Athena D.
Yelp
With a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan no matter the season, Lake Park Bistro provides an upscale dining experience that is perfect for those looking to celebrate a special occasion or just have an elegant night out. As a transplant from a larger city, I am consistently and pleasantly surprised by the variety of dining experiences to be had in Milwaukee- and Lake Park Bistro is no exception, providing well-crafted and thoughtful French dishes in a beautiful setting.
I chose Lake Park Bistro to celebrate my partner's birthday as I've had my eye on the Bartolotta conglomerate's restaurants even before moving to Milwaukee. It is a beautiful venue, located centrally within its namesake park on a bluff above the lake, and tables within the main room have an expansive view of the lake; we were blessed with a clear day to watch the sailboats out on the water. The interior is a little geriatric- and I suppose, so is the clientele, as it seemed everyone in the restaurant that evening was at least 40 years older than us- but still charming and warm, with plexiglass and distancing to address COVID-19 precautions. The restaurant has its own lot, so parking was not an issue. I love any excuse to get dressed up, but I think that a smart casual outfit would be fine here.
As a huge fan of prix fixe menus, I was excited to peruse the selections here. Pricing is [$65] for four courses- hors d'oeuvres, gourmandises, plats principaux, and dessert- which I think is a very fair price all things considered. Some dishes have a supplemental cost ranging from [$5-15] if you choose to select them, but it's certainly feasible to have a lovely meal without going for the dishes with supplement. Each course had a good variety of selections without being overwhelming, which my indecisive self greatly appreciated.
The meal opened with some canapes, after which we had the tartare de veau and coquilles St. Jacques for our hors d'oeuvres. The tartare was lovely but not exceptional; if you're unsure about uncooked meat but are interested in making your first foray into tartare, I think this is a safe option to explore. My partner enjoyed his scallop dish. Continuing my one-way rapid pass ticket into hell, I of course had to order the foie gras for the second course, while my partner went with the filet de sole. The foie gras was wholeheartedly enjoyed; since foie gras is frequently prepared as a pate or mousse in the US, I was happy to have this be simply a seared foie gras, and the accompaniments went well with the dish. The filet de sole was promising in the description but presentation left much to be desired- I understand that a gratin looks that way as it is, but the plating was not appealing. For the main course, I had the canard roti- by far my favorite dish of the night- it was delicately treated with the most amazing duck fat potatoes on the side, elegantly plated and overall a phenomenal dish. My partner had the blanquette de veau, which suffered from poor presentation (again, I understand that a stew is hard to plate but just having it in a bowl as it is, I think more could be expected from a upscale restaurant) and was over-salted. We closed out the meal with a chocolate fondant and creme brulee. The chocolate fondant was lovely- not the best I've had, but still deliciously indulgent and thoughtfully plated- and the creme brulee was...interesting? I thought I might have tasted cardamom in it, which isn't traditional but I love cardamom, so certainly not a complaint. My partner loved the shortbread accompanying the creme brulee, which melted in the mouth without even needing to chew. We were also provided with pate de fruits and squares of my absolute favorite chocolates, Valrhona Guanaja- such a lovely touch!
For drinks, we enjoyed the French 75 [$14] and Rose Noire [$12], a Kronenbourg 1664 [$8], and cappuccino and tea service. Overall, our bill came out to a little over $200 after tax and tip, which was a very good price for the experience. I would say overall that the food was good but I had expected a little more in terms of the plating and quality compared to similar restaurants I have been to in the past. The quantity of food was more than enough; even though each course is not too large, by the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed (and that's saying a lot with my massive appetite!). It was my partner's first experience with upscale dining, and he really enjoyed it!
The service was attentive without being overbearing, and we were pleasantly surprised to find a handwritten birthday card on the table when we arrived. Everything seemed very well-rehearsed (in a good way!), with courses arriving at just the right time and small, graceful touches of service.
My partner and I are certainly excited to come back to Lake Park for our next special occasion, and eagerly await new selections on the menu in the future!