Seth M
Google
Le Rêve is a French bistro and bakery located in the heart of Wauwatosa Village. They serve a range of fairly traditional French dishes such as bouillabaisse, steak au poivre, and branzino, along with classic hors d’oeuvres like escargot, confit canard, and savory crêpes.
The appetizers were very good, especially the escargot, which was served in what appeared to be a Provençal or southern French–inspired preparation, with dried tomatoes adding depth of flavor. The puff pastries accompanying the escargot were light and fluffy.
For entrées, my wife ordered the steak au poivre with a rich red wine peppercorn sauce, which was quite good and tasted authentic. I had the bouillabaisse, which used salmon and mussels primarily, along with a few shrimp and a piece of scallop. The tomato-based broth was tasty and the overall flavor profile worked, though the individual ingredients were more fine than standout. Desserts were decent as well, though we took them to go.
That said, the pricing and overall positioning felt somewhat mismatched. While the ambiance is perfectly acceptable for a neighborhood bistro, it does not quite feel upscale enough to justify menu prices that are comparable to, and in some cases higher than, several James Beard award–winning or nominated restaurants I have visited in Milwaukee and elsewhere, where the overall dining experience is vastly superior.
One additional point: although we took our desserts to go, they were added to the final bill and subjected to the automatic 20% gratuity (we were a group of six). I would have preferred the option to close out the meal first and then order dessert separately, but we felt somewhat pressured by our waitress to order desserts before receiving the bill. Overall, it’s a solid place to stop by for drinks and perhaps hors d’oeuvres and/or crêpes, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a full dinner. I’d give it a 3.25 rating, which I’m rounding down to 3.