Bistro Bar 333

Hoping for a nice relaxing dinner with my mom before an 8pm concert at the Milwaukee Theatre I thought this would be perfect. My mom is 85 & a short walk was what I could have from this restaurant. We arrived for our 6pm reservation on time & had to wait in line behind several people at the hostess station. Staff kept whizzing by but no one tended to the hostess station. I finally stepped ahead & had to flag someone down to find out if I could register that we had arrived. This girl was very flustered & kept up with the how busy they were crap. Anyhow, now being 6:15 she told us to follow her along with 3 people behind us who also had 6pm reservations & 2 people ahead of us who told me they had just arrived without reservations.
Being seated in a 6 table area facing the street we all sat there being ignored. The other 2 tables had wine lists & menus but ours did not. We had been sitting about 10 minutes & still no offer to order drinks or even bring us water & let us know they’d maybe be with us shortly. I finally got up & went into another dining area to find a menu when I overheard the waitstaff tell some customers they’d be a while before dinner as they were really busy. It appeared they’d been given drinks some time prior as most were almost empty. Sat back down & after a few more minutes of being ignored I’d had enough. The nice relaxing dinner I wanted with my mom was just a squashed idea at this point. Now being 6:40 pm we got up & left. We walked across the street to another busy establishment yet we directed to a small table where we were waited on, had drinks & dinner & on our way to the concert by 7;30 pm.
This was one of the top «never again» list. They blew it.

The best caipirinha in Milwaukee. The bartender is very nice and service is great. Go here for great bar service. I think they should institute some drink specials tho.

Hotel bar with hotel prices. Enough said.

I came here definitely not the latest today, but was served the latest and only after I said «excuse me». The server came in to our block (with 6 tables) and asked all the other five and left. Later I asked him and he served me.

Great hotel restaurant!
Make your own salad w/​Salmon — wonderful fresh, lite bit
Walleye fish sandwich is good as well…

Went there for the «downtown dining» special and was very disappointed. The special that was offered was not worth the special price let alone the regular price. The filet was very chewy and tough. The sangria came in a very small glass but was flavorful. Everything I ate was bad and very cheaply made. The customer service was good, unfortunately I will never be back.

We ate here a couple times since it was conveniently located on the first floor of our hotel. There was lots of seating both in the restaurant and bar, and an updated modern décor. The waiters and bartenders were also very welcoming and offered up some great suggestions for drinks and food.
For breakfast one of the days, I ordered the buttermilk pancakes (blackberries, mascarpone cream, sugar, and oat crust). I was expecting a small stack of pancakes, but instead was surprised to find a stack of 5 fluffy pancakes filled and topped with lots of blackberries! The orange zest throughout also lightened it up, but I still wasn’t able to finish it all.
On another night, we stopped by for dinner and first tried out the fried cheese curds as an appetizer. The white cheddar bites were fried to a deep golden brown and were paired with a spotted cow beer dip. So darn good. If only fried cheese curds were readily available on appetizer menus in Cali. I also had the chopped cobb salad, which was a large salad topped with avocado, hard-​boiled eggs, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, grilled chicken, and bacon, all tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette. After downing the cheese curds, it was a struggle to finish this salad despite how good it was, but somehow I managed to eat it all and top off the meal with a nice glass of La Marca Prosecco.
Overall, though the prices may be on the higher end, portions will keep you full for hours after!

Never mind that this is a hotel restaurant, the breakfasts here are incredible. Service, food, coffee, all of it. We ordered omelettes, they came perfectly cooked alongside a fruit plate that was almost too beautiful to eat. Delicious Illy coffee that had just been brewed, all served with a huge smile. The staff here is so friendly, and I watched as they went out of their way to help several other customers. Definitely recommend!

Downtown dining week here was a failure. They have a good menu writer because the food sounded great but it tastes horrible. Everything was bland. I will not go back there again.

I love Spotted Cow beer and I love cheese curds, just like any true Wisconsinite should. Put them together and you have a fantastic appetizer — Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds with Spotted Cow beer dip.
Fast service in a trendy lounge area found inside the downtown Hyatt Hotel.

I definitely enjoyed my meal here. But the menu for me is hit or miss so I’m giving it 3 stars.
Complimentary bread — very meh.
Angus beef sliders — not bad, but somewhat dry. It’s angus. Why do I order angus? It always sucks.
Fish n chips — YES. Fried walleye nuggets, so flippin good. Worth going back. Came w house chips which were yummy and a great tartar sauce.
Chicken n waffles — Never had this in the south so I can’t compare but It was very good!!! Sweet and savory perfection.
Caprese sandwich — ahhh I’m conflicted on this one. Buff mozzarella, arugula, Roma tomato, balsamic on garlic naan. It was so flavorful and the garlic naan was incredible but it had barely any mozzarella and after a few bites became an arugula sandwich. But those first few bites were crazy good!
They have a cool menu with a lot of interesting options. It was hard to choose. I think someone could have an outstanding meal here if they order the right thing… yay for Unilocal!
I don’t usually comment on atmosphere but it was A little weird. Seemed really upscale but the menu really wasn’t. Woulda been cool if we could have eaten our sandwiches and chick waffles while watching the game.

As we walked into the «dining area» (a secluded area of about 10 tables away from the lounge) I joked that I reserved the whole room for us — as nobody else was there (7pm). An ambiance not what I would expect. Paper menu’s and very well lite area. Not very romantic, but at least not loud. The service was great no complaints on that. But the food was average and bland. I had the filet, cooked to perfection but a very low quality piece of meat.

After a chilly night on the town in MKE, my boyfriend and I were getting ready to settle in to our room at the Hyatt for the night. I’ll admit we were both tired and maybe a little crabby, and were about to call it a night when we both looked at the hotel bar on our way in. We’d just had a ho-​hum dinner at a chain down the street (seriously, downtown, we need some better [local?] businesses in this area! We were jones-​ing for tapas and unfortunately the nearest location for said small plates comes highly un-​recommended) and had to make a choice: go to bed slightly angry and unsatisfied, or buck up and have another drink and hope to turn things around (or at least, block out the badness of the evening).
So we trudged wearily across the lobby and took some seats at the bar. I ordered a Crispin — so imaginative, I know — and he ordered some kind of Sidecar. His drink was really to his liking, and my Crispin was served in a bottle at my request, so all was good, I guess. The drinks loosened us up and started us on a heated debate about 90’s music. But then came the real standout of the evening: the customer service.
The bartender on hand, I presume the manager or some such, was experimenting with a new flavor of Absolut he’d gotten in that day — hibiscus or something fancy and floral like that. Although we hadn’t been the friendliest pair when we sat down, he started pouring us little samples of the cocktail he was testing out, and had us help him figure out what was missing. He poured us three separate tasters of the drink, a new glass each time he altered the recipe.
After tasting these test drinks and listening to him talk about flavor profiles, I realized that I really ought to have tried one of his signature drinks instead of the girly, wimpy Crispin I was sporting. So, I ordered a martini that had thyme and gin and some other wonderful things in it. My boyfriend ordered some bourbon, neat. We were having a jolly old time sipping our beverages and watching the oldies pour in from the black tie car show event across the street.
About five minutes till bar close, the bartender prompted us for another round before we hit it. We politely declined, but then asked to settle up. We’d paid cash for our first round, and wanted to charge the second to our room… but the bartender told us the second round was on him. What!!! After being treated to gratuitous testers, we also got a probably $ 20+ value on the house. Of course we tipped big, which he said was not necessary, but very appreciated.
I know this isn’t the most helpful review for anyone looking to dine at the place — which we will be, soon, because of this experience — but anyone looking for a good bar to belly up to while staying at the Hyatt or even just hanging around before/​after a show or a game, you should really check this place out. I can’t think of a better bar experience in the downtown area and it’s the best hotel bar I’ve ever been to. Period.

This was the 3^rd stop on my Downtown Dining tour. I went with the asparagus and arugula salad. When I ate the salad together it tasted awful, so I separated the items on the plate and they tasted just fine. It was a weird combination with the cheese they garnished it with.
I went for chicken and waffles for my entrée. The waffles were perfect, but the chicken was lacking. They only gave chicken wings, and they had no flavor at all.
For dessert our table all went for the lemon pound cake with crème filling. It’s was more like lemon cookies, the cake was pretty hard. We weren’t sure if it was due to being so thin or from them being frozen.
The service was mediocre. Probably wont be going back.

As hotel breakfast spots go, this one is solidly above the standard grade. Had the pleasure of a week’s worth of breakfasts and two or, ahem, four happy hour opportunity’s to engage with this place and I must say it wasn’t bad at all.
The service was especially top notch, which will bump up my review of the hotel a star.
Try the steak and eggs, or the goat cheese frittata. When you return from a long day of road work, I recommend the martini with the grapefruit vodka, can’t remember the name, or one of the craft beers from their list. wine selections are a bit sketchy, which was disappointing.

I’ll admit it, I discovered Bistro 333 because I had a Groupon…
But what an awesome discovery. My husband and I decided to order a bunch of appetizers, which was a goooooooooood choice.
A high note was definitely the fish and chips, which were lightly battered and perfectly cooked. Crispy, flaky, fall-​apart in your mouth awesomeness. Quite possibly the best fish I’ve had in Milwaukee so far…
The angus sliders were also a definite win, and make me want to come back for one of their mouth watering grinders. They definitely adhered to the philosophy of simple ingredients, done right, equals good food. The meat was juicy and flavorful, the onions were carmelized to sweet perfection, and the cheddar added just the right amount of sharpness.
Our waitress was amazing. She was prompt, recommended some amazing non-​alcoholic beverages (I was pregnant at the time, and missing fun, fruity cocktails more than I want to admit). The strawberry thyme soda and raspberry mint soda were handcrafted at the bar, crisp and refreshing — not sticky sweet like your average fountain soda.
I took away a star because of some of the food, and the layout of the place. The short rib tacos were okay, the flavors were all there, but the meat was a little on the tough side. The calamari was also a little tough. The only other complaint I have is that some of the tables are wayyyyy too close together. We had a couple seated next to us and it was very difficult not to overhear conversations. Fortunately, they were friendly and we small-​talked a bit, but it would be a bit awkward with a less friendly couple, or if you were hoping for a quiet romantic evening.
But nevertheless, I will definitely be returning!

I visited yesterday with my wife for a late (1:30 pm) lunch. We found this on Open Table, having never heard of Bistro 333 and deciding to try someplace «new» (to us). We were impressed from the moment we walked into the lobby.
My, how the downtown Milwaukee Hyatt has reinvented itself. It appears everything, from the main lobby, the bar, the restaurant, all have been renovated/​updated. Apparently, tens of millions of dollars were spent in this effort in 2009. The effect is a welcoming, warm feeling. The restaurant shares a wall of windows with Third St.
The room is fairly small, but not crowded in the table spacing. It has an upscale feeling to it, with limestone pillars, warm hues and the windows looking out on Third Street. We were seated immediately, and prompt but not rushed service followed. A previous reviewer noted the «dance-​club-​esque» music. If there was any music when we dined there, it was not noted and did nothing to detract from a pleasurable experience. I did not feel as if I were in a room off a hotel lobby, but rather in a chic modern dining room.
The menu was interesting, with sections devoted to «Intro» (appetizers, including Angus sliders), «Grinder» (sandwiches), «Pie» (pizza, including a «Milwaukee» featuring Usinger bratwurst), «Greens» (salads), «Noodles» (pastas), «Protein» (meat and fish to place over your Noodles or Greens), «Standards» (main entrees of meat or fish), «Side Plate», «Standards» (burger, quesadilla, club sandwich, tortilla soup, chicken sandwich).
Our meals were well presented. My wife ordered the Angus sliders, which she said were good, but she had not been asked how she wanted them prepared (nor did she volunteer this) so they arrived well done. They were accompanied by homemade potato chips, which were very good. She also had a side of Mac and Cheese which she said was good, not your traditional cheddar drenched mac and cheese. I had the Asian salad, which was fresh, delicious, but covered with some sort of deep fried noodle. After removing these «noodles» it became healthy and nutritious. I also tried, and enjoyed, the roasted mushroom and garlic spaghetti. Lots of leftovers, given the generous portions, all nicely packed up for us.
The service was stellar. As the dining room was almost empty, we were told «stay as long as you like» with sincerity. All in all, a most refreshing dining experience in an unexpectedly warm and welcoming setting.

I am torn between 2 and 3 stars. We went on a Friday night at 8pm and used a Groupon (the one from months back that was about to expire).
Our waiter deserves 4 stars — he fully met expectations, he was prompt, attentive but not overbearing, gave suggestions, etc.
The atmosphere is fancy. It is inside the Hyatt hotel. It is a really «chic» look. However, the music was dance-​club-​esque. It just didn’t fit with the swanky style of the tables, chairs, and nice table cloths/​fancy plates.
The first thing I noticed about the menu was that it seemed to be confused about itself. Am I a bar (burgers)?, am I a pizza place (build your own pie)?, am I noodles and co (pasta)? am I a steak house (prime cuts)? There wasn’t a theme. I was okay with the wide array of food types on the menu, because this meant more pescetarian options for me.
I ordered a drink (Orleans something…$ 12 and tiny tiny), my companion ordered a limeaide. Analysis? love that they make fresh limeaide. Felt as though my drink was overpriced for its size (seriously, like 3 ounces of fluid)
We decided to share a crab cake appetizer. It came on a very pretty plate. The single crab cake was big enough to share. I didn’t love it. It smelled and tasted fishy with mostly filler. It was mushy, too much mayo, not much lump crab. It was gooey. I would not order this again.
The complimentary bread was pretty good (the cheese bread was delicious! the italian bread was a bit stale).
My companion ordered the wedge salad. I got the margharita pizza.
The wedge salad: my companion tells me that lemon dressing and blue cheese do not go well together. He did not enjoy and says he would not order again.
The margharita pizza (10 inches, plently to split): came with a slick of oil on it. The crust was thick and floppy. The toppings were basically tasteless — though I tasted the greasiness just fine. I did like how they brought cute little dishes with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. I brought most the pizza home, and judging by how sick I felt the rest of the night, I will be tossing it out rather than eating it.
I hate to give this place such a scathing review, but I hope my comments can help them improve on a few areas. We paid about $ 20 over the groupon value and frankly, it didn’t feel like we got a deal at all because the food was so disappointing. The atmosphere was really nice. The drinks felt overpriced for their size (sorry, this is Milwaukee, not Chicago).

After a GREAT dinner we came back to try breakfast. Very nice. We ordered from the menu, and the buffet looked very nice.
Wow! Unexpected gem! Short rib tacos were lucious. Walleye w/​cherries and braised endive fabulous. Pasta with vegetables was sublime. Wow.
Our latest dinner was another order of Walleye and the Filet. Both very good. Love having the choice between two portion sizes. This is something I don’t see other places and makes this restaurant stand out in my mind.
There are other fine dining places in Milwaukee, and their prices are well above the prices here. For the price, this place is fabulous.

Came in starving and a bit tipsy at 10:30p, sat at the bar and ordered a margherita pizza for $ 10. It took about 15 minutes to come out but it was probably the BEST margherita pizza I have ever had. FRESH ingredients (buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil) and I downed that 10″ pizza like it was my last meal on Earth. The bartender even brought me crushed red pepper and fresh parmesan, unprompted. Plus, I like how I could sit at the bar and I was never pressured to get a drink.
I’m so impressed with this place, a) because the food was just amazing and b) because it’s in a hotel, no less! And hotel food is generally over-​priced and terrible.