Found this little gem in Eau Claire! Traveled here from Minneapolis to spend a few days exploring the area. Figured I'd have limited options in the area as far as food and boy was I surprised by the Informalist! First off they are a true farm to table restaurant with everything being locally sourced. The quality of the ingredients was apparent in everything we ate. Secondly, you're not going to get a plain old hamburger, steak, ho-hum dinner. This is elevated food in the prep, ingredients, recipes, and presentation. This is the kind of food I expect to find in high end gastropubs in the Twin Cities, but at WI prices! Count me in! We tried a variety of apps, drinks, and entrees. Also, we went back in the morning for breakfast and it was a delicious round two. Suggestions? Cheese platter was awesome, the lamb chops and risotto unbelievably good, and the Crash and Burn cocktail is my new favorite drink of all time! For breakfast try the eggs Benedict with the siracha hollandaise. On top of all that, our server, Stephanie, was amazing! Constantly checking on us (without being intrusive) and tolerating our corny jokes. Really on the ball and accommodating. If you have the opportunity, I hope you check this place out! read more

The Informalist - Breakfast burger, yum! - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

The food was horrible! The Goldblum pizza was horrible. Too spicy! The pierogis were awful. Tasteless and greasy.

Overpriced and overhyped. Our biggest factor in this review: in post-covid times, you should update your menu. Our group tried to order three different things and all of them were out of stock/no longer made. I will say the caesar salad was good, but not worth the price. Apps were meh but overpriced for what they were. The pizza is probably the only redeeming aspect of our visit. We clearly shared and discussed. If nothing is open, you can have a small overpriced meal here. No spectacular flavors nor unique dishes. Save your money. read more

What a great find in quaint downtown Eau Claire! I loved the wine list, and as a token they threw in a little holiday wine discount. Really liked that. We ordered the hush puppies, special salad, pheasant entree, and Alaskan halibut. The ambience was great, the service was impeccable, and the food was a solid A-. Overall, I will definitely be back and be taking city friends with me when I go. read more

I ate breakfast and dinner at the Informalist during my visit to Eau Claire. I liked the ambiance, which was perhaps contemporary yet country; the food was of good quality; and the customer service was pleasant and timely. For dinner I had the filet mignon which was cooked exactly as requested. For breakfast I had bacon, eggs, and toast. They have the very best orange juice I have ever tasted in my life! I wish I could have taken a gallon back home with me! I love pancakes and French toast, but neither were options on the menu. So...the two aspects that could be improved are: (1) the limited breakfast menu and (2) it is a bit pricey in my opinion. Definitely a place to try though. read more

The Informalist - Interior - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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always my first choice when going out to eat in Eau Claire. New, organic and delicious read more

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I've been to the Informalist three times. There is an automatic tip of 18 percent taken out of the total bill for service, so one doesn't have to tip. This would be fine but I had a sense that the service, if ever so slightly, was affected negatively by this set up. For instance, I believe the waiting was less prompt, and the service less friendly, due to the automatic tip arrangement. I would rate the food very good, fresh, and healthy. They do have a limited Brunch menu covering only two pages. I was unsure of when brunch ended and replaced by the dinner menus. Perhaps the dinner menu is more expansive; I don't know. Last time I was there I ordered the Lemony Corn Pancakes from the from the brunch menu. Only one objection is that it came out with some syrup on top of it, but this wasn't enough. I asked for more syrup and they gave me more in a little metal pouring cup (but this was still not enough). I say this because I don't think corners need to be cut with syrup. It should be standard that enough syrup should be offered to one's content. I'll pay more for this if need be. read more

Stunning, totally unexpected dining experience! Young waiter was amazing, chef offerred incredibly delicious entre options, to go with some fantastic craft cocktails. Not in a million years did we expect such an amazing meal in such a small town. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. read more

This is the best restaurant in Eau Claire. I've been here a number of times including business dinners, celebration events, and just a night out. I love the wood fire pizzas for every day go to. The changing main courses are amazing and they have a wide beverage selection and good wine list. read more

Pizza was great. Order got screwed up and they happily gave us another. Good problem solving. Definitely a repeat visitor. Great location as well. read more

Farm to table concept, featuring a unique portrayal of American contemporary cuisine. Somewhat limited menu with 11 entrees and 7 small plates, including 3 excellent salads. Top quality cuisine and presentation. Additionally, their 6 genuine wood fired pizzas are the best in the Chippewa Valley. Excellent and extensive wine and cocktail list to accompany your dishes. read more

The Informalist - The Kitchen - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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Simply a perfect pizza. Lots of people do brick oven pies, and they're often good. But this one is the ideal, when you think of what a brick oven pizza should taste like, it's this one. Just slightly smoky from the light char on the crust, sauce that tastes like fresh tomato and isn't too sweet, and a nice balance of herbs. Crust has perfect texture & has a subtle tang that hits the spot. I got a Margherita with pepperoni and i have to say, this is right up there with NYC brick oven pizza. Worth every penny. Bravo, Informalist! read more

In 48 hours I've ate here 3 times! The ingredients are so fresh and the staff are super friendly. The salmon toast and the Caesar salad were great. I also made my own pizza for dinner which was amazing! The scallops were made cold, this was the first time I've had them like that, it was interesting. The presentation of the food was perfect! read more

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I really enjoyed the Informalist. I had the cheese plate and a pizza and both were great. This is a gem in Eau Claire! The wine list is also something else (in a good way)! Very extensive for a smaller market and very reasonable pricing. This is definitely my go to place when I'm in town. read more

My experience was very good. The hostess was awesome. It looked like she actually enjoyed her job and made great conversation with me as she took me to my seat. I ordered my burger medium rare and medium rare it was. As a traveling photographer It's actually quite difficult to get a properly cooked burger around this country and the guy that made mine, crushed it. So, great burger, great, fresh cut fries and a very cool atmosphere. My server was a little less involved than I expected but I'm a pretty low maintenance customer. I sat at the kitchen bar and it was awesome not just watching the guys cook but also actually chatting with them. The pana cotta was to die for; so good I wanted to lick the dish and order a second one. Overall, I will definitely go back, like tomorrow, if only for the pana cotta :) read more

The Informalist - Awesome burger and cooked to perfection. - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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We stayed at the hotel and had dinner here with our kids. We had a couple of pizzas (cheese and goat cheese/fig) and both were just okay. My Ban Mi was not very good, and my daughter did not like her salad. Decent beer list, but would have liked more local options. You are in a beer mecca, you don't need to carry Ballast Point, Founders, Bells, etc. Sell Wisconsin beer. Our server was perfect. Attentive, polite, timely. And we had drinks at the bar later that evening and they were delicious. Overall meh, but I'd go back just for another bourbon old fashioned. read more

I ordered dinner from the Informalist to be ordered to my room at the connected hotel, the Lismore. Service was excellent...the person who took my order over the phone and also delivered my meal was very friendly. I ordered 3 items: 1. award winning Wisconsin cheeses chef's selection of 3 cheeses with fruit, nuts and classic accompaniments; 2 of the cheeses (a blue cheese and a soft white cheese) were amazing! The accompaniments were also delicious: sweet pecans, dried cranberries, and honey. The 3rd cheese, a yellow cheese, tasted like it could have come from a Kraft Foods package...nothing special about it and hardly any flavor. 2. smoked trout cakes Bullfrog farms trout, clover blossom honey, greens: These were awful. They tasted like stale, chewy bread. There was no taste of fish to be found in these cakes...only the taste of hard, stale bread. 3. fresh cut fries: These must have been the worst fries I have ever had. They were soggy like wet noodles and clearly under-cooked. Not a single crispy fry on the plate! The price for 2 appetizers and a side dish: $65! Quite exorbitant! read more

The Informalist - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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Fantastic service with a funky vibe. Definitely a needed classy, fun fresh breath of air for Eau Claire. Our server was very helpful in finding vegetarian options beyond the menu and recommended some great items. And the dessert was spot on! read more

Great casual location and very friendly staff. Loved the breakfast menu and everything was prepared perfectly. My only problem is when servers try and take your plate away too soon. They need to be aware of body language. If I'm sitting back with an empty plate and silverware on the plate, I'm done. If I have food in one hand, a fork in the other, and leaning in, I'm not. When it happened the second time we finally just let him take the plate. The restaurant was mostly empty, but I guess his OCD was kicking in. Loved the hotel as well. Everyone was fantastic. Can't wait for the pool to open. We will definitely be back, but J@#€d needs to relax. read more

The Informalist - Nice presentation of the Bloody Many. - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Easy to find parking and the service was incredible. The white pizza with their house-made sausage is unreal! I can't believe how much a tiny amount of honey can bring this pizza together. The ribeye with veggies was cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back when we come through town. Especially if it means we get tiny macrons with our bill. read more

The atmosphere of The Informalist is very nice.I hadn't been there for awhile, but was with a group who chose this for dinner. We had EXCELLENT service by Luke, very friendly and knowledgeable. Some had pizza which looked delicious. I had the salmon which was a very small portion, stated 6 oz., but looked smaller. Salmon flavor was good, but served with a sauce that that was extremely bland and underwhelming, along with some overcooked broccolini. For a whopping $39, I expected more. If I go again, I'll order pizza. read more

House-lemon-drop-thingy-things 1000% highly recommend Moscow mules? The ginger beer used here is the Tits and highly recommend as the lime juice is freshly squeezed. Super friendly staff. Very engaging and kind. Watching the pizzas being hand tossed was nice to see. read more

I was in the area and this place looked cool and different. I sat at the penny bar and watched the kitchen work there magic, it was great! I had the green curry mussels with toasted bread on the side. The mussels and curry were good, I would have these again. I also had an old fashioned that was a little sweet but overall very tasty. Cheers read more

Fantastic! The vegan pesto pizza is just amazing. The staff was excellent. A gem of restaurant in Eau Claire.

Bright simple atmosphere during lunch. Citrus beet salad was clean and straightforward. Asked for white sauce vs red on the fig bacon pizza (my opinion) great substitute One of the best crusts ive had! Crispy and flavorful! My lunch mate needed more spicy flavor on his burger but said beef was good quality. read more

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The informalist pizza is the best thing! I love that I can build my own, the crust is freaking phenomenal and service is always great, too. The only thing that would make it better is an option for delivery. read more

Fabulous food and top-notch service! Mackenzie provides stellar wine and food recommendations. The homemade balsamic butter and end of dinner lemon cookies completed a great end of day meal. read more

I was here with my family for their Christmas Day dinner and I have to say I was very impressed. The decor and ambiance was nice and set a relaxed mood. Our waiter was nice and very welcoming. The food was fantastic with a well appointed but not overwhelming menu that made choosing what to have rather difficult. I ultimately settled on one of the wood fired pizzas and have no regrets. That was one delicious and generously sized pizza with flavorful sauce and fresh mozzarella. I look forward to coming back the next time I'm in the area. read more

The informalist is a must try if you're in eau Claire. The food is good with great service and friendly staff. They have a decent menu selection and rather large portions to fill you up. Afterwords you can take a walk downtown since it is near Phoenix park/The confluence. read more

Saturday 5:45p. No crowds and you got all the attention from the servers and the kitchen too. Services were great and the atmosphere was pleasant. I had the trout & tabbouleh dish. The wood fire-roasted trout was light and yet flavorful (lightly seasoned, nothing added to overpower the freshness of the fish). I particularly liked the roasted GARLICKY tomatoes that went with the fish. Yum. read more

The Informalist - trout & tabbouleh (gf) woodfire-roasted trout, blistered garlic tomatoes, buckwheat herb tabbouleh, salt-baked broccoli (menu description) - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

My wife picked out this place for my birthday dinner. This restaurant has parking lot next to it if you don't want to pay for hotel parking. Also, it is connected to the Doubletree hotel. The ambiance is nice and looked like there was a wedding that day. The snow wasn't a deterrence since many people showed up soon afterwards. I had the fish stew and my wife had the rainbow trout. I think my wife chose wise as I enjoyed her meal better than mine. I had a side salad while she had a mixed green which was grilled baby bok choy. My salad came first before my meal while my wife had to wait for her side along with her meal. Not a big deal. Overall, the price was decent but probably only for special occasions. read more

It's important to me to eat ethically sourced organic local food at this restaurant is farm-to-fork. I keep coming back and trying different things but so far I would rather eat at home. Recently had a $25 steak med rare. It was so tough I had to ask for a cloth napkin to put under my plate to keep it from scooting around the table as I sawed with all my might. Another recent visit for breakfast I ordered sauteed kale. It came so salty my teeth ached. The revision order came barely heated and still tough. Kale needs a bit of time to get tender...duh. My cooking experience makes me a bit of a critic....but really....the basics and execution is lacking. read more

Loved the wood fired pizza! Crust was amazing, crispy and chewy. Cocktails were delicious, too.

This place had a pretty good environment from what I say. Actually went to a private event here, and the room that we were in was... drab. The food itself was tasty, but I actually left still feeling hungry, which, for what we paid, shouldn't have been the case. Oh well, I would like to enjoy it, but compared to other options, I don't think it quite matches up. read more

I was downtown and walked over for dinner and a glass of wine. Or two. Great atmosphere, both intimate and trendy. The Penny Bar lives up to its name. Literally. Stop in and you'll see why. They have great happy hour specials ($5 for a generous pour of wine? Okay!); and their pizza is delicious! I tried the garlic scape pesto (props for the restaurant knowing what the hell to do with garlic scapes; and more importantly; doing it well!); and it was delicious. I'm new to the EC area, and I'll be back for sure. read more

Great staff and great food every time. The crash and burn craft cocktail is my favorite drink in the Eau Claire drink. We like to go every Tuesday for burger & beer night. read more

I always enjoy the rotating menu at the Informalist. Our favorite spot to sit is at the penny bar. We love watching the meals being prepared in the open kitchen. We are regulars on Sundays or Mondays because of the pizza special. This includes a pizza, 2 salads, and a bottle of red or white wine. It is a perfect amount for 2 people. I wish we could customize a pizza, but they will only prepare what is on the menu. Fortunately, those pizzas are great. We usually order the garlic pesto pizza which has mozzarella, garlic pesto, crimini mushroom, bacon, and caramelized fennel. The cocktails are always original and tasty. read more

The Informalist - Fresh Salad with Wisco Mule Cocktail - Wine Bars Near Me - Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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Randomly stopped here during our epic relocation road trip. Wow! What luck. The room is relaxing, staff friendly and helpful. The food - blackened sirloin, porkchop, and bacon-vinegar greens - was terrific. And the drinks! The Old Cuban is a new favorite, and the old fashioned expertly crafted. Well done! read more

Would have given a 4 or 5 star review, but we felt a bit harassed by the waitress who must have seen my daughter take a smell of my wine and my husband's wine to compare the two. The waitress literally walked up and asked her if she was drinking it. Seemed aggressive. I still tipped her well,because other than that, she did a nice job. But we won't be back. read more

Recently stayed at The Lismore so we visited The Informalist for dinner and twice for breakfast. It's urban and casual and has a nice outdoor patio. Since dinner was on a Wednesday we took advantage of their half price bottles of wine and enjoyed a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at a great price. Started with hush puppies (sweet corn fritters) that we're slightly underdone but delicious! Hubs had the lamb shank for dinner, super moist, tender, and not too strong, but the lamb along with the risotto should have been a bit more seasoned. The farm fresh rainbow carrots were great. My salad was delicious, fresh greens, beautiful variety of radishes and mustard maple vinaigrette was delish. The house made rolls (I think) were good, the star being the butter with lemon and chives in it. Ended the meal with a delightful lemon tres leches cake with blueberries. Small portion appreciated and very tasty and eye appealing. Both the breakfasts were good. Fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. Omelet good. Toast (again assuming house made) was superior. Berries on the pancakes good addition. And one morning enjoyed yogurt with berries and cinnamon walnuts - yum. I would definitely return. read more

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