Brunch! There was a great atmosphere around the whole restaurant as it is beautifully designed and decorated throughout. I couldn't get enough of the natural light that flooded in through the tall windows. Our food was very delicious and layered with flavor. I preferred the savory dish over the sweet, even the side of potatoes did not disappoint. The staff was nice, we were greeted promptly as we waited by the host stand and our server was pleasant. read more

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If I had to give one word to describe iL Cervo it would be FLAVORFUL!! Loved everything about it! To start, the vibe of the restaurant is unmatched. It sits on the 9th floor of the brand new (and beautiful) Trade hotel. We sat outside on the most perfect summer night and would highly recommend since the views are very cool. To start, and not pictured, we got the Rocket Baby sourdough. This was insanely good and the whipped mascarpone butter was *chefs kiss*. I got the Mafaldi and loved it! The homemade pasta was excellent and the sauce was so flavorful. My fiancé got the pizza which was so light and airy. You get a whole pizza so the portion size was generous. I tried our friends pasta (Casoncelli Ai Quattro Formaggi) and loved that as well! She mentioned the pasta was occasionally crunchy/maybe not cooked enough, but said she didn't even care because it was so good. Lastly, I also got to try the giant chicken parm! They don't cheap out on chicken, that's for sure! It was great but just know if you get it "hot", it's very spicy. So if you're not much for spice, make sure to just get it normal. The only thing we weren't huge fans of were there cocktails. The espresso martinis were just okay, and my fiancé did not like the Bocca Di Rosa at all. I've had better mojitos as well. Next time, I will skip the cocktails and just get wine. I'm not going to doc them points because everything else was so great, they definitely deserve 5 stars. If iL Cervo isn't on your list of places to try in Milwaukee, you gotta add it to the top!! read more

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Ambiance: Unfortunately, the atmosphere missed the mark. Despite making reservations well in advance, we were seated in the bar and told a dining room table was not possible. The bar was very loud, though to be fair, the dining room itself felt cramped--tables set up cafeteria-style and packed closely together. The views, however, were lovely. Food: We started with the pizza frita appetizer, which was excellent--simple, crisp, and delicious. Sadly, the entrées were disappointing. I ordered the Casoncelli; while the flavor was good, the bone marrow and short rib filling had such an unpleasant texture that I couldn't eat it. My son had the Chicken Parmesan, which he had enjoyed on a previous visit, but this time it fell short. My daughter-in-law ordered the squid ink gnocchi and stopped after one bite--the texture was crumbly and unpleasant, with only two small pieces of lobster. She ended up eating just the vegetables. Overall: With so many great dining options in Milwaukee, I likely won't return. The appetizer and views were the highlights, but the rest of the experience--from seating to entrées--was a letdown. read more

Went to Il Cervo for the first time last Friday. The menu is huge not just in options but actual size! Our server walked us through the menu since the headings are Italian. We started off with drinks (red wine and UN BEL VIAGGIO cocktail) and MEDJOOL DATES don't question it just order them they were very good! Also a lot larger than I expected. Next was the special pizza for the night which was great! Also $8 was donated towards Wilde fire rescue which is great, and it doesn't hurt that it was a great pizza flavor! Following that we ordered two pasta dishes CONCHIGLIE ALLA VODKA and the CRESTE DE GALLO. They came out with two bowls for each of us which was super nice since we did intend on sharing. I don't eat shrimp and they substituted the protein and swapped with chicken, the pasta was very flavorful! Now I personally wasn't a fan of the Crestse De Gallo but it's all mushrooms so many! I like mushrooms in small amounts and with certain things. We finished it up with the Olive Oil Carrot Cake- it was okay it make you dance in your chair good, but good all the same. Highly recommend and plan on returning! read more

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I've been here twice before on weekends and had good experiences with food and decent service. I was most recently here on a Monday evening celebrating a special birthday and am sorely disappointed in the service. As far as food, you cannot go wrong with anything on their menu. Some of the foods I highly recommend: Calabrian Chili Crisp Mozzarella The Crispy Pork Belly - the strawberry peach add on is so refreshing Any of the pizzas, the Italian Sausage and Prosciutto are my favorites The pastas, Conchiglie Alla Vodka, Squid Ink Gnocchi, and the Creste De Gallo if you're a mushroom lover The only complaint I had about our food is that we ordered the Squash Blossom Sourdough Pizza, and when it arrived, the pizza was cold. Our server was attentive with us until drinks and food were ordered and was never found after. We had to get up and call another waitress to attend to us twice, to order dessert and again to request the bill. It was frankly annoying. I'm not sure why it was an issue either, considering Monday evening was very low key and low customer traffic. Our server acknowledged we were celebrating a birthday, but the lack of service did not make this feel like a nice special dinner. read more

Il Cervo - Charred Ezzo's Spicy Pepperoni - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We first came here on Valentine's day and they had an amazing pre fixed menu. Sometimes that kind of negative but not here. We just went back again & same great food & experience. read more

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Wanted to love this new rooftop bar in the deer district, but found it had an identity crisis: wants to be upscale with a fancy spendy menu but substandard food and a weird vibe. 2.5 stars Food: 2 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 3 Cost to worth it rating: 1 (way too expensive for what it was, appetizers $20, pastas $30) Opentableable: no, but Resy Return worthiness: no Highlights: - Rooftop seating: views of downtown - Lovely menu beautifully written to make all items sound so enticing - Large appetizer portions - Artichoke ravioli: 4 large ravioli filled w artichoke mixture topped with some breadcrumbs and chunks of fried pork belly. Fresh smooth flavors in the ravioli and nice texture and saltiness with the pork belly. 4 stars - Aperol spritz: solid version - Beautiful lounge and bar area inside - Waitress: was nice and excited about all items on the menu Midlights: - Focaccia: looked impressive with 6 pieces spread on top of a fonduta with some roasted garlic cloves. Actual bread was soft but very oily and was hard to eat already being embedded in the goopy cheese sauce that didn't have much flavor. 2.5 stars - Cocktails: just ok (but sounded good on the menu) Lowlights: - Arancini: large crispy balls but zero flavor. No sign of the pecorino or black pepper and just a hint of lemon. Tomato sauce was fine. 2 stars - Meatballs: large but way too dense and not much flavor. 1.5 stars - No happy hour - Super weird vibe outside which wasn't enjoyable--mix of roudy big groups and awkward couples wanting a fancy date nigjt - Can only reserve dining room or lounge--outside is first come Such hope for a place that did not deliver. Hopefully they can figure it out, but don't plan to be back. read more

We like the restaurant's beautiful and modern finish and decor, nice atmosphere, interesting and diverse menu, and the good city view. It's for sure one of the best options to go for a date night in the city. Also great for business dinners, small celebrations or just good food and wine. Smart casual is how I feel about the place. We went in a 8-people group including a toddler and a baby. The service was good. Our family ordered the crispy pork belly, the roasted garlic focaccia and the polenta tempura mozzarella for appetizers, Cappelletti and Creste De Gallo for pasta entrees, a non alcoholic cocktail, and Tiramisu for dessert. We also tried the whole milk mozzarella pizza ordered by our friends. I really like the appetizers and the dessert and would recommend them. They were flavorful and kind of unique. The crispy pork belly is perfectly cooked and served with a sweet and sour fruit sauce and balanced with veggies. The polenta tempura mozzarella is a step up from the normal cheese curds and worth a try! The focaccia is a "team's favorite" based on their Instagram post and is indeed cheesy, yummy and good for sharing! The tiramisu - you can't miss it - beautiful presentation and delightful texture and tastes. The pastas and the mozzarella pizza are good but not as impressive. We like all the mushroom ingredients in the pastas but the pastas themselves are ok. The braised beef cheek filling in Cappelletti tasted mushy so it feels a bit weird with the hard pasta dough outside. The pizza is ok - it's not too thin nor thick - so not sure which way it is going for. The dough is a bit hard and we all can't finish the edge part due to its hard texture and lack of flavors (the sauce is all in the middle). The parking may be a headache, especially when game season or summer comes. We did street parking and walked 7 mins to the hotel. Otherwise, definitely good for a try! read more

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I thought the food and service were great. Also enjoyed the ambiance and the restaurant overall was very cute

I went here January 3, 2026 for a girls gathering. The food was so average. Cervo food is not worth the prices. Service was great and the ambiance was beautiful. I would only go there for drinks only. read more

Decided to go to Il Cervo on a whim. We had no reservations so we were pleased we got in. Seated at a high top in the bar. The vibe is exactly what Milwaukee needs. Upscale with beautiful views without being stuffy. Very busy on the day we went. Some people are dressed up and others are in jeans. Service was outstanding. My only complaint is that I asked for hot peppers and Parmesan cheese for my pizza. Waitress said she would bring them but never did. Maybe they don't have any but follow up would have been nice. Drinks were OK. I've had better but I've had worse. Food was enjoyable. The tomato basil mozzarella cheese was good but the focaccia bread appeared to be grilled with oil, almost like garlic bread. Would skip the bread. The meat on my calabrese salami pizza was over cooked. Homemade pasta had a nice texture and the beef bolognaise was so tender, flavorful and delicious. All in all, a nice experience. read more

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The location of the restaurant and views were awesome to be able to watch outside with all the windows along the dining area. Service was good and she answered all our questions. My recommendation would be the chicken Parmesan as the best meal even though I ordered the recommendation of the waitress, the beef Bolognese, the most popular dish. They have homemade noodles and sauces. We also ordered the Arancini's, which were really good, but not the best that I've had. Also the order the sourdough bread and focaccia appetizer too, which were both really good also. read more

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We only had a drink at the bar so I cant speak to the restaurant or the food. We stopped by later on a Saturday night to enjoy a drink and some skyline views of Milwaukee. The bar was pretty busy when we arrived, but we managed to find a table to sit. The bar area is nice, comfy chairs and different seating options for groups. There are plenty of cocktail options, as well as wine and beer in the drink menu, but I opted for a classic diet martini. We didn't have to go up to the bar to order, not sure if it's just like that for Saturday night or if that's the normal. The bar is surrounded by seating, so you had to squeeze through chairs to order, it would be nice to have a walk up area if there isn't service. My husband said the men's bathrooms were dirty and the women's bathrooms were small so there was a line. We would come back, and would like to try the restaurant and to enjoy the bar at a different time. Beautiful balcony and views! read more

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We recently took a group of six our for dinner and were looking for a place to impress. The recently opened Il Cervo hit all of the marks - the freshest pasta and cheeses that you can purchase in Milwaukee, in a brand new, stylish hotel, with excellent service. Upon entry to the restaurant we were immediately impressed by the modern and classy style. The views are gorgeous: we had a direct shot at the growing downtown area and fiserv forum. Our waiter was prompt, polite and offered great recommendations and easily explained the unique characteristics of this establishment. We were impressed to be sure. We shared a bread appetizer to start which was freshly made and delicious. Some on the table ordered the pepperoni pizza and gave it high marks. I ordered the bolognese, which was the most fantastic I've had in Milwaukee. Perfectly cooked pasta, with a flavorful and plentiful sauce replete with coarsely ground black pepper. It was nothing short of fantastic. I encourage you to get an early peek at this new and sure to be popular restaurant. read more

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Malafandi was delicious with and the chicken "parm" was unique and delicious too, although definitely not traditional. We also got the dates which were very interesting and tasty, the pork belly, and the sourdough as well with the butter and giardinara. Desert was tiramisu and so good. The cocktails were also delicious: barbera, 2x friend, lover, I always forget, and the Campari one that was a little sweet. Great service! We split some dishes and they came out from the kitchen on four separate plates. read more

Il Cervo - Malfandi, chicken parm - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Checked out this new rooftop restaurant in the Trade Hotel. Beautiful views, fabulous service, and some seriously delicious Italian fare! The fresh hand-stretched mozzarella alone is worth the trip. I tried the more traditional version with tomato and basil, and it was spot on. They have a whole list of other versions as well, with more inventive ingredients and I will definitely be back to try them! The crispy pork belly with broccolini was another favorite. Crispy, tender and melt in your mouth, and the white truffle oil was a nice touch. My aperol spritz was tasty as well, with a healthy pour. I could have used a bit less ice though, since it got watered down quickly. We were here in the winter, but in the warmer months the bar lounge area has glass garage doors that open out for Al fresco style dining. Can't wait to try that out come summer! read more

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Food is okay. Ambiance is great. Service pends on who you get as your server. Went there recently for a birthday dinner and the server was sub-par. Ending up getting some free apps because of it, but would've preferred to have better service. That being said, I appreciated the manager offering the free appetizers. Will give it another chance. read more

The bottom line of Il Cervo is that the food is generally good and the service is generally not. The ambiance is not one of a romantic, calm dinner, but rather one of a very busy, crowded, and loud restaurant. Let's begin with the food. I have been to this restaurant twice now, and would say that their strength is their pasta. I have tried the mafaldi (which is like a bolognese, my personal favorite) as well as the cappelletti (beef cheek stuffed pasta) and the creste de gallo (mushroom truffle cream pasta). All of them have been good, but like I said, the mafaldi is the best. The crests de gallo is most certainly made with truffle oil, though, which they do not mention on the menu. They say that it has "black summer truffle" while the dish exudes the scent and taste of truffle oil (obviously a much cheaper and more pungent ingredient). I'd prefer if they would be more honest about that. The cappelletti was a bit of a disappointment because the filling was not hot, just barely warm. My friend tried the squid ink gnocchi with lobster which she really enjoyed. As for other food, the appetizers we tried (grilled octopus and fried olives) were also decent. The octopus was standard but good. The flavor could be amped up as it is a tame dish, but not bad. The fried olives were very unique. The dish came with the fried pitted olives on a bed of frisée with sliced banana peppers and a creamy white fish dip. The combo was very interesting and it actually turned out to be pretty good (even for someone like myself who doesn't like olives or white fish). We were a bit disappointed that there wasn't focaccia on the menu that was not drenched in a thick cheese sauce (some of our group is lactose intolerant). I personally tried the focaccia in the fondue sauce which was fine but extremely heavy and too much for me. I wouldn't order that one again. For dessert, we tried the olive oil carrot cake, tiramisu, and affogato. The olive oil carrot cake was lacking flavor and slightly dry. The tiramisu was extremely overly sweet and did not have enough cake compared to all the mascarpone. The affogato was delicious (it is a scoop of gelato with espresso poured overtop, so no cooking involved). The service was definitely the worst part of the experience. Our waitress was great and very attentive in the beginning. We ordered drinks and she brought them. Then we ordered appetizers and entrees at the same time with her and almost never saw her again. Someone else brought our appetizers out to us. We finished those plates (which were still sitting on our table) when another person brought our entrees out to us. He set them down on the tiny corners of the table away from each person/seat and tried to leave. We had a table full of empty/finished plates from appetizers that there was almost no room in front of us or on the table at all for our entrees. It was so strange that he would set them down in random corners of the table and leave. We asked him if he could clear the table and he took 3 small plates (out of the 6) and left the rest. Very strange. We had also wanted to order wine with dinner, but since we hadn't seen our waitress again, we were not able to do this, and dinner was already on our table. We were able to flag her down at this point, asked her to clear the table so we could eat our entrees, and ordered the wine. We started eating our food and the wine came out 20 minutes later. So it came when we were over halfway done with our meals, nice. Moving forward, I'd make a mental note to come here again only for the pasta. The pasta is a 4/5. Just sit down, order one simple pasta dish per person without drinks or appetizers because this restaurant does not do a good job with running smoothly and coordinating courses/drinks/timing/teamwork amongst staff. Especially for a restaurant that charges these prices and has a "high end vibe" that they desperately try to portray, it falls short. read more

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Dined at Il Cervo for the first time last night. Great space in a great location with a great view. My friend and I ordered several dishes to share including the Roasted Garlic Focaccia, Crispy Pork Belly, Prosciutto Pizza, Spaghetti, and Tiramisu. The Roasted Garlic Focaccia was super delicious, and might have been my favorite dish of the night, based on flavor alone. I prefer focaccia to be light and airy, but this version was crispy and buttery like toasted garlic bread and served in a platter with a marscapone fontina fonduta to dip the bread in, and really delicious! The Crispy Pork Belly was served as 4 or 5 thin (compared to pork belly I've had at other places) medalions and not as crispy as I expected, BUT still nicely seasoned and served with broccolini, stone fruit agrodulce, and the menu says white truffle oil, but I did not taste the truffle oil at all. Still a solid appetizer. The Spaghetti is served with a housemade dry-aged beef meatball, a link of lamb merguez sausage, and a link of Italian sausage, all in a spicy tomato sauce. The lamb sausage was a tad gamier than I expected, but still good, and the spicy sauce was also different. Maybe Calabrian chili oil was used to spice it up. Not bad, just different from what I prefer, which is along the lines of a savory arrabiatta. The noodles were very soft, so don't expect al dente. The Prosciutto pizza is topped with arugula, three cheeses (ricotta, stracchino, and parmesan), anf shaved truffle, as well as truffle oil, which is not listef on the menu. First, I was disappointed that the crust looked nothing like the photos of other pizzas I've seen posted in Yelp for this restaurant. A wood-burning oven, when used properly with a properly prepared dough, will produce a cornicione with a fluffy and airy texture and a fair amount of charring. Second, I couldn't taste the prosciutto. All I tasted was the cheese (mainly the ricotta) and the truffle oil. My friend and I tried a couple of slices, but could not get past the mistakes, so we gave up and let our server know when she asked. She offered a different pizza, but we declined as we expected similar results. Later a manager (I assume) brought a new Prosciutto pizza, which had just a bit of char on half of the crust, while the other half lookef exactly like the pizza we didn't care for. She said they took the pizza off the bill and thought we'd like to try it again. I lifted a slice and saw a dense, gummy texture along the side and decided it wasn't worth trying. We didn't try it, and my friend took it home to try the next day with her boyfriend. Neapolitan style pizza requires technique when making the dough and also when making the pizza itself. The oven temp has to be 800-900 degrees, too. At any rate, they have work to do. Luckily many of their diners won't know the difference. The Tiramisu was a great way to end dinner. It is formed into an edible chocolate bowl. Nearly all of the flavors and textures of tiramisu are there inside the bowl. Great presentation and a nice job with their version of this classic. Our server, Liz, was amazing. She was very knowledgeable about the menu, made recommendations, and was very customer-focused and gracious, especially with helping us through the pizza issue. I plan to go back again some day to try the arancini and another pasta dish and an entree, but I'll skip the pizza section. :-) read more

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I am not usually a fan of hotel restaurants, but Il Cervo impressed. The neighborhood is tucked away on the edge of town near the Fiserv Forum. I found easy street parking so that was a bonus. The lobby of the hotel is very pretty. It had a trendy, urban yet cozy feel. The elevator area was attractive as well. Stepping off the elevator into the restaurant was stunning. There is a cool, sleek vibe that feels fantastic. There is a gorgeous view from the bar area and there are full tables toward the windows and balcony. We sat at the bar first and had a wonderful experience. Both bartenders were gracious and helpful. They were professional and personable. We moved on to the dining room for dinner and I knew immediately that I liked the bar area much better. Since they serve full dinner over there, that's where I would choose next time. We had a very nice window table, but the views are not as nice. The room was super crowded and LOUD! The open kitchen added to the liveliness. Our server was nice, and the food was tasty. Our cocktails and wine were impressive too. I would definitely return but would have dinner in the swanky bar area. read more

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Let me tell you what this is the worst meal ive EVER paid for. I thought id treat myself before a concert and wow disappointment . First of all i wanted to barf just like what my plate looked like. The risotto was cold and completely bland honestly i only tried one small bite on the edge of plate which was cold. I could tell that they pre plated it then threw the Salmon on top. My server was such an entitled acting worker to. Ugh never again. Do not go here !!! read more

Il Cervo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

First thing I have to say is that the view from this restaurant is beautiful. If you want to come here for a drink before a Bucks game or as a stop on a date night, go for it. It does feel a bit like a hotel restaurant, but I think that was the most obvious in the bar space (I'm probably a bit of a snob about that bc I've stayed at so many Marriotts). But I didn't think the food was anything worthwhile (most important!) and found the service to be underwhelming as well. I came here on a Thursday night for snacks at the bar and everything was meh. The pile of pepperoni on the fried olives was odd and overwhelming. The fried cheese was in a sweet jam almost that detracted from the flavor of the cheese itself. The sourdough was stale. The pork belly was missing a spice/seasoning element - it's so sweet with all the fruit. I won't be coming back here anytime soon beyond that 'drink before a game' scenario. read more

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Beautiful anniversary dinner. Great view of the city and warming lamps kept the balcony warm enough for a drink outside. Our server had clarifications regarding the very detailed (and unique) drink menu. Upscale Italian some well with house made pasta, bread/dough and mozzarella. read more

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Been here on two occasions: first with a group and it was such a wonderful experience I brought my husband for a date night the second time I came here and that was definitely a lesser experience. A few things stood out, the grilled octopus was tender, not dry or chewy and full of flavor. One of the very few legitimate steak tartare in the Milwaukee area. Pork belly was delicious I ordered another to go. Drinks are definitely on par. The missing star is from the service. I made a reservation well ahead of time but waited quite a bit for a lousy table with lots of traffic after a couple who got there way after us got seated first. This one's a maybe I'll come back and maybe not type of sitch. read more

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We had dinner here on a Saturday night We ate in the bar area and our table had a great view of the city at night. We ordered an artichoke appetizer along with wrapped dates. Both were excellent. If only we had stopped there. My brother lives in wine country in France so he picked the wine. We ordered a 2016 Italian red. The bottle that came was a 2020. My wife ordered Salmon. She enjoyed it but still had to scrape off the top layer which was overcooked. That theme continued with my cavatelli. The meat contained burned bits that were buried in the sauce. Great view , great place for apps, but not for dinner. read more

Service could have been better but the food was virtuosic. the restaurant was very nice inside and the outdoor area had great views of downtown milwaukee. read more

Wow! The environment here is right out of a magazine and their food and presentation is even more superior. Their rooftop bar is really special on a warm day. Go there early to grab a drink. Their handmade pastas are amazing. My boyfriend got a steak that came with a salad that had potatoes and noodles in it. He said it was an unexpected side that was so tasty. read more

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Good food and great service. Had a reservation before a concert at the Fiserv, we were really late due to difficulty finding parking but thankfully they were still able to seat us even though they marked us as a no show. It was an extremely busy evening but our waiter asked if we were going to the concert and was able to accommodate us. We got the romesco mozzarella with rosemary focaccia and the artichokes for apps and the mafaldi pasta which were all tasty. I'd be interested in trying other dishes on the menu. read more

Il Cervo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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So overall our experience at Il Cervo was quite good. We were seated immediately with reservations, and the atmosphere is really cool and modern. It was raining so we didn't get to check out the outside though. The con: bucks game day means absolutely no parking and lots of congestion. Service was great! Our server was terrific and they acknowledged our anniversary throughout the dinner which was really nice. Food: we ordered the Arancini - great, the rice balls were kind filling less and a bit bland, but the njuda on the side added awesome flavor Red pepper mozz - by far the star of the night, the mozz mixed with red pepper, hazelnuts, and croutons was amazing Bread - crispy and delicious Polenta mozz - meh. We ordered this after the red pepper mozz expecting it to be similar but just with different flavors. It was not, it's basically a giant cheese curd with polenta breading. IMO it was pretty greasy and there was not enough apricot to balance out the plum Sourdough spicy pepperoni pizza - ok so the pizza was amazing and loaded with toppings, but it was crazy expensive for what is essentially a pepperoni pizza. There were a few more unique pizzas with Calabrian chilis, salamis, etc...all of which were cheaper in price. Don't get me wrong, great pizza but def a bit overpriced imo. Dark Chocolate torte - it was terrific Drinks: we did wine and coffee, all of which were good, limencello is house made and on point. read more

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Il Cervo is a gorgeous restaurant inside the new trade hotel. It has a huge bar and gorgeous rooftop view of the deer district. The drinks are pricey, but very good. The pasta was very yummy. The pizza was a bit soggy on the bottom, but otherwise had good flavors. I would definitely come back for a drink, and the view! read more

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If your server is Walnita, you'll be well taken care of! Walnita did a wonderful job educating us on the amazing qualities of this restaurant and while highlighting the home made pastas and locally sourced breads. She steered us towards the ROASTED GARLIC FOCACCIA, which was delicious! It's quite a lot of bread and great for a table of 4 to share. We chose to do small plates for the evening and had the polenta termpura Mozzerella. It was delicious and something new to try. The mejool dates were disappointing and rather soggy. The flavors were missing and we were bummed out by their lack of texture. The steak tartare was wonderful and an extra cracker would have been the cherry on top to this dish. The Harissa Carrots were also quite lovely and come recommended for a side. We couldn't end the night without trying some dessert but were disappointed with the olive oil carrot cake. Both the cake and ice cream lacked flavor, moisture and was also a bummer. The service was wonderful and so was the people watching. There was an obnoxious birthday party behind us that were there during the entirety of our meal so know the volume here can be as loud as a bar at 1 am. The other side of the restaurant was quiet so we could have had a different experience. Also don't bring your drinks up from the bar... we were bummed how the hostess approached us when we had drinks from the trade hotel in hand. She could have made it fun but rather coldly our outside beverages weren't allowed... since I'm a local, no big deal, but I wouldn't want that approach when hospitality can be made fun and light when letting a guest know the rules. Enjoy! read more

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Loved the recommended chicken parm. Ambience was cool. Sat at the bar. It was a dinner I enjoyed after a long day of work.

Located on the top floor of The Trade hotel, Il Cervo sits in the heart of a great part of downtown Milwaukee. There's lots to do and see around the Fiserv Forum, and that makes Il Cervo a very convenient place to stop by for a great meal! The restaurant itself is stunning. The views alone really make this a great dining spot. The space is clean, spacious, with a variety of seating options for all seasons. Overall, it feels very modern and great for both more casual and for special occasions. Il Cervo has a GREAT drink selection. Tons of wines to choose from, but also a nice list of cocktails, including their takes on classics, such as their aperol spritz made with Campari (very good!). The food at Il Cervo is mostly very tasty! I'm a big fan of their appetizers, especially the mozzarella. They serve bread from RocketBaby bakery (iykyk), and have some excellent pasta dishes. I recommend the Squid Ink gnocchi or the shrimp allá vodka. Both VERY good. I will say, this place is VERY pricey. You are going to be paying a fair amount of money for your meal here, and I'm not sure that the prices are always justified, especially for the pasta dishes which are almost all over $30 per plate. I'm also not the biggest fan of some of their side dishes, notably the shishito peppers and fingerling potatoes, both of which were very disappointing to me. Overall, Il Cervo is a solid bet for a good meal with great service, tasty Italian-inspired food, and beautiful ambiance. Just expect to pay a pretty penny! read more

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I REALLY wanted to like this place, especially because the Instagram reel makes it look sooo good. The view is great and I think that's what you're paying for. To me this place was just very overpriced mediocre Italian food. My husband and I came here to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Our waiter whose name I can't even remember was so awkward. I ordered the beef tartare and it was so overpowered with lemon flavor it took away from the whole dish. My husband ordered the squid ink gnocchi and it was just ok. I ordered the CONCHIGLIE ALLA VODKA which had good flavor but was so spicy I couldn't finish it and I don't mind spice. The weird thing is my husband said when he booked the reservation it was in time blocks and you could tell the waited was in no hurry to kick us out of there. Maybe they think the longer you sit the more you will spend but I was over it. I really only see this place lasting maybe 3 more years because it's in a hotel with a lot of out of towners that may not know any better but I don't foresee this being a locals favorite. read more

I had a really lovely experience at Il Cervo. All of the staff working at the restaurant were incredibly kind and attentive (from the hostesses to the bartender to our sweet server Elle). We opted to sit on the patio and the view of the city really was stunning. The patio is also equipped with heaters, which were great once the sun set and it got a bit chilly. We started with the arancini and sourdough (love that they use local bakery Rocket Baby) - both great but the winner is the arancini if I had to choose. For mains, we had the Pepperoni and prosciutto pizzas. No complaints - everything was good & portions were sizable, but I do feel like there is a slight up charge on prices due to location/vibe. read more

Il Cervo - Prosciutto and Charred Ezzo's Spicy Pepperoni Pizza - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I brought our 9 year old son who appreciates a fine dining experience. He specifically asked if we could leave a review because this was his favorite dinner ever. Alejandro was our server and was a delight. We were seated at one of the best tables , right next to the window. Our meal was fantastic! They also made us custom mocktails based on our flavor preference. Our son said the ambiance was his favorite part. Excellent Italian food, excellent experience read more

Il Cervo - Roloto and Chicken Parm - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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A trendy top floor restaurant-cocktail bar with great views of Milwaukee located next to the basketball arena. Made reservations for the weekend brunch. We parked on the street next to the hotel, no need to feed the parking meters on Sunday. The hostess was very welcoming, we were seated quickly and our server arrived to take drink orders. I ordered the Mortadella Benedict with breakfast potatoes. The food was very good, mortadella well seasoned with just the right amount of creamy goodness from the eggs and hollandaise to soak into the sourdough muffin and potatoes. It is a little pricey $$$ but sometimes you need to splurge, loved the atmosphere. read more

Can't go wrong with any restaurant inside the trade. The food is top of the line. So delicious! We shared a lot of appetizers although everything on the menu looked amazing. The inside of the restaurant was immaculate. The seating (indoor and outdoor) was spacious and elegant. The service was top of the line, too. Our server was very knowledgeable and had great suggestions the entire night. A must go place! read more

Il Cervo - Nice set up - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Food was delicious. Started with the salmon rilletes and then the bass piccata and artichoke ravioli with crispy pork belly. Loved them both but the wait staff.......especially Sage may have been the star of the show! read more

Il Cervo - Artichoke ravioli with crispy pork belly - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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The restaurant of course is located at Trade Hotel. Ambiance is chic and modern. Love the open space and the open concept. They have a small fire pit on the balcony. And outside dining. It's advisable to make a reservation. Service was good Walnita. She informed us which were made in house, but wish gave few recommendations. She came around to see multiple time despite how busy her area was. Food was good the only thing that disappointed me was the mozzarella was a little to firm. Mafaldi or creamy bolognese threw me off it was good but it was cheesier than i was expecting Definitely will be back for their cocktail and try their pizza. read more

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