Although I can't stand the dividing partitions at the bar, the food at La Merenda is fantastic. Sarah took care of us, and her recommendations were right on. The menu covers the world, with dishes representing countries proud of their culinary traditions. We loved the Pistachio salad, Butter Chicken, the Sambal Goreng Udang, whose coconut milk mashed potatoes were orgasmic. Pricing was more than reasonable. Get rid of those partitions, and I'll be there every week. After living in Seattle, I don't need to be frozen out from humanity any more. Three years were enough. We all need to get closer. Tribalism isn't healthy. read more

La Merenda - Partitions - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

I finished a workout class nearby and walked the 5-7 minutes in the freezing cold just to try La Merenda. So worth almost slipping and dying on ice because I didn't want to repark my car. Lots of street spots, though. Called the restaurant on my way there, and they answered to tell me they were still open. Closes at 9pm. Last seating at 8:45pm. Sweet! I was welcomed into the front bar area, and I already knew what I wanted. I'm obsessed with their menu of tapas from all over the world, and customer service is so wonderful. Got the Argentinian Style Beef ($19) because I can't resist anything with chimichurri or garlic mashed potatoes. Got a glass of their STRONG sangria and was convinced (didn't need much) to order their melt-in-your-mouth Tres Leches Cake. Totally going out of my way to come back here again on my next trip to Milwaukee! read more

See all

Tried this place visiting from out of town. Atmosphere is old tavern/pub vibes. Drinks were okay. Food came out quickly and was good overall. We tried the empanadas, mushroom crepe, cheese board, and rabbit. Rabbit and empanadas were our favorites! Server was sweet and attentive. Overall enjoyed the experience just didn't think the atmosphere and quality was worth the price point we paid which bumped rating down! read more

A solid 4 star tapas experience! A super cute almost "super club" vibe, very lively and vibrant. We were a party of 3 so got to try many different dishes! I love that we had a global variety all in one meal! Some of the dishes were amazing, but a couple were a bit weak - but I suppose to be expected with such a broad menu. We also all had a cocktail - all were good but none really stood out. Service was good! A bit shaky at first but once our waiter got to us the meal was well paced. read more

Have been here a couple times and loved it the first time, but second time around I found it super, super salty. We got korean beef, sambal, beef tostadas, the Goan curry special, and gambas al ajillo, and everything but the shrimp was overly salted. Typically I have a far higher tolerance for a lot of salt than my partner/family, but this time it wasn't possible to ignore. Will be back but that was a bummer. read more

Super great spot! It was our first time here and couldn't have been more satisfied leaving:) We ordered a bit of everything and everything was 10/10! Couldn't recommend more! read more

You don't expect this beautiful restaurant to be what it is but as you walk through the bar, it gets really cool, then when you head out in the back court, it is beautiful. Food was outstanding, service was amazing. Would recommend 100% read more

This is my favorite small plates (tapas) restaurant in Milwaukee. They have an extensive menu of dishes from all over the world to sample. In Italian, La Merenda means "early snack" and you will be snacking on some amazing tapas! They recommend ordering 2-3 tapas per person, so I recommend not ordering everything at once, instead order 1 or 2 at a time so you have tapas coming out every 10-15 minutes that you can eat slowly and enjoy. The diverse menu shows you the country of origin for each tapa and a detailed description of the food. On our latest visit we ordered a number of dishes: patatas bravas with chorizo, beef empanadas, churrasco pork, lamb bolognese , argentinian pork belly, and butter chicken. All were excellent. My favorite was the Argentinian pork belly. It was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the mashed potatoes that came with it complimented it perfectly. The sangria is on point as were the other drinks we ordered. I would highly recommend reservations as this place is small and you will wait awhile if you walk in. We had a large group and were able to be accommodated outside right away on their enormous patio. When the weather cooperates, I highly recommend dining out back, the patio is top notch and food always tastes better when dining al fresco! read more

La Merenda - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

Stopped by for dinner after finding out that another restaurant we were planning on going to was closed for a private party. I've tried La Merenda back in 2021 and did not think it was very good so I never went back but I had a great experience this time around. We got around 7 tapas which were all tasty. I especially enjoyed the truffle potato skins, the ravioli special, and the lamb bolognese. The tres leches cake was also fantastic. read more

See all

We had a wonderful experience at La Merenda! The service was great. The vibes were cozy, warm and casual. Love how they separate the tables with screens - we definitely felt more comfortable chatting, eating and drinking in our space. The food was served fast. Loved the little 4 flavorful and crispy Beef Empanadas w sauce! Highly recommend that dish to start with. Hubby really enjoyed the juicy and soft Argentinian Pork Belly w creamy mashed potato. Although I liked the texture of the pork belly, I found it a bit too salty haha. We both enjoyed the Moroccan Braised Goat and Patatas Bravas y Chorizo that came later. The yogurt on top of the goat meat and couscous was such a highlight of the dish - adding that slightly sour kick so the dish wouldn't taste too meaty or heavy. The smoked chorizo and fried potatoes were filling, but tasted great. We recommend these two dishes too! Finished strong with coffee flan! Not too sweet thanks to the coffee sprinkles. So good. La Merenda is such a gem - we would be back. read more

See all

One of my favorite tapas spots in town, and now the only place I can get their delightful papas bravas after Old Engine Co No 3 closed this January. Last time we went stood out in particular, I mistakenly made a reservation on the wrong night, but they found a table they could slide my girlfriend and I into on short notice, date night saved! Drinks are excellent as well, I always love when local restaurants make an effort to use local ingredients and La Merenda definitely does so. read more

Went to La Merenda for a date night and it did not disappoint! The selection of tapas was great and they definitely have something for everyone on the menu. Everything we tried was wonderful and there were still so many items on the menu we wanted to try. The sangria pitcher is a great deal and I highly recommend! read more

See all

Definitely Rex come d this place if wanting some tapas! I went with a small group of 3, and we ordered 6 different dishes. They recommend ordering about 2-3 per person. 6 was just the right amount for us. We had the smallest amount left and we were all fully satisfied. We tried the potatoes bravas, vegetable empanadas, sage gnocchi, gambol shrimp, Argentinian pork belly, and butter chicken. All were very good. By far my favorite was the Argentinian pork belly!! It was so tender and flavorful, and the mashed potatoes that came with it were perfect! I'm honestly still thinking about that dish the next day and planning to get some take out of it in the near future! The restaurant definitely isn't huge, and I recommend making a reservation. My group decided to walk in around 7pm on a Tuesday. We were lucky and only waited for about 20-25 minutes. It was worth it though! read more

See all

Loved La Merenda! So far most tapas places I've tried in Milwaukee have just been alright, but La Merenda was great! Super helpful and polite staff and the noise level was perfect, we went on a Friday night, reservations had been booked up for a while but when we were leaving there were still a few open spots at the bar so might be worth trying your luck if you can't get a reservation! Will be back soon! Seemed like it'd be an easy place to either keep the cost low or treat yourself! read more

See all

What a fun concept and well executed. Very causal with food from a divergent area served tapas style. Cajun to curry and much in between. Would be happy to return read more

See all

Lovely, absolutely lovely. Reserved for lunch time on a Friday since we couldn't find any open reservations for the following Saturday or Sunday! We thoroughly enjoyed the patio (need to walk through the restaurant and it's crazy big in the back with lovely garden boxes all overflowing with cherry tomatoes and beautiful flowers!). One area is a deck which has a great cover, even if it would rain. The other tables have umbrellas and there's even a great fireplace out there! Ok, now for the food: we ordered the local artisan cheese, very tasty three chunks, can't remember the kinds, but one was cow, other two were sheep and goat. Also had the vegetarian empanadas (DELISH, the sauce really enhanced them!), we got the ceviche Hondureno and weren't crazy about it because we thought it lacked enough fish. It was good, but tasted more like a mango salsa than ceviche. And our favorite was the Sambal Goreng Udang... shrimp was cooked PERFECTLY, and the coconut mashed potatoes were amazing! For dessert, we had a seasonal lavendar/raspberry creme brulee... DIVINE, not too much lavendar, not too much raspberry. Candied nut slivers and even a sprig of lavendar as a garnish! One side note, I'm from Chicago and used to tapas menus being separated as cold or hot dishes... not so with this restaurant. Separated by "field","sea", "pasture". I loved that they support locally farmed items and purveyors, there's a great list of their suppliers on the back of the menu. A great nvironmentally and socially responsible restaurant! read more

La Merenda - Outdoor patio is AMAZING!!! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

A few things to know - La Merenda has valet parking if you need it. The interior is tiny and intimate. The garden and patio is huge and gorgeous. They're growing peppers and herbs in raised beds. Service is attentive, but not overly so. The drinks are inventive and good overall, but I didn't love the sangria. It seemed a little bland. I dined here with my BF and another couple so we got to try many of the dishes currently on the menu. They have a decent selection of vegetarian options on the menu. The truffle chips are great - really well balanced and not over oily or over dosed with truffle oil. I also quited enjoyed one of the salads and a vegetarian gnocchi. The rest of my table raved about the goat cheese curds and I really wanted to try them, but the sauce was chorizo-based. All the meat dishes were universally praised by my companions, steak, pork and beef alike. We tried every dessert on the menu that night and they were lovely - just sweet enough and light enough after all the other dishes. A new favorite destination for me. read more

See all

I have been here a few times and have had great experiences. This time is with a group of friends visiting and everyone are foodies. We ordered what might seem like everything on the menu and all we could taste is salt in every dish. Everything has so much salt it was overwhelming. The dishes would have been great without but it ruined everything. Everything else at this place is great but I just can't get past this one. read more

We came for a birthday dinner and had lovely seating in the patio area which was spacious and breezy. We tried multiple tapas-the gambas (shrimp) were far and away my favorite. The server was a bit abrupt, lacked warmth which was a bit disappointing but we still enjoyed our meal. read more

La Merenda - Shrimp - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Love love LOVED this place! Went with a group of 7 and got to try a large portion of the menu. Everything was DELICIOUS and they had a good amount of vegetarian options for our friend who doesn't eat meat. They also have a valet service which is nice for that area, but he was just wearing street clothes which threw me off a bit at first. My friends and I love Movida, and I would say this is an elevated version. Delicious! read more

The wait is over! Prob the number one place I have been wanting to try. My mom got me a gift card almost a year ago, for my birthday. We never found time to ditch the kids for a dinner out that wasn't short notice. Last night after cleaning the kitchen I said what about La Merenda? To go? He said "you're dying to trying that place, yeah that's fine". We ordered Goat cheese curds Beef empanada Argentinian Beef Butter chicken Kung Pao Beef Wow!!! So good! All of it! And it was to go! Goat cheese curds were so good and the sauce with the crustini, so good. My husbands favorite were the empanadas. Best butter chicken I've had. It was so wonderful! The Kung Pao was good and pretty spicy!! The mash under the perfectly cooked filet was perfection. So much flavor. We can't wait to come in person. My husband said the inside was very nice! A beautiful ambiance! Wish I had pictures of the food, it was packaged so nicely and the food was warm and so good! read more

Oh my goodness! We were skeptical based on the buildings facade and "international tapas" but praise Jebus! The food, outdoor area, and drinks were wonderful! Beef empanadas, lamb bolognese, pork and shrimp tostada's, prosciutto salad all were awesome. The sangria and Old Cuban were great. Fighting street parking is worth it! read more

I came here on a weekday with a friend and was excited to try this restaurant since it's pretty unique with the global dishes offered. I tried making a reservation beforehand, but they were completely booked. I had seen reviews that the wait can be long, but we surprisingly had no wait when we arrived because we chose to be seated at the bar. We ordered the gnocchi di primavera, gambas al ajillo, butter chicken, and tres leches cake. My favorite was the gambas al ajillo which came with a side of toasted bread to dip in the sauce. The shrimp in this dish was cooked perfectly and the spices were so good. The gnocchi was also very good and nice and soft with a refreshing sauce. The butter chicken was okay, I felt like it was lacking salt so I would probably order something else instead next time. The tres leches cake was decent, but nothing super special. I got the ponte vecchio drink which was a fun cocktail. It was lenony with a thick creamy foam. The bartender was also very nice. read more

Great selection of tapas in a cozy location just a little ways from the main streets. Bar and table seating, with outdoor seating available as well. Bathrooms inside. -Goat cheese curds: almost didn't get it because the Yelp photos didn't look that great, but very glad we did! Absolutely delicious. Goat cheese curds are creamy and light and the sauce was rich and a bit like curry. The bread it came with was just regular slices of bread buried under the sauce. Wish it came on the side so it wouldn't have been soggy. The plating leaves something to be desired -Coffee rubbed pork shoulder with polenta: mediocre, plating is not great. Flavors were very mild. -Octopus salad: deliciously grilled octopus with a spicy sauce paired with a light salad -blackbird cocktail: good sweet cocktail read more

See all

I've thought about going back to La Merenda almost every single day for the past 4+ months. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the food will tell you otherwise. My boyfriend and I surprisingly only waited maybe 10 minutes for a table for 2 on a Friday night without a reservation, which we spent at the bar with our first beverages of the night, a Rocket Power and a Red Sangria. My suggestion would be to get the specials and listen to your servers recommendations. That's not saying you won't pick delicious food for yourself, because I don't think there's a bad option on the menu, but we were just very happy with what was suggested for us. I wish I could remember everything we had, but we very much enjoyed the Duck Confit Poutine and the Beef Ram-Don. For reference the two of us got 4 menu items and were stuffed. (However we were very close to ordering more because everything sounds good). We ended up getting a bottle of wine once we got to our table - Juan Gil Jumilla. This was also a recommendation of our server. We can't wait to go back! read more

See all

I had such an incredible meal & experience at La Merenda this afternoon, this restaurant is a must try if you haven't been here yet! The staff were so kind and quick with service. Each and every plate I tried today was flavorful, unique, and absolutely delicious. Pictured below is the strawberry and beet salad, the shrimp/pork tostadas, & the lemon dessert. I recommend them all! If it's a nice day, make sure to ask for patio seating, it's a beautiful space! read more

See all

Visited early on a Friday night to celebrate a special occasion with family. The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable - like walking into a friend or family member's dining room. Our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. He provided smart recommendations without being pushy. The flow of food was masterful. They had their pacing down to a science! Several servers delivered food and cleared plates, working as a team. We ordered a variety of dishes. My favorites were the goat cheese curds, Argentinian style beef, and Patatas Bravas y Chorizo. I was also really impressed with my mocktail, the Faux Fizz. Light and refreshing - a perfect drink to pair with the spicer dishes. I hear there is a lovely patio to enjoy during the summer, so I already have a good reason to return. The Milwaukee food scene is strong and La Merenda is another shining example! read more

I haven't stepped inside a restaurant since March of this year. But what got my butt out of my house and to this place was their famous tres leches cake which was recently featured in a yelp article. It was rated the best in the state of wisconsin. And their menu is exactly the kind that I would have in my restaurant if I ever owned one, multi-national-cuisine and small servings. How could I have missed it all this time? I booked a table for dinner on a Monday evening. Built up an appetite in anticipation of a delightful evening. La merenda didn't disappoint. Their food was delicious and the service was attentive. Ordered pork belly, goat cheese curds, sambal goreng udang. Also red sangria and tres leches cake, of course. Everything was so well made. Tres leches was mildly sweet and the strawberries tasted sour. It still was one of the best tres leches I ever had. I loved dining in their beautiful patio with tomato vines and floral plants around. I must say that the entrance of the restaurant is quite unassuming. The location appears a bit isolated and almost looks abandoned. Interior is also plain and simple. But the patio was gorgeous. Everyone wore masks and followed social distancing. It was a bit chilly and windy outdoors, but it was totally worth it. read more

See all

Definitely sit on the patio on a nice day. Loved the variety of food and flavors. We had 5 people in our group and ordered 2 plates each. We had everything from the veggie sambal to the goat. It was all delicious! read more

See all

My girlfriend took me here either in December or January and it was a Friday evening. As we walked in, there were mostly couples at the bar top which we chose to sat at so we could have a more intimate space to ourselves, so I cannot comment on how crowded it was in their dining area. I was simply happy that we were able to sit down right away. Two of the bartenders were super knowledgeable, friendly, and lovely to chat with. They gave us great cocktail suggestions to pair with the specific tapas plates that we selected. Between my girlfriend and I we were satisfied with three cocktails and four dishes. Will definitely be back read more

La Merenda - A sake cocktail - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Amazing tapas! Honestly coolest restaurant I've been to in Milwaukee thus far (I come to Milwaukee once every two months for work and live in Minneapolis). They were also very kind about my service dog. I greatly appreciate restaurants that don't pass judgement and make it uncomfortable bringing a necessary service dog. I'll definitely be back!! read more

See all

Walking into this restaurant, the bar is a very cozy spot right at front and there is more seating as you travel farther back. I actually liked sitting at the bar because it had small dividers up between seats, which made it feel more private - but if you have a larger party, the bar seating probably isn't for you. They have plenty of drink options. I ordered a glass of wine, and I felt the selection seemed broad and was relatively inexpensive. The menu consists of "Wisconsin inspired tapas," so dont expect to get traditional Spanish tapas. That being said, I think they have a really interesting menu. We started with the beet salad. This was absolutely delicious! I loved the beet flavor combined with greens, goat cheese, and nuts. Truly refreshing and light. We also ordered the gnocchi and the Thai duck curry. Both were warm and had good flavors. I like the idea of ordering several small plates of different dishes, so I would definitely come back here! read more

WOW-- this place is a MUST when you're in the Milwaukee area. As other reviews mention, don't be fooled by the nondescript outside of the restaurant. The food is simply spectacular. We were a party of 3 and ordered 6 plates plus 2 desserts. This was the *perfect* amount of food and included: 1) Beef Empanadas: Simply spectacular. Tender, perfectly warm, and bursting with flavor. You must get these! 2) Ceviche: honestly, my least favorite of the 8 plates we ordered. It was okay but not anything memorable and lacked any noticeable flavor. I would substitute this for something else when coming back. 3) Argentinian beef: this was SO. GOOD. Comes out on a plate of mashed potatoes and cooked to absolute perfection. You can bet I'll be ordering this again and again and again. Reading other reviews I was worried that it would be over salted, but ours was perfect. 4) Moroccan braised goat: comes out on a plate of buttery couscous and topped with a yogurt sauce. I could lick my plate clean from how delicious this was, I simply couldn't get enough. 5) Veal Osso Bucco: a shredded cross-cut veal shank braised with a rich broth and served over polenta. This was tasty, but a little less memorable than the braised goat and the Argentinian beef. I'm not a huge polenta fan so that contributed to it. 6) a mushroom pasta dish that was their special of the day, but whose name I forgot (whoops!): rich, creamy, and decadent. The sauce it was plated on was excellent. Desserts: 1) coffee flan: a seasonal item that they will likely run out of very soon! Our waitress recommended this as her favorite and it absolutely blew us away. I'm not a big coffee flavor type of person but this was just on another level... holy cow, I didn't know you could make coffee dessert taste this good. 2) Tres leches cake slide: my friends who are local to the area would often come to La Merenda just for this dessert, but said that the cake we got this time around was significantly more air-filled than usual. They weren't as blown away with it, and I would agree that the coffee flan was the better choice! Overall: this place is incredible! Our server was kind and attentive and the food was simply spectacular. I'll be back! read more

See all

Sometimes you have to go back to your roots and review the things that made you fall in love in the first place! We have been making a pilgrimage to the restaurants we first visited when we moved to Milwaukee in 2016 and last night was aka Marenda's turn. Niki was our server and it never ceases to amaze me that she never writes our order down. We had 6 in our party so that's not an easy thing to accomplish. La Merenda has rolled out a new drink menu so I thought I'd give it a try. I had the Lavender which has lavender infused vodka rum and gin with a housemade Soda to top it off. Delicious I was afraid it would be too sweet but it was like drinking a flower. What I love about a Merenda is that you always feel like you are eating at a close friend's house and you can feel the passion that the restaurant is trying to convey. Attention to seasonings, timing, service and local vendors is what makes this place a gem. Butter chicken, pork belly, potatoes brava, three cheese cream cheese I could go on and on but take it from me La Merenda is one of Milwaukee's finest! read more

La Merenda - Vegetarian empanadas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We were looking to try something new and La Merenda did not disappoint! We called a few hours ahead to reserve a table on the patio for six and it was not a problem at all. The patio was large, had a great aesthetic, and the tables were socially distanced. We decided to do pitchers of sangria for drinks and we were able to try the red wine and white wine based sangrias. The white wine based was tropical and it was great! We ended up ordering an additional pitcher of the tropical flavor. We were able to get about 6 drinks from each pitcher, so one for each of us. We ordered the tapas in a few different stages, as we didn't really know how many we would need. We ordered about three at a time and ordered in three stages so that we could each try a few bites of a bunch of different things. Our server was awesome and had a ton of great recommendations. I ended up leaving my phone at the restaurant and they did a great job of getting in touch with someone in our party to let us know they had found it. Overall: great service, great food, great atmosphere. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

La Merenda is definitely a popular place as it was full on a Tuesday night. The setting was a bit dark for me however, they had plastic dividers between each table for Covid. We really appreciated the menu providing details on the ingredients as well as country of origin. It made it exciting as every dish came out and we got to learn new foods! Our must gets were: - Sambal Goreng Udang: shrimp and coconut mash were delicious with a kick of chili. Loved the punch in ginger flavor - Goat cheese curds: the chorizo cream sauce was super rich - Manoomin Salad: most unique dish with the wojapi berry sauce For the veggie empanadas and Argentinian beef, both were salty and didn't wow us. The pumpkin creme brûlée was good but came to us a bit burnt. Overall, fun place to try different dishes and new ingredients! read more

See all

La Merenda is the best Spanish tapas restaurant I've tried in MKE thus far! Don't be fooled by the nondescript exterior. Upon arriving, we were led to the back of the restaurant to the main dining room, which was dimly lit and modest in size, but very cozy and intimate. I appreciated that the dining tables were separated by clear screens, since yes, we are still in the COVID-era. WHAT WE GOT: - the truffle potato skins: crispy, delicious. Great for sharing. - empanadas: highlight of our meal. The meat was cooked to perfection, tender, and packed with flavor. The pairing sauce was so yummy, I saved it to eat with the other dishes afterward. - sambal goreng udang: this was surprisingly good! Was not expecting to see a Thai dish on the menu, so had to try it. The curry sauce was solid. I wish it had been served on a bed of rice or risotto instead of the mashed potatoes that it came with -- that would've made it much more interesting texturally. Otherwise was a pretty decent dish. One minor complaint was that the shrimp tasted a bit fishy. - gambas al ajillo: I thought this dish could've used more garlic, more red pepper, more flavor overall -- especially if the oil the shrimp was doused in is meant to be dipped with bread. The bread that came with this dish was slightly stale. Again, the shrimp was a bit fishy. This was okay, but not my favorite dish, even though it looked so yummy. Service was great. Staff were friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. Dishes came out fast, but were well paced in their arrival to our table, aka we always had at least one thing to munch on. Pro-tip: they have half off wine bottles on Monday. We will absolutely be back to dine here. read more

See all

In the seedy part of town, this spot impresses with a huge selection of delicious tapas (including vegetarian ones) and a lovely outdoor area in the back. With bangin drinks and such friendly and bubbly waitstaff, I had such a great time. Of everything I tried, I really enjoyed the Empanadas Vegetarianas stuffed with sweet potato, chili beans, squash, and corn. With the sofrito sauce, it tasted like a party! Then the Goat Cheese Curds in a Tia Paquita chorizo cream sauce with crostinis to sop up every drip drop was so gewd! With over 30 tapas choices and a vast cocktail menu, this spot's excellent for sexy dates and mixed groups. TIPS/NOTES: **Street parking available **Gender-free restroom **Wheelchair-accessible read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem! We went in on a Saturday around 6pm without a reservation and were seated immediately. The food is well priced and every dish came out rather quickly We tried the vegetarian empanadas 5/5 Goat cheese curds 5/5 Butter chicken 8/5 so good!!! Slow roast gnocchi 5/5 I enjoyed every single thing we tried and I'm looking forward to going back to try more. A lot of international dishes and they change the menu often so expect to always have a fun experience read more

See all

Food was amazing! Customer service was on point, so timely, so kind. Environment was dimmed lighting, elegant yet casual, comfortable calm scene. read more

See all