45 Best Cocktail Bars near Wauwatosa

“Bibi is the absolute best! We absolutely adore her! She makes the bar what it is with her Bubbly personality, tasty bloody Mary’s (even late night) and her fresh friendly conversation. The bar chairs could use more options for the disabled customers they have, but overall A++ for customer service and good quality.“

“Went to try one of the famous smash burgers, to no avail they did not offer them at this time. I thought it was going to be a big sigh however I made a pivot and tried a few appetizers. #1 the mozzarella sticks were great I’m a sucker for places who take the time to use won ton wraps and quality cheese. The key in my mind is not an overdone wrap and still oooey goooey melted mozzarella which they have conquered.

2- Pork Belly Deviled Eggs ! Yes I said that, the pork belly was perfectly cooked and the siracha aoili was a great touch I don’t think I’ve seen these on any other menu in Wisconsin. Great Job

3- Sliders . They were a teaser of the smash burger with grilled onions and cheese perfect bun to beef ratio and the quality of bread was great tasted very fresh.

Great attention to detail was taken in presentation/seasoning and garnishes on these items.

Now on to my Beverage - Brandy old fashioned sweet!! This was a perfect blend of alcohol and muddled fruit. A true Wisconsin delight. Great Job

As a ex restauranteur turned local food critic and blogger I give everyone from front of house to back of the house a 5 star!!! Great Job, I will be back and recommend to everyone looking for that Tosa Niche.

Parking: Parking lot is attached to a multi unit building signage kind of discourages parking at first glance after reading further it states you can park in the lot if you’re going to a business.“

“Great Beer selection, even gluten free options!“

“Sure did miss this place!!“

“Great food. Awesome service. Cool vibe. I enjoyed my experience. Will go back again.“

“Friendly staff, great drinks, delicious food. 10/10“

“Food was delicious! Will be back!“

“Food was so delicious, ambiance was beautiful. Our waitress was super sweet and attentive. I enjoyed my birthday dinner here last night. Wonderful date night experience. Thank you for the hospitality. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“One of the best bars in the area. All the drinks are great, you can’t go wrong. Just order what you like and they’ll make one of the best you’ve had. They change their menu about quarterly and have really unique drinks. Great old fashioneds! They also frequently have food, but check their Facebook page to see what’s happening.“

“Such a lovely place. Glad it was recommended to us. Great drinks and ambiance.“

“This place has a nostalgic feel of the 1950s-1960s. The bartenders are very skilled at their craft if making cocktails based on your specific tastes. For example, if you like a specific flavor like berries or spirit, they will make you a tasty drink. It is important to tell them what you like or what you don't like. I made this mistake by not telling them that I hate the taste of black licorice. Heather, the bartender, offered to make me a new cocktail. This is a very cool place. The next time we are in Milwaukee, we will definitely come back, and I highly recommend this establishment.“

“Love this Bay View gem. Great vibes, music, and overall ambience.

Unique, tasty drinks - expect a wait to order at center of bar area. Staff work hard to get drinks out.

Sad to see Maya Ophelia’s vegan food truck go though! Twas such a great compliment to this establishment.“

“Nice place to unwind after work or great place for a date to get to know each other better.“

“The best mixologists in Wisconsin work here. The ownership is amazing too. All of whom are some of the people you'll ever meet.
Amazing gin and bourbon selection.
Clean, cozy, comfortable.
Very fair prices reflecting tremendous value.

Vegetarian options: Most cocktails are veg.

Parking: Free street parking is generally easy to find.
Pay lot and metered street parking as well.

Kid-friendliness: Don't bring your kids to a bar, dingus.

Wheelchair accessibility: No.“

“If you like cocktails, this is a great spot. Attended a networking event, had a great time.
I asked if they had Absolut Citron and they said no but, they make their own flavored vodka and I was pleasantly surprised it was very good. Normally a bourbon drinker but in the summer months they like to do summer drinks. I'll be back to try some of their cocktails. Fun place.“

“Charmbiance - my home away from home! Kelly and Tom run a great business! They have every kind of event and activity you could possibly imagine. No matter what you want to do you are all set at Charmbiance! Great customer service, delicious food, and drinks galore!
They make me feel like I am family whenever I stop in!“

“One of my favorite spots in Milwaukee. Fantastic cocktails, with fun themes around holidays and seasons to keep things extra interesting. It’s the place I always want to go visit- it’s so much fun! The staff is entertaining and friendly, and they play some great classic movies that are fun to have on in the background.“

“Go here all the time. Fantastic and fun atmosphere, and is my go to“

“Definitely a 10/10 great hospitality, food and drinks were good as well. Food was very fresh and hot and the wait was not too long! Definitely will be back❤️ oh yeah music was definitely a vibe“

“Vintage has got to be my favorite bar in Milwaukee. It’s a place where you can feel welcome no matter who you are or how old/young you are. Homey, cozy, cute, welcoming, fun, and safe are words I’d use to describe Vintage. They have a fun and diverse selection of beers/seltzers which I really appreciate as I’m always looking for something new. Prices are super fair, bartenders are friendly. Women owned too!!! I love love love Vintage!“

“It was our first time today. Bartenders were great, and the drinks were better. Need to stop by and enjoy a summer day outside!“

“I've never been to Milwaukee. I asked where I could get a true Milwaukee meal experience and was directed to The Vanguard. it was fantastic and Kelly was an absolute gem of a person.“

“Saying this establishment is unique is an understatement. Let's cover the restaurant first. So when you enter, you pass in front of the kitchen. It's a small facility, but guess what? It works. Intimate classy dining. We had a delicious small pizza, but the brushetta (sp I know was fantastic but there should have been a warning of the triple garlic that was added. I needed a half tube of mentos to make me just alittle comfortable to basically talk to my gal. This was our pre-valentines date. The cool surprise was the feature band walking thru the front door playing jazz music.
After dinner was the real treat. We seen this band before at a beer garden, but inclosed they sounded even better cause this group is very tight in sound and extremely entertaining. The bar was packed and hitting on all cylinders. Please support your local venues cause they too need to survive.“

“Best neighborhood bar ever !! A go to when in the area !!“

“Bartenders cute“

“Great atmosphere, great Bartender, notices people as soon as they walk in the door.“

“Always a good time at Chumleys“

“Food - from Taco Moto food truck permanently in an adjacent space. *(which borders the river!!)
Atmosphere - dark hunting lodge with chandeliers, some pressed tin ceiling tiles, and oodles of racks and stuffed game animals or partial mounts!
Beer - of course!
Cocktails and creative mocktails.“

“First time there! Had a great time! Was there for the whole afternoon! Such a good time! The owner takes pride in his Bloody Mary's 🙂 The bartender, Lexi, was awesome! Thanks for a great day!“

“Bartender that was working last night 11/8 helped me out of a very uncomfortable situation and they all have your back there and are quick to know if something’s wrong. Very humane and amazing staff there with an excellent vibe all around at that place. Definitely coming back whenever I have a cigar next door“

“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 spot, great food and wonderful staff!! Recommend sitting at the main bar!!“

“Early birthday dinner and it was amazing! The Bao Buns, sushi, curry, you name it. We will be back!“

“Incredible menu, fresh ingredients, food made with skill and served with love.“

“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.“

“Great food, staff is very nice.“

“Excellent Italian apricot pastry and espresso.“

“A terrific place to get ready for the day.“

“Went for the first time in a Friday night and it was moderately busy around 7pm. There were still open seats inside by the bar and plenty when you first come up the stairs, but the rooftop patio was full.

They have two bars, the indoor one has the more traditional tiki drinks while the outdoor bar has pre-made frozen slush drinks.

The Miami Vice was my favorite because of the great flavor blend of strawberry and coconut. The Frozen Wisco (Old Fashioned) was also good, but I prefer it on the rocks vs slushy.

The vibe was chill and they have a disco ball outside the restrooms while you wait.

I’d definitely come back to try more drinks and maybe catch a patio seat.

Kid-friendliness: Kids are not allowed due to being a rooftop bar.“

“Super cute patio!! I appreciated that there were covered and uncovered parts, as it stated to rain while we were outside. It feels like a peaceful oasis in the middle of Third Ward. My friend and I got the espresso martinis and banana rum cocktail...both were good!“

“Pizzas are fantastic, service is wonderful, atmosphere is unparalleled!“

“The staff was friendly and helpful with all my questions on drink selection since this was our first visit; we sat at the bar; they have these open garage-style doors, making it almost seem like we were outside. I ordered the Green Mile, and the wife ordered the daiquiri number one; we both enjoyed our drinks and the setting; this was a fun and pleasant experience“

“One of the best dining experiences in my life. No joke.“

“Had a melt in your mouth filet and the duck! Don’t forget the pork belly appetizer! My mouth is watering just thinking of the meal.“