Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Milwaukee

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants 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 favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cafe Manna

4.9

4.9 (898)

$30 and under

Vegetarian / Vegan

Brookfield

About the restaurant

Café Manna is one of the first 100% vegetarian restaurants in Southeastern Wisconsin. We are committed to bringing you fresh, “made from scratch” delicious food. We have produce delivered daily to ensure our dishes are fresh and full flavored. Many of our ingredients are locally grown and chosen for seasonality. Additionally, we use a reverse osmosis water purification system. Café Manna was the first restaurant in Wisconsin to reach the 3-star Green Restaurant Certification level. We have been the Open Table "Diners' Choice" award winner, and also the "Best of Milwaukee" winner for best vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free restaurant. Our fresh menu features many vegan, gluten-free and raw dishes and our specials change up every 2 weeks. Visit us during the summer to enjoy patio dining, or indoors for a more intimate experience. Our friendly staff is ready to serve you!

Top review

Valerie

Dined on May 28, 2025

Incredible food served by an incredible server who is so friendly, smoky and proud of what she is serving. Lovely lovely place. Definitely will go back!

Discover more

Experience

Tapas & Tequila

EsterEv

4.9

4.9 (191)

$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

Jeff

Dined on May 2, 2025

EsterEv was fantastic! A great mix of casual atmosphere and next level food! Had the 8 course tasting menu and we let our server decide what the dishes would be. She picked some great ones. We left fulfilled but not stuffed and can’t wait to go back again soon!

Discover more

Guest Chef Dinner with Amanda Turner ($140)

Morel

4.9

4.9 (769)

$50 and over

American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

A modern American restaurant that's dedicated to source consciousness, Morel's menu finds inspiration from Chef Jonathan Manyo’s roots: Wisconsin. Morel explores natural flavors, colors, and textures from local farms, purveyors, foragers, and artisans. For eight years, Jonathan has remained dedicated to featuring a menu comprised of nearly 100% Wisconsin-sourced ingredients.

Top review

Brett

Dined on Jun 28, 2025

Food was awesome and the staff (including the host, bar, cooking staff and our server) were very knowledgeable and friendly. One of the best dinners we’ve had in a while, definitely going back on our next visit to MKE.

ParkSide 23

4.8

4.8 (57)

$30 and under

Farm-to-table

Brookfield

About the restaurant

Gather around the supper table at ParkSide 23 and enjoy a truly one-of-a-kind farm-to-table experience. Choose from a menu full of fresh, innovative dishes made with locally sourced ingredients from Wisconsin farms & businesses you love. Wash it down with one of our locally brewed beers, hand-crafted cocktails or a smooth glass of wine.

PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. RESERVATIONS ARE FOR MAIN DINING ROOM

Top review

Gary

Dined 5 days ago

Dined on the patio, which was lovely. The food was very good and the service was excellent. Dining room would have been somewhat loud.

Bavette (Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee)

4.9

4.9 (420)

$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

Robert

Dined 4 days ago

Great experience. Food and service were 5 stars. Our server and the entire staff were great. Head chef was friendly and ran the entire operation calmly and efficiently.

Safina

4.9

4.9 (421)

$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

Brian

Dined on Jun 20, 2025

A gift certificate from a friend brought us to this wonderful Italian restaurant. The beauty of the decor was very inviting and every staff member we encountered greeted us with a smile and welcomed us. The service from our waitress was great and attentive. We split an arugula salad that had cherries, blood oranges and pistachios with a big serving of burrata in the center. It was wonderful and fresh. Our entree was the stuffed filet that was spectacular, flavorful and mouthwatering. We then shared a cannoli and a chocolate mousse dessert that had cherries, whip cream and a sprinkle of mint leaves shavings. Both were awesome. We will definitely be back to enjoy this new favorite in the near future. I highly recommend you try Safina!

Discover more

Transfer Pizzeria Cafe

4.9

4.9 (260)

$31 to $50

Pizzeria

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

You are cordially invited to visit Transfer Pizzeria Café, located in the Harbor District on the corner of 1st and Mitchell Streets. Established in 2008, the namesake is Transfer Pharmacy, a classic cornerstone drugstore from a bygone era that for decades supplied a thriving community with goods and services as evidenced by the stained glass windows still in place. The pharmacy was appropriately named for the constant activity that took place just outside - the boarding, departures, and transfers of the countless daily commuters of the time. The tradition of a reliable cornerstone establishment continues today, as Transfer Pizzeria delivers a unique dose of delicious pizza, drink, atmosphere, and friendly service.

We keep an active wait-list and gladly accommodate walk-ins as part of both our lunch and dinner service.

Top review

Rachel

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent food and special care taken for allergies. Live music is always entertaining.

Zarletti - Downtown

4.9

4.9 (2999)

$31 to $50

Italian

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

DINE IN & CURB SIDE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE!

CURBSIDE FOOD AND RETAIL WINE SERVICE
MONDAY-SATURDAY 1:00PM-8:00PM

DINE IN FOR DINNER ONLY
MONDAY-THURSDAY 4PM-8PM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 4PM-9PM

PLEASE CALL 414-225-0000

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Zarletti is a fine dining northern Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. Executive chef and owner Brian C. Zarletti focuses on creating regional Italian cuisine inspired by lessons learned in his grandmother’s kitchen and on his extensive travels in Italy.

Top review

GaryVIP

Dined 6 days ago

The food was delicious, the service was attentive, and the ambiance was perfect for a cozy evening. Highly recommended. Brianna, our waitress was courteous, informed and very attentive. overall, this was a very pleasant experience, I highly recommend this Restaurant.

Five O'Clock Steakhouse

4.8

4.8 (4412)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Rich in tradition and free of trends, the Five O’Clock Steakhouse is nothing short of timeless. A family-owned & independently operated Supper Club, the Five O'Clock specializes in serving the finest steaks paired with a notable wine list, classic cocktails, as well as outstanding, personalized service.

Five O’Clock has been named “One of America’s Best Steakhouses” by TV host Rachel Ray, described as a "Classic Supper-Club Setting" by TravelandLeisure.com and was featured on The Travel Channel’s “Steak Paradise 3.” Five O'Clock was voted "#1 Steakhouse in Milwaukee" by Shepherd Express & Milwaukee Magazine. We were also named among the top steakhouses in Milwaukee by OnMilwaukee.com.

The Alley Cat Lounge at Five O'Clock Steakhouse features Milwaukee's best free live music weekly, classic cocktails and a 1940’s retro-lounge ambience.

You’re only a stranger once at the Five O’ Clock Steakhouse!

Top review

Dined on Jun 28, 2025

The food and service was amazing. I would definitely come back

Discover more

Homemade Key Lime Pie

La Merenda

4.8

4.8 (2796)

$30 and under

Tapas / Small Plates

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

La Merenda is a bar and grill located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that specializes in serving globally inspired cuisine, local beers and wine. The restaurant offers a casual dining with upscale flavors.

La Merenda has an emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, so the menu is constantly being updated with new dishes based on available ingredients. The main menu at La Merenda offers a selection of snacks, seafood and meat entr�es. Menu selections include such dishes as Wisconsin farmers� salad, seasonal gnocchi, veal stracotto, Sambal Goreng Udang with Gulf shrimp and pork and shrimp tostadas.

Top review

Mary Lou

Dined on Jun 28, 2025

Variety of interesting options. Fun cocktails. Outstanding service!

Explore Diners' Choice best of Milwaukee

Explore more Diners' Choice lists