Our friends took us here as a lovely beginning of a festive weekend! We shared the truffled potato skins! DIVINE! they are not loaded skins but fried potato skins like thinly cut fries! Garlic shrimp was in a great sauce! Fall gnocchi was full of flavor! Empanadas both veg and beef were the best thing in the menu! not over fried, filling was amazing and not stodgy, truly perfect! Duck was cooked to perfection! Guinness cake was delicious and surprisingly not heavy! Les leches was huge, light and scrumptious! Berry spritz was refreshing. Service was lovely! The only issue was they are heavy on the salt. read more

La Merenda is one of those places that has been consistently fantastic over the years. The food is always delicious with the best ingredients sourced from as many local places as possible, while also displaying an international flair. It's a great place for any occasion, but fun for special occasions, too. I recently came with some friends to celebrate some birthdays and it was wonderful. I loved their apricot rum punch cocktail and every dish was amazing: goat cheese curds, beef pad Thai, pork and shrimp tacos, La Merenda salad, mushroom risotto. I was especially excited to try their banana split creme brulee. Because why not make creme brulee MORE decadent by adding bananas, chocolate sauce, peanuts, pineapple, and cherries on top? In the era of the pandemic, they have clear dividers between every table and all of the servers and staff wear masks. Reservations are recommended. read more

Excellent experience with some fantastic food at La Merenda. They have an adorable backyard-like patio that creates a wonderful atmosphere. In our group of 4, we started with the Moroccan Spiced Parsnips and they were packed with zesty flavor with the right amount of spice. The Pork Empanadas were an all-around favorite. The Seared Trout was good, but we didn't consume it correctly with the ginger miso dashi so that was a miss for us. I realize that it's likely these menu items will be phased out eventually because of the menu rotation that likely takes place. You can see where many of the ingredients come from in their menu from local farms and I have a lot of respect for that. For drinks, it looked like their wine selection was above average, but we stuck with some cocktails. Our favorites were the Blackbird and Casa No Campo. read more

I brought out-of-town guests from the West Coast to La Merenda for dinner. There were 8 of us, and La Merenda is my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee. We were seated promptly, the server explained the tapas concepts succinctly, and she was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The restaurant was lively without being too noisy; we could all hear each other talk even though there were 8 of us at a large table. After ordering, the food came out in a timely manner, and as it's all small plates served family-style, the dishes were spaced appropriately. And the food was fantastic (as usual). The empanadas vegeterianas are one of my favorites, and they were such a big hit with everyone we put in an extra order. Everyone raved about the mushroom risotto. The cheese plate was thoughtfully arranged and delicious. The octopus, the Indonesian shrimp dish, the ceviche, the butter chicken, the beef tostada special, the steak special--all fantastic and perfectly spiced. Two dishes had some minor salting issues: the duck curry was undersalted and the goat was oversalted. Neither was an issue enough for us to not eat it, but the salt imbalance was noticable. The service was attentive but never in-the-way. All in all, a delicious meal and a unique experience which had our guests complimenting me for my choice in restaurants--always a great thing to hear! read more

Food beyond measure, flavorful and filling. Service A+ Ambiance: this is now my first stop In Milwaukee. Please, keep these people in business and your heart and belly happy... join me and celebrating the best of this city, Laverne!!! read more

EXCELLENT. ive been here twice and both times the food and drinks were wonderful. highly recommend anything on the menu. easy street parking. read more

Food is different in the community and surpasses all. They make their own soda. Delectable tastes and flavors.

Very decent tapas style restaurant - 5 out of the 6 dishes I ordered were excellent! Between the two of us, we ordered 5 dishes and 1 dessert. It was just a tad too much - I would order one less dish if I were to visit again. Highlight of my night was the butter chicken and the sage gnocchi - I would come back for that in a heart beat. The prosciutto salad was excellent and a good appetizer, but the Argentinian Style Beef was slightly disappointing as the meat was not as tender as I'd expect, and a little salty. The tres leches dessert was excellent. Service was great and quick. If I were to criticize, I would say that the lighting was not great - the restaurant could use a warmer lighting and decor which would make the dining experience more relaxing. Other than that, good place for dinner overall. read more

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Five years later. Still obviously trendy, great service, and a fav of some, our visits have never encouraged a return. We do come back with friends who like to share plates or with those who want to try something new to them. I've never gotten used to the bargain-basement furnishings-- the chairs have been replaced-- nor to the prices. $18 for a couple of very small slices of "tender beef" with some mashed potoatoes plus a salad for $13. Sooo, $31 for the basics. While nicely prepared, this is not haute cuisine. For me, the ambiance is half of the experience, and this place has the atmosphere of a Domican Republic dive. read more

Very good and well priced! We got the pork & shop tostadas along with the butter chicken. Both were excellent and nice portions to split between two people. Would come back again! read more

Finally was able to get a reservation at La Merenda this week! Make sure to plan ahead of time and reserve your spot at least 1 week prior (more if on a weekend) on OpenTable. Plenty of free street parking right outside as well we a complimentary valet service. Inside ambiance is dark, cozy, and calm, very unsuspecting from the outside. Appreciated the plastic barriers between all tables that made our dining experience feel more private and Covid-19 friendly. Masks are also required to enter. 5 dishes + a dessert was more than enough food for 2 people. The goat cheese curds lived up to the hype and the sauce was the best part of our meal. The sambal goreng udeng and manoomin salad were both very unique in flavor, we were big fans. The empanadas vegetarianas had great texture and taste, but were a little salty. Argentinian style beef was tender but the flavors weren't anything special, it did not compare to the other dishes we had and could have done without it. For dessert we tried the creme brulee and the rotating flavor for that night was pumpkin. The serving was big and the taste was good, although the sugar on top was a little burnt/bitter in some areas. It seems some dishes are a hit and some are slight misses, but overall I'd come back to try more of the menu. read more

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This place was highly recommended from a restaurant owner in Green Bay. We were certainly looking forward to the experience. Well. The food was amazing. The taste, presentation and size of the plates were more than expected. But our server was who diminished our evening. Asked for suggestions between two bottles of wine. HMMMMMM was her response. Nothing more. Ordered numerous plates, not once throughout the meal were we asked if we were enjoying any of it. The host cleared our plates and then our server returned with the bill, laid it on the table and walked away. Guess that we weren't going to have any dessert. Who knows. We weren't asked if we would have liked to. I'm sure that this place is better than what we experienced. Like I said great food, just don't expect to be treated like you're welcome there. read more

Located in a renovated woodworking shop in Walker's Point, La Merenda is serving up some seriously flavorful cuisine in a colorfully welcoming environment. I was elsewhere in Walker's Point enjoying cocktails when my cocktail companion and I decided dinner was in order. Hopped online and made 9:30pm reservations at La Merenda (happy to note they are open until 11pm on Fridays). La Merenda may mean "early snack" in Italian...but they really came through for our late(ish) night dining needs. Offering a variety of small plates, our lovely and attentive server recommended choosing two plates per diner, which turned out to be perfect. We went for the local artisan cheese and meat plate, the goat cheese curds, the butter chicken, and one of their specials of the evening, which was a tortellini in a light and lovely (and slightly lemony) sauce. It was all delightful. The goat cheese curds were probably my favorite. Served atop crostini and smothered in a chorizo cream sauce, they were a savory, flavorful pleasure. Service was top notch throughout what turned out to be an exemplary dining experience. Get to it! read more

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Four of us arrived around 5:50 for our 6:00 p.m. reservation. We were seated fairly quickly. The place is decorated nicely with a mishmash of different countries representation. The bench area we were seated at was kind of cold as it was right under the vent. There is unisex bathrooms which was okay other than the fact the toilet seat was always up the few times I used the bathroom so I would use toilet paper to put the seat down. The tapas there are hearty ones and 7 dishes were plenty with some we couldn't even finish. We ordered the white fish tostadas, come snapper ceviche, pork belly, pork & shrimp dumplings, and one more I can't recall. Then we shared the caramel custard which was fantastic. The custard had perfect consistency and the caramel with amaretto whipped cream was a great pairing. Before we left we checked out their patio per recommendation from the waitress. Such a relaxing space with ample seating. It was like being in a southwest garden patio. read more

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La Merenda is an amazing choice for a nicer meal in Milwaukee. Everything I've had I have loved, despite sometimes being weary based on the description on the menu. My favorites include: Gnocchi d'Autunno, Sambal Goreng Udang, Ceviche Hondureño, Goat Cheese Curds. Be prepared to spend a little more than other restaurants in the area, and make sure your group is good with tapas/splitting dishes. We had some picky eaters in our group who were a little hard to please, but the food is excellent. read more

Fantastic tapas and wonderful atmosphere in the garden. We enjoyed the feta and watermelon salad, pork and shrimp tostadas, beef short rib and trout. Fresh, unique and complimentary flavors in each dish. The lemonade was a good refresher and palate cleanser. The menu is extensive. We look forward to future trips back. read more

Very cool little place that you would probably never find if you didn't know it was there. Much like they pack a lot of flair into the decor, they pack a lot of flavor into their international tapas which cover seemingly everywhere. The Goat Cheese Curds were absurdly good with a mix of flavor and textures. The Jamaican Curry was a nice little kick. And the Gambas were like a spicy shrimp scampi. My only wish is that I would have tried more dishes. Great place for a group and to try a variety of international flavors! read more

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Great, efficient, thoughtful service was congruent with the splendid food last night at La Merenda. Melissa checked in and reassured us that we were fine taking our time in perusing the excellent menu. We opted for truffled potato skins , spinach, tostadas, lamb bolognese, Argentinian beef, and three splendid desserts. All excellent. read more

AMAZING food, atmosphere and service! We tried a few of the tapas and they all had so much flavor and they were delicious! I loved that there were so many different options from several different countries! I would definitely go back when I visit MKE again! So delicious! read more

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Fantastic tapas/small plates restaurant! Many unique and tasty plates to choose from. My favorite was the trout. They also offer a decent selection of cocktails and wine. I particularly enjoyed their house sangria. The restaurant is small on the inside with a bar you can sit at as well. Apparently, they have a sizable outdoor patio for when the weather warms up. The servers were friendly and attentive. Street parking can be a little challenging depending on the hour but I was able to find a spot not too far away. I can't wait to go back again and try some more dishes! read more

First time here. Newly remodeled. Great atmosphere. The service was attentive and came back often. The food is great. You order small plates and share. We tried the Rabbit Guazetto, Lamb Brasato (Italy and mushroom risotto. All three dishes had wonderful flavors. Nothing was over powering and everything was fresh. I will definitely go back. Unique offerings. Check it out. read more

Went to la Merenda for the second time the other night and the food was delicious. We got the veg empanadas, goat cheese curds, pork belly, and the autumnal gnocchi. Service was good and food was great. Especially the empanadas and pork belly. read more

Nikki was our server and she is the BEST! We frequently dine at La Merenda and thoroughly enjoy the food, ambience and great service. Tonight we tried the pork empanadas, pistachio salad, churasco steak & fries. All I can say is YUM! read more

Awesome place...don't let the facade deceive. There is a nice outdoor patio in back and the serve amazing food and drink. You will not be sorry! Argentinian beef was the favorite dish read more

Wow. Just wow. Not sure why it took us 8 years to come back to this place but I blame me for being stupid. Simply phenomenal. If you want to have incredible food from about 4 continents....go. Best Indian, Argentinian, Spanish, Italian ....I've had in the city. Just amazing read more

Super good. We had the truffled potato skins which were unique and outstanding. The Spanish shrimp in oil was really good and the highlight was the goat over lentils. Really good service here too. read more

La Merenda is *that* restaurant in town for me. Want to impress your out-of-town foodie friend? La Merenda. Want your parents to know you're doing well in life? La Merenda. Want to know if your date really likes you? La Merenda. Just need some amazing food? La Merenda. I have all the more reason to love them now too! I am a frontline health care worker in this COVID-19 pandemic, and La Merenda generously donated food to my department. I was literally craving empanadas for a week, and they brought some of the best beef empanadas I've ever had. They also had a refreshing beet salad and delicious tres leches cake. I never needed a reason to want to visit La Merenda. Their generosity and care during this difficult time makes me love them all the more though! read more

This restaurant serves up reimagined global dishes that are the perfect size for sharing! They nailed the tapas portion and have an eclectic variety of dishes to select from including ample veg forward options. Our favorite was the goat cheese curds (Wisconsin-inspired). You can never go wrong with clock shadow creamery curds! These were served on toasted bread with a tomato-base sauce. The presentation wasn't what we expected so this was a surprise and delight dish for sure. Unfortunately the other dishes we tried were heavy with oil and didn't quite hit the mark. The potato skins were not what we expected and lacked in substance but were a good add-on when mixed with other dishes. Our cocktails were also too sour to drink but we ordered an orange-infused drink we don't typically order so maybe we weren't fully aware of what we were ordering. If you want to fry this place out I highly recommend making a reservation in advance. Tables are set for social distancing for indoor seating. The patio was closed when we visited but I hear it's a lovely space. Quick note about service, it's great but they are short staffed so be prepared to wait (depending on time/day of the week you go). read more

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I would recommend making a reservation cause they can definitely get busy. They have beautiful outdoor seating in the back as well. The food is excellent!! With tapas I'm usually skeptical that the portions will be too small but they were actually quite large! A group of 3 of us couldn't even finish some of the dishes. For three people we got 7 dishes and 1 dessert. Shared everything and it was totally worth it! Plenty of food comes out with each dish so sharing is easy! Everything tasted amazing and was such good quality. Would definitely come back! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee! I LOVE sharing small plates to try lots of different flavors, and La Merenda has so many delicious offerings from all over the world. Some favorites include the empanadas, sage squash gnocchi, risotto, sambal goreng (Indonesian shrimp), butter chicken, duck confit poutine, and more! Did not love the pad Thai when we tried it, that was the only miss I can remember at La Merenda!! Plus we really like the National Avenue red ale made specially for them by Lakefront Brewery. Super worth splitting a pitcher! read more

What a gem! Tucked away on a quiet street in the walker's point neighborhood, a trip to La Merenda evokes a visit to a quiet street in Madrid or Barcelona. From the decor to the hospitality, the only thing markedly different from an authentic Spanish tapas is the time of day we're likely eating our lunch or dinner vs the super late dining times you'd experience while in Spain. (Never could get used to a 10pm dinner there!) On this particular visit, we let the super helpful waitress make the selections for us. She took great care of us. The salad with beets and chèvre was yummy. The empanadas were well seasoned. My absolute favorites were the homemade gnocchi and the crostini with seafood. Both of these dishes were superb and sequenced brilliantly (heavier toward the end instead of up front). The only thing missing from our mid day lunch was sangria or a nice red. But being a weekday/workday and all that, we'll save that for next time All in all, if you like tapas, nothing else I've had in Milwaukee has been a better treat. read more

Perfection. Everything about this place makes my heart sing. Craft cocktails are on point. The ambience of the patio was dreamy on a warm afternoon. The food- everything was so delicious. Like how can sautéed spinach be THAT good?! My friends butter chicken was amazing and I kept stealing bites. If I'm ever in these parts again I'll go back and you should too! read more

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From the front, it is deceiving, but a lovely dining space in the back. Global recipes combined with some Wisco favorites, really good food and flavor. These platted were pretty big for tapas which was nice. Prosciutto salad was a highlight and the Beef Ram Don was phenomenal! read more

La Merenda - Beef Ram Don - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This concept of global tapas just didn't work particularly well. The vegetable sambal was lacking in fresh Indonesia flavor and came over an overwhelming pile of mashed potatoes. The arugula salad was quite large, but the pistachio dressing was too much and overwhelmed the prosciutto (if there actually was any). Like the sambal, the pad Thai was also rather bland, with limited noodles, although the beef was tasty. The patatas bravas y chorizo included a link of zesty sausage over a rather large pile of potatoes seasoned with smoked paprika; more sausage and less potatoes would have been a better balance. On Monday's wine is half price and the Sangiovese blend was very tasty. read more

Three of us came here for lunch on a Friday and sat outside. I was surprised that there weren't many customers that day, perhaps because of its location a bit far from downtown. The server seemed very knowledgeable about the menu and helped us choose. The plates we ordered were Gnocchi d'estate, Pork and Shrimp Tostadas, Argentinian Style Beef, Empanadas Vegetarianas, Moroccan Braised Goat, and Churrasco Pork. The Argentinian Style Beef was tender and flavorful -- one of my favorite dishes that day. Another favorite of mine was Gnocchi d'estate, which is even tastier than some of the meat dishes. I also liked the Moroccan Braised Goat, although it was saltier than I would have liked. The other dishes are also quite good, except that Churrasco Pork was a bit dry and plain. This is the second time I dined at La Merenda. The first time was in the summer of 2021, and I also enjoyed my experience then. read more

The food is exceptional! Everything is better than the last. The beef empanadas will be in my dreams.

You know the joke about how women never know what they want to eat? Well, the thing is, we do know what we want to eat, it's just that we want 2.5 chicken nuggets, half a plate of boar cheek ravioli, a sip of an old fashioned, and oh wait, let's throw in a single potato from a pot of dakbokkeumtang while we're at it. Fellow ladies, if this sounds like you, La Merenda is absolutely the place for you. This restaurant, to me, really epitomizes Milwaukee's growth in terms of the culinary scene. So to the naysayers from big cities (as I once was), I say, "but do you have a place where you can enjoy indigenous food, Wisconsin cheese, and sambal goreng under one roof? I think not." My partner and I came here for a casual date night after hearing a lot of great comments about this restaurant. This restaurant is intimate yet warm, currently with ample space and tall plastic dividers between every table for COVID safety (much appreciated!). There is also a small bar and cozy lounge area in the front. It looks like they have lovely outdoor seating in the area, but unfortunately we came on a very foggy and cold day! Seems they have a complimentary valet service which we missed, but there is plenty of street parking around the corner. To be honest, we were a little skeptical at first looking at the wide range of dishes on the menu- there was such variety that we weren't sure that the restaurant could pull off this diverse an array of dishes well. But this skepticism quickly was dissolved as we tucked into our first dishes- the manoomin salad [$15] and seared trout [$15]. I was really excited to try the manoomin salad because it's really hard to find indigenous-inspired dishes anywhere in the US, and I'm happy to say that it exceeded expectations. The trout was crisp and delicate, and listen, I absolutely abhor salad, but I would eat the manoomin salad by the bucketload if only my stomach had the capacity. There was something just so addictive about the flavor and "dry" textures. All of that, plus the wojapi (which my partner proclaimed with dismay that now this would be something he would be craving forever) made this one of the best things I've ever eaten. The seared trout was great too; again, perfectly cooked fish in a savory, salty dashi. I'd just note that the vegetables were a little overcooked. We thought it was a little too salty when it came out, but when eaten with rice, it was delicious. The last dish to complete our first round was the jerk pork loin [$14]. The pork was cooked well and served with an exquisitely spiced mashed sweet potato side. I think this didn't pack as much of a punch as jerk from a Jamaican restaurant would, and the dish overall would've benefited from an additional component since it was pretty simple (just the pork and the sweet potatoes). However, what was on the plate was well-executed. After this great start, we had to go for a second round, of course. The duck confit poutine [$14] was another dish I was excited about because I love poutine and I love duck...so of course it was a must-order. The portion was really generous with this dish, but I don't think it was quite what I envisioned. Not sure about the use of goat cheese curds and the gravy was not quite what I'm used to, but I'm also lowkey a poutine purist and I don't want to gatekeep a restaurant trying to have fun with a dish. We finished with the Argentinian pork belly [$14], two succulent pieces of pork belly confit with chimichurri over some very garlicky mashed potatoes. I wish there was a lot more chimichurri with this dish in order to balance the savory and fatty flavors of the pork and potatoes, but overall still good. I will echo previous reviews and note that most of the dishes were pretty salty, but overall we liked everything, with the first two dishes being our favorites. After 5 dishes, we were absolutely stuffed and had no room for dessert (sad!) For drinks, I had an apricot rum punch [$10], and my partner had 2 beers [$5 each]. Service was friendly without being overbearing; both my partner and I were very pleased with the attentive and considerate service. Something I hear a lot from people here is that they really want to try ethnic food but aren't sure of where to start or are hesitant about branching out. I think La Merenda is also a great option for those who are curious but maybe don't want to commit to a full dish for the cuisine of interest. The food is not as authentic or flavorful as it would be at a restaurant that specializes purely in one cuisine, but the dishes here are a great way to get a feel for the flavor profiles. But for those who consider themselves already adventurous or global eaters, La Merenda is still sure to please with its wide variety of well-executed dishes that pay homage to their cultures of origin while finding roots in locally-sourced ingredients. I absolutely look forward to my next visit and can't wait to try the other offerings on their menu! read more

La Merenda - Manoomin salad - Tapas Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you are in Milwaukee you must visit this restaurant. One of the best restaurants to try Tapas and world cuisine in smaller sized portions. Their spicy potatoes in tomatoes sauce is absolutely amazing. Everything else we tried Beef Empanadas, Argentinian steak, Shrimp over potatoes (Indonesian style), Shrimp in olive oil garnished in garlic and red pepper flakes absolutely phenomenal. For dessert Tres Leches cake two thumbs up. Our server Sara was very attentive and knowledgeable. Loved the experience! My wife and I are foodies... when we recommend something just take our word for it read more

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Casual place with a great looking menu touting its farm to table tapas, but fell far short of our expectations. Fried empanadas were ok. Three of the four other dishes were served with mashed potatoes, kind of ruining the eclectic mix of flavors that draws one to a tapas restaurant in the first place. The beef tenderloin (with mashed potatoes) was so salty we needed to send it back, the other dishes (octopus, chicken, and shrimp) were better but still too salty. Dessert, beer, and hot tea were fine but not worth a detour. Busy on a Thursday night but we got reservations early. Found parking on street about a block and a half away, but then discovered there is valet parking available. Service was terrific, pricing was reasonable. read more

Creative small plates--excellent service--best outdoor patio! Always a great experience!