I can say with no hesitation that my dinner at Bacchus was the best meal I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The service was superb, the food was incredible, and the space was the perfect balance of classy and cozy. The staff was helpful in explaining the menu and making suggestions. From the appetizer to entree to dessert - everything was delicious. My husband and I have come to the conclusion that Bacchus will be our go-to spot to celebrate special occasions. read more

Due to a diet, I haven't dined out big time in a long while. A mini vacation to Milwaukee and some dining research brought me to Bacchus. It is a beautiful spot in Milwaukee near the lake. The winelist has some gems on it. Their big reds may be a little young, yet. They have a wide variety of varietals, however. I never thought of seeing DRC on a restaurant winelist in Wisconsin. I'm a former vinophile and my date is not a heavy drinker, but they have NV Krug by the glass and it was reasonably priced. They graciously poured a serving in two glasses for us. My date is a very picky eater, but saw foie gras on the menu and wanted to try it. I obliged even though fois gras is too rich for my palate. It was served breakfast style with Brioche French toast, bacon, maple syrup and a quail egg. Everything was properly cooked and well executed, but it just needed some acidity to balance the richness of the dish. The Krug paired pretty well with the dish, though. I ordered a beet and melon salad. The beets were very fresh and the dish was plated artfully. I nearly drank the melon juice that was left. For the mains my date ordered the chicken and I had the Waygu. The sweet potato hash on my plate was very tasty. The meat was cooked perfectly and seasoned very as well. Very nice and balanced dish. My date's chicken was incredible. Bacchus' Madeira sauce was extremely rich and complex. I was floored by it. The chicken was cooked perfectly as well, major kudos. The service was attentive throughout the meal was when it was time to pay, it took a little long. I headed for the restroom and our server was talking to the bartender. read more

I have to admit, I always thought Bacchus was "overrated", but after our dinner this evening I no longer think that. Everything from the service to the food was impeccable. Our servers Dan and ?? (can't remember his name) were very knowledgeable and accommodating and Jon went above and beyond. The server's knowledge of their menu items was outstanding and they made great recommendations. We started with the tuna tartare, followed by lobster for me and a filet for the mister. They were both perfect. The lobster was the best I've ever had and I've had a LOT of lobster. The portions of the lobster and filet were both pleasingly generous. We ended with a molten hazelnut cake that was equally as amazing. Nothing but great things to say about this place- it was all spot on. read more

Very rarely can you say that a meal is worth every penny. We have so many great places to choose from in Milwaukee, and this is undoubtedly the best food I have tasted! The portions are very small, but it is so tasty that you are happily fulfilled. Our server Dan made our experience really enjoyable! read more

Amazing service and food- we really liked the filet, tomato and burratta salad, and Smore dessert sundae. I highly suggest dressing to impress, and setting up a reservation for most nights! read more

We had a really good birthday dinner for my wife here. Got a nice cocktail, rabbit ragout, venison and wagyu beef. Ragout and venison were our favorites, especially the venison. They also brought out some sorbets to celebrate her birthday, and we ordered the Elvis dessert, which was delicate but pretty good. The atmosphere is upscale but cool, and the service was quick and very friendly. Based on what I've seen, this should be a top pick for a nice meal in Milwaukee. read more

On Friday April 27, 2012 we made reservations for the Mushroom Dinner at Bacchus -Bartolotta Restaurant. Given that I so enjoy going to a number of Bartolotta restaurants I feel compelled to share my review by indicating that the mushroom dinner was not a success. I found it rather a significant and very expensive disappointment. Of the 4 courses served only 2 are worth mentioning "Morel Mushroom Tartine Mushroom Brie and Watercress Puree" and "Slow poached egg with crackling, roasted Maritake Mushroom and Thyme Shallot chutney". The biggest disappointment was the NY Strip white asparagus, Grilled king Oyster red wine mushroom sauce and truffle butter. The piece of meat or so called NY stripe was not even eatable part of the meat was un-chewable or very grizzly. I also would have expected more from the chief in terms of the choices and wine or beer parings and how menu was decided. I have been to a mushroom /wine paring dinner in the past at another restaurant which I found to be a very enlighten and extremely pleasant experience. Unfortunately I cannot share those same sentiments regarding my culinary experience at Bacchus. read more

Halibut was good, not great. Service was very attentive and helpful. Out of first choice wine but helpful with alternates.

Easily one of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee, and some of the best food and service I've experienced anywhere. My boyfriend and I celebrated my 40th birthday here last night and the food was amazing! We shared the crispy shrimp as an appetizer. Perfection! So delicious! I had the grilled wagyu flatiron as my entree and my boyfriend had the lamb duo. Both were amazing! For dessert, we ordered the s'mores to share and they also brought out a seasonal sorbet trio for me since it was my birthday. Our servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and attentive! Thanks Bacchus for helping to make my birthday fabulous! read more

Had their chefs spring tasting menu with wine pairing and it was absolutely on point! It was a great way to sample the menu offerings and was very reasonable priced as chefs tasting menus go. Our servers were very attentive and made substitutions to a few wine offerings that were not wines I prefer. read more

Of all the Bartolotta restaurants this one is hands down the shining star. I can't say enough about this place. I have dined at Bacchus on several occasions and the food is always exceeds my expectations. Additionally, the atmosphere is stellar. Recently, the bar (which was historically a little boring) has been taken over by 2 cocktail masters that have brought their prohibition era classiness to the forefront of the menu... which means that after dinner instead of heading for a drink at another bar with a little more of a pulse I can just have a nitecap at Bacchus and be on my way. What a great addition those 2 have been to an already fantastic location! Highly recommended! read more

We had our wedding ceremony and reception here in August. Tricia, the catering director, was wonderful--took care of every single detail. The entire staff was great--very helpful, nice, and gave the perfect level of service without feeling like it was too much. Of course, the food was fantastic, and they accommodated several guests with special food needs. The setting for the ceremony was beautiful and they handled all the logistics so well. We also felt that the prices were very reasonable for the quality you get on all levels: food, decor, service, help with logistics, wine list, and the setting! All of our guests were very impressed and happy with it (and a nice intro to Milwaukee for the out of town folks). Can't recommend it enough! read more

My friend and I visited Bacchus for a bottle of wine and a few small plates at the bar two weeks ago and I have to say Bacchus delivers every time! The décor is beautiful and warm, the bartenders were excellent! They helped up pick a bottle of sparking wine within our price range and they were spot on with the selection a reasonable Italian maker - we could have ordered two bottles! We had the scallops, the fois gras and the cheese plate and everything was exceptional from presentation to the very last morsel. Bacchus is consistently exceptional in presentation, offering, taste and service. Highly recommend! read more

I was in Milwaukee on business and was recommended to to this place. I can see why - it's absolutely amazing! I'd rank it with a top restaurant in any city. It have a very classy, semi-swanky vibe. The service was absolutely top notch. They had several recommendations that I went with and couldn't have been happier. The wine selection is crazy big. This is a must see/eat! ENJOY :) read more

We were there Saturday and were pleasantly surprised that we were not rushed. Even the vegan in our party of four found something she enjoyed. Our waiter Daniel was a true professional. Was excellent with his recommendations and was so attentive. I had the filet and I am not a big red meat person, but it was very good. ( I would have liked it better if it had been a seared, but is was fine.) We had our drinks before dinner, a great bottle of recommended wine with our meal and even made room for sorbet. Overall our expectations were met. read more

This is by far one of the best dinning experiences I've had. We chose the five course tasting menu and it was so good. We would definitely go back again!! read more

A group of us, abput 14, attended a retirement party recently. The service was excellent, but the food was about a 3 out of 10 (10 being high). The room was steril. I won't go back. read more

I can always rely upon Bacchus for a high-quality dining experience. While the menu is not the most creative, everything on it is prepared to perfection. I've never been disappointed. The waitstaff are attentive and I appreciate the small touches they provide like a hand-written birthday card on the table. The restaurant's ambiance is upscale yet inviting; ideal for business, romance, or special occasions. read more

We've dined at Bacchus several times, each time I was surprised by the poor execution of either the food and/or service. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. With the high price tag one would expect top notch service and inspired dishes. More specifically, the food is run of the mill with a heavy use of butter. The desserts we've tried were not worth the calories or money. More importantly the service on more than one occasion was rude and pretentious. I do not understand this restaurants high rating. read more

As many others have mentioned, this is definitely a place you go for a special occasion dinner. There are no prices listed on the website, but the cheapest entree is $27.50. You're paying for the excellent service, (we had two servers taking care of our party of 3), the atmosphere and of course the great food. My sister and I took my mom here for her birthday and were not disappointed. We started with cocktails, our server Daniel, recommended the Lake Effect, which my mom and sister both had. I went out on my own with the Tortuga, which was similar to a margarita with a twist. Both were delicious but the Lake Effect was phenomenal. It's a creamy, fruity drink that is a little heavy, but tasty. For dinner, I had the roasted chicken with grits and collard greens. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was very juicy. Both my mom and sister had the scallops and said that they were excellent. The desserts are beautifully prepared. The only hiccup in the entire evening was that they brought out a glass of Moscato d'Asti for my mom with her dessert for her birthday, but then added it on the bill. It was taken care of immediately when we pointed it out to our server, but in a restaurant this high-end, it shouldn't have occurred. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fine dining experience. read more

Our lovely meal started with some drinks from the casual bar. We were then led into a very airy dining room. We started our meal with some crispy shrimp. They were delicious, savory and actually made me more hungry! My husband and I are somewhat Steak snobs. I am very partial to steak places in Chicago. I have to say Bacchus is now tied with #1 as my favorite steak place in the world. We both had the special of bone in Ribeye. It is a very simple steak with a mushroom topping. The chef did it right, it was not over seasoned or cooked. The steaks are of such a high quality that their own flavor really comes through. The bone in really makes a difference in flavor. It is also a huge huge hunking piece of meat.The little potatoes cooked in duck fat were to die for. We finished our meal with a trio of sorbets. They were an excellent finish to a perfect meal. Our waitress was attentive, friendly and somehow filled my drinks without me even seeing her! Go with a big appetite, and save a little room for dessert. Can't wait to go back! read more

Wife and I went for an early V-Day dinner at Bacchus. I give it an A for a great wine list and unique steakhouse menu. The dishes were clearly from scratch and freshly made. I had the filet and my wife had a hanger steak. Both were phenomenol. The cheese plate was good as well. The only downside was the speed of service. It was a busy Saturday night so I give them some slack, but that is the only think preventing a 5 star rating from me. Prices were also a little on the high side, but not way out of line for this level of restaurant. read more

I recently ate at Bacchus the night I proposed to my girlfriend (now my fiancé). The staff was very nice and helped ensure a special night. Thanks Bacchus! read more

Our proclaimed "favorite restaurant "! Bacchus is where we go to celebrate birthdays and promotions. We took the in laws there Monday to show off our special place and our entire meal was subpar. What happened? Service was amazing but food was not on point. What was up? read more

Before getting to details, the food. Simply put, the food was exceptional. The octopus was tender and well seasoned. The Wagyu steak was amazing as were the scallops. That said, the ambience needs serious work. The place is pretentious. The staff are overbearing and there is some overlord walking around continuously with an iPad to ensure we are rushed and occupy the tables for the minimum amount of time. There was not even 2 minutes between the apps and the main. The lighting was way too bright and the music did not match the ambience. There is something wrong with the tables. The base is so large you have to either wrap you legs around it or on top of the base which was not comfortable. We had the ask the waitstaff to go away as they asked if we wanted dessert over and over again. Again. The dessert and the wine pairing was outstanding. So, great food, very expensive, but they messed up in the renovation to make it uncomfortable. As a regular at Bartolotta Retaurants, this was a disappointment and we will probably not return. read more

Loved the service and ambiance. Ordered a filet, didn't love it. Overall a great experience!!!

My experience there was outstanding! The waiter was very attentive. I recommend this place as a romantic, quiet place to take your date.

My daughter had her wedding ceremony in the garden of Bacchus and the reception in the atrium. It was perfect. The staff was outstanding! Every request was patiently addressed. The food was exceptional. The tenderest filet, scallops perfectly done, perfect French macaroons, the best tartare appetizers, veal raviolli to die for. Sorry for using "perfect" so much but there is no better adjective. read more

I've been meaning to try Bacchus for the longest time and finally got the push via Taste & Toast- I was not disappointed! I ordered the veal ravioli. The ravioli was thin and cooked to perfection and the veal was tender and had incredible flavor. The pine nuts and light sauce were the icing on the cake! I also had the Lake Effect cocktail which was a martini with a delicious cherry taste but not overly sweet. My friend ordered the 8for8 cocktail and crispy shrimp which she thoroughly enjoyed. I'm excited to get back for dinner soon! read more

Excellent restaurant. Service was exceptional, particularly with regards to helpfulness and knowledge of the wine list (they tracked down details on the vintage years of the Barolos we were considering). Food was excellent as well. Not sure it's worth even calling out what was particularly great because everything was great (the steak options are esp solid). The only ding would be the price point, but in this case I think you're getting what you're paying for. read more

When a recent work event scheduled at Rumpus Room got moved to Bacchus due to a water main break I was excited. I had been here once before but that was years ago. We had a private room which was very nice once they turned down the music. Shrimp appetizers and the veal ravioli were excellent. I had the filet with mushrooms and potatoes. It was devine!! For dessert I had the lemon tart. The lemon filling was excellent but I didn't love the meringue puffs. Great wine selection including several malbecs which isn't common. Best part? I didn't have to pay the bill!!!! read more

Food & Service were both impeccable. Atmosphere was nice without feeling too stuffy (we ate in the atrium). I had the lamb, one of us had the Bone in Rib-eye, and the other had the Copper River Sockeye Salmon, which you can only get a few weeks out of the year. My lamb was fantastic, as good as I've had. The rib-eye steak was as good as anything you'll get at Carnevor or Five O'Clock Club (ie. true steakhouses). The salmon though - my god was it exquisite. I've had salmon from many different restaurants before but this Copper River Sockeye Salmon was something completely different. I've never had salmon with such "true" flavor. To be fair, it could have much more to do with the actual fish rather than the Bacchus's preparation and cooking of the fish, but either way it was A+. I never order salmon in restaurants because I usually find it not flavorful or creative enough a dish but I can tell you I would order this without thinking twice if I ever see in on a menu again. Also - a bit out of order - but the Crispy Gulf Shrimp appetizer is something I will literally be coming back for, if nothing else to just sit at the bar and order it while having a drink. It was that good. The tuna tartare was good, but not great; I'd personally skip it next time. Deserts are good, but not quite what you'll find at Sanford or Lake Park. Can't think of anything negative to say about this place. Prices are steep; you get what you pay for though. read more

First time here.. it's a nice place with ample seating and seemed to be rather busy for a Thursday night. The two of us were seated right away. We asked for a martini menu and after ordering drinks waited about 10 or so minutes for them to arrive. Afterwards or waitress left again for another 10 or so minutes before coming back and asking if we knew what we'd like to order. We ordered our food and my partner ordered some soup prior to their entree. The soup came 10 or so minutes later and was quite bland (it was a cauliflower bisque). After finishing the soup and our drinks we waited another additional 20-30 minutes for our entrees. My partner ordered the chicken which came paired with vegetables and chorizo (most of which was burnt to a crisp). I ordered the sea bass which was actually quite good. I finished my plate and waited an extensive amount of time for it to be cleared. My partner finished their plate, and both sat in front of us for another good 10 or more minutes. Long story short, we waited, and waited, and waited. Didn't feel like sticking around for dessert to spend another half hour. Overall it took us two hours to eat dinner. The food was okay. The drinks were probably the most enjoyable part. Would not return. * I do have to add, our waitress was lovely when she was attentive. read more

the best food i've had in mke, but not nearly as good as the best restaurants in LA, new york, or vegas. good service. good ambiance. a great place to celebrate. read more

Had grilled salmon with roasted, pureed beet and Brussel sprout leaves, with garden salad and strawberry mousse for dessert. Absolutely AWESOME! read more

This place is definitely worth it! They have a unique menu which makes it nearly impossible to pick just one thing. I recommend going with a group so you can have a few different tastes and enjoy several different things. read more

Surprisingly good! Food and service standout...only issue if you have wine by the glass the bartenders pour light.

The food was exceptional, the ambiance was outstanding, and the service was without equal -- absolutely amazing, anticipating every need. Thank you for making our 38th Anniversary a special event! read more

The food was good, but the portions were miniscule and very overpriced for what was on the plate. This restaurant was a perfect example of the stereotypical gourmet restaurant where you need a magnifying glass to find your dish. One of my friends ordered a small plate of pasta with lobster, and when it arrived, it was the size of half a baseball! As we left, one of my dinner companions joked that they weren't kidding about small plates, and that we were going to have to stop at McDonalds on the way home to Chicago so he could get a Big Mac. We actually stopped at a gas station and he got a bag of potato chips and some beef jerky to tide him over. The restaurant is beautiful and the service was good. However, if you actually are hungry when you dine out, I suggest going to Lake Park Bistro instead. read more

Best Anniversary Dinner ever. Food was amazing and service was even better. Thank you Daniel and Amy for a great night!