The Grain Exchange Room is a stunning event space in downtown Milwaukee located in the historical…read moreMackie Building. With ceiling stretching at least three stories high and tons of gorgeous architectural touches, this space would make a stunning backdrop to any event. The space is big enough for 500 guests at a cocktail style event or 350 seated. They're associated with the Bartolotta Restaurant group, who offer catering for events. A truly elegant space for large events.

This is an absolutely incredible space. It feels like Rome in the venue! Barlotta Catering prepared…read morehigh-quality food. The chicken was the best chicken I've had at a wedding. The root purée was silky and delicious. The steak was delicious as well. For appetizers, the mushroom risotto balls are out of this world! The staff is attentive and accommodating. This is an excellent venue for a wedding!

UPDATE: I went to Cuvee a couple of weeks ago with some co-workers, one of which who claimed to…read morelove champagne as much as I. It was a Thursday about 10pm. Doors Locked. Should I be sad?! Angry?! I was both. I finally called to ask if the hours had changed. It's not that the hours have changed, per say, but the business has changed. The New business model is event space only and no longer open to the public. Whilst this makes me incredibly sad as that was my hidden spot and the only champagne bar in Milwaukee it's bittersweet because of course a great success for the business in that they have enough event reservations to sustain it alone. Will someone else please open a champagne bar? (with bigger glasses -- now I know I'm asking too much!) Cuvee was one of my places... my hidden places to take people for the first time because I always knew 9 times out of 10 no one knew about it. The access to the building from the street was a complete mystery and an adventure on it's own as people would ask: "Where are you taking me". Silence I would remain... for I didn't want to take away from the journey. Oh and also, I quite simply love, love, love champagne. My only issue with champagne is the tiny, skinny little glass that it comes in. Makes me sad just thinking about the littleness of a champagne glass... *tears up*

I got engaged recently and emailed back and forth with the event coordinator finally settling on a…read moreday and time for a showing. When I arrived, 10 min early, the elevator was locked to reach that floor. I called twice and went to voicemail and also emailed to let them know I was waiting. After waiting 15-20 min after our scheduled time we asked another vendor in the building if they had any access to that floor or another phone number for us and we were informed that when a floor is locked that means no one is present in the space. It's been hours and I still haven't heard back... Extremely frustrated with the lack of service and shocked that I was willing to spend so much money on a place with such poor regard for their guests.

I had the opportunity to peruse the gardens at Sanger House Gardens recently and they're stunning…read more With water features, a host of leafy and flowering lovelies, brick pathways, and wildlife galore, you'll completely forget that you're in the city. They have a carriage house on site that you can rent on airbnb which would certainly make for a charming stay with such a gorgeous environment laying mere feet away. They host an array of events, from weddings to wine tastings to classes (a gorgeous spot for a wedding with a smaller guest list--this isn't your 400 person wedding sorta spot). For anyone into horticulture or simply looking for ideas to improve your own garden space, you can't help but leave here inspired. An absolute gem in Milwaukee!

What a beautiful hidden gem. I never knew about this place. It's tucked into the Brewer's Hill…read moreneighborhood surrounded by older houses. The house itself is very architecturally interesting with high molded ceilings and all original fireplaces. It's decorated to look as close to the original as possible. We came as part of #Doorsopenmilwaukee. My daughter was volunteering here later this day. The gardens have an instant peace feeling about them. It's a touch of tranquil in the busy surrounding Downtown. I loved looking at all of the different fauna and flowers. I only wish they had the signs saying what type of plant it was. There are a series of paths, a few fountains, and some nice areas where you can relax. They rent out the gardens for parties and weddings. There was a separate carriage house that has bathrooms and facilities to get dressed for events. I am sorry I didn't know about this place sooner. It's really beautiful!

I've worked multiple weddings at The Ivy House, and it's incredible! As the owner of Beauty…read moreUnveiled by Tia, a premier on-location hair and makeup company, I love this stunning venue with its lush greenery, cascading ivy, cream city brick, abundant natural light, and chic industrial vibe that makes every bridal look pop. The ivy-covered patio is a dream for outdoor moments! Highly recommend!

I've been to the Ivy House at least a dozen times over the past few years for various events…read moreranging from Milwaukee Makers Markets to wedding receptions to private dinners, and my experience is always excellent! The staff is very helpful and friendly, and the venue is beautifully decorated and always very clean. I would recommend Ivy House as a great venue for any special event.

The venue itself is nothing special. The event we attended…read morefelt rushed and not very welcoming. The parking instructions on the website are horrendous. The restaurant next door had the worst service I've experienced in years. I hope to never go back...

I thoroughly enjoyed my time intermixing yoga wellness with playful, adorable puppies. Phenomenal…read moreenergy! Great fun! A cool music Playlist for our yoga session. At times a bit of a challenge to partake in a single standing leg yoga pose while puppies are nipping at the seam of my socks. At one point, 3 puppies decided to tag team me as I laid flat on my yoga mat. As I attempted to create a calming pose and center myself...the puppies decided they had other plans for me. My hair bun became undone by a puppy tug as I simultaneously almost lost a pearl earring to another puppy. As I laid flat, I gently pulled one of the puppies onto my chest for cuddles and I received a kiss. They had great fun with playing tug of war with my yoga towel. There was a photographer capturing candid shots of us with the puppies. We were offered assistance with taking pictures on our phones. A few of us were handed puppies by one of the puppy assistants. The staff was great with sanitizing any spills from the puppies. Toward the end of the session, I noticed the puppies tired themselves out and were being cradled by a few attendees. Genius idea of puppy yoga!

Third Space Brewing occasionally hosts 'pints with a purpose' evenings where you can go, enjoy a…read morepint, and know a portion of the proceeds is helping out a local nonprofit. We attended such an evening where the proceeds from our pints were supporting Islands of Brilliance, a local nonprofit offering creative programs for autistic and other neurodivergent students. Third Space was featuring their peanut butter brilliance, which is an American style porter, for the evening. My beer buddy and I both ordered their peanut butter brilliance and enjoyed it in their tap room/brewery. There's plenty of seating so even on a bustling Friday evening we were able to get our beers right away and find a spot to enjoy them. Love this spot and while it's a little more magical in the summer months when you can enjoy the outdoors, it's a great oasis in the colder months as well. Get to it!

This is not a bad space for beer fans I'm sure, but I was here for a private party in their back…read moreroom area and cannot review the bar. While the space opens up wide, it is not air conditioned and at the height of summer it is hotter than Hades inside. They have fans, but they just push the hot air around. While I was there they had a seafood food truck parked outside, but it was hard to imagine a worse choice for a day where raw seafood would sizzle as soon as it left the window. I can't comment on service, since I didn't interact with any staff. I'm sure in more temperate weather this is a fun hangout, but man - not in summer.

A great way to learn the history of Pabst beer right where it was born…read more Our tour guide was great and the tour very educational. It's a treat to walk around and explore the building, specially on a cold day of winter. This is a fun thing do with friends & family visiting. The staff is nice. Highly recommended! P.S. Make sure you tip your tour guide!

This is NOT a conventional brewery tour like the Miller Tour here in Milwaukee or the Budweiser…read moretour in St. Louis. That's because the Pabst brewery closed over 30 years ago and moved to San Antonio. This is where Pabst started and the tour was my favorite of the 3. You can buy your ticket (adult $14) at the coffee shop on the corner and that's where the tour starts. My tour was on a Tuesday and is called the Tall Boy Tour. That's because they give you a 16 oz can of your beer of choice to start. I picked a PBR Light and then we watched a short movie about Pabst. Our tour guide was excellent. I can't remember if his name was Joe or Pat (had long black hair with a beard) but he was very knowledgeable, used humor and made the tour interesting and enjoyable. We went through several old buildings listening to the interesting story of the company (that started in 1844) and the Best family that started it and Capt. Pabst that it was ultimately named after. The tour ends in the nice gift shop. I recommend this tour!

Beautiful space, but I went here for a tour here to consider it as a wedding venue and the woman…read moretreated us like we couldn't afford it. She made multiple comments about how it's expensive and seemed like we were wasting her time. This place isn't even the nicest one we were considering and was WELL within our budget. We'll go somewhere where the people running it aren't snobs.

I came to the Pritzlaff last night for the my school's graduate school prom. It was a great time!…read more The venue is gorgeous! Very spacious! The venue easily accommodated 400 people. The food served was very nice. A very diverse spread of entrees. The staff was impeccable. They made sure that plates and cups were picked up expeditiously. They kept the venue very clean. I had a great night!!