An amazing corner spot in the heart of BayView! A true staple to the community. Their pasta is amazing and homemade. Tiramisu is a must. From the smile at the door to the bartenders and servers, service is amazing. read more

See all

I moved to Bay View about 18 months ago, and learned of Tenuta's when I drove by one day on a tour of my new neighborhood. I thought it looked charming, a hold-over from an era not that far in the past, but generally gone. I looked forward to dining there, but it took a recent invitation from new friends to get me through the door. The only reservation we could get was for 4:30. Hmmmmm...OK, I figured we'd be the sole patrons at that time of day, but I was wrong. And that tells you one thing you need to know: Tenuta's is popular, and rightly so. Despite being generally more adventurous in my choices, I ordered the pesto. I judge every Italian place by its bruschetta (on the menu but not ordered) and its pesto, and Tenuta's passed my personal test with flying colors. The most pleasing things about the dish were the very generous amounts of tasty sauce on the pasta, chicken, and zucchini. The least pleasing was the pale orange of the very underripe cherry tomatoes included. Companions had the nightly special (gnocci with bacon and a gorgonzola sauce) and the Calabrese, a tantalizingly spicy dish. Everything was perfect. Desserts ordered were the tiramisu (a large portion) and butterscotch boudino, a dreamy cup of butterscotch pudding, homemade butterscotch sauce, whipped cream, and a bit of sea salt. Service was quick, professional, and friendly. The restaurant is small, but cozy and welcoming. read more

We had the burrata, bolognese, marsala chicken, and tiramisu. Pros: huge portions for the price, classic American Italian dishes, friendly and fast service, nice ambiance Cons: marsala was sweeter than expected, tiramisu wasn't as coffee forward as I expected, difficult to get reservations on busy days (though expected how small this place is) Would definitely return again with friends. read more

Tenuta's truly doesn't miss EVER! Whether it's sitting at the bar or a table, the service is always friendly and attentive. The atmosphere makes you feel right at home with elegance and warmth ever present. The food... amazing! I normally go for the special of the night. Tonight was a delicious stuffed pasta with short rib and a rich sauce. Paired with a warm soup and a glass of red wine. Perfect meal to warm up on a cold day! Let's not forget the tiramisu to cap the night! Thank you so much! read more

See all

This is the place!! The best Italian food in Milwaukee. Tenuta's is the perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant with the classic homemade cooking. It makes you feel good! Service always is attentive and friendly. The dishes come with focaccia and salad and large dinner portions. It's a great value compared to many other Italian restaurants in Milwaukee! The food is comfort food, tastes great, and consistent every time you're there. Just a couple of notes: I think the focaccia would be even better if it came out warm and the butter came out just a titch softer. The Aperol Spritz portions have leaned a bit heavy on the champagne side the past couple of times I've been there but that could just be preference. Overall, this is a great go-to spot and highly recommend! read more

See all

Great food and service. Adorable restaurant located in a beautiful neighborhood. We tried multiple dishes and all were a hit!

I've been here a number of times and have 2 favorite dishes - 1) the agnello - lamb meatballs with the spicy pasta and goat cheese, 2) the shrimp scampi. I will continue to come back for these 2 items and the table bread. I have probably tried 10 other dishes and they are underwhelming or just not good. The carbonara is the wrong texture with way too much pancetta, the marinara is too sweet, the ravioli tastes like it's from the grocery store, the calamari way too oily and almost burnt. Service is fine. White table clothes are nice. I always walk out of this place reeking of garlic and oil (my guess is the air filtration from the kitchen isn't great) so don't wear anything you can't throw straight into the wash when you get home! read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Chicken Marsala, shrimp scampi - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

Our friend who used to live in MKE and was visiting from out of town recommended we meet here for a Friday night dinner. She set up the reservation and I'm glad she did since we were a larger group and they were pretty busy this evening, as most restaurants on a Friday night could be. The staff were prompt and helpful understanding it was the majority of the groups first time there. The food was great - we ordered a variety of pasta and salad. The one that stuck out to me was their risotto which had a great taste and texture to it. The food took a while to come out but it was understandable given that it was a busy Friday night dinner group. All in all, it was a good time with friends with great food, would recommend and I look forward to coming back once more. read more

See all

One of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee, we always try to have a nice dinner while visiting. It's located in neighborhood with tons of street parking. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so either get a reservation or get there early. Prices are in the $20-30 range for entrees and are worth every penny. My favorite so far has been the carbonara, which is one of the best I've ever had. My wife loves the Funghi mushroom ravioli with a sweet Marsala sauce (I think I could just drink that sauce, it's that good). Service is pretty quick and attentive as well. I think my only complaints are that sometimes the bread comes out really cold (even when it's presented in a basket under a towel as if it was hot) and entrees that come out together are at wildly different temperatures. Those are only mild inconveniences though and I will happily return when in the area! read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

let me start by saying this place is SMALL but the food is sooooooooooo good. I absolutely love the arancini, it's literally to die for. The polpette (meatballs) and bruschetta are both so good. My husband and I ended up getting full off of the appetizers and took home our pasta. I got chicken parmigiana and my husband had the lasagna. We agreed we definitely need to come back for the pizza. The service was good and the waiter was friendly. I'll be back! read more

I had always heard great things about Tenuta so I was happy when my friend from out of town wanted to go. We were a party of 7 and I felt very taken care of by our waiter. She was nice and attentive. I had the Calabrese which was delicious. I like spicy food and I think it had the perfect amount. I also had the Caesar salad which was also delicious. I loved how the dressing was super light. Our food did take a while to come out but besides that everything was delicious and I will be going back. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Calabrese - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Came here for a romantic valentines day dinner and it was fantastic! First reservations are s must as this restaurant is small and extremely busy. We started out with an appetizer, the calamari. Perfect portion and calamari was delicious. Perfect light breading and loved the sauces. Entrees: I ordered the crispy butternut squash ravioli which was cooked in a brown butter sage sauce and topped with crispy kale. This was the most delicious pasta dish i have ever had! The raviolis were plump with filling. I enjoyed this dish so very much. My bf ordered the spicy vodka penne pasta dish. It was delicious and incredibly spicy! just beware. However a delicious dish. For dessert tiramisu which was decadent. Cocktails: i had the blackberry basil lemonata. I hope this cocktail stays on the menu because it was incredibly refreshing. I would order this again every time. Highly recommend Tenutas and we will definitely be back soon!! read more

See all

Wow! Love this place. Came here on my birthday, along with my wife and kids, 19 and 15. Small restaurant with limited inside seating and a few outdoor tables. Feels like old school Italian joint. Service was really good and it was a busy night. All in all the place was a great vibe. For apps we had the meatballs and rice balls. Both were really yummy and were served with lots of sauce. For mains I had the carbonara, and it was really good. Great taste and had lots of bacon. My wife had the eggplant and it was Devine. One kid had penne with vodka sauce--not on the menu but made it happen. The sauce was crazy good. My other kid had the Margherita pizza. I am a NYC pizza snob and I can say this was tasty. Crust was so crunchy!! Kids had soda and the wife and I wine. Yum Go. Here. Now. read more

Make sure you make reservations! Even with reservations, we were waiting in front for awhile for our table. Also be prepared to smell like garlic and oil for the rest of the night. We started with the calamari, which was fine, but not super meaty. We then opted to upgrade our starter salads to Caesar, but it was pretty wimpy so I would maybe just stick to the house salad next time. One of our favorite pasta dishes was the Scampi - it was a perfect blend of garlic, butter, white wine, and spinach. The one we could have probably skipped was the Parmigiana, perfectly acceptable, but nothing to write home about. Another delight was the Funghi, which I'm happy was to share, because the sun dried tomato overpowered the sweet marsala and cream and was super decadent. The best pasta of the night hands down has to be the Agnello - the goat cheese paired with a tomato cream sauce, Calabrian chiles and lamb meatballs? I'm drooling right now thinking about it again. It's a MUST get. We ended with the Tiramisu, which was pretty lacking in our opinion - you could skip that. read more

See all

Cozy little neighborhood spot. Food was great across the board. We had the free bread (amazing!), arancini, funghi pasta (favorite dish of the night I think!), piccata (indulgent, but the broccoli was just ok), and tiramisu. Service was attentive. We're definitely interested in coming back to try more pastas and their pizza! read more

See all

Always a great spot for date night. Excellent food and great service for a very busy restaurant. Definitely make a reservation beforehand if you don't want to eat at the bar. read more

We finally made it to Tenuta's! We have always wanted to eat here but it's usually super busy or we just forget about it. The wait is over and the experience was amazing. We went on a Sunday night to celebrate our anniversary since we thought the place would be empty, it wasn't. There was still a very healthy amount of folks there and we had a celebrity sighting that night. Bernie Sanders was in town and I guess he likes Italian food. We started with the Bruschetta and the ingredients could not have been fresher. It was drenched in balsamic which gave it a really nice extra kick of flavor. Plus I'm not sure I've ever had the dish with shallots but vey nice. I had the Angello for my main course and it was soooo good. The lamb meatballs were great and not heavy at all. And the tomato cream sauce with the Calabrian chilies was a fabulous compliment to the dish. We had to try the Tiramisu since that's our deal, no mater how stuffed we are we also try the Tiramisu when we're in an Italian restaurant. Super good and did not dissapoint. The service was great and they have a very nice wine selection. Can't wait to go back. read more

See all

Excellent experience. Arrived at 6:30 this evening with no reservations, restaurant was packed. Host informed us of at least a 45 minute wait for a table. We decided to leave. As we were returning to our car, the host ran out and called for us to return as she had just received a cancelation call. Seated immediately. Service was pleasant and attentive. The arancini appetizer was outstanding. The entrees, picatta, marmalade, and vodka sauce pasta were all amazing. Finally, the desserts, tiramasu, cannot, and pudding were wonderful. When you're in the neighborhood GET RESERVATIONS BRING YOUR APPETITE ENJOY read more

I'm in Milwaukee for work and found Tenuta's on Yelp. It was close to my hotel and had great reviews.. The restaurant is in a mostly residential neighborhood and it is clearly a local favorite. The space is small, but not too loud and the restaurant was packed when I got there. I found a seat at the bar after a short wait and ordered my customary Manhattan. The bartenders provided very good service and Wednesday evening on the road is always pizza night. I ordered a thin crust, pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and onions and a house salad. The salad was delicious and my pizza came out shortly after I had finished it . The pizza was hot and delicious. It's obvious why the neighbors love this local gem and it's on my list of go to restaurants when I'm in Milwaukee. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Yum! - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

One of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Every time the service has been incredible. The food and wine perfect. And one of the best dirty martinis I've ever had. The best. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I was traveling through Milwaukee and wanted to have some Italian fare for the evening. I went on a Thursday and sat at the bar. It is a small cozy restaurant with great ambiance. While the eatery was busy, the service was impeccable. The food was good but not 5 star worthy. I had a house staple, Agnello. It is described as: Lamb meatballs, Calabrian chilies, tomato cream sauce, penne, goat cheese I think those ingredients are the perfect combination, but I would opt for less cream and more of a core red sauce. I would and actually want to go back and try their pizza. Give this place a shot, its great. read more

Went for my son's birthday. It was delicious all around. I wish I had known they gave free bread before I ordered an appetizer only because I got super full. The pre bread was so good, the burschetta was crispy but soft, the short rib ravioli was amazing and the cannoli was the icing on the cake. The waitress was super attentive and very understanding. I love the size of this restaurant, not super small but not too big either. It has a nice cozy feel and isn't super loud. Perfect place for a date, an adult birthday or just an everyday dinner. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Short ribs - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

My husband and I had a rare opportunity for a date night so we opted to try Tenutas. This is obviously a favorite because even on a Sunday, there was a line forming to get in when they opened at 4pm. The ambiance was quaint and inviting. My husband and I enjoyed our bread, the focaccia was so light and flavorful! The calamari was so tender, it literally melted in my mouth and was probably the best I've ever had. We also enjoyed our salads, my husband really can be picky about Caesar and said his was delicious. For our main courses, my husband got the bolognese and I had the gnocchi bistecca. It had been hard to choose because of so many yummy options, but I guess we will have to return for more! We finished with tiramisu and it was so light and delicious as well! We can't wait to go back and try more! read more

See all

After decades, this place is still going strong!! I had a crisp, thin crust pizza and it was excellent. The wife ordered this salted caramel, butterscotch pudding for dessert and she was in heaven. Great service, food and beverages as always. Keep up the great work!!! read more

We had a beautiful dinner at Tenuta's Italian - Bay View last night. Got there early at 5, and it was hopping! We had: -carpaccio (best I've ever had...meat was so tender and beautifully balanced with capers, cheese, and arugula) -Agnello pasta: Lamb meatballs, Calabrian chilies, tomato cream sauce, penne, goat cheese -Pan seared salmon, snap pea risotto, melted leeks, cherry tomatoes, brown butter, thyme -tiramisu....OMG. We started off dinner with garlic bread, and kids had an amazing thin crust pizza, but didn't manage to grab pics. First time here, and won't be my last. Intimate space with outstanding service and food was 10/10! Highly recommend. A++++++ -- read more

See all

We didn't set reservations on a Saturday night so sat at the bar but sooo yummy. Pasta was a must. Busy in there but cozy read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - 12" Thin Small Pizza - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

My husband and I came to celebrate our birthdays together. The food was delicious. The atmosphere was quaint and the service was great! We started with an appetizer of Burrata. I had the Bistecca, wow was it amazing! The steak was so tender and the flavors were so good. My husband had the shrimp scampi, which was good, but not as flavorful, so he said he'd try something else next time. Their menu is really big so it's hard to choose! Guess we'll just have to come back. P.s. we heard it's recommended to make a reservation. So glad we did! read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Burrata appetizer - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

We loved our time at Tenuta's! Our pizza was sweet and spicy and the cream cheese was a great add. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the cream sauce was really good. Everything we had was delicious. They had a variety of cocktails available which we enjoyed. Service was very fast and friendly. It is a smaller restaurant so I recommend calling in a reservation ahead of time. Overall highly recommend! read more

See all

We are already making a reservation for our next dinner, and coming up with a way to get back here often. Tenuta's is a classic Italian restaurant, in all of the best ways possible. The server had a great wine reccomendation for us, there was no rush for us to enjoy our bottle of wine with our dinner, and the ambiance was just right. It's a smaller resturaunt in the middle of a neighborhood so make sure you made a reservation over the phone and a week or more in advance. It felt like this was the place to be on a Friday night. The pasta was extremely fresh and tasted like someone's Nonna was making it in the moment for every dish. If you haven't been, you should quickly add Tenuta's to your 2025 resturaunt bucket list read more

Your very friendly neighborhood Italian restaurant. Casual vibes but still a nice dining environment. Large portion size for the price. We got Antipasto, Bolognese, Diavola Small Pizza (sub with meatball) and Tiramisu for $61 and took home half of the food. Plus complementary bread and butter and soup for any entrees. Everything was delicious and all the red sauces are on the sweeter side. Street parking is easy. Would recommend this restaurant! read more

See all

Went to Tenuta's on a Saturday night with my daughter. I had been here previously and wanted to expose my daughter who is a bolognese connoisseur. Calamari with Calabrian chillies (Is Bobby Flay watching?) was good as a starter. Bolognese was great as affirmed by my daughter. Cacio y Pepe was a bit salty, but what can you do with pancetta? Cheese cake and grappa did a nice job of finishing off the meal. read more

See all

My husband and I went to Tenuta's on a date night last night. It was my first time dining there. I can honestly say this was the best bisteca I have ever had. Laura, our server, was amazing and attentive. The hostess was friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere was wonderful and the food was delicious. read more

Tenuta's has a great vibe and the service is good. But, I really wasn't impressed with the food. For the price of the pasta I would expect more. My boyfriend and I tried two dishes and weren't big fans of either. read more

I've been here many times and I've never written a review - overdue! Went again last night with a party of six - beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, outstanding food. It's a small place so on a holiday or weekend definitely recommend reservation. Or, order a carryout pizza! Can't go wrong... read more

I had a wonderful meal at Tenuta's last night. Sat at the bar, met a few new people and really enjoyed a wonderful meal. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and it was very satisfying. Delicious sauce, fresh pasta, the meatballs were tender and it was all very tasty. The pre meal bread and side salad were also very good and fresh. The service was amazing. I hope to be coming back next year for my nationals tri race and definitely will come again. read more

Delicious Italian food in a cozy environment. whether it is a pasta dish or one other pizzas, you are sure to enjoy your meal at Tenuta's. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

WOW! What an amazing dining experience. The restaurant is smaller, but the atmosphere is homey, welcoming & warm. We had a reservation for 4 and were greeted by the hostess right away, and told our table would be ready in just a moment. We sat right next to the window and had a full view of the restaurant. Our server, Sarah, was absolutely wonderful! She was so knowledgeable about the menu items and gave our group fantastic suggestions for appetizers, entrees and sold us on all 3 desserts! Each entree comes with soup or salad, I opted for the beef & barely which had so much flavor! My husband got the house salad with a specialty dressing that he said he'd definitely return for! I was able to substitute the mashed potato's on my entree for spaghetti noodles no problem and the piccata was sooo flavorful, even the steamed broccoli was cooked perfectly. Overall, a fabulous dining experience with delicious food and excellent service! We definitely will be back again soon! Oh and get lemon cheesecake! You won't regret it! read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Piccata sub spaghetti for the mashed - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

Very cute neighborhood Italian restaurant, with a very warm and comfortable dining area. The waitress was nice, but confused a few items we asked for. Added chicken to the carbonara and the dish was good. The pizza was nothing special but didn't disappoint. The broccoli was similar to frozen then microwaved broccoli with no flavor. The bruschetta also didn't have much flavor, but the bread was toasted perfectly. I am not a fan of using a lot of salt, but in my opinion it could have used some. I really wanted to love the restaurant, but overall I wasn't very impressed. read more

See all

Went here for an anniversary dinner after getting several great recommendations and it did not disappoint! It's located on a corner, tucked back in a cute neighborhood. It's a cozy environment with a smaller dining room that feels very intimate. The service was great and the food was exceptional! We've ordered take out once since we went and would love to go back again. read more

Tenuta's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

See all

Outstanding service, great meal. Nice ambiance. Happy staffers make for a comfortable experience. Seems many locals come regularly - which is nice. I would definitely return and try some other delicious dinner. Priced accordingly. read more