied. On this particular trip the two knockout dishes were the Argentinian Beef and the seasonal tart, which completely melted in our mouths. Heavy on mushrooms and cream, light on asparagus, all sorts of delicious. The service was also excellent.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWOWFirst visit and I will definitley be going back! Food was outstanding and service was very good considering how busy it was.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, everything was perfect!We ordered the Argentinian Beef, Spinach, and Tart of the Day. Everything was delicious, as always. We always look forward to our
next visit and another perfect meal.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSmall plate eating and sharingSmall plate eating and sharing is a wonderful way to eat. You get to try many dishes. the waitress was very attentive. We could have ordered our food plate by plate and had the food continue to show up throughout our time there. You could order it all at once and make your own buffet. Everything we chose was tasty. Every table was full which accounts for the energetic atmosphere. I would go back to et there in a heartbeat.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat tapas at a good priceLoved the local foods, great selection and good prices. A bit loud and difficult to hear guests when busy.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMFun for sharingThe tapas idea is great for a table for 2 as you're able to sample a large amount of food throughout the evening without breaking the bank. The items were perfect for 2 to share - more than that would've been difficult. The staff was fast and friendly, helpful and considerate. They almost all seemed to LOVE their job.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMTruly enjoyableThis is the second time we have been to La Merenda as a group of 6.
Service was great: the waitress offered some nice recommendations to accommodate our group size (6 piece portions vs. 4) and the waitstaff was very prompt and efficient bringing and clearing all our dishes ...which there were a lot!
Food was amazing: Our table favorites included: the empanadas (a MUST!), the ravioli special, and the butter chicken with curry.
Ambience was very nice: Our only disappointment was that it wasn't warm enough to enjoy the new patio. But trust me, we WILL be back for that!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAround the world of flavorThe actual building and location are almost inadequate in comparison to the well developed flavors present in the tapas dishes a La Merenda. I highly recommend. Going for lunch on a day off, sharing a bottle of wine, and splitting 6 plates was perfect!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat date!Being a vegetarian, I loved it here as there were many selections that could be made vegetarian.
It was somewhat noisy as there was a table of 16 behind us, but I enjoyed the energetic atmosphere.
Service was excellent4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous food & interestingFabulous food & interesting drinks - think muddled. Had 2 drinks each and ate till we were stuffed for $30 per person. A little noisy, but that's people having fun. Definite winner.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful experienceWe had a wonderful experience at La Merenda. After hearing several positive comments about the restaurant, I knew I had to try it. I had a group of 6, and couldn't get a table until 9 PM, however the table was ready early. Our waitress did an excellent job of bringing out the best dishes first, and they were proportioned perfectly. Each dish was better than the next. The food was absolutely amazing, and I will definitely be returning to La Merenda.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, excellent service,Great food, excellent service, reasonable price. Can't wait for the patio area to open.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDelisiousMy husband and I have never had a disappointing meal at La Merenda and our most recent experience was spectacular. The ingredients are so fresh and the seasoning used in each dish is perfect! Go late (9pm is good), there are fewer tables and the service is a bit more attentive.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMeverything we had was excellent!everything we had was excellent! pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices.ended up getting a $50 gift card for my son's birthday. Cannot wait to come back. Yummy!!!!!!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMLaMerenda NEVER disappoints.LaMerenda NEVER disappoints. It is consistently great food. What more can I say?4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Best Tapas in TownSome of the best food I've ever had at surprisingly reasonable prices. We always make it out of there spending about $25/person. This includes splitting a house bottle of wine and eating an ample amount of delicious food. The staff is very nice and quite helpful when you have questions about the menu. I love the atmosphere of La Merenda, it's very homey and cozy feeling. By far one of my favorite Milwaukee establishments! Can't say enough nice things about it!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWish I had come here sooner!!Fantastic food, appropriate size portions, not a bad bite all evening. Can't wait to return and try out more of the menu. Service was good with the exception of one bartender that was a bit snarky, though the man did make one helluva drink.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding Food and ServiceThis is the second time we've been to La Merenda, once for lunch and once for dinner. We can't wait to return. Every dish that we tried was outstanding, and the service was impeccable. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It's hard to recommend just one or two plates because everything was so good.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't wait to go back!I've been to La Merenda before and as always everything was absolutely amazing and delicious. One of my dining partners actually commented "I feel like each dish we try gets better and better." The special of the day: pork eggrolls and the goat cheese curds were my favorite of the night. We somehow saved room for dessert, the creme brulee, and I highly recommend it! I tell all my friends about this place and can't wait to go back and try more of the menu.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food as always!Excellent food as always! I brought a friend who had never been to La Merenda before, she was impressed!4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMWE WILL BE BACK!!!The fresh ingredients along with the creative blends of these ingredients and spices really make the entries that we tried a great dining experience. Hats off to the chefs.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMTruffled Potato Skins - TooTruffled Potato Skins - Too salty & greasy, could not eat more than a few; had it not been for these it would have easily been 5 stars on the Food. Butter Chicken - By far the best plate we had that night. Sauteed Spinach - delicious. Argentian Style Beef - amazing, as always.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMStill Great at La MirendaFood was great as usual. We had reservations through OpenTable at 9:30p on a Saturday and the place was definitely high energy. Although La Mirenda doesn't have bands playing, you still needed to speak up to be heard over other diners.
Service is reliably outstanding here.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWas disappointed to be seatedWas disappointed to be seated next to the kitchen, but food and service made up for it. The Argentinian Beef and Braised Veal Shortribs are my favorites on the menu. The seasonal quiche and seasonal creme brulee were also outstanding.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific food. Wonderful service.Terrific food. Wonderful service. Best with a group of 4 to 6, for sharing!4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was wonderful. ServiceFood was wonderful. Service was very fast. We felt rushed. We will have to pace it better ourselves next visit.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was amazing! We triedThe food was amazing! We tried 5 different dishes, and all were great. The pork belly spring rolls were a definite must have. Pricing was very reasonable. The atmosphere was a bit loud. Overall, the restaurant was amazing and I will definitely be going back to try everything else on the menu!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food at La Merenda isThe food at La Merenda is Always great. Our server was truely fantastic, she took care of us from the moment we sat down. We were celebrating a bithday and they really made it fun. Thank you will be back again and again.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWe have dined here beforeWe have dined here before but this was the first time with our boys ages 8 & 12. We wanted them to experience the fabulous food in a fun dining way. They were afraid at first but soon found it fun to order foods not common to them. We had great conversation regarding different flavors and they really enjoyed the lazy Susan in the middle of our table.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great time. The foodWe had a great time. The food was excellent and the service superb. My only concern was the Noise level, but the food made up for it. I am definitely coming back.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Restaurant in Milwaukee!This was the best restaurant I have been to in Milwaukee. The service and food was outstanding. I would high recommend the Beef Stroganoff, Argentinian Style Beef, and the Empanadas. The Beef Stroganoff was my favorite! They also had the best Rosemary Vodka Gimlet that I have ever tasted. I will be going back sometime soon!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMAMAZING is all I need to say!AMAZING is all I need to say! Bursting flavors in every dish.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMDined with my husband andDined with my husband and adult children. The place was lively at 7pm Saturday. Our table was close to the door so we had lots of activity, almost a little too much with some chair jostling as people came in and out. Prices were fair for small plates, but after several rounds our bill did add up. The house wine and drinks were a good bargain. Favorites included the mushroom tacos, polenta and sausages, and potatoes with truffle oil. Our server accommodated my vegetarian daughter with substitutions. Overall we enjoyed our evening at La Merenda.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was such a great restaurant!This was such a great restaurant! We attended because of a recommendation from a friend, and couldn't have been happier. The service was fabulous, as was every dish we were lucky to try. Thank you so much! I will be back!3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThe quality of the food isThe quality of the food is the main event here! Absolutely top notch3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe are spoiled for any otherWe are spoiled for any other dining out as a group.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOur server was excellent,Our server was excellent, food was good. Fun & romantic.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a great dining experience,Always a great dining experience, we had an excellent meal with good service.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMLa Merenda is a great placeLa Merenda is a great place for high quality tapas selections. I enjoyed all of the dishes, and our whole group found it difficult to pick favorites. The pork belly is a standout, and the goat cheese salad is excellent. The server was very accommodating for our larger group of 6, adjusting portion sizes as necessary to make sure everyone got to try each dish.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMReally incredible, great food,Really incredible, great food, cool atmosphere. A little expensive and a little loud, but it is worth it.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMEclectic place; wonderful food.We had the beet ravioli, ceviche, spinach and shrimp, and WOW was it all unique, flavorful and amazing. Local ingredients are magical, and La Merenda does great work with them.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMService, food and staff excellent!Service, food and staff excellent! Made a reservation online and requested that if an earlier time was available to please let me know and that we would be at the bar. within 10 minutes I received a phone call to let me know they would seat us earlier as wished. Very professional and catered to me. Very special!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMI was there before but hadI was there before but had never used Open Table reservation before. That was very nice especially since I changed my reservation time and number of people (changed it twice!) I love the place and will be back.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMLa Merenda is a globe-trottingLa Merenda is a globe-trotting meal, formed of exquisite dishes, thoughtfully and passionately prepared, one more seductive to the senses than the last. We came from Madison and then came back home and told all our friends.Argentine beef, fish tacos, rundown trout, sweet plantains, escabeche (pickled vegetable salad), chinese pork belly. Eat there soon, and then eat there as often as you can. Wonderful wines.Attentive, knowledgeable service. lovely ambiance.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing, creative tapas reproducingAmazing, creative tapas reproducing dishes and tastes from around the world. The Indonesian shrimp was outstanding.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food,wonderful service!Great food,wonderful service! Highly recommend it!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food!Fantastic food, everything we ordered was outstanding! we had 8 or 9 plates, Brazillian beef was our favorite. Kids 5 and 9 enjoyed very much too. Service was exceptional, 2-3 people waited on us, very attentive without being "pesty"3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMLo Mejor! Espectacular!Occasionally changing, but always stunning and scrumptious menu; spectacular service; and a fun place.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAs usual, La Merenda was amazing.As usual, La Merenda was amazing. The food was spectacular and the service was fabulous. Their Monday night special of half off wine is a great deal.3/11/2013 12:00:00 AM