We have been meaning to dine at La Merenda and by the time we've gotten around to it, we've realized we should have come much sooner!! It's tucked away on a side street off S 1st and has a very homey, yet eclectic feel when you walk in! Our server was so nice and was happy to answer any/all questions. The food was simply to die for. We started with some drinks and the beet salad, which had warm goat cheese on top - this really tied it all together. Then we ordered the lamb bolognese (our favorite by far), kung pao chicken (very spicy but so flavorful), and the Argentinian beef (a great cut of meat). We decided to get dessert because why not. The waiter highly recommended the Irish car bomb cake and it did not disappoint!! We will definitely be returning here regularly!
kamal shkoukani
Hidden gem , amazing menu with a bunch of small plates to try , def will be back cuz I need to try them all. If a hole in the wall could give you Michelin star vibes this would be
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Torrie B.
Visited early on a Friday night to celebrate a special occasion with family. The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable - like walking into a friend or family member's dining room. Our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. He provided smart recommendations without being pushy. The flow of food was masterful. They had their pacing down to a science! Several servers delivered food and cleared plates, working as a team. We ordered a variety of dishes. My favorites were the goat cheese curds, Argentinian style beef, and Patatas Bravas y Chorizo. I was also really impressed with my mocktail, the Faux Fizz. Light and refreshing - a perfect drink to pair with the spicer dishes. I hear there is a lovely patio to enjoy during the summer, so I already have a good reason to return. The Milwaukee food scene is strong and La Merenda is another shining example!
Melissa Paré
Food is good, but I came here to say that the indoor decor is pretty off. Some really weird, at times cheap, decisions. I almost only want to go in the summer so I don't have to sit inside, like ever again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Stuart
Snagged the last two spots at the bar. Excellent service. Our server/bartender was very knowledgeable. Gave great food detail and background. Great vegetarian options available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegetarian Empanadas
Alba Jackson
Great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James V.
Wow. Just wow. Not sure why it took us 8 years to come back to this place but I blame me for being stupid. Simply phenomenal. If you want to have incredible food from about 4 continents....go. Best Indian, Argentinian, Spanish, Italian ....I've had in the city. Just amazing
Matthew P.
La Merenda was scrumptious! Went here with my parents before going to show. I made a reservation in advance and it made the process easier . We were recommended cocktails and I got the special "the Flannel Shirt" . We got 7 dishes for the 3 of us to share. The cheese curds were amazing - unique and lovely. Empanadas are so good - we got the veggie and it was great. The maple pork chop was fantastic - I highly recommend this. The dishes that disappointed were the potato truffles and the Argentinian beef. The beef was very bland and not special. The Moroccan beef was fantastic ! I highly recommend this dish too. Overall La Merenda was great! The prices were very low for the portion sizes and quality. I would recommend two dishes per person to share unless you're extremely hungry. Can't wait to come back!
Jenna Wade
Fantastic tapas/small plates restaurant! Many unique and tasty plates to choose from. My favorite was the trout. They also offer a decent selection of cocktails and wine. I particularly enjoyed their house sangria. The restaurant is small on the inside with a bar you can sit at as well. Apparently, they have a sizable outdoor patio for when the weather warms up. Street parking can be a little challenging depending on the hour but I was able to find a spot not too far away. I can’t wait to go back again and try some more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Gambas Al Ajillo, Argentinian Beef
Jenna W.
Fantastic tapas/small plates restaurant! Many unique and tasty plates to choose from. My favorite was the trout. They also offer a decent selection of cocktails and wine. I particularly enjoyed their house sangria. The restaurant is small on the inside with a bar you can sit at as well. Apparently, they have a sizable outdoor patio for when the weather warms up. The servers were friendly and attentive. Street parking can be a little challenging depending on the hour but I was able to find a spot not too far away. I can't wait to go back again and try some more dishes!
Good food and service. A gem of a restaurant. Traveling for business lunch stop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Local Mushroom Risotto, Beef Empanadas, Gnocchi, Gambas Al Ajillo, Argentinian Beef
Jenny K.
Stopped by for dinner after finding out that another restaurant we were planning on going to was closed for a private party. I've tried La Merenda back in 2021 and did not think it was very good so I never went back but I had a great experience this time around. We got around 7 tapas which were all tasty. I especially enjoyed the truffle potato skins, the ravioli special, and the lamb bolognese. The tres leches cake was also fantastic.
Gabe Taveira
All around great experience. Food, drinks, dessert, and service were all excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Empanadas, Goat Cheese Curds, Car Bomb Cake
Barbara Branch
This was my first time there the service was excellent the young man that took care of us was so nice and friendly I will go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was fantastic - everything we had was great! It was fun to try new things from around the globe that we had not had before. For this reason we are planning to go back. They pride themselves on buying local, which we loved. Thank you for supporting Wisconsin!! The staff were ok. They were not super engaging, but effectively got the job done. It was a little disappointing as usually dining for tapas is set up as an experience, including with the staff. The bar was a little goofy. They have plastic partitions up every 2 seats. I had called ahead to see if the bar was open for drinks prior to our reservation, or if it was for dining and was told it was 1st come 1st serve, which makes sense. It was full when we arrived so we sat off to the side with our drinks, which was fine. When spots at the bar were opening up, they were hesitant to have us sit if we weren't dining at the bar. I found this frustrating as I called ahead for this reason.
We have been meaning to dine at La Merenda and by the time we've gotten around to it, we've realized we should have come much sooner!! It's tucked away on a side street off S 1st and has a very homey, yet eclectic feel when you walk in! Our server was so nice and was happy to answer any/all questions. The food was simply to die for. We started with some drinks and the beet salad, which had warm goat cheese on top - this really tied it all together. Then we ordered the lamb bolognese (our favorite by far), kung pao chicken (very spicy but so flavorful), and the Argentinian beef (a great cut of meat). We decided to get dessert because why not. The waiter highly recommended the Irish car bomb cake and it did not disappoint!! We will definitely be returning here regularly!
Hidden gem , amazing menu with a bunch of small plates to try , def will be back cuz I need to try them all. If a hole in the wall could give you Michelin star vibes this would be
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visited early on a Friday night to celebrate a special occasion with family. The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable - like walking into a friend or family member's dining room. Our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. He provided smart recommendations without being pushy. The flow of food was masterful. They had their pacing down to a science! Several servers delivered food and cleared plates, working as a team. We ordered a variety of dishes. My favorites were the goat cheese curds, Argentinian style beef, and Patatas Bravas y Chorizo. I was also really impressed with my mocktail, the Faux Fizz. Light and refreshing - a perfect drink to pair with the spicer dishes. I hear there is a lovely patio to enjoy during the summer, so I already have a good reason to return. The Milwaukee food scene is strong and La Merenda is another shining example!
Food is good, but I came here to say that the indoor decor is pretty off. Some really weird, at times cheap, decisions. I almost only want to go in the summer so I don't have to sit inside, like ever again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
Snagged the last two spots at the bar. Excellent service. Our server/bartender was very knowledgeable. Gave great food detail and background. Great vegetarian options available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegetarian Empanadas
Great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. Just wow. Not sure why it took us 8 years to come back to this place but I blame me for being stupid. Simply phenomenal. If you want to have incredible food from about 4 continents....go. Best Indian, Argentinian, Spanish, Italian ....I've had in the city. Just amazing
La Merenda was scrumptious! Went here with my parents before going to show. I made a reservation in advance and it made the process easier . We were recommended cocktails and I got the special "the Flannel Shirt" . We got 7 dishes for the 3 of us to share. The cheese curds were amazing - unique and lovely. Empanadas are so good - we got the veggie and it was great. The maple pork chop was fantastic - I highly recommend this. The dishes that disappointed were the potato truffles and the Argentinian beef. The beef was very bland and not special. The Moroccan beef was fantastic ! I highly recommend this dish too. Overall La Merenda was great! The prices were very low for the portion sizes and quality. I would recommend two dishes per person to share unless you're extremely hungry. Can't wait to come back!
Fantastic tapas/small plates restaurant! Many unique and tasty plates to choose from. My favorite was the trout. They also offer a decent selection of cocktails and wine. I particularly enjoyed their house sangria. The restaurant is small on the inside with a bar you can sit at as well. Apparently, they have a sizable outdoor patio for when the weather warms up. Street parking can be a little challenging depending on the hour but I was able to find a spot not too far away. I can’t wait to go back again and try some more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Gambas Al Ajillo, Argentinian Beef
Fantastic tapas/small plates restaurant! Many unique and tasty plates to choose from. My favorite was the trout. They also offer a decent selection of cocktails and wine. I particularly enjoyed their house sangria. The restaurant is small on the inside with a bar you can sit at as well. Apparently, they have a sizable outdoor patio for when the weather warms up. The servers were friendly and attentive. Street parking can be a little challenging depending on the hour but I was able to find a spot not too far away. I can't wait to go back again and try some more dishes!
Restaurantji Recommends
Good food and service. A gem of a restaurant. Traveling for business lunch stop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Local Mushroom Risotto, Beef Empanadas, Gnocchi, Gambas Al Ajillo, Argentinian Beef
Stopped by for dinner after finding out that another restaurant we were planning on going to was closed for a private party. I've tried La Merenda back in 2021 and did not think it was very good so I never went back but I had a great experience this time around. We got around 7 tapas which were all tasty. I especially enjoyed the truffle potato skins, the ravioli special, and the lamb bolognese. The tres leches cake was also fantastic.
All around great experience. Food, drinks, dessert, and service were all excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Empanadas, Goat Cheese Curds, Car Bomb Cake
This was my first time there the service was excellent the young man that took care of us was so nice and friendly I will go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was fantastic - everything we had was great! It was fun to try new things from around the globe that we had not had before. For this reason we are planning to go back. They pride themselves on buying local, which we loved. Thank you for supporting Wisconsin!! The staff were ok. They were not super engaging, but effectively got the job done. It was a little disappointing as usually dining for tapas is set up as an experience, including with the staff. The bar was a little goofy. They have plastic partitions up every 2 seats. I had called ahead to see if the bar was open for drinks prior to our reservation, or if it was for dining and was told it was 1st come 1st serve, which makes sense. It was full when we arrived so we sat off to the side with our drinks, which was fine. When spots at the bar were opening up, they were hesitant to have us sit if we weren't dining at the bar. I found this frustrating as I called ahead for this reason.