These Milwaukee restaurants are offering special menus for Valentine's Day 2024
Love is in the air and lux menus are popping up at many of Milwaukee’s most romantic restaurants just in time for Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re getting gussied up and going all out or planning a chill night on the town with your loved one, you’ll find somewhere special to celebrate this year.
Here are a few Milwaukee-area restaurants serving specials and tasting menus (prices listed don’t include tax or tip) for Valentine’s Day this year. Remember, Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants, so hop on those reservations now!
1033
From Feb. 14 through Feb. 17, this restaurant at 1033 S. 1st St. is making “fetch” happen with a “mini prix fixe” menu inspired by the 2004 movie “Mean Girls.” Perfect for Galentine’s Day or couples looking for a more laid-back Valentine’s Day experience, the menu features three courses themed around some of the movie’s quotes, with dishes including floral-coated Alp Blossom cheese with Iberico, Haskap berry preserves, bread and butter; “Amber D’Alessio’s” hot dog with tomato jam, pork belly bits, caviar and garlic butter bun; crispy potatoes with house-made cheese whiz; and apple cinnamon “Toaster Strudel” with vanilla mascarpone icing.
The prix fixe menu is $75 per couple. A beverage pairing can be added for $30 per person. A non-alcoholic beverage pairing can be added for $25 per person. Reservations can be made online at 1033mke.com or by calling (414) 226-5754.
Bacchus
On Feb. 14, Bacchus, 925 E. Wells St., will offer a three-course menu of dishes that guests can choose from, including crab risotto with roasted bell peppers, braised duck wings with black garlic BBQ sauce, filet mignon with smoked new potatoes and chimichurri, baked lobster tails with black truffle Hasselback potatoes, a pavlova with orange blossom cheesecake mousse and candied grapefruit, and a horchata tart with marshmallow and dulce de leche.
The three-course menu is $100 per person. An optional wine pairing can be added for $65 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/bacchus or by calling (414) 765-1166.
Birch
A three-course, prix fixe menu will be available on Valentine’s Day at Birch, 459 E. Pleasant St., whose chef Kyle Knall was recently named a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest.
Each course features multiple options, including smoked walleye cheesecake with caviar, beet tartare with horseradish, sweet potato-filled pasta with miso and Parmesan, charcoal-grilled beef flatiron and short rib, hot-smoked steelhead trout, dry-aged duck and dessert.
Seatings are available in both the dining room and at the chef’s table. The Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu is priced at $84 per person. Reservations can be made online at birchonpleasant.com or by calling (414) 323-7372.
Braise
Valentine's Day is an extended holiday at Braise, 1101 S. 2nd St., where a four-course prix fixe menu will be available from Feb. 14 through Feb. 17. Options on the menu include oven-roasted scallops, eggplant Parmigiana, chicken meatball soup with chicken skin cracklin and orzo, grilled endive with cornbread crouton and peach blossom caviar, beetroot ravioli with goat ricotta and a lavender-balsamic reduction, rabbit-sausage-stuffed duck breast with lacto blueberry coulis, and white chocolate mousse entremet with raspberry pink peppercorn compote.
The prix fixe menu is $80. Reservations can be made online at braiselocalfood.com or by calling (414) 212-8843.
Cavas
Cavas, 401 E. Erie St., which has been temporarily closed since Jan. 4, will reopen Feb. 14 with a six-course dinner menu to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Courses include smoked salmon with cream cheese and caviar, a mini charcuterie board, raw oysters with fresh cherry mignonette and salad with passion fruit dressing, pistachio-encrusted baby lamb chops with tequila pineapple relish, strawberry panna cotta, and chocolate macaroons with coffee.
Seatings are available at 5:30 and 8 p.m., and tickets are $150 per person. Reservations can be made online at cavasmke.com. For parties with three or more diners, call Chef Ana Docta at (414) 930-9088.
Il Cervo
This modern Italian restaurant on the top floor of The Trade Hotel, 420 W. Juneau Ave., is offering a five-course tasting menu in its four seasons room on Valentine’s Day. Dishes include baked ricotta with plum-apricot compote, Tuscan kale salad with lemon vinaigrette, crispy pork belly gnocchi with king trumpet mushrooms, prime beef tenderloin with salsa verde and bruleed arborio rice pudding with figs and candied walnuts.
The tasting menu is $125 per person. Diners can add a five-course wine pairing for $40 per person. Reservations can be made online at ilcervorestaurant.com or by calling (414) 279-6660.
Harbor House
Seafood lovers can make Valentine's Day special at Harbor House, 550 N. Harbor Dr. The lakeside restaurant will offer a three-course menu on Feb. 14 with multiple dish options including roasted oysters, Maryland-style crab cake, black truffle burrata with roasted squash, lobster ravioli, Hudson Canyon sea scallops with roasted spaghetti squash and wild mushrooms, lobster thermidor with broccolini and buttered red potatoes, creme brulee with raspberries, and carrot cake.
The three-course menu is $100 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/harbor-house or by calling (414) 395-4900.
Lake Park Bistro
From Feb. 9 through Feb. 14, Lake Park Bistro, 3133 E. Newberry Blvd., will offer a four-course menu with multiple dish options including foie gras torchon with a pistachio crust and strawberry banyuls preserves, soupe de champions with mushrooms and Madeira and served with black truffle beignet, bacon-wrapped roasted monkfish with braised red cabbage and a red wine sauce, and a choux pastry filled with pistachio cream and served with a roasted strawberry sauce.
The four-course menu is $95 per person. Reservations can be made online at bartolottas.com/lake-park-bistro or by calling (414) 962-6300.
Lupi & Iris
A three-course menu of Lupi and Iris classics will be available on Feb. 14. Multiple options are included with each course. Some options on the menu include char-grilled Spanish octopus with Romesco sauce, potato and frisee salad with citrus vinaigrette and Piquillo and espelette peppers; creamy mushroom soup with Madeira wine, creme fraiche and Brussels sprout leaves; cavatalli pasta with pork and tomato ragu and chili flake, chopped broccolini and pecorino; Mediterranean sea bass with braised artichokes and persillade sauce; wood-grilled Dover sole filleted table-side; wood-oven-roasted duck breast with duck fat potatoes; bone-in New York strip with roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and persillade sauce; olive oil cake with passionfruit cream and coconut-rum sorbet; warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream and creme anglaise; and a caramel pots de creme.
Diners can also add on an assortment of red roses, designed in-house by Daria Aitken-Siegel, which will be placed on your table upon arrival.
Seatings are available in both the dining room and at the chef’s table at the restaurant at 777 N. Van Buren St. The three-course dinner starts at $80 per person. Some dishes, denoted on the menu, will have an upcharge. Reservations can be made online at lupiandiris.com or by calling (414) 293-9090.
Movida
Spanish tapas restaurant Movida at Hotel Madrid, 600 S. Sixth St., is hosting an "El Día de San Valentín" special on Feb. 14. Enjoy unlimited Movida classic dishes, tapas and bowls for 75 minutes, plus a half bottle of cava sparkling wine upon arrival. Couples will also receive a personal paella pan with a paella recipe card when they participate in the Valentine’s Day unlimited tapas special.
The experience costs $55 per person. Reservations can be made online at hotelmadridmke.com or by calling (414) 488-9146.
The Original
A prix fixe dinner for two will be available in addition to The Original’s standard menu on Feb. 14. Dishes on the special menu include a garlic mushroom flatbread with Calabrese, capers, pepperoncini, arugula and Italian cheese blend; seared elk loin Diane with garlic butter, poached shrimp, pomme puree and roasted vegetables; and a chocolate orange pot de creme with Grand Marnier syrup and shortbread crumble.
The prix fixe menu at the restaurant at 2498 N. Bartlett Ave. is $140 for two diners. Reservations can be made online at theoriginalmke.com or by calling (414) 763-4811.
Saint Kate
The downtown hotel, 139 E. Kilbourn Ave., is hosting its “Love in the Dark” Valentine’s Day special on Feb. 9, 10 and 14. Diners can enjoy an exclusive dinner in The Dark Room at Saint Kate. The four-course menu includes scallop crudo with caviar, herb tagliatelle pasta with Bolognese, smoked New York strip steak with potato pave and foie gras, and chocolate explosion cake.
Beverage pairings are included, featuring a welcome glass of champagne, Les Glories Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc, Hartford Court Chardonnay, Hamel Family Isthmus Bordeaux Blend and Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge Liqueur.
There are four sessions available: Feb. 9 at 6 p.m., Feb 10 at 5:30 and 8 p.m., and Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
The four-course dinner with beverage pairings is $175 per person. Reservations can be made online at saintkatearts.com/events or by calling (414) 276-8686.
The Wolf on Broadway
This new downtown restaurant, 600 N. Broadway, will be open on Valentine’s Day (it’s typically closed on Wednesday) to offer a special five-course menu with dishes including raw oysters with raspberry granita; pork and lobster wonton with beet beurre blanc sauce; scallop with heart of palm, citrus and endive; Coulette steak with pomegranate and squash potato puree; and dark chocolate cardamom creme brulee with pistachio shortbread cookie.
The dinner is $120 per person with an additional wine pairing optional. Reservations can be made online at broadwaywolf.com or by calling (414) 935-2076.
Third Coast Provisions
This downtown seafood restaurant will offer a five-course tasting menu with dishes including sourdough focaccia, fresh oyster with champagne granita, ahi tuna crudo with guanciale and Honeycrisp apple, tempura halibut cheek, dry-aged duck with parsnip and foie gras jus, braised beef short rib with Alsatian spaetzle, black cod with golden coconut curry and crispy sticky rice, chocolate mousse with preserved strawberry, and raspberry pistachio cheesecake.
The tasting menu is $119 per person. An optional wine pairing can be added for $49. Reservations can be made online at thirdcoastprovisions.com or by calling (414) 323-7434. 724 N. Milwaukee St.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee restaurants offering special menus for Valentine's Day 2024
