This is a solid 4 stars. Nice, open bar area can accommodate a lot of people--which is good since sometimes the hotel has special access to hotel guests only. This is a very comfortable place to meet with a small group--not too noisily to talk and plenty of light. Oh, and the drinks and food...both are very well done. Drinks are tasty and anything but weak, and the food is terrific. I've heard of this place for a long time but never went here. Now I've been here twice and loved it both times. I recommend it. read more

The service is horrible. I sat ignored for over 30 minutes after asking if they were open. She just didn't want to get me a drink and I didn't know what to say to get served. read more

Monarch Lounge - Bartender ignoring me - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We went here on the recommendation of a friend while our son was at an Overnight program at MSOE, and it exceeded our expectations. There was live music by Brett Gaertner which was upbeat and soothing to the soul! The bartender, Tera made me an amazing drink, Sweet Eden that was delectable. My husband enjoyed the toffee old-fashioned, and was surprisingly delighted when he tried the Wisconsin Old-fashioned that she made as well. We enjoyed the tidbits of history about Milwaukee and the hotel she shared as well. The waitress, Morgan was patient as we chose our dessert choice and drinks and energetically moved about the room. We will definitely be back when our son attends MSOE in the fall! read more

Didn't stay long, but what a beautiful setting. Comfortable lounge chairs and sofas for everyone... enjoyed prosecco late on a Friday evening date night. Was pleasantly surprised to enjoy live singing and piano accompaniment by some very talented local artists. If we lived in the area, we would definitely come again like every month!! Nothing like classic entertainment in a beautiful, classic setting!!! read more

Monarch Lounge - Gorgeous and peaceful, enjoyed a live performance on a Friday night! - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This month's Yelp's Boozin' and Schmoozin' event brought us to the Monarch Lounge on the second level of the lobby area at the Milwaukee Hilton Hotel. It was my third visit to the Monarch Lounge, and I haven't figured out why this place isn't packed every night, other than perhaps, people just don't know it's there. We had a Yelp event last year, I think, to learn about the Wednesday Whiskey tastings that probably could have gone well with some promoting. They don't do it anymore and none of the staff I talked to even knew it once existed. The lounge is very classy looking, with high end furnishings, a fireplace and a piano, but the prices are not high end, at least no more than any other downtown lounge. The food is pretty good, too. I attended Milwaukee's first Taste & Toast event a few months back and chose Monarch Lounge from the list of participating businesses. My friend and I ordered the short rib with gnocchi, the crab cake, truffle fries, and a pear and wagyu salad. All were excellent and perfectly executed dishes! They recently launched Maki Mondays. Sushi chefs have a counter in the lounge where they make sushi from a limited menu. The rolls ranged from $6 to $10 and most rolls, if not all, were 6 pieces each. I ordered the Spicy Tuna ($6) and the California Roll ($6), since Josh B pointed out that the California Roll here was made with real crab. Both rolls were good and the seafood in each piece was ample. I did not feel cheated, but I also didn't feel like I was eating some of the best sushi in town, to be honest. However, The flavors were good and I think the value was good, too. I would return for Maki Monday. The appetizers are 50% during Happy Hour, which runs from 5:00-7:00 weeknights, so I also tried the bacon-wrapped steak and the truffle parmesan fries. The steak came with two dipping sauces, which I belive were a bearnaise and comething closer to a steak sauce. The fries also came with a dipping sauce, but there was so much flavor on the fries, I couldn't really isolate the flavor of the sauce, other than it tasted good. Monarch Lounge is one of Milwaukee's best kept secrets IMHO, and I'm pretty sure they don't want to be. Take a pass on the Miller Time Tub and venture upstairs to Monarch Lounge to give it a try. read more

See all

an old school looking swanky hotel lounge...the way "lounges" were really meant to look. High Windows covered in long gauzy curtains, big cushiony chairs, lots of gold and chandeliers. Its at the top of a big stairway in the Hilton City Centre. old school lounges are nice and all, but sushi makes just about everything better. They've added a "maki monday" happy hour series to take advantage of sushi's beneficial properties, and have a nice appetizer-sushi selection. I was very pleased with the spicy roll I got. I was here for yelp's "boozin and schmoozin'" series, and therefore, (for scientific research, naturally) i tried two of their playfully named cocktails, the monarch muse and oriental affair. Verdict? Don't abandon the muse to have an affair. They were both good but i personally preferred the midori based "muse" to the (i think) cognac based affair. Either way a nice addition to westown. read more

Monarch Lounge - maki mondays - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We stayed at the hotel for an early anniversary-winter Doldrums get away which made going to the Monarch Lounge easy! The bar is wide open with lots of tables, various seating options & a beautiful backlit marble bar. The Friday night martini specials & live music was the perfect way to start our weekend. The bartender was alone & super busy but was great at keeping on top of drink orders despite the crowd. Definitely one of the nicer hotel bars I've spent time in. read more

I had a drink here today after dinner. Very nice decor and prompt service. Good drink menu. I could do without the large screen TVs and the too loud background music (when the piano player isn't there), though. Good enough that I will definitely be back soon. read more

Monarch Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I can only talk about the bar as I didn't have any food ordered. The waitress seemed pretty overwhelmed with the amount of the persons in the lounge, didn't follow up with requests. After waiting over 15 minutes, I just went to the bar and bought it myself. It's a beautiful location in a great historical building. read more

I'm a fan of classy hotel bars - you never know who you'll run into. An exiled princess from some now-defunct Eastern European country? A mysterious Don Draper type? Or, more typically, some hard drinking Regional Sales Managers shooting Fireball and sucking down Miller Lites - so it was when we visited. The atmosphere is wonderful - lots of deep, cushy sofas and club chairs spread far enough apart to keep conversations private. They've kept and restored the old woodwork and chandeliers which is a nice touch. There's a fireplace too but alas it was not on.... I was surprised that there was no option for service other than ordering at the bar on Saturday night, especially since the hotel was pretty busy with events. That plus a cold fireplace was a bit disappointing when you're paying $12 for a drink. I did glance at the wine list and was unimpressed - not much worth drinking there. Our cocktails were well made and the bartender was nice but with just one person working, things took awhile. The space is gorgeous but overall, the Pfister offers a better experience for the same price. read more

To borrow Joe P's formula: One sentence summation: Upscale + laid-back event space smack dab in the middle of the Hilton Hotel. Pray tell, why would a local need to review a hotel "bar?" In fact, what good reason might I have to have ever stepped foot into Monarch Lounge in the first place? This space is a large, lovely, open area on the second floor of the Hilton (with a bar) that seems suitable as a post-checkout workspace or a happy hour destination post travel to MKE. I live in MKE. Does not compute. Wait! It's also beyond suitable as a venue/event space for work/personal gatherings. Exactly. This is a large, open space that's suitable for events. Hence my being here, ya dinguses. (Steve Brule reference for the uninitiated, check it out!) Events are a big part of what I do, and I can confidently say that working with the folks at Hilton/Monarch Lounge was an easy, breezy pleasure. I can also say that due to the size and versatility of the space that it should definitely be on MKE's short list of venue choices for a medium/large gathering. It's fancy - chandeliers, swirly carpet, dark woods, leather chairs, and the piano plays itself (it can be activated from an app on the GM's smartphone, even!) - but it's still approachable. It seems as though the literally lofty, open feel of the space lends itself well to versatility, and the accommodating staff is attentive and on point. Check it out if you're looking for a big-ish venue, ya dinguses! read more

The Monarch Lounge has a wonderful chill vibe. The first time I visited I thought it would be the perfect downtown spot to drink a nice glass of red wine while watching big, fluffy snowflakes flutter down outside. The atmosphere is very 1920s art deco complete with quality wood paneling, beautiful details, and comfy couches and chairs plus tables where you can sit with a laptop, or you can just sidle up to the bar and throw back a martini. When the lounge first reopened after renovation they did not serve food, but they have now added a small variety of appetizers including flatbreads. read more

Met a friend from out of town here to catch up and converse. Another place that I bookmarked that I finally decided to check out. I was in the mood for a couple drinks and an appetizer and they have pretty good happy hour specials. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 430-7pm and half off all drinks and appetizers!! Cant beat those prices and great ambiance and atmosphere. Parking can be a little difficult but it's worth it. The calamari was decent, flavorful, roman style with tomatoes, capers, and lemons. Nice size portion. It was tangy and flavorful. The bartender was really cool and poured with a heavy hand but I am not complaining . I had three top shelf drinks and a appetizer under $30. Can't be mad at that! Had a good time and would be back again. Until next time read more

Monarch Lounge - Happy Hour Drink Special - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

Elegant living room vibe. Music and a fireplace at one end, big screen TV and Internet browsing at the other end, a bar, tables and sofa seating in the middle. This place is larger than the bar at the Milwaukee Chop House downstairs. More focused on drinks and seeing and being seen. The background music tends toward Jazz. And families can bring the kids to the TV/Internet section of this former ballroom, and keep an eye out but have drinks with grownups out of earshot of the kids. Live music some nights, and the baby grand is a player piano with light jazz standards otherwise. From this perch you can sit by the fireplace and see who is checking in, but are in an elegant bubble out of the busy-ness of luggage being handled and bookings being confirmed. read more

Monarch Lounge - Milwaukee's best living room. - Lounges Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I am a fan of the Hilton City Center hotel. I have stayed there several times and always enjoyed the service and ambiance. Each time, I've attempted to visit the Monarch Lounge lobby bar, because it is so beautiful. But it is often closed and when open, understaffed. On my last visit, on Saturday May 4, however, I finally was able to pay a call. Alas, it was a bad experience. The entire bar was staffed by a single bartender, a short, elderly woman with white shoulder-length hair and glasses. We sat at the bar for 20 minutes but were unable to get a drink or even be acknowledged. I chalked it up to her being overwhelmed. There were about 40 people in the bar and she was all alone. So we left and went to dinner, thinking we'd try the bar again afterwards. We arrived again around 11 p.m. This time, there were just a few people in the bar. So we took seats at the bar, but were again neglected. Not a hello, or a menu. Nothing. The bartender stood with her back to us and talked to friends and colleagues. She was not busy. It became clear to us at that point that she was ignoring us on purpose for some reason. I can't imagine why. My life brought this to the attention of the front desk, but they seemed not to care. I thought the hotel would want this deliberate bad treatment of customers brought to their attention. read more

When I first heard that this place was in the Hilton, my heart kind of sank a little. Not that there's anything wrong with the hotel, but I refuse to give up one red cent of my money to a certain "heiress". But, I went anyway, because I wanted to see this place. Can I just say that everything that woman represents is the antithesis of what this lounge does? Monarch exudes class with it's beautiful chandeliers and ceiling medallions, under-lit onyx bar top and mixture of pub tables and lounge seating. The area allowed for group or private conversations as well as space to be solitary, if that's what a guest wanted. I attended a Boozin' and Schmoozin' event here and was very pleased at the amount of people that turned up. I ran into some friends I had met at other Yelp events and ended up making 3 more! I liked the Asian theme very much, as I love Asian food. However, I didn't eat at this event and will have to return for a Maki Monday event some time. I did enjoy two of the featured cocktails, the Shiso Crazy and the Monarch Muse. Both were delicious and served by a friendly and consistently smiling bartender. I don't find myself downtown very often, but now I know of a relaxed place to visit for a cocktail or two when I do! 116/2015 read more

i have eaten theren only once,a dn i am aristocratic and royal american born i am the hrhr tye duchess of lancahsire, england, the countess of winstonshire, winschire, engand, the baroness of tuscany, italy, and the future , hm queen of england, ireland and spain & the indian dominions. read more

Basically the best happy hour in any hotel bar I've ever seen! Half price drinks and food. I ordered the hard to find "Spotted Cow" from New Glarus Brewing in a bottle and the biggest pizza meant for one person that I have ever seen at a restaurant. I took more than half of the pizza to go because it was so massive. It gave me my fill of Wisconsin cheese for sure! The bartender was very friendly. He was working his ass off to get drinks for a huge private party all by himself, but he never forgot about me or the other patrons at the bar. I'll be hitting this place up every time I stay at the Hilton from now on. read more

While I'm not up to date on offerings, as I'm barely traveling to conventions like I once did, I did partake in numerous events for a few years and rank Monarch Lounge really high in convention connected / hotel bars. Best was in Palm Springs, Cali, Renaissance Marriott I believe. Worse was many a loud, dirty bar tie. To start the Monarch Lounge is on the second floor which keeps out the rift/raft. It's high ceilings and general spaciousness keeps the noise level down. Floor plan is wipe and open enough so you won't lose track of your people, nor are you forced to be near them. It's luxurious, some fine architectural accents, yet not over the top to the point they have to charge an arm and leg for drinks/food. Seemed easy to reconfigure, had spots for groups of people and comfy chairs for more personable talk. Can add extra service bars, or say a small sushi bar for Maki Mondays with ease. Go on Maki Mondays, get the Asparagus Wasabi roll, and pretend it's healthy happy hour! read more

Cool open bar, not too noisy, beautiful interior... if only the bartenders service matched the level of bar. Disappointed with dirty bartop and slow bartenders anxious to hold onto my credit card despite showing them a room key.. shaking my head... moving on. read more

Hotel bar with a nice warm vibe. Comfortable soft couches and quiet background music allow you to sit for a bit, enjoy an adult beverage while you chat with either someone you know or someone you don't. I like it. read more

What a hidden gem in the city of Milwaukee! The Monarch Lounge exudes class and sophistication in its elegant art deco area on the second level of the lobby area in the downtown Milwaukee Hilton Hotel. The service and food and drink rise to the occasion. My office had a holiday party here and it was wonderful. They set up a buffet table and served among other items, bacon-wrapped scallops. Specialty drinks including the classic Moscow Mule were available. The room was large enough to accommodate a group of 50 people very easily. However, all of us had room to spread out and converse in small groups at tables, grouped seating areas, the bar and the like. The place lends itself to casual conversation. June's Yelp Boozin' and Schmoozin' event was held here to kick off Monarch's Maki Mondays. Yum. Not only are there handcrafted martinis with exotic names like Shiso Crazy and Oriental Romance, there is handmade sushi made to order at a counter right there in the lounge. At special prices. Good deal for a Monday. My friend ordered the Calamari which was delivered as a huge plate with a heap of crispy fried goodness. She was delighted. I will go back to the Monarch and partake of Maki Monday again. Delightful! read more

Cocktails are delicious and the steak bites are one my favorite appetizers from any lounge. Staff are friendly. They use to have one of the best happy hours prices but since then have reduced the discounts so bills can be a little pricey. read more

Tucked away above the Milwaukee Hilton lobby (which itself looks like it used to be an old world bank---or a side room at Gringotts, depending on your frame of reference), Monarch is a beautiful, old world Milwaukee space. By day, Monarch is a great place to grab a coffee from the Starbucks downstairs while you crush your inbox in a gorgeous art deco lounge. By eve, delicious cocktails in gaudy, Roaring Twenties charm await you and the inevitable great conversations that come with an ambiance like this. read more

Elegant, sophisticated vibe, good food & drinks & a happy hour with great deals. Would have given this 5 stars but for the incongruous, annoying presence of a hotel employee's dog allowed to roam among the tables. Gross & inappropriate. read more

The happy hour is totally worth it. The crab cakes are melt in your mouth amazing. The calamari is huge and delicious. My drink was super strong, hence the 5 star rating. read more

The Monarch lounge is behind the check in at the Hilton located on the second floor. The room is a beautiful space with ultra high ceilings and gold leafing. It is a great place to grab a drink during happy hour and maybe an appetizer while you wait for dinner, a flight or want to chat with some friends. Overall, the prices are what are expected at a hotel lounge and the drink selection isn't anything special (go during happy hour). The appetizers are above average overall with an instance where the meat was severely under cooked but have been fine otherwise. Note, they are open all the time but NOT serving food or drinks all the time. It is a hotel lounge. Also, as the Hilton is dog friendly, so is the lounge! read more