30 Best Cocktail Bars in Milwaukee

“Classic lounge energy with surprisingly solid bites. I grabbed a small plate alongside a drink and it hit the spot—simple, savory, and well-timed. Dim lights, old-school vibes, and a pace that encourages lingering. Feels timeless in a good way.“

“Great quality tequila for all the fantasic house cocktails!!“

“Really wanted to like this bar as it was on my list to go for a long time. James Beard nominated. We went on a beautiful spring night. Inside was fun and outside was beautiful. I had a Feetfinder Snobunny - way too much peppermint and really not as sweet as was described.“

“The bartender named after the news channel you wish your grand parents would turn off forever, makes the entire experience worth visiting alone. Great drinks and a fun atmosphere. Guaranteed to make friends every time you visit. Can’t recommend enough.“

“Best Old fashioned in the state of Wisconsin“

“We stopped on a Sunday afternoon. The bartender she was great. Personality and vibes were on point. Made us feel welcomed.

They had happy hour on their signature drinks and they were all delish.

I love the dive ish bar feel but the offering of craft cocktails.“

“Hands down one of my favorite cocktail bars. Also extremely reasonable price for the quality of cocktail. It has a welcoming, cozy, and unique interior that would make for a good look and find game. They also sport a huge selection of liquors and the bartenders there have always been a great source of knowledge on some of their personal favorites if you're looking to branch out. My two favorites to get here are the JLP and the Classic Old Fashioned. Cheers!“

“Royal Street MKE formally Daq Shack MKE underwent a beautiful transformation inside but the heart, quality of food and service are the same...wonderful! It's always like visiting family here, the main bartender always remembers us even though we only come a couple times a year when in the area. Food is always fresh, hot and delicious. Absolutely go if you're in Milwaukee try all the flavors they provide with the daiquiris.“

“I was able to try this place for the first time last weekend and it was awesome! Sugar Maple does a lot of cool pop ups. We went to the Strangers Things one. The cocktails were so fun and tasty. The staff and owner were all so kind!
Highly recommend!“

“My husband and I came from central IL for work but turned it into a date night. We had so much fun at Lost Whale! We tried nearly all of the cocktails (some twice) and fell in love with the shooters!
We're planning a trip back because we also feel in love with the area and want to explore! Thanks for a great Friday night!“

“Great cocktails and beer, cozy vibes, and a cute outdoor patio. Dog-friendly inside and out! They also do a deal on Mondays where you get a dollar off your drinks if you bring a book. Lots of non-alcoholic, THC, and gluten-free options. They have a couple snacks, but allow you to bring in food from neighboring restaurants.“

“The atmosphere is amazing, drinks are wonderful and it’s an all around vibe.“

“What an excellent venue and a fantastic show. Great customer service. We will definitely be back. Marquee & The Moonlighters were so talented. We will definitely be back. A great date night.“

“Milwaukee has no shortage of bars worth visiting. Boone & Crockett on the river is one of the few worth planning around.

The setting earns its reputation. The riverside patio is one of the better outdoor drinking spots in the city, and the candlelit interior has a warmth that the rustic, up-north aesthetic could easily feel forced in lesser hands — here it doesn't.

The drinks are classically crafted and genuinely well-executed — the kind of bar where the person behind the counter actually knows what they're doing rather than just following a recipe card.“

“This is a great music venue, and quite possibly the best Italian restaurant in town. That’s a great combo!“

“free pool..🙂...friendly staff“

“First visit, was amazing! Homemade jalapeño cheddar brat was delicious and generous size. My wife had the green goddess salad, made fresh and the vegetables were delicious. Of course the beer was great as well! Friendly staff, will definitely go back.“

“Great atmosphere and amazing friendly staff. Owner Ben makes sure you have a great experience!“

“This is a perfect bar! I’m so impressed by Jade, the bartender. She is a class act! Managing the entire bar on her own with a friendly smile and delicious drinks. It takes a special person to craft such a comfortable, cool, classy spot. A+++++++“

“Yep yep“

“Great happy hour 4-7pm Tuesday thru Friday. And the same happy hour Friday and Saturday after 9pm! We were so surprised when we got two craft beers and a domestic for only $10! Decorated nicely and also has pool and darts. My only complaint was that it smelled a little smokey.“

“Fun bar, great vibes, awesome bartenders!!“

“Stopped at potawatomi for the first time and not being much of a gambler I stopped at bar 360 to have a drink and just get a view of the whole scenery and I'm glad I did the vibe is very cool with plenty of blue lighting that gives the whole place a nightclub vibe and they were playing good music plus the prices we're not very high like I expected and they even head drink specials which we both enjoyed and overall after doing little gambling it was definitely the best part of our visit plus the bartender was awesome and provided great service so if you're looking to take a break before gambling all your money away definitely do it at bar 360 it's right in the middle of the place you can't miss it lol.“

“Great place inside The Market. Travis was awesome.“

“What a great find. Nice place, great energy. The service from hostess, bartender, waiter, and food runner was prompt, polite, and sincere. Food was excellent. The queso was flavorful, melty, and delicious paired with the lovely bread, and assortment of fruits. The empanadas were the obvious stars of the show - soft billowy outer shells that had a nice bite, filled with delicious stuffings. Dessert was great as well, opting for that sinful cookie bar with ice cream.“

“We went there on Valentine's Day at 4pm for their tasting menu and both of us were blown away. Great service. Great views. Great Vibes. and beyond great food. The "friend, lover" cocktail was THE best cocktail I've ever tasted. Every course in the tasting menu was excellent but the Beef Tenderloin was BLISS. I don't think it's possible to cook it more perfectly than they did. Really amazing. The desserts are really impressive too. Which says a lot because I'm generally not much of a dessert person.“

“I’ve been wanting to try this place FOREVER. And let’s be honest — I’m perimenopausal and time is not exactly slowing down for me. So for our anniversary, I took no chances. Reservations open 30 days in advance, and you better believe I was poised like an Olympic athlete at 4:00 pm sharp when they dropped. The only slot left? 5:00 pm. The early bird special. Listen — we will dine at 4:37 pm if that’s what it takes. Book it. First of all, the vibe? Chef’s kiss. Mellow, classy, a little dark, lounge-y in that “you feel cooler just sitting there” kind of way. The velvety, cushy seating made me want to cancel all my plans and just live there indefinitely. And then… Carli enters the chat. Mad. Props. To. Carli. She greeted us like we were VIPs, guided us like a culinary fairy godmother, and made recommendations with the confidence of someone who knows she’s about to change your life. We trusted her immediately — as one does when greatness appears tableside. We kicked things off with shared apps: Waygu as Rockfire (buttery, melt-in-your-soul magic), Royal Flower Dumplings, Kinnickinnic Crisp Shell, and the Nobu Spicy Salmon Crispy — which Carli brilliantly suggested we sub with tuna. A visionary. An icon. A leader. Each dish somehow outdid the last. That Waygu? I will be dreaming about it for months. It was so indulgent it should require a warning label. I’m fairly certain food p0rN was invented for that exact bite. Then came the noodle debate: Pad Thai vs. Drunken Noodles. Carli said she prefers the drunken noodles, and at this point she had not steered us wrong once — so obviously we followed her lead. Now let me just say, I once took a cooking class in Thailand and made drunken noodles myself. I’ve tasted the real deal. And this version? Hands down the best I’ve had in the U.S. No question. We added shrimp, and they were light, juicy, perfectly cooked — not a single rubbery overachiever in the bunch. Absolute perfection. We wrapped it up with a hazelnut tiramisu situation. I don’t remember the exact name because we inhaled it in approximately 18 seconds. It never stood a chance. Long story short: completely, wildly worth it. My boyfriend and I live in Madison and we both agreed we will absolutely be making the drive down just to eat here again. We came for our anniversary. We left planning our next visit. And Carli? She deserves a raise, a trophy, and possibly her own holiday.“

“Damond provided outstanding service. Great atmosphere. The Chicken Sandwich is truly the best ever. I’ll be back, working my way through the menu!“

“Very good food, great service. Drove 45 mins out of my way to try this place, will be back!“

“Super friendly staff. VERY quick order to food on the table time. Had the pork belly Benny and the carnitas con huevos and both were fresh and delicious. The hash browns (added onions) were some of the best I’ve ever had. Got an order of the French toast with Caramel and candied pecans and that was also very good. Heard they feed seniors for free on Wednesday so going to send my parents over there next week! Any place that treats seniors that was is worth patronizing. We’ll definitely be back!“