La Merenda

We had our wedding here a few years ago, and it was nothing short of magical. This place holds such a special place in our hearts—it’s truly our favorite spot in the entire world! The atmosphere is unforgettable, the setting is breathtaking, and the memories we made here will stay with us forever. And the food… oh my goodness, the food! It’s absolutely incredible—every bite is made with love, and you can taste it. We come back as often as we can, and it always feels like coming home. If you’re looking for a place that will nourish your heart, soul, and stomach—this is it.

You don't expect this beautiful restaurant to be what it is but as you walk through the bar it gets really cool, then when you head out in the back court it is beautiful. Food was outstanding, service was amazing. Would recommend 100%

WOW… My friends have been telling me to come here for YEARS and honestly I wish I had listened to them sooner! The food here was spectacular from start to finish. Every single dish was seasoned and cooked to perfection. There was not a single dish that I did not enjoy, and I mean not a single one! We made reservations for dinner so there was no wait time for us. Drinks and dinner came out promptly, and considering how full the restaurant was I was immensely shocked. And the service from the staff was prompt, attentive, and extremely helpful. Everyone was so kind and willing to offer suggestions when I got stumped on where to begin (because it was all so good). Overall this space speaks for itself but in combination with the quality of food and the service you receive this is truly a next level restaurant. I really cant rave about it enough and just urge you all to try it out, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed!

Nice Tapas restaurant. Recommended by a client. Each dish was unique and tasted great. My favorite was the beef empanada. We didn't take a picture of every dish because we were enjoying the food too much! See photos of the first round. Unassuming on the store front. Back patio had fresh flowers. Neat little place

Visited Milwaukee for our anniversary and this restaurant was recommended online, as well by a local server from our lunch spot. Everything was delicious! The octopus was our favorite and we are still talking about our meal! Also appreciated that it had a moody atmosphere without feeling pretentious. Casual clothing is OK :)

I had the Argentinian Beef which was pretty raw coming out. I had to send it back but it was delicious upon return. We snacked on truffle potato skins and the Ceviche Hondureno with plantain chips which was incredible! My partner had the Chicken Masala which was a bit spicy but very flavorful. I was still hungry and got the Gambas al Ajillo which was very tasty. We drank “That Voodoo That You Do” which was very tasty. Bourbon with bitter, ginger, elderflower, honey, ginger ale. Yum! We also had

A different lunch experience. The menu is international tapas which allows you to try multiple unique dishes. Loved the belly pork with polenta and the dish with coconut mashed potatoes (sounds strange but was delicious). I’d love to go back one evening when it’s busy.

First time here. It was excellent and definitely a place that we would come back to. Had a 6:00 reservation on a Saturday night. There was a Valet Parking attendant in front, but we found a spot right out front on the street. The place is a little deceiving in size. When you get in, there is a bar area, and several small tables, and then it opens up to a large dining room. The place was already full. We got seated towards the rear, where one side is a long bench, then there are different size tables with chairs on the other size. Got waters right away, and then met our server. They were friendly and helpful, and took good care of us the entire evening. (thanks Martin). We ordered a couple of Sangrias to get started. Both the white and the red were both good. We told our server that we were not in hurry, and that we would be taking our time. (Tapas restaurants can sometimes feel like they are constantly bringing you the next course, and I find it more relaxing to get some downtime between servings). Ended up deciding on several items. The Empanadas (we couldn't decide, and the server told us we could get a half (2) of each), the Pistachio Salad, the Pork & Shrimp Tostadas, and the Rabbit Guazzetto. Both types of Empanadas were amazing. The yellow cornmeal pastry is unique, along with the aji sauce. Great flavor. The Pistachio salad has simple ingredients, yet it was probably one of the best parts of the meal. The Penta Creme Blue Cheese was balanced nicely by the Pistachio vinaigrette. The Rabbit was mostly for me (my spouse doesn't like the "idea" of eating bunnies), and it was so tender. Along with the homemade gnocchi and mushrooms. Another superb combination. The last pick, the Pork and Shrimp Tostada, was "okay", but not great. Even though the server mentioned it would be spicy, they suggested it would be fine, with the Pineapple-Poblano pico de gallo on the side. It was not. Still too spicy from the salsa verde? Should have picked something else. We were full, and didn't have room for dessert. Maybe next time. And hoping that there will be a next time. Lots of other excellent menu choices that we would want to try.

Creative small plates--excellent service--best outdoor patio! Always a great experience!

We returned to one of our Milwaukee faves for date night this weekend and it didn't disappoint. We enjoyed the La Merenda salad, the goat cheese curds (always a favorite), the butternut squash gnocchi, Argentinian beef, and tres leches cakes. Always looking for good NA bevs, I had the faux fizz mocktail and my husband enjoyed the Riverwest Stein NA beer. Our server was super friendly and paced everything nicely. It's always great to revisit a favorite and be reminded why we love it in the first place!

We visited Milwaukee and wanted a one of a kind spot for dinner. La Merenda was that and more! First time tapas place, and the server explained it perfectly. We had: Prosciutto Salad (hubs is raving about this 3 days later), Ceviche (great veggie/seafood balance), Mushroom Risotto (inspired my daughter to learn to make this delicious dish), Gnocchi d'estate (never had gnocchi with such a delicious sauce), beef empanadas (crisp outside and delicate and moist inside), Roman Pork Belly (perfect with great polenta), New York Strip (well cooked and the kale was a nice surprise), pork and shrimp tostadas (a little fishy-probably the only thing I wouldn't order again), and crème brûlée s'mores. Yum yum yum. Melissa was our server. I notified her of my food allergy and she let me know what to stay away from. We'll definitely go back! The space was loud, but the delicious food compensated for that.

What a funky little tapas bar - where else can you get mushroom risotto, butter chicken and ceviche? We found this spot while in town for a girls trip and they were able to accommodate us on a Friday night without a reservation - but I definitely recommend getting one, as they were quite busy! We tried a variety of options on the menu - and there were great options for our vegetarian friend. It was fun to surprise your palate from all these regional dishes. My favorite were the summer pasta and the mushroom ravioli! Service was great and food came out quickly!

My husband treated me to a birthday dinner here because we LOVED Engine Company No. 3, missed some of our brunch favorites, and hadn't tried La Merenda before. It was a bit of a last minute decision, so he made reservations the day before and there were still some times available, luckily! The restaurant itself looks very unassuming from the outside, but don't be fooled - it holds some very delicious treasures! We were seated right away and we noticed the place was pretty full, so I'm glad we made the reservation. Our server was kind, knowledgeable, and very efficient. I got their special cocktail of the day which was kind of in between a piña colada and a Mai Tai, which was one of the best fruity cocktails I've ever had, and my husband got a beer. The menu is tapas style, so they're smaller plates and meant to be shared. Unlike other tapas/small plates style restaurants, however, La Merenda prices are very reasonable and allow you to order more dishes to get a more varied sampling. I also like that they have a dedicated vegetarian section. From it we got the empanadas, the gnocchi, the patatas bravas, and the quesadilla. It was all SO good! The empanadas were warm and filled to the brim; I could drink the sauce it comes with on its own. The quesadillas were loaded and tasty. The patatas bravas were a known favorite for us from their sister company's brunch menu, and the gnocchi was a perfect summer dish with the pesto cream sauce light and flavorful! When our waitress found out it was my birthday, she brought out the dessert menu and asked me to pick one, which was super sweet of her. I went with the Guinness chocolate cupcake, which she brought out with a lit candle. Oh my goodness, the cake was so good! Dense, but moist and soft. Delicious and rich. The frosting was divine. I shared with my husband, but I could've eaten two of these cupcakes on my own easy! Loved this restaurant and our experience!

First time here. Newly remodeled. Great atmosphere. The service was attentive and came back often. The food is great. You order small plates and share. We tried the Rabbit Guazetto, Lamb Brasato (Italy and mushroom risotto. All three dishes had wonderful flavors. Nothing was over powering and everything was fresh. I will definitely go back. Unique offerings. Check it out.

This was my second time visiting and it was not as good as the first time. I went for my 21st birthday and the service was not up to par this time around. I called ahead to ask if they do reservations and the staff member told me they do not do reservations which is not true. Our server did not visit our table as much as she should have, when we wanted to order more food she was nowhere to be found. Another staff member reached behind me to grab empty plates unannounced and it completely scared me. She did not apologize or acknowledge us during that interaction. My food was good (gnocchi and steak) however the rest of my party did not enjoy their food. The ambiance was great which is what I love about this restaurant however I was disappointed by the service.

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!

The wait is over! Prob the number one place I have been wanting to try. My mom got me a gift card almost a year ago, for my birthday. We never found time to ditch the kids for a dinner out that wasn't short notice. Last night after cleaning the kitchen I said what about La Merenda? To go? He said "you're dying to trying that place, yeah that's fine". We ordered Goat cheese curds Beef empanada Argentinian Beef Butter chicken Kung Pao Beef Wow!!! So good! All of it! And it was to go! Goat cheese curds were so good and the sauce with the crustini, so good. My husbands favorite were the empanadas. Best butter chicken I've had. It was so wonderful! The Kung Pao was good and pretty spicy!! The mash under the perfectly cooked filet was perfection. So much flavor. We can't wait to come in person. My husband said the inside was very nice! A beautiful ambiance! Wish I had pictures of the food, it was packaged so nicely and the food was warm and so good!

A solid 4 star tapas experience! A super cute almost "super club" vibe, very lively and vibrant. We were a party of 3 so got to try many different dishes! I love that we had a global variety all in one meal! Some of the dishes were amazing, but a couple were a bit weak - but I suppose to be expected with such a broad menu. We also all had a cocktail - all were good but none really stood out. Service was good! A bit shaky at first but once our waiter got to us the meal was well paced.

I had such an incredible meal & experience at La Merenda this afternoon, this restaurant is a must try if you haven't been here yet! The staff were so kind and quick with service. Each and every plate I tried today was flavorful, unique, and absolutely delicious. Pictured below is the strawberry and beet salad, the shrimp/pork tostadas, & the lemon dessert. I recommend them all! If it's a nice day, make sure to ask for patio seating, it's a beautiful space!

I am experiencing dehydration from the overabundance of sodium. I think I drank like five glasses of water during the course of our meal. I think the Italian braised pork was OK. The Indonesian shrimp dish (has goreng) in the name was the best thing there plus any risotto dish they have. If they could turn down the sodium levels by like two notches, I would've had a great time overall.

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!

Wow did my family enjoy La Merenda! You truly can't miss on any dish you order. We couldn't get over how flavorful each and every dish was!! The only other meal we ordered (not pictured) was the Beef Ram-Don. Ate it too fast so forgot to take a picture lol. We will definitely be going back. The only dish I would probably skip next time is (maybe) the gnocchi d'estate. I only say this because compared to all the other dishes, this was probably the least flavorful. My personal favorite was the pork belly (which I was not expecting to love soooo much). The beef empanadas had an awesome smoky flavor as well. Can I also quick shout-out how cute the s'mores crème brûlée is!? Overall, La Merenda has quickly turned into one of my all time favorite restaurants. Period.

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.

One of my favorite tapas spots in town, and now the only place I can get their delightful papas bravas after Old Engine Co No 3 closed this January. Last time we went stood out in particular, I mistakenly made a reservation on the wrong night, but they found a table they could slide my girlfriend and I into on short notice, date night saved! Drinks are excellent as well, I always love when local restaurants make an effort to use local ingredients and La Merenda definitely does so.

Although I can't stand the dividing partitions at the bar, the food at La Merenda is fantastic. Sarah took care of us, and her recommendations were right on. The menu covers the world, with dishes representing countries proud of their culinary traditions. We loved the Pistachio salad, Butter Chicken, the Sambal Goreng Udang, whose coconut milk mashed potatoes were orgasmic. Pricing was more than reasonable. Get rid of those partitions, and I'll be there every week. After living in Seattle, I don't need to be frozen out from humanity any more. Three years were enough. We all need to get closer. Tribalism isn't healthy.

Food is different in the community and surpasses all. They make their own soda. Delectable tastes and flavors.

Our friends took us here as a lovely beginning of a festive weekend! We shared the truffled potato skins! DIVINE! they are not loaded skins but fried potato skins like thinly cut fries! Garlic shrimp was in a great sauce! Fall gnocchi was full of flavor! Empanadas both veg and beef were the best thing in the menu! not over fried, filling was amazing and not stodgy, truly perfect! Duck was cooked to perfection! Guinness cake was delicious and surprisingly not heavy! Les leches was huge, light and scrumptious! Berry spritz was refreshing. Service was lovely! The only issue was they are heavy on the salt.

I finished a workout class nearby and walked the 5-7 minutes in the freezing cold just to try La Merenda. So worth almost slipping and dying on ice because I didn't want to repark my car. Lots of street spots, though. Called the restaurant on my way there, and they answered to tell me they were still open. Closes at 9pm. Last seating at 8:45pm. Sweet! I was welcomed into the front bar area, and I already knew what I wanted. I'm obsessed with their menu of tapas from all over the world, and customer service is so wonderful. Got the Argentinian Style Beef ($19) because I can't resist anything with chimichurri or garlic mashed potatoes. Got a glass of their STRONG sangria and was convinced (didn't need much) to order their melt-in-your-mouth Tres Leches Cake. Totally going out of my way to come back here again on my next trip to Milwaukee!

Went to La Merenda for a date night and it did not disappoint! The selection of tapas was great and they definitely have something for everyone on the menu. Everything we tried was wonderful and there were still so many items on the menu we wanted to try. The sangria pitcher is a great deal and I highly recommend!

Casual place with a great looking menu touting its farm to table tapas, but fell far short of our expectations. Fried empanadas were ok. Three of the four other dishes were served with mashed potatoes, kind of ruining the eclectic mix of flavors that draws one to a tapas restaurant in the first place. The beef tenderloin (with mashed potatoes) was so salty we needed to send it back, the other dishes (octopus, chicken, and shrimp) were better but still too salty. Dessert, beer, and hot tea were fine but not worth a detour. Busy on a Thursday night but we got reservations early. Found parking on street about a block and a half away, but then discovered there is valet parking available. Service was terrific, pricing was reasonable.

Loved La Merenda! So far most tapas places I've tried in Milwaukee have just been alright, but La Merenda was great! Super helpful and polite staff and the noise level was perfect, we went on a Friday night, reservations had been booked up for a while but when we were leaving there were still a few open spots at the bar so might be worth trying your luck if you can't get a reservation! Will be back soon! Seemed like it'd be an easy place to either keep the cost low or treat yourself!

Food was amazing. We actually didn't get everything we ordered either. Server Kelly made sure to tell the couple and table next to us the specials and didn't tell us. We waited a super long time for our food compared to everyone else and she really couldn't care less when we asked her if the food was coming. It was so ridiculous we couldn't even get what we ordered. Wild. To top things off the server charged a party of ten's bill on our card. The money part got resolved , but it really sucks that a place that has food this good didn't get to give us what we ordered or a good experience! Sorry you don't like tourists Kelly we heard you. Thanks for ruining our time for no reason. Fyi I've been meaning to make this review since August. I was excited to try this place and it suck's that we had such a rude and pretentious server. 5 stars for the food and food runners though. I'd love to come back for the food , but I don't ever want a server or service like that again.

Very good and well priced! We got the pork & shop tostadas along with the butter chicken. Both were excellent and nice portions to split between two people. Would come back again!

Definitely sit on the patio on a nice day. Loved the variety of food and flavors. We had 5 people in our group and ordered 2 plates each. We had everything from the veggie sambal to the goat. It was all delicious!

What a fun concept and well executed. Very causal with food from a divergent area served tapas style. Cajun to curry and much in between. Would be happy to return

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!

This place was highly recommended from a restaurant owner in Green Bay. We were certainly looking forward to the experience. Well. The food was amazing. The taste, presentation and size of the plates were more than expected. But our server was who diminished our evening. Asked for suggestions between two bottles of wine. HMMMMMM was her response. Nothing more. Ordered numerous plates, not once throughout the meal were we asked if we were enjoying any of it. The host cleared our plates and then our server returned with the bill, laid it on the table and walked away. Guess that we weren't going to have any dessert. Who knows. We weren't asked if we would have liked to. I'm sure that this place is better than what we experienced. Like I said great food, just don't expect to be treated like you're welcome there.

Amazing tapas! Honestly coolest restaurant I've been to in Milwaukee thus far (I come to Milwaukee once every two months for work and live in Minneapolis). They were also very kind about my service dog. I greatly appreciate restaurants that don't pass judgement and make it uncomfortable bringing a necessary service dog. I'll definitely be back!!

A few things to know - La Merenda has valet parking if you need it. The interior is tiny and intimate. The garden and patio is huge and gorgeous. They're growing peppers and herbs in raised beds. Service is attentive, but not overly so. The drinks are inventive and good overall, but I didn't love the sangria. It seemed a little bland. I dined here with my BF and another couple so we got to try many of the dishes currently on the menu. They have a decent selection of vegetarian options on the menu. The truffle chips are great - really well balanced and not over oily or over dosed with truffle oil. I also quited enjoyed one of the salads and a vegetarian gnocchi. The rest of my table raved about the goat cheese curds and I really wanted to try them, but the sauce was chorizo-based. All the meat dishes were universally praised by my companions, steak, pork and beef alike. We tried every dessert on the menu that night and they were lovely - just sweet enough and light enough after all the other dishes. A new favorite destination for me.

This is my favorite small plates (tapas) restaurant in Milwaukee. They have an extensive menu of dishes from all over the world to sample. In Italian, La Merenda means "early snack" and you will be snacking on some amazing tapas! They recommend ordering 2-3 tapas per person, so I recommend not ordering everything at once, instead order 1 or 2 at a time so you have tapas coming out every 10-15 minutes that you can eat slowly and enjoy. The diverse menu shows you the country of origin for each tapa and a detailed description of the food. On our latest visit we ordered a number of dishes: patatas bravas with chorizo, beef empanadas, churrasco pork, lamb bolognese , argentinian pork belly, and butter chicken. All were excellent. My favorite was the Argentinian pork belly. It was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the mashed potatoes that came with it complimented it perfectly. The sangria is on point as were the other drinks we ordered. I would highly recommend reservations as this place is small and you will wait awhile if you walk in. We had a large group and were able to be accommodated outside right away on their enormous patio. When the weather cooperates, I highly recommend dining out back, the patio is top notch and food always tastes better when dining al fresco!

We came for a birthday dinner and had lovely seating in the patio area which was spacious and breezy. We tried multiple tapas-the gambas (shrimp) were far and away my favorite. The server was a bit abrupt, lacked warmth which was a bit disappointing but we still enjoyed our meal.

My girlfriend took me here either in December or January and it was a Friday evening. As we walked in, there were mostly couples at the bar top which we chose to sat at so we could have a more intimate space to ourselves, so I cannot comment on how crowded it was in their dining area. I was simply happy that we were able to sit down right away. Two of the bartenders were super knowledgeable, friendly, and lovely to chat with. They gave us great cocktail suggestions to pair with the specific tapas plates that we selected. Between my girlfriend and I we were satisfied with three cocktails and four dishes. Will definitely be back

Oh my goodness! We were skeptical based on the buildings facade and "international tapas" but praise Jebus! The food, outdoor area, and drinks were wonderful! Beef empanadas, lamb bolognese, pork and shrimp tostada's, prosciutto salad all were awesome. The sangria and Old Cuban were great. Fighting street parking is worth it!

La Merenda is the best Spanish tapas restaurant I've tried in MKE thus far! Don't be fooled by the nondescript exterior. Upon arriving, we were led to the back of the restaurant to the main dining room, which was dimly lit and modest in size, but very cozy and intimate. I appreciated that the dining tables were separated by clear screens, since yes, we are still in the COVID-era. WHAT WE GOT: - the truffle potato skins: crispy, delicious. Great for sharing. - empanadas: highlight of our meal. The meat was cooked to perfection, tender, and packed with flavor. The pairing sauce was so yummy, I saved it to eat with the other dishes afterward. - sambal goreng udang: this was surprisingly good! Was not expecting to see a Thai dish on the menu, so had to try it. The curry sauce was solid. I wish it had been served on a bed of rice or risotto instead of the mashed potatoes that it came with -- that would've made it much more interesting texturally. Otherwise was a pretty decent dish. One minor complaint was that the shrimp tasted a bit fishy. - gambas al ajillo: I thought this dish could've used more garlic, more red pepper, more flavor overall -- especially if the oil the shrimp was doused in is meant to be dipped with bread. The bread that came with this dish was slightly stale. Again, the shrimp was a bit fishy. This was okay, but not my favorite dish, even though it looked so yummy. Service was great. Staff were friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. Dishes came out fast, but were well paced in their arrival to our table, aka we always had at least one thing to munch on. Pro-tip: they have half off wine bottles on Monday. We will absolutely be back to dine here.

Walking into this restaurant, the bar is a very cozy spot right at front and there is more seating as you travel farther back. I actually liked sitting at the bar because it had small dividers up between seats, which made it feel more private - but if you have a larger party, the bar seating probably isn't for you. They have plenty of drink options. I ordered a glass of wine, and I felt the selection seemed broad and was relatively inexpensive. The menu consists of "Wisconsin inspired tapas," so dont expect to get traditional Spanish tapas. That being said, I think they have a really interesting menu. We started with the beet salad. This was absolutely delicious! I loved the beet flavor combined with greens, goat cheese, and nuts. Truly refreshing and light. We also ordered the gnocchi and the Thai duck curry. Both were warm and had good flavors. I like the idea of ordering several small plates of different dishes, so I would definitely come back here!

I came here on a weekday with a friend and was excited to try this restaurant since it's pretty unique with the global dishes offered. I tried making a reservation beforehand, but they were completely booked. I had seen reviews that the wait can be long, but we surprisingly had no wait when we arrived because we chose to be seated at the bar. We ordered the gnocchi di primavera, gambas al ajillo, butter chicken, and tres leches cake. My favorite was the gambas al ajillo which came with a side of toasted bread to dip in the sauce. The shrimp in this dish was cooked perfectly and the spices were so good. The gnocchi was also very good and nice and soft with a refreshing sauce. The butter chicken was okay, I felt like it was lacking salt so I would probably order something else instead next time. The tres leches cake was decent, but nothing super special. I got the ponte vecchio drink which was a fun cocktail. It was lenony with a thick creamy foam. The bartender was also very nice.

The food was delicious! Our waitress was friendly and efficient. Loved it! We will definitely be back.

I've thought about going back to La Merenda almost every single day for the past 4+ months. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the food will tell you otherwise. My boyfriend and I surprisingly only waited maybe 10 minutes for a table for 2 on a Friday night without a reservation, which we spent at the bar with our first beverages of the night, a Rocket Power and a Red Sangria. My suggestion would be to get the specials and listen to your servers recommendations. That's not saying you won't pick delicious food for yourself, because I don't think there's a bad option on the menu, but we were just very happy with what was suggested for us. I wish I could remember everything we had, but we very much enjoyed the Duck Confit Poutine and the Beef Ram-Don. For reference the two of us got 4 menu items and were stuffed. (However we were very close to ordering more because everything sounds good). We ended up getting a bottle of wine once we got to our table - Juan Gil Jumilla. This was also a recommendation of our server. We can't wait to go back!

La Merenda is definitely a popular place as it was full on a Tuesday night. The setting was a bit dark for me however, they had plastic dividers between each table for Covid. We really appreciated the menu providing details on the ingredients as well as country of origin. It made it exciting as every dish came out and we got to learn new foods! Our must gets were: - Sambal Goreng Udang: shrimp and coconut mash were delicious with a kick of chili. Loved the punch in ginger flavor - Goat cheese curds: the chorizo cream sauce was super rich - Manoomin Salad: most unique dish with the wojapi berry sauce For the veggie empanadas and Argentinian beef, both were salty and didn't wow us. The pumpkin creme brûlée was good but came to us a bit burnt. Overall, fun place to try different dishes and new ingredients!

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!

Food beyond measure, flavorful and filling. Service A+ Ambiance: this is now my first stop In Milwaukee. Please, keep these people in business and your heart and belly happy... join me and celebrating the best of this city, Laverne!!!

I'm not as impressed as my comrade YELPers on this one. First, I like a tapas place that has some of the standard Spanish tapas choices. Not every tapas dish has to be so unique it needs a detailed explanation from the server. I don't like the strange sing-song waitstaff cadence, the interruptions, I like a little more peace and grace, maybe even separation from service workers. I thought the place was expensive, too loud, and a little too close and confined. Still, there's no denying there are some talented chefs and kitchen staff here.

Finally was able to get a reservation at La Merenda this week! Make sure to plan ahead of time and reserve your spot at least 1 week prior (more if on a weekend) on OpenTable. Plenty of free street parking right outside as well we a complimentary valet service. Inside ambiance is dark, cozy, and calm, very unsuspecting from the outside. Appreciated the plastic barriers between all tables that made our dining experience feel more private and Covid-19 friendly. Masks are also required to enter. 5 dishes + a dessert was more than enough food for 2 people. The goat cheese curds lived up to the hype and the sauce was the best part of our meal. The sambal goreng udeng and manoomin salad were both very unique in flavor, we were big fans. The empanadas vegetarianas had great texture and taste, but were a little salty. Argentinian style beef was tender but the flavors weren't anything special, it did not compare to the other dishes we had and could have done without it. For dessert we tried the creme brulee and the rotating flavor for that night was pumpkin. The serving was big and the taste was good, although the sugar on top was a little burnt/bitter in some areas. It seems some dishes are a hit and some are slight misses, but overall I'd come back to try more of the menu.

We had a wonderful experience at La Merenda! The service was great. The vibes were cozy, warm and casual. Love how they separate the tables with screens - we definitely felt more comfortable chatting, eating and drinking in our space. The food was served fast. Loved the little 4 flavorful and crispy Beef Empanadas w sauce! Highly recommend that dish to start with. Hubby really enjoyed the juicy and soft Argentinian Pork Belly w creamy mashed potato. Although I liked the texture of the pork belly, I found it a bit too salty haha. We both enjoyed the Moroccan Braised Goat and Patatas Bravas y Chorizo that came later. The yogurt on top of the goat meat and couscous was such a highlight of the dish - adding that slightly sour kick so the dish wouldn't taste too meaty or heavy. The smoked chorizo and fried potatoes were filling, but tasted great. We recommend these two dishes too! Finished strong with coffee flan! Not too sweet thanks to the coffee sprinkles. So good. La Merenda is such a gem - we would be back.

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

WOW-- this place is a MUST when you're in the Milwaukee area. As other reviews mention, don't be fooled by the nondescript outside of the restaurant. The food is simply spectacular. We were a party of 3 and ordered 6 plates plus 2 desserts. This was the *perfect* amount of food and included: 1) Beef Empanadas: Simply spectacular. Tender, perfectly warm, and bursting with flavor. You must get these! 2) Ceviche: honestly, my least favorite of the 8 plates we ordered. It was okay but not anything memorable and lacked any noticeable flavor. I would substitute this for something else when coming back. 3) Argentinian beef: this was SO. GOOD. Comes out on a plate of mashed potatoes and cooked to absolute perfection. You can bet I'll be ordering this again and again and again. Reading other reviews I was worried that it would be over salted, but ours was perfect. 4) Moroccan braised goat: comes out on a plate of buttery couscous and topped with a yogurt sauce. I could lick my plate clean from how delicious this was, I simply couldn't get enough. 5) Veal Osso Bucco: a shredded cross-cut veal shank braised with a rich broth and served over polenta. This was tasty, but a little less memorable than the braised goat and the Argentinian beef. I'm not a huge polenta fan so that contributed to it. 6) a mushroom pasta dish that was their special of the day, but whose name I forgot (whoops!): rich, creamy, and decadent. The sauce it was plated on was excellent. Desserts: 1) coffee flan: a seasonal item that they will likely run out of very soon! Our waitress recommended this as her favorite and it absolutely blew us away. I'm not a big coffee flavor type of person but this was just on another level... holy cow, I didn't know you could make coffee dessert taste this good. 2) Tres leches cake slide: my friends who are local to the area would often come to La Merenda just for this dessert, but said that the cake we got this time around was significantly more air-filled than usual. They weren't as blown away with it, and I would agree that the coffee flan was the better choice! Overall: this place is incredible! Our server was kind and attentive and the food was simply spectacular. I'll be back!

EXCELLENT. ive been here twice and both times the food and drinks were wonderful. highly recommend anything on the menu. easy street parking.