I enjoy having drinks and the occasional bites at Nessun Dorma. The place has a mellow vibe, and the atmosphere resonates well with me: it's like a cozy bungalow turned restaurant with a couple of rooms to choose from for seating. The fondue restaurant in Cedarburg had a similar feel. I really enjoy the beautiful dark decor with red brick toned paint and warm wood. They have an espresso machine, a nice wine selection and of course the decent beer selection as others have mentioned. The tunes are good, and sometimes they're spinning on the vinyl record player behind the bar. For food, our go-to is usually the Ciccio: a platter with toasted Tuscan bread, Genoa salami, Capicola, pepperoni, Fontinella, provolone, Greek and Sicilian olives, pepperoncini and cherry peppers. Mr. R loves the Fontinella and I enjoy the olives, which he won't touch. I also am a big fan of the spicier of the meats on the platter. We have tried the artichoke dip, which was very rich and had some spice to it. I've had the beer broccoli cheese soup which was homemade with good flavor and the broccoli was fresh. There are paninis and salads on the menu, and they feature nightly specials. Nessun Dorma has happy hour deals every day, including $5 wines (the Cabernet is my go-to) and $2 pints, plus outdoor seating is available in nice weather. They have also recently added brunch on Saturday and Sunday. If you're looking for a break from Riverwest "beer and a shot bars" that don't serve wine or food, check out Nessun Dorma! read more

Such a diamond in the rough. A bit pretensious, in that - I want to come here so you will know my name too - kinda way. The place is small so don't bring a ton of people with you. Regardless... Great beer and liquor selection. Food is awesome. This is a wonderful spot for a hot date or a special night out. read more

Superb food, varied menu, great selection of wine, beer, alcohol. Wonderful staff. Small and comfortable dining or just relaxing after work. Don't miss this. read more

Great neighborhood vibes! Great bar selection-- mixologists. Delicious homemade food. Great service.

Why 4 stars? Because they had beer AND tea! --- --- --- My friend and I visited Milwaukee. I like to drink beer. She hates it. She likes to drink tea. I hate it. What do you do in this situation, because places that serve GOOD beer and GOOD tea don't happen... right? Incorrect. They do. Nessun Dorma, y'all. I wish I could speak to the food, but I was still pregnant from dinner and could barely put the beers down. Enjoyable, my experience was. read more

There's a reason that the Duke here has 200+ check in's. Nessun Dorma is great on many levels: *People rave about the food (which is extremely reasonable). I've yet to eat here but everything looks and smells great. *An incredible wine and beer list...again, reasonably priced. One can get Mirabelle champagne by the glass!! For $8.50!!! If you know the retail price, you understand my excitement. Take $1 off on Weds for a super bargain. *Tallboys of Bitburger = $2. You can't beat that with a stick. *The interior is great. They've kept all the good vintage parts - hardware, molding etc. *it's a space run by cool people...but everyone is welcome. You'll find a mixed crowd enjoying drinks and snacks. *When we walked in, the sound system was playing Beastie Boys "Root Down". At least 10 extra stars for that. *No Redbull or Miller Lite here, meaning no bro's. Douchebags would probably be tolerated politely, because people here are nice, but they'd rather give them directions to Cans. If you're a local, you should be stopping here. If you're visiting MKE, this is the kind of place you hope a local will clue you in to. Well, one just did. read more

Nessun Dorma is a great little spot nestled in Riverwest. I've eaten here on several occassions and also enjoyed watching the Riverwest beer run from here. It's the only time Nessun serves up breakfast. They always have something special being cooked up in the kitchen which is one reason I go. Their soups are amazing! The fact they use locally sourced ingredients and put lots of care into making what would be bar food slightly elevated, is what makes this place truly great. They also have a decent tap selection and make a mean Moscow Mule! Cheers to Nessun! Keep up the good work! read more

Great brunch (stuffed hash), great atmosphere and great waiter! Yelp just told me this was a little short, so I'll keep writing haha. Seriously though, go here! :) read more

Now this is the Art of Coking Dips! (But in a really good way) Wow...I mean WoW!!! This Artichoke Dip was how do it put it? Cramazingly awesome! It alone will be having me come back for more! I don't think I could take on a full portion for myself but it is great to split with that someone special. The scenery I totally digged right off the batt. The soiree of collector's music posters they have lined around the backroom was pretty cool to investigate. The whole vibe of the place was totally chill and low key. For being there only once I think it is safe to say that you won't be seeing any "Bros" here any time soon. The menu is small but I don't think anything on there is going to be mediocre. This place is on my "soon to revisit" list! read more

This place is LEGIT! Great drinks and the best Panini you'll get in Milwaukee. I get the steak panini with a fresh green leaf salad, I'm telling you guys, skip the burger and get one of these FIRE sandwiches they have here. Also their meat and cheese plate is TOPS! Very good selection, with some house made olives and veggies. This place is good for Lunch, or a late night snack. Definitely good here for good sandwiches, soups, and drinks. read more

Nessun Dorma - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A quaint little restaurant that could almost be missed driving past, Nessun Dorma provides an intimate Italian experience while maintaining a high quality of food. My date and I were very pleased with the variety of tastes throughout our dishes. This spot is very well suited for a romantic wine date or evening out. The service was good, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was enhanced by some rather unique art pieces adorning the walls. No complaints here. 5 stars. read more

Nessun Dorma - Nat enjoying her Italian Deli Panini. - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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The artichoke dip is to DIE for. Seriously, the best dip I've ever eaten. I'm moving out of the neighborhood and keep joking that I won't be able to live without it but really it's that serious. Everything here is awesome, the atmosphere is super laid back and chill and it's a great place to grab a brew, a snack, or dinner. My favorite entree is the chicken caesar pita. So simple but so yummy. I've only had to wait for seating once in the many times I've been here and have always had great, very friendly service. read more

It's true, the artichoke dip is delicious and worth writing home about! Also had the portobello panini and it was yummy. Atmosphere is low key and the dark wood accents everywhere gives the place a classic vibe. Bartender was awesome and fixed me up a great hot toddy. Can't wait to come back when I'm in the area again! :) read more

This was my second time here, and after a little bit of bar-hopping we got the munchies, luckily they still had food at 10:30 pm! We stopped by for a drink, but we ended up getting some food. I heard the artichoke dip was good, so I ordered, but it wasn't good, it was awesome! And it comes with grilled panini bread, and some Italian peppers to clean your palate, good good goodness! Beef and barley soup was very flavorful! The beef was cooked to perfect tenderness and had some sweet whine reduction aftertaste that gave it good body! YUM! The drinks here are awesome and the bartenders are cool and happy to give recommendations! read more

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Stopped in for the first time last night and loved it! Small, quaint atmosphere, perfect for a first date or catching up with friends. Their beer list is crazy good, my husband is a beer snob and was really impressed. They also have a nice wine and craft cocktail selection as well. The food menu is small but solid. We ordered an antipasto plate (huge! So much food!), bruschetta, and a few sandwiches. Clean plates all around. The servings are generous and the quality of the ingredients used is excellent. We really enjoyed our meal, and look forward to going back again. read more

Went for dinner tonight. Arrived and waited to have someone seat us but there was no hostess so we lingered around until the bartender told us to ask a waiter if she could seat us. Kinda weird but once we were seated, our waitress was prompt and nice throughout the evening. Funny thing- when you sit down the waitress will give you two menus. The one that's three pages vs. one is the alcohol menu! They have a lots of options for alcohol; great beer selection- wide selection and all reasonably priced. Food options are limited to paninis, bruschetta and some other appetizer type dishes. I don't remember the Italian names for the dishes but we got the meat and cheese plate, the mozz, tomato and bread melted bread dish, and a crab dish special to start. Would def recommend the meat and cheese plate- it's served with olives, fontinella, provolone, bread and a variety of meats. It's an easy plate to share as it's very large. The bruschetta bread thing was just OK- good at the time but wouldn't order it again, wasn't much different from something I could make at home. The crab dip was also alright but not mixed well. Kept getting chunks of cream cheese that weren't blended with crab. Wish we would have gotten the artichoke dish instead. For mains my bf got a panini (first one on the menu, don't remember the name) that was very reminiscent of a philly cheese steak- very good! A friend got the roasted red pepper and feta soup special and he said it was underwhelming. I got the chicken caesar salad that had a great dressing but the chicken had little flavor, seemed like it was frozen before hand. read more

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Ordered takeout from here this week. Really good, comfort food. Had Artichoke dip, Portabella Philly, Italian beef, and classic bruschetta. All the food was really yummy. Also was able to pick up a couple bottles of wine which was a bonus and saved me a trip. Wine was good too. Definitely going back! read more

First of all, it's in a super cool location. It's imbedded in a neighborhood and blends in perfectly. I love how it is a converted house. Regarding the food, it is simple and done well. They have perfected the panini. Although the sandwiches are amazing, the best part might have been the appetizers. We got the artichoke dip and the bruschetta. They both were fantastic. Even though it is a basic menu, the food is amazing and has a ton of flavor. The issues I had was that the service was slow and they played old cheesey movies on the tv. I wouldn't have mind some sports on. read more

Nessun Dorma - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I feel a bit naughty reviewing Nessun Dorma. As you can see, I'm currently the Duke, and I have no plans to relinquish that title anytime soon (I'm looking at you, Rachel F!). But me reviewing this place is like a mother saying "well I know for a fact that MY kid is the best at everything ever and nothing you can say will change that!" Being that I can see Nessun Dorma from my front porch, it was the natural choice for becoming my hang out. Truth be told, though, I'd be hanging out here regardless! Becoming a regular here has taught me SO MUCH about alcohol. I've gone from a rail vodka cocktail-ist to appreciating top shelf whisk(e)y and bourbon; from a PBR-slammin' fool, to actually knowing the difference between all dem beers out der (love love LOVE Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald). But oh, hi, wait...Dorma also serves some of the most AMAZING food! It's a simple menu of Italian-style paninis and bruschettas, along with a couple of night specials and soups, and an ever-changing dessert...but what they do with this menu is remarkable. You guys. Serious. Last, but certainly not least, is the staff. KIngs and queens among men, and women. Always knowledgable, always kind, always hilarious. THE END! read more

Best. Date Spot. Ever. And here's why: Atmosphere: Cozy, quaint, a lil dark and vintage- but not super trendy hipster-vintage (you know what I mean). This place is my Riverwest neighborhood fav. Service: Comfortable, friendly, always conversational, and the food comes out so darn quick! Paninis: Amazing. Like, will leave you thinking about them for days amazing. They are all served with a nice size mix green salad with balsamic. You won't even miss fries, the salad is so good. And what's better? The sammys all run you for under $11.....so if you end up going Dutch or even treating your date, you won't break the bank. *Try an off menu item, the Delmaggio. It mixes two of their sandwiches (Italian Deli and the Formaggio), and is pure meaty, melty-cheesey, flavorful heaven on earth. Just had one on Saturday, and my mouth is watering writing this review right now. Mmmmm. Beer me: The list of libations is off the chains. There is something for everyone. So many unique cider options, yay! You can spend hours perusing the list and trying unfamiliar beers. Consistently amazing. This lil neighborhood corner restaurant is the tops! read more

Thank you Yelp. Well really, thank you to some good friends for recently suggesting Nessun Dorma for dinner & drinks. But thank you Yelp for having so many positive reviews and helping me figure out what I would order before I even set foot inside... I love the location in Riverwest, literally at the end of a block surrounded by houses/apartments, etc. Seems and looks like it's been here for years; like it is just the neighborhood chill spot. And yet, despite being an outsider, I was treated as though I'd been here a dozen times before. Nice. The interior is wonderful -- dark, intimate, and relatively chill. It is possible to have a conversation over drinks without screaming to be heard. Multiple tables that make for a nice gathering space with friends and family alike. The staff are seriously great. Wish I could remember the name of our waitress. The woman who brought the food was quick to remind us to watch our patooties (fingers?) around the hot dish of artichoke dip. Which, um, was delicious. I can't really add anything that previous reviewers have not. It's just pure lip-smacking good -- with a bit of a spicy kick. The formaggio sandwich was wonderful; I want to try the portobello "philly" next time. The side salad was perfectly portioned and a tasty addition. Though I don't partake in beer, the list was ridiculously extensive -- you could bring beer snobs and neophytes here and everyone would find something they enjoy. Great liquor selection at the bar, too. As some dude once said, "I'll be back." This is a place you could bring out of town friends, new friends, a date, family, etc while feeling comfortable and welcomed into one of the best kept secrets in Milwaukee. read more

Top 5 reasons I enjoy Nessun Dorma 1.First time I came to this place they were playing one of my favorite albums of all time; built to spill's "keep it like a secret" (and half the bar-sitters were singing along) 2. The bartenders and servers are mostly cute girls 3. the atmosphere....intimate yet inviting. 4. The food is really good, and really inexpensive 5. good selection of beers and liquor (except they don't have hacker pschorr) the verdict: This place is cooler then Miles davis sipping a mint julip in a snowstorm read more

A Dr. Seuss inspired review: There once was a couple that walked from the cold, In through a door where hot food is sold. There was no glitz, glam or glare, Just a dark, cozy place with a good atmosphere. "Sit wherever you'd like" we heard from afar, So we grabbed a table close to the bar. The artichoke dip arrived with a bold, brazen beer, Savory, scrumptious splendiferous treats we did share. The alcohol soaked our brains with glee, And we laughed as we gobbled our paninis. The shnozberries were no where to be seen on the dessert menu, Luckily we tried the tantalizing, titillating tiramisu. We finished more beers to help fight the whirling, wild wind, But before we left, we vowed to return to Nessun Dorma again. read more

I can't believe I hadn't reviewed Nessun Dorma yet...cause it's awesome! I don't like going out to bars much, but this place is just perfect. I've only sat at the bar so I can't comment on table service, but my service at the bar has always been top notch and friendly. For awhile I forgot they have food, then rejoiced one night when I remembered they serve until 11! I've had the Ciccio antipasti plate, along with the Puccini sandwich. Great food if your craving great Italian meats and flavors. I love the atmosphere and the crowd that frequents it. It's the perfect bar if you want to go somewhere where no one's trying really hard to pull off a certain image. read more

I really wish I liked this place more than I do. I love the homey, saloon-like atmosphere. I'm impressed by the amazing beer and wine selection. And the salads are leafy, flavorful and fresh. But, for a place whose menu is centered around panini and sampling plates, the meat and cheese is of surprisingly mediocre quality. The salamis and capicola are grocery store quality. More about garlic and salt than real flavor. The cheeses are bland and flavorless. I could barely taste the difference between the fontina and the provolone. It's a great presentation. But I regret to say that, if you're there for the food rather than the drink, the execution is just so so. read more

We loved this place! I'm so sad that in my four years living in Milwaukee, we finally tried it one month before we are moving away forever. In the heart of Riverwest it shouldn't be a shock to not have a parking lot and it's street parking only. We found parking easy on a weekend at 5pm but I could imagine it being more difficult later in the night. The place is very hipster-ish, and we are blatantly not. But regardless we were welcomed with open arms and treated nice (unlike other bars in the area). They have an excellent craft beer list, happy hour specials, and daily food specials. The food is made fresh so the menu is small and every day the specials are different. We split the artichoke dip (bc of other Yelp reviews) and it was so good! Good portion sizes and they didn't cheap out on the dippers. I got the special of the day, steak in a whiskey sauce with the best salad I've ever eaten. The meal was so flavorful and satisfying and the steak wasn't gross fatty like one you would expect with a daily special. The husband got one of their paninis on the menu and loved it. Very cool place, quality beer and quality food. Check it out! read more

The artichoke dip was awesome. Everyone said their sandwiches were great. The beer and wine list is top-notch and very cheap. Seriously, it's two 8 1/2" x 11" pages of wine and two 8 1/2" x 11" pages of beer, all at reasonable prices. Even the cheesecake we had for dessert was tasty as all hell. Plus, the service was great. The server that looked kinda like Pink was pretty cool and friendly and helpful as she could be considering they were unusually busy for a Sunday night. read more

Nessun Dorma - Bars Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Friendly staff. Great food. Awesome cheesecake. Amazing drink selection. Fun and cozy atmosphere, lots of character. (Love the conversion from an old house.) They have some fancier dinner specials, but most of their food is what I would call "upscale sandwiches" Great place to go for dinner or just a drink and dessert :) read more

The food here is more like 3-3.5, but all of the servers are kind and the atmosphere rather cozy. This isn't a place for big groups (more than four will be tight). We ordered: - Oolong Tea: Solid. Kind of an odd wheat-y flavor, but nice nonetheless. - Artichoke Dip: Surprisingly spicy. I'm a fan. - Portobella: Hearty and a good choice. Wouldn't personally order again, but mushroom lovers at my table fell hard for this sandwich. - Soup du Jour (Broccoli Cheddar): I usually don't prefer soups witha cheddar base, but I really did like this. - Special of Tuna with mashed potatoes and a roasted red pepper cream sauce: - Dessert of the day a strawberry Shortcake: Mediocre -- as good as you'll find at a grocery store. But only $4, when you'd expect something like $7 or $8. I was disappointed by this since a lot of yelpers mention how good their dessert is. Overall things are very reasonably priced and the portions are rather generous. I like it. I'm a fan, and if it wasn't located off on its own in a neighborhood, I'd be inclined to come back more frequently. read more

Before I start I should clarify that my 5-star review is based on these things. 1. I almost never eat here, and when I do it's never why I'm there. Every time I DO eat here the food is good, but it's never the reason I'm there. 2. I am almost always here at the tail end of the night. I work late and don't usually make it to Dorma until about an hour before close, so it's not the usual Dorma dynamic. Ok all that being said, Dorma is absolutely one of my favorite bars in the city. There is no better place I know of in the city that's a better wind down spot than here. The whiskey selection is amazing, the taps are ever-changing, the service is a little slow but always accommodating and the ambiance is classy and relaxing. There are only one complaint. One is the aforementioned slowness of the service. This isn't true 100% of the time and it's never so out of controle that I want to leave, but sometimes I have to get really obvious about my wanting-another-goddamn-drinkness before I actually get to order something. Also sometimes the bartenders play hilariously bad music. It's totally worth a small, slightly irritating amount of waiting to get to enjoy everything Dorma has to offer. Go here on a date, go here to close the night, go here for light eating or just a glass of wine, it's all good. read more

There are some places in Milwaukee that I consider staples. Neighborhood places I know I can always go for a great drink and a great meal. Nestled on a side street in Riverwest, this is one of those places. The drinks specials are solid, the wine is decent, the beers are a good selection and they have a good selection of whisk(e)ys. The standard food is solid and really good (mostly sandwiches). I claim their artichoke dip is THE BEST in the entire City of Milwaukee. But I don't go here for the sammies, I go here for the daily special. If you don't get there before 8pm, the daily entree special is usually gone. It is never a sandwich, but it is always good, as are their desserts and soups. When I drafted this, I had a meatball and pasta dinner, with (of course) the artichoke dip as a starter. Any restaurant that makes a killer meatball knows how to mix up some meats and spices, which I have much respect for. Go and plan to spend a few hours sampling with friends. read more

Having lived in Riverwest for 6 months now, I figured it was time I checked out Nessun Dorma, since everyone I talk to seems to rave about it. I stopped in for dinner on a Saturday evening with my girlfriend. There is currently construction happening to the road in front on the building, resulting in a massive hole in the ground, and no internet for Nessun Dorma. This also means no credit card machines, so we had to run and get cash quick. Inconvenient, but worth it. We split some sun dried tomato and pesto bruschetta, then I had the Puccini and she had the special, which was pork loin with a delicious apple chutney. All of it was very good and we will certainly be back. read more

What do I love about Nessun Dorma? EVERYTHING. What to order: -Artichoke dip -Formaggio -Dessert of the day You'll thank me later. read more

Everything about this place was fantastic! Incredible food, particularly the meat/cheese/peppers/olives platter. The staff was friendly and informative, and even the other customers were great. And the beer selection blew me away; my favorite is anything Dark Horse creates but they're so hard to find - and here Nessun Dorma was happy to provide! I can't recommend this place enough, and be prepared to take delectable leftovers with you read more

I have a confession to make. Thing is, I'm a die-hard, unwavering vegetarian, and have been one forever -- no meat dishes ever really tempt me, since I don't really care for the aromas, or know what they taste like, really. But every time I've walked past a philly cheese-steak stand, I've found my entire moral core and being shaken and tortured. Every time I walk past one of these stands-of-sin at bar time, I become that girl that's being dragged away by friends as she tries to convince the guy to make a philly cheese-steak without the steak, and maybe clean off the grill a little... This restaurant menu gave me the stuff my dirty vegetarian fantasies are made of, and I would like to thank the owners for this: the portabello cheese-steak. read more

Got the impression that this was an Italian joint and a bar. Turns out it is mostly a bar. Wouldn't be the end of the world if they did not serve food, but they did and it wasn't very good. Wouldn't be a bad joint for a drink but I would pass on food. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Nessun Dorma. I had intended only to stop by for drinks with friends but ended up staying for a lovely meal. I sampled some of their antipasti plate, artichoke dip, chicken parmesan and their house salad. Everything was beautifully presented and prepared and the delicious quality of all the items was extremely high. I'm Italian and come from a big family of intense cooks so when I try an Italian place, I can judge quite harshly and I can safely say I'll be returning here again. Also, gold star to Nessun Dorma on the decor and ambiance. I LOVE a softly lit place with great music that feels cozy and inviting. I wanted to stay there all night and keep having bottles of wine with my friends. Any place that instantly can hook me like this definitely deserves a thumbs up. read more

Absolutely love this place. Great food great people. Best happy hour ever. Always love coming here. Portobello Philley is my favorite sandwich. read more

My husband and I had dinner at the bar here last night. It was busy, but you would have never known it. Our bartender, Adam, was amazing. Friendly, calm and attentive. He'd do that thing that old timey bartenders do - where he'd engage you in conversation, then when he'd leave to tend to another guest, as by magic your plates would be cleared, water glasses filled and new coasters under your beer. The best service I've gotten anywhere in quite a while. The food was delicious. We shared the artichoke dip and each had a panini. I loved that the paninis came with a green salad - something fresh to brighten the rich and hearty paninis. And I do mean hearty. Their paninis don't skimp on the fillings. Because we had cocktails at a different bar earlier, we stuck to beer at Nessun. Beer selection was great. Next time I'll order a Moscow Mule. I watched Adam make a few. He was putting such great care into making them, I'm sure they were delicious. So happy we live a few blocks from such a wonderful place! read more

Great hidden gem in Milwaukee. Reminds me of Italy with simple, inexpensive dishes that are made from scratch and have wonderful flavor. The beer and wine list is outstanding.....an amazing selection to choose from. It is a smaller place, but very cozy and the staff is attentive, friendly and not overbearing at all. This is one of our new favorite places! read more