3 stars. The food was genuinely great and the views were beautiful, which is why I'm not leaving a lower rating. But the service experience completely changed the tone of the night. One of my friends has a lisp, and the way staff treated her felt incredibly ableist and honestly humiliating. She ordered an espresso martini that was terrible, so the four of us each split it and she immediately ordered something else instead. She had only had that one drink order all night. When she went to order her second drink, she was abruptly cut off. Meanwhile, the restaurant was practically empty, we were calm and respectful, and there was absolutely no behavior that justified it. The whole interaction felt like assumptions were being made because of the way she speaks. It embarrassed her badly and honestly made the entire group uncomfortable. It's unfortunate because the kitchen and location are doing their job. Front-of-house service and staff judgment need serious work. read more

Get a reservation and head out to this upscale little residential area. Beautiful view of the city. The server, Katie, was fantastic. Very sweet and made great recommendations. We ordered Moussaka, Gemista, and the saganaki with fig as well as tzatziki, and two other dips as appetizers. The Gemista was done right with authentic flavors and texture. It made me very happy! Dessert was a chocolate mosaic that was good as well read more

See all

Delicious Greek food! Honestly could just eat their appetizers alone and be satisfied here. They have fast service, however it might be ideal to have reservations if you have a decent sized party. There's an outdoor seating area which overlooks the city skyline, which is so fun for a girls night out or a date. A little pricy but overall with a visit at least once. read more

Great views and solid food at this trendy Greek restaurant in the Brewers Hill neighborhood. We came around noon on a Saturday and found the restaurant virtually empty. We were later told that they just recently rolled out a brunch menu that apparently has not been well advertised. They had a lot of your classic brunch staples, but also offered traditional Greek like moussaka, Souvlaki and gyros. The food was very good, but the star of the show are the outdoor patios - one is located on the main level and another is found on the lower level and both offer some spectacular views of the Milwaukee skyline. Come for the food, stay for the views! read more

See all

I am obsessed with this place. Everything was SO good. The service was fantastic and the food was absolutely divine from our hummus to our grilled octopus. The vibes inside had more of an upscale feeling. My one gripe is that the pita bread is not unlimited here which is a shame for how expensive this place is. But otherwise if you're looking for top notch quality Mediterranean food, this is the place! read more

See all

What a cute little place! I came here for a coworker's goodbye brunch, but a couple of us had never been here before. It's been on my list of places to try, and I'm happy it was picked! Everyone ordered something different, but we shared two of the trio spread appetizers. I only tried the tzatziki, and it was delicious. The pita bread was nice and soft, with a flavor of spice blend on top. I ordered the zucchini frittata, a baked zucchini omelet topped with scallions and feta cheese, for my entree. It was a delicious amount for brunch. A few other dishes ordered by others at the table that I heard praise for were Greek yogurt, protein bowl (one with chicken, another with pork), and beet salad. read more

See all

Came back again for another dinner and it doesn't disappoint. Fresh foods and good sized portions. Service is always impeccable. Pretty easy to get a table most nights during the week. For my birthday they gave us a pomegranate frozen yogurt with baklava that was amazing! read more

See all

Food was delicious and the service was quick! Top picks are the kataifi shrimp and the rizogalo. Will definitely be going back to try more items on the menu read more

See all

We came to Avli for a special occasion and had made reservations in advance for our party of 9 people. We were indoors, but if you sit outdoors, there's a lovely view of the city. The menu isn't huge, but it's good. We ordered zucchini fritters, Greek meatballs, saganaki, as well as moussaka, baked chicken, lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, and a mixed green salad. I enjoyed the zucchini fritters, moussaka, chicken, and lamb. (We shared all the food.) Delicious, yummy, great view. (I didn't get photos of all the food, unfortunately.) We had a feast. I'd go again. read more

See all

It was the perfect summer night for dinner on the patio overlooking the city and Avli is the perfect place to do just that. Add it to your list if you haven't done so already! We shared the zucchini fritters, a dip sampler with tyrokefteri, tzatzi, and hummus. We had the gluten-free pita on the side, which was very good, and the watermelon salad. There were no NA beer or mocktails on the menu but they made NA versions of The Salty Cucumber (really, really good - get that if you're looking for a solid mocktail!) and the Ouzo Spritz for us - both were recommended by our server when we asked for options. We shared the octopus and chicken souvlaki for our entrees. Everything was presented beautifully and very tasty. Our server was a bit quirky... He had a lot of opinions on the food and we just struggled to connect with his persona. He didn't seem to respect his support staff by some of the comments he made. Overall, a really nice evening, and we would go back - you cannot beat the view of the city! read more

See all

I really enjoyed the food and drinks. Avli is one of the best locations in the city, so I'm glad to see something excellent open in this space. The ambiance is light and airy with beautiful views and cool decor. Highlights for me were the saganaki, and trio of spreads with pita bread. Bentley was our server and was top notch throughout. The other must is the chocolate mosaic dessert. I don't know if that is a staple on the dessert menu, but it should be! read more

See all

1. It was easy to book a table 2. Table was ready when my party arrived 3. Service was fantastic 4. The ambiance of the restaurant was perfect. 5. Food was amazing. My wife felt the stuffed peppers were exactly as she remembered from her time spent in Greece. My rack of lamb was delicious, and my son said the Shrimp Souvlaki was amazing. Unfortunately we did not take pictures of our food. I will be back again to try something different. read more

David and I enjoyed Avli and thought it had a good vibe. Their food was super flavorful and came within 10 minutes of us ordering! However, I would not get their drinks again. I wasn't a fan of my rose and the Frappé Martini was just ~decent~ My favorite dish was actually the side of "baked potato". It really is just highly flavored potato wedges! We were originally going to order the Greek Fries but our server told us to go with the baked potato as it's way more flavorful. I'm so happy we went with her recommendation!! If you're in the milwaukee area and looking for Greek food, I would check out Avli! read more

See all

LOVED everything about my visit to Avli - from the ease of booking the reservation to the dining experience! The interior of Avli is light and airy, but also gives you a family style feel with the reasonable closeness of the space (both up and downstairs - we were seated downstairs). The servers and waitstaff were very accommodating throughout our dinner and to our surprise the manager facilitated the table-side deboning of the branzino, which made the experience even more special! The FOOD is definitely the star of the show! Everything we tried was phenomenal. My favs were the prawns, branzino (cooked perfectly) and the oven roasted potato wedges. The table also really enjoyed our drinks which were Greek versions of common favorites - old fashioned and Bees Knees (the honey was really pronounced which I loved)! To top off our evening, the manager was nice enough to offer our table dessert, which was the perfect conclusion to our meal! Definitely recommend Avli for any occasion. Can't wait to be back in warmer months to really experience their indoor-outdoor ambiance, as well! read more

See all

My husband recently arranged a date night at Avli and I'm so glad he did. He made reservations for a later evening dinner on a Saturday evening. We arrived a bit early and began our experience at the bar. They have a pretty extensive wine list, beer, and a small menu of specialty cocktails. I was in the mood for a classic manhattan, which the bartender kindly obliged and mixed up a well rendered manhattan. Once our table was ready and we were seated and enjoying a beautiful view of the city, we ordered a trio of their spreads. The hummus was wonderful as was the tzatziki, but the star of the show was a feta, greek yogurt spread that was feta-forward and flavorful. The spreads are served with warm pita triangles, which were the perfect accompaniment. We also ordered the chicken souvlaki, which comes served with pita and vegetables. It was flavorful and delicious. And, for our final sharable, we got the greek fries. They are thick cut, herbaceous, which a lovely zing of lemon and feta. They were hands down the best greek fries I've ever had (hubby agreed!). Already looking forward to our next visit here! Get to it! read more

See all

This is a top Milwaukee restaurant! It's a must to start with the trio of Spreads, the roasted red pepper and feta spread is a personal favorite, the tzatziki is creamy and tasty and the hummus is loaded with flavor. We then got the Saganaki that was to die for, so cheesy and sweet! For mains I would recommend sharing a few things to get all the flavors, we chose Chicken Souvlaki and the Horataki salad which paired beautifully. The Horatiki or Greek salad is loaded with rich flavor, beware of the pits in the red olives! We ended our meal with two desserts, the chocolate mosaic and strawberry Mille. 10/10 read more

See all

The food was good but the service not so much. We had a reservation for outside. It was getting cooler out and she said if we wanted a heat lamp we would need to sit downstairs. We said ok? Two minutes after we sat down they took our heat lamp upstairs? Even the person that seated us said that they would light the heat lamp by our table, What was that??? read more

Such a unique concept in MKE. I am very happy that MKE has such a dining option now. It's a beautiful, modern and upscale Greek restaurant at a great location that has a view. Service is absolutely amazing. We've been to many restaurants in MKE and this is the first one that we saw tall servers actually squat down to take orders - not that they have to but that's certainly impressive. Presentation of food and drinks is beautiful. The zucchini fritters was yummy and we highly recommend it. The spread sampler with pita bread tasted pretty standard. For the entrees, if you like mashed potato with cheese or shepherd's pie, you will like Moussaka. The Beef Ragout Pie got the baked Greek pastry puff on top and beef tomato stew inside. Both entrees that we got tasted homey yet yummy. Overall, it's a great spot for date nights and small group gatherings. read more

See all

Delicious and fresh tasting food. We had a wonderful waiter and she had our food come out at different times so we ultimately created a diy 3 course meal since we wanted to try quite a few items to share. The feta was to die for and the fritters I absolutely loved. Very nice atmosphere and the drinks were also very good. Will most definitely be returning. read more

See all

Highlights/Lowlights 1. Amazing Food 2. Friendly Service 3. Cool Space, but Loud WOW! We dined at Avli for the first time on Friday and we were completely blown away. We made a reservation online in advance and I'm glad we did as the place was packed! We were seated immediately upon arrival and taken to their lower level dining area. The vibe was cool but it was weirdly hot and kind of muggy? Not sure if it's because it was busy or a warmer than usual December Friday. It didn't really bother us! It was also very very loud down there. Again, it was a December weekend so lots of big groups together for the holidays but we did have to talk a lot louder to hear each other. Avli is shareable plates and the food was INCREDIBLE. Every dish was excellent. We started with a selection of three dips and gluten-free pita. As always, the gluten-free pita is surely prepared in a shared kitchen, if you specific dietary needs/questions you should call ahead. The GF pita was fantastic. Perfectly seasoned and warm. We did the tzatziki, hummus, and red pepper dip. All were great. We also ordered saganaki, souvlaki and mousaka. We were so impressed with the food. Each dish was bursting with flavor. Service was perfect throughout the meal. Friendly, fast and every detail paid attention to. This is probably one of the best meals I've had in a while! We can't wait to come back. read more

See all

Amazing happy hour + service! excited to come back for patio season! Tried the dips , so good

Stopped over for Taste & Toast Milwaukee and Avli did not miss! Everything was delicious, thoughtfully served. The A-Gouri (cucumber martini) was amazing! My only complaint was that we were taken downstairs immediately with a top floor barely being used. The top floor has the nice view of the city. No one asked for a preference or anything. read more

Nice location. Quiet on a Sunday night. Flaming cheese was delicious with honey and lemon and vodka. The beef meatballs were a little dry, even though the tomato sauce was delicious. The moussaka was the best as were the lamb chops. The lemon rice soup was too salty. The calamari were standard. Very attentive service. read more

See all

I have been waiting for this one to open for so long! I'm glad they are doing well and it can be hard to get a reservation - hopefully a good sign of staying power! My husband and I walked over in the Halloween snow to try out Avli. As soon as we entered we were both impressed with the very different feel to the place than previous restaurants in the space have achieved. The decor choices are whites and neutrals which evoke an airy & spacious vibe. We opted to start with the trio of spreads and went for the tzatziki, hummus, and spicy feta dip. All were very good but the tzatziki was my personal favorite. You get a decent amount of very good fresh & warm pita to enjoy with the spreads and it made for a great appetizer. For dinner my husband and I both opted for the souvlaki - he did pork and I went with chicken, and a side of Greek fries. It was a good amount of food for a decent price. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be back again, I can't wait for the summer time to start enjoying the beautiful outdoor patio! read more

Avli - Trio of spreads - Greek Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

We went here for the first time on a Wednesday night to celebrate my birthday. I've been to several different restaurants at this location now (root down, wolf peach, miss you ) and they definitely changed it up aesthetically! It does feel very "Greece" with white washed walls, wicker detailing and minimalistic decor. I think they could do more to enhance the space and make it a bit more fun/welcoming. I ordered the "Greek in Wisconsin" which was their version of an old-fashioned, it was good but I had the expectation it was going to be a stiff drink and it had soda water in it, but still good! Overall our food was good but I wouldn't say it blew me away. I did really enjoy their dip trio and the pita was delicious. The calamari breading was done really well, but the calamari itself seemed a little over cooked, same with the pork skewers. The street fries and Soutzoukakia were a highlight! One bummer is they were out of a couple of the dishes we wanted to try that night, so we will be back to give it another go! Our server was super helpful in ordering and did comp my birthday dessert which was really sweet :) read more

See all

Vibes are so beautiful. We went during the evening, but from looking at the pictures, I would have loved to come earlier to experience more of the natural light for the outdoor space! This place (Chicago locations) has been on my list for so long for when I visit the city, but I've not gotten the chance. This is my first at any Avli so I was super excited. Our server was great. Great conversations, recommendations, and overall personable throughout the night. We started off with the sampler w/ the three T's (tarama, tirokafteri, and tzatziki), saganaki, and kataifa prawns. The pita was so soft and warm and the dips were spectacular! I could definitely see myself getting full off of just pita! Prawns were okay, I liked that they were wrapped with the puff pastry, but was overall something I probably wouldn't get again. Lastly, the saganaki was a good surprise for me. I didn't know what to expect and was not super enticed by the photos but who could say no to soft gooey cheese? I enjoyed it a lot. The cheese was savory, gooey, and then topped with a sweet fig jam that complemented it so well! I really enjoyed this with pita but definitely would recommend ordering the bread with it. For our main entree, we ordered the beef ragout pie and a side of Greek fries. We didn't enjoy the ragout as much as it was hyped up. The presentation was great but we felt it was way too salty. It definitely helped eating it with the puff pastry, but something we'd probably not get again. The greek fries had great seasoning and was really enjoyable! TLDR, get the dip and pita!!!! We loved the vibes and will be back! read more

See all

First time in Milwaukee, leaving from here on a cruise. Found a really popular breakfast place a good walk from our downtown hotel. Got there and it was 1.5 hour wait. Started to Yelp for a different spot and saw this place right across the street and took a chance. Fantastic! Decor and ambiance were very cool, our waitress was really wonderful. My wife had bacon and eggs off the menu. I went with the Avacado Mousse; not your run of the mill avacado toast. It was delicious. Great start to our vacation! read more

I was one of many who was very excited for this place to open and the food didn't disappoint! We had a weeknight reservation, which is very much still needed. We shared the trio of spreads - the Tirokafteri being the best of the three we had in my opinion. They offer regular and gluten free pita. We had the moussaka and the baked chicken for our main dishes. Both were very good and a good portion size. The baked chicken is wildly crispy and herby, and still juicy. The moussaka was rich and flavorful. We finished with the chocolate mosaic for dessert which was like a thin slice of dense, nutty cookie topped with ice cream. Our drinks were fine - nothing to write home about. The wine menu is (all?) Greek fyi. Parking can be tricky so leave a few minutes to park and walk a min or two to the restaurant. We had a hiccup with the hostess seating the two people on our reservation in two different locations in the restaurant for a while, but I'm sure they'll work out those kinks. Also, despite it being on their website and sent to you when you make reservations, this location does not use the InKind app. The upstairs is so very loud and a little bit too dark in the corners, but downstairs is not as loud and better lit. Overall, the food being the most important, I'll be back. read more

See all

We were so excited to try out Avli for a romantic date night vibe! We were able to get a last minute reservation and informed the hostess that we were celebrating a special occasion. This was not even acknowledged which felt a bit rude. When we arrived we were seated quickly. The restaurant was packed, quite small inside but it looks like they have a lot more seating available outside. The (kinda) bad: the restaurant was so dark and the menus were very hard to ready without needing to use your phone's flashlight; the seating was quite tight; there wasn't space anywhere for people waiting to be seated so they were just crowded around tables; and the music was blaring. It was definitely more of a clubby/party dinner vibe versus romantic, so that's clearly what they were going for. I wouldn't recommend for a romantic date but a Saturday night with a group of friends, definitely! The good: the service - our server was terrific and very kind, and the food came out very quickly when ordered. The food - this is the most important part so I'll rave, we had the Tirokafteri, saganaki, Spanikopita, Greek potatoes, and souvlaki. Everything was so flavorful and delicious! The saganaki is a KNOCKOUT. it has this spicy fig on top which makes it a bit more sweet and savory, my partner said it was the best he's ever had and I'm inclined to agree. read more

Avli - Tons of folks waiting to be seated, bled into around the dining tables - Greek Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

I have been patiently awaiting the opening of Avli since it was announced and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere was fantastic (located in the old View MKE building), the staff was attentive and the food was all delicious. We had a larger group and opted to share everything so we were able to try as many dishes as possible. I can honestly say every dish we had was great - nobody at our table had any complaints. We all left satisfied and excited to plan our next dinner at Avli. Overall favorites: sampler trio (we chose tirokafteri,tzatziki, hummus), saganaki, & the zucchini fritters Also ordered: spanakopita, chicken souvlaki, horiatiki salad, Greek fries, Strawberry Mille Feuille, chocolate mosaic read more

See all

Came here on a Friday night with some friends and I really liked the food! I highly recommend a reservation as it was quite busy on the weekend. The crowd is a bit younger and the music was quite loud but we loved the shrimp kabobs and chicken! read more

Avli is located on the north side of downtown Milwaukee. Nestled in the "hills", with a beautiful view of the city. The decor was very much my vibe- chic, boho, modern. There are two floors, both floors have a full service bar + tables to eat. We went early Saturday evening, around 4pm. We did this because we had our sweet girl with us and the later it gets the crankier she gets (who blames her?). Needless to say, it was not busy at this time. The service was immaculate. The waitress allowed us to have family time, while also checking in at the perfect moments. The drinks were curated with various bitters + liquor. They even have a delicious zero-proof cocktail list, which they allow you to make alcoholic. I decided to add rum to one of the NA cocktails (pistachio rice milk, pistachio syrup, vanilla, spiced rum). It was DELICIOUS. It reminded me of a light pistachio egg nog. Not too sweet, not too milky. I also got the Avli Spritz, which was a delicious take on the Aperol Spritz-- less bitter and more refreshing! My husband ordered a dirty martini + another one of their vodka cocktails, which he enjoyed. We decided, per usual, to get small plates over one main meal. We started off with their hummus and pita-- super fresh hummus with just the right flavors and the pita was thinner and more doughy (which I LOVE). Next, we ordered the meatballs [the SAUCE. it was the red SAUCE. Yall. So good], the octopus [perfectly chargrilled with the most tasty pesto-based dressing + ripe cherry tomato-- The hubby loved this so much], and the spanakopita [one of my favorites, especially since they had their delicious tzatziki underneath]. Aspen wanted fries (typical toddler), but wow were these even amazing. Super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Aspen was a huge fan! They treated her so well here, gave her a big girl cup with all of the animals on it and allowed her to dance like no other. 10/10 recommended. read more

See all

me and my girlfriend were recommended this place while visiting the city and wowwww it was sooo delicious. absolutely makes it easier when you make reservations it does get quite busy. we sat outside since it was a nice evening and ordered the dip trio and chicken souvlaki and charred broccoli and it was plenty of food. I would've ordered dessert but i was simply too full. service was great absolutely will be back when in wisconsin again read more

Avli - spicy baba margarita and a cucumber vodka drink - Greek Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We came here approximately two months after going to Greece, so apparently couldn't get enough of Greek inspired food. Our waiter was extremely friendly, extensively knew about the menu, and checked on us often. He made our experience here worth recommending this place and coming back. Food was great. We downed everything from the Sampler, Saganaki (You WI cheese lovers will like this for sure), Beef Ragout, and Souvlaki. Moussaka must be a hit because it was out by the time we were there for dinner. Drinks are a big hit. Salty cucumber was very refreshing! read more

Avli - Sampler - Greek Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Avli was very tasty and the service was incredible. I feel like it was a bit expensive for what it was but overall, great experience. read more

See all

What a great experience at a beautiful new restaurant! The service was fantastic! My wife and I enjoyed our cocktails, appetizers, main course, and dessert. This is my first 2024 Elite review to start the year off right. You must make your reservation to Avli immediately. You will not regret it. The menu is Greek inspired and the server (Ramon) made great recommendations. We definitely will be returning! Additionally, you will see a video of a very kind manager deboning my fish! What remarkable customer service. read more

See all

Found this on a recent visit. Pleasantly surprised to find it was the old Roots location. Great views! They've done a great job with the interiors - it does have a Mediterranean vibe. The cocktails were great, service was wonderful, and the food was fabulous. Especially loved the fish in harissa sauce. read more

When I saw that Avli was coming to Milwaukee, I was so excited! I used to frequent the Lincoln Park location in Chicago. I was happy to see that it was same high quality Greek restaurant as its sister restaurants. My cousin and I dined there recently and boy, did we enjoy the food and the ambiance! We started with the Mixed Green Salad. Definitely recommend! She had the Spanakopita and Moussaka; I had the Shrimp Souvlaki. Both dishes were flavorful - we could not get enough! For dessert, the Frozen Yogurt with Saragli was the perfect finish to an amazing meal. We really loved the ambiance. This location is so much bigger than the Lincoln Park/Chicago location with the same charm. With two levels, I'm already thinking about bringing a bigger group here! The service was amazing. From being greeted at the front door to the time we were seated, my cousin and I felt welcome. I can't say enough about our server (unfortunately, I forgot her name - sorry!). She was patient with all our questions and indecisiveness. I mean, when you love Greek food, where do you even start? It's definitely great for date night, girls night, or the nights you just want something different. I look forward to returning in the near future!!! read more

Definitely one of the better restaurants I've tried in MKE thus far. Ambience, menu selection, service and attentiveness from staff far exceeded my expectations. We were greeted warmly by our server, who took his time walking us through the menu and offered suggestions on dishes to order. Menu items we tried were well-balanced (albeit maybe a bit on the saltier side), flavorful, and beautifully plated and presented. They were also well timed in terms of when they arrived to our table. Atmosphere was casual but elevated--great for a nice dinner or date night. The restaurant sits on a street with an incline, giving way to views of the Milwaukee skyline at nighttime. I can only imagine how gorgeous it will be in the summertime when their patio is open for seating. Overall, the staff, food, and experience at Avli was lovely. We ordered a bunch of food, were stuffed at the end of our meal, but still didn't feel gross because the menu selection is tasteful, not overbearingly oily or heavy, and well garnished with vegetables and herbs. 10/10 would recommend. read more

See all

What a wonderful place to celebrate a birthday. From the moment you walk in the door it is an amazing experience and you become part of a Greek family almost. You learn from servers who know so much about the menu and have amazing recommendations for you. This place has an amazing romantic atmosphere with amazing food. There are so many must try options like their spreads which are a great starter along with the calamari. We also really enjoyed the lamb chops as they leave you wanting even more. Also the chocolate mosaic is a great way to end the night with a bang. read more

See all