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    Centro Café

    4.2 (289 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Bars

    Centro Café Photos

    CENTRO CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Centro Café

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    PEPPERONI
    Irene A.

    A hidden gem in River West. Probably one of those places I love going if I had more time. Next door they have a waiting area which by the way have live band on some nights Food is always good never disappoints. Love the open kitchen concept Loved the home made pepperoni pizza the sauce was not overwhelming to much love the fact that it had a lot of cheese. The bolognese in every bite you can taste that braise beef You can never go wrong with share the Caesar

    Chad M.

    Oh man, don't even think about it twice and just go to this amazing place for a meal. I was delighted with my dinner. The meal was so enjoyable and beyond delicious, the service was not pushing us along to dine and enjoy our experience, and sitting by the window, a pure delight. I will to go back here soon and have yet another incredible experience.

    Shrimp curry
    Emily N.

    Really amazing evening. Great vibes and great prices. Drinks were really nice and you could tell the restaurant cared about the experience. The bruschetta was a little bland but the rest of our meal was great!!

    Bruschetta
    Marissa P.

    Celebrating Valentine's Day with a girls' night out at Centro Café was fabulous! I opted for the flavorful salsiccia pasta (sausage pasta), complemented perfectly by the spicy marinara sauce. While my friend and myself weren't thrilled with the bolognese due to the short rib being somewhat unflavorful and untraditional, our flourless chocolate cake was dense and delicious. Additonally, the waitstaff was quick, knowledgeable, and friendly. The lively atmosphere, complete with a live band, added to the fun vibe of the evening. While this is not the most authentic or my favorite Italian spot, this cozy restaurant in Riverwest offers some great food options and a lively ambiance. I can't wait to return and try their cocktails--they looked amazing!

    Interior
    Kate P.

    My favorite Italian place in town. I love the cozy, romantic vibe here, and the open kitchen is so fun to watch. As soon as you walk into Centro you are practically assaulted by delicious smells, and it only gets better once you sit down. Everything here is good, and my Bolognese turned out great. The tiramisu at the end was probably the highlight of my night.

    Jessica J.

    Such a great night at Centro Cafe! Nothing but good things to say about the atmosphere, service, food, and drinks. There's not a lot open on Monday nights, but I'm sure glad we found this place as a spot to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday! We booked in a reservation for six people, and were sat in the upper area. All of the seating options at this restaurant are different, all really great. I liked being almost tucked away in the back. You can also opt to sit at the bar area that overlooks the chefs at work - pretty neat. My husband and I arrived first and decided to grab drinks while waiting on the rest of the group. Absolutely loved the Loren cocktail - think gin, basil, lime, simple syrup. Very tasty, and strong ;) Once the rest of the group arrived it was a no-brainer to order a few apps. Huge fan of the prosciutto wrapped asparagus and the baked criostini because who doesn't like the pesto, moz, tomato, balsamic combo. Delish. For my main, I went with the Cacio e Pepe with Scallops. Oh my goooodness. I don't often eat pasta so this was an absolute treat. Note: you must like truffle oil to enjoy this dish, because it's heavy on that flavor. Loved the cappers, mushrooms, and fettuccine all blended. The whole thing was delightful creamy, and the four large scallops on top were prepared to perfection. The rest of the table spoke highly of their dishes as well. Keep in mind, you'll spend a pretty penny on dinner here but you do get what you pay for. Also, shout out to our server; he was extremely attentive and friendly. Plus he so kindly helped us execute a mini surprise for mom: decedent dessert that came out on our family's beloved birthday plate (a long standing tradition), topped with candles. It was some sort of German chocolate cake. The dense, creamy, kind that literally melts in your mouth and keeps you wanting another bite. All in all, a wonderful evening at Centro. A real hidden gem I'd say. Be sure not to overlook this spot on your next date night!

    Tiramisu
    Allison H.

    Have been wanting to come here for a while and it did not disappoint! The food was really good and we loved being able to watch the chefs! We had bread and olive oil, two pastas and tiramisu-- all of which were delicious! It is a cute little spot in river west and we can't wait to come back in summer for the garden!

    Anthony J.

    Food and service were nothing but exceptional. I had the spaghetti & meatballs, my wife had the chicken parmesan. The drinks were really tasty too! Will definitely come back!

    Vodka Gnocchi
    Kenisha K.

    Bored and hungry yesterday so I decided to try Milwaukee's Italian side. (I also was hiding from that 100 degrees) anyways I found this place on google and decided to head down there! It's a cute little cafe on the inside with a bar and some seating outside. I dined at the bar and the bartender was very fast and friendly. The lemon drop was 10/10! For dinner I had the Vodka Gnocchi and IT WAS AMAZING! The sauce was very flavorful, hearty, and hot! The gnocchi texture was perfect! I definitely will be back!

    Gnudi
    Nicky W.

    Everything about this restaurant was delightful. We ate our meal on the patio that felt like we were in an old Italian city. The bruschetta was refreshing and light. The service was fantastic and timely and our server answered all of our questions on the menu. Definitely will be returning.

    Kate M.

    We had a lovely dinner at Centro Cafe! The space is so cozy and sweet with string lights and tulips at each table. The pasta was absolutely incredible! I highly recommend the gnocchi with the vodka cream sauce. Though, we all got pastas and I don't think anyone had any left over, so you really can't go wrong! Everything was fresh and the flavors all complimented each other. If you're in the Milwaukee area and looking for a new spot for date night, this is it!

    Dessert flourless chocolate cake!
    Calvin S.

    Fabulous dinner drinks etc ! You won't go wrong if you decide to attend this establishment. I can't wait to attend this for a second time. The owner pat and his wife are very friendly and accommodating!

    Cacio E Pepe With Scallops
    Joanne R.

    My husband and I used to visit Centro often when we lived in Riverwest 3 years ago. After moving to CA and not being able to visit again during the pandemic, we were finally able to fly back and try more food from Centro. I am happy to say everything is still just as delicious as it was in 2018 and I am so so very happy we decided to stop here for dinner on our trip back. We always started our orders with some garlic bread. You have a option to add cheese and marinara which we did and it was absolutely delicious! I picked the Cacio E Pepe as my entree and couldn't have been happier. The scallops were cooked perfectly and tasted amazing with the spaghetti. There wasn't a time we had dinner here and left without earthing their Tiramisu. It was almost just as we remembered but they used to have some crunchy chocolate on top. The cake tasted perfect without them and the perfect end to our meal. I will always make time to stop at Centro for dinner whenever I am in Milwaukee and if you're visiting the area and looking for a nice place to have dinner, this is definitely the one!

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    4 years ago

    I go every year for my birthday and sometimes other special occasions. Truly one of the cities hidden gems. Trust!!!!

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    4 years ago

    Best pasta in Milwaukee. Great drinks. Great service. Fun atmosphere. Wish they'd bring back the chef's counter though.

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    3 years ago

    Food, Service, and atmosphere are all 5 stars. I visit probably once a month. They also own a very nice Jazz bar next door for after dinner.

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    Ask the Community - Centro Café

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    4.1(706 reviews)
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    Simply put...Onesto is amazing! A friend and I decided to try Onesto for the first time, during…read moreDowntown Dining Week, after YEARS of it being on both of our list! Upon the walk up, the patio transports you somewhere else. The interior is beautifully designed (loved the local artwork on the walls). The staff was phenomenal- from the hostess to our server (shoutout to Mars)! The food was amazing! I started with the bruschetta and I haven't had any this good since a certain Bayshore restaurant went out of business in 2019. In general I'm a huge fan of Benson's restaurants, especially when branzino is on the menu and Onesto's is the best I've had from their group! Drinks...between my friend and I, we probably had every spritz on the menu, in addition to a few others! Onesto is a must try and I will be back (many times), to make up for lost time!

    I had a fantastic dinner at Onesta and can easily see why it's so highly rated…read more I started with the Berry Burrata, which was fresh, flavorful, and a perfect way to begin the meal. For my entrée, I ordered the Gnocchi, and it was one of my favorite dishes of the trip. The combination of scallops, shrimp, lobster, and a rich fennel cream sauce was outstanding. I also had the opportunity to try the Agnolotti, filled with Maine lobster and house ricotta, finished with a peppercorn cream sauce and lemon oil. It was just as impressive. I sat at the bar, where the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. I enjoyed a Barbera during my meal. I am not sure it was the right parring, but I care more about eating great food and enjoying great wine regardless of it matching perfectly. Great food, excellent wine, and outstanding service. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Milwaukee.

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    Lupi & Iris

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    Ambiance: super nice restaurant in MKE. The only thing that I found odd was how early they close…read morebut allow you to reserve online up until then. Service: our server was so nice! Because I booked our reservation 15 mins before kitchen closed, she was patient & didn't rush us. Food: we got the ragu pasta, frutti de mare, roasted rack of lamb, and steak. Everything was really delicious! The frutti de mare is just seafood and broth. It came with toast but I was there was a starch component but it was tasty & the seafood was of quality! The lamb was also very good - usually, I'm not a fan of lamb but would get this again.

    Lupi & Iris was the perfect spot to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary! Staff, food and the…read moreatmosphere were outstanding. Our attendant, Cammy, was super nice and took great care of us during our meal. We each ordered the "Barbara" cocktail. We usually stay away from "fruity" drinks but this was a great combination of vodka and grapefruit. We stated with the cheese tart which was very tasty although it was smaller than expected so we should've ordered another appetizer. We then had the ravioli di ricotta which was incredible. The sweet peppers really gave the dish an extra kick. We both had the Bavette which was the star of the meal. Steak was cooked perfectly and the sauce gave the vegetables a sweetness that I loved. It was easily one of the best meals we've ever had. Lupi & Iris will definitely give us a reason to come back to Milwaukee more often!

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    Stella Van Buren - All pastas are made fresh in-house daily

    Stella Van Buren

    4.1(263 reviews)
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    Delicious dinner at Stella in downtown Milwaukee. The restaurant was a little tricky to find…read morebecause it's on the third floor of the Westin hotel, and the elevator had no number three on the panel. We definitely looked lost because one of the staff came to our rescue and told us to press the lobby button because that's the third floor where the restaurant lives. Stella is a large restaurant with a nice bar area, well stocked with good bourbon. We had a personable server named CJ, who was on top of everything and made our experience that much better. We started with cocktails, hubs had an old-fashioned and I had a paper plane. Stella's bread service was warm rolls with a chili garlic oil. Spicy! Everything we ordered we split between the two of us. We started with the Caesar salad which had the best anchovy dressing. Next was the grilled octopus with a creamy yogurt sauce. We could cut the octopus with a fork because it was that tender. For our main entree, we shared the bone-in ribeye. They offered different toppings, but we were glad we had it naked because it was perfect - tender, medium rare and flavorful. We chose the roasted carrots as a side and they were charred goodness. Happy to say there were no negatives to our dining experience - at all. It was fabulous!

    Very nice restaurant on the lobby floor of the Westin. Elegant and well decorated. We also had a…read morevery nice server. The only reason I am providing a less than perfect rating is because the signage isn't the best and it was freezing inside the restaurant. The food was really good and it was suggested to come back for dinner!! So maybe I will!!

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    Il Cervo

    Il Cervo

    3.9(210 reviews)
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    My out-of-town BFF and I were in search of a brunch place on her recent visit. We reviewed several…read moremenus, but this held an appealing mix for us. We went to Il Cervo on a Sunday around noon, took the elevator up to nine, and entered a lobby with view-through larder showcasing hanging meats and fresh ingredients. Wine racks were displayed throughout the huge space. The space is expansive and during the day, quite bright. It is broken into several different seating areas and at least one lounge and one bar that I saw. You can also choose to sit on the balcony. It seemed remarkably empty of diners, but they could have been concentrated in other sections. Unfortunately we were seated directly next to a party of three who were very, very chatty, even though our dining area had no other occupied tables. We let our server know that we had a cruise deadline and needed to be paced accordingly and she acknowledged it and offered to bring our bill with our food. We ordered bloody Marys, which took a little bit to come out. They were good, with just enough spice, a tajiin rim, a couple olives and two pieces of cheese for garnish and sans the Sconnie beer chaser. My friend ordered the mushroom bianca pizza, hand-pulled mozzarella, fontina, black truffle ricotta, local mushrooms, roasted garlic, chives for $25. It came out and could easily have fed three or four. It was definitely more than a personal pizza. She enjoyed it and we both enjoyed the leftovers. Caveat - it was much better warm according to her. I ordered the bacon, egg, and cheese flatbread, without the bacon (bacon, scrambled egg, ricotta cheese, scallion). I could have added truffle for $15, but on an $18 dish, that seemed excessive. The crust was exceptional and unlike anything I've ever had. There was some sort of hot honey glaze, which I usually don't enjoy, but the balance on this was excellent. I'd order this again in a heartbeat. Unmentioned on the menu descriptions were the micro greens which added freshness and lightness to both dishes. Our timing was still really tight. We had to ask for our bill and to-go-containers. We made it out just in time. It took an age to run our cards, which we handed over with the bill unseen. Overall, I really enjoyed Il Cervo and will certainly go back. The food is good, the views extraordinary, but there were some service kinks to work out.

    Beautiful place to get a drink or eat with friends. The view…read moreoutside was great! I did find the drinks not worth the price, a double was 20$ and the drink glasses were very skinny and filled with ice. The waiter was very knowledgeable, but definitely could have kept a closer eye on the water refills, but other than that he was great. The bathrooms were very disappointing. They had an odor and did not look well kept or very clean which is off putting for an eating establishment. It is street parking, so plan ahead as it can be hard to find a spot. We got lucky with a 10 min walk from the car but that was on a Friday night at 9pm. I can't express enough how good the food and appetizers were and for that I will be back!

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    Great ambiance inside and outside. We loved the pizzas and pasta for sharing. Service was fast but…read morewe didn't feel rushed.

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    Dorsia

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    4.1(657 reviews)
    1.1 miLower East Side
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    I've been here a few times and it's always great. The last time we got the eggplant chips and…read morepiccante pasta. I absolutely love the fact that you can order a half potion of any pasta dish! The service was great-the staff was super friendly and accommodating. The inside was very nice and has an elegant vibe. The eggplant chips tasted great, super thin and well seasoned. I wanted to taste and feel a little more eggplant, but they were chips and followed through with the assignment! The piccante pasta is one of my favorites, and not just because chicken is included vs. an add on. The shape of the pasta is super fun and holds the sauce perfectly. The sauce is phenomenal, I normally ask for all the salt, Parmesan, red pepper, etc. up front because I'm so used to things being under-seasoned but not with this dish! It had the perfect amount of salt and spice in addition to the pasta having the ideal al dente cook to it. I highly recommend and cannot wait to go back for more!

    Surprisingly calm and relaxed for a Sunday. Very approachable staff, and despite the price point, I…read morefound the pasta to be really good! I always hesitate paying a bunch for pasta, but this fettuccine was the perfect balance that didn't make me feel too bloated or sickly after from the amount of cheese. I don't think I'd do the breaded chicken again with this, but I already knew it would hit on some of their other dishes. Overall very nice, and I'd love to try their pasta flight next time I'm in town

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    Pasta Flights and Wine!

    Centro Café - italian - Updated September 2026

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