Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Wisconsin

OpenTable

Updated 05 April 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Wisconsin? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

EsterEv

4.9

4.9 (187)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Located in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, EsterEv offers a 6-course chef's tasting experience, which evokes globally inspired nostalgic flavors from grandma's kitchen. Presented by James Beard Best Chef Midwest nominees Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite.

Top review

CarolynVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Amazing food and presentation!!! 4.5 hour dinner with wine pairing- excellent!!!

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Experience

EsterEv Tasting Menu

Experience

EsterEv Tasting Menu at the Bar

Experience

Guest Chef Dinner with Amanda Turner ($140)

Buck & Honey's - Sun Prairie

4.8

4.8 (1585)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Sun Prairie

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's. We're locally owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare made from scratch with only the freshest available ingredients.… Sun Prairie's taken notice by awarding Buck & Honey's 'Best Restaurant', 'Best Steak', 'Best Dinner', 'Best Place for Live Music', 'Best Lunch', (and more) every year! Great pastas, tender steaks, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out the extensive wine list. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Now serving brunch from 10A-2P on Sunday!

Top review

Betsy

Dined 3 days ago

it was really nice to have a special brunch together for Easter with our family and we were able to sit by the music so we felt like we were part of everything

Plae Bistro

4.8

4.8 (29)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Green Bay

About the restaurant

‘Plae' is an acronym for a place to laugh and eat, and offers a lively and welcoming environment for its patrons. The bistro is the brain child of restaurateur Jill Bassett who opened the restaurant in 2007 serving the area's finest Contemporary American Cuisine.
Plae has Won"Best Overall Restaurant" along with "Best Fine Dining" for the past 6 years consecutively in the Green Bay area which we owe to all of our wonderful customers who keep voting for us.
The restaurant offers a laid back atmosphere where customers are made to feel at home irrespective of the time of the day.

Featuring a full bar, a large collection of wines and healthy dishes, a new beautiful outdoor patio and for the foodies out there, make sure to book our Chefs Room. Choose from our standard menu OR dine on one of our rotating daily features. We also offer an array of gluten free, vegetarian & vegan options.

Top review

Valerie

Dined 5 days ago

Great service, wonderful food & excellent cocktails!

Buckley's Restaurant & Bar

4.8

4.8 (399)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Buckley's is a cozy neighborhood spot in the heart of Milwaukee's East Town. Located two blocks from Lake Michigan and the Calatrava, Buckley’s is an ideal all occasion restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. An ever-evolving menu showcases seasonal ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. To compliment your dining experience, peruse the thoughtfully curated 200 bottle wine list or select a beverage from an extensive cocktail program that has consistently been recognized as one of the best in the city. Customize your dining experience to meet your needs whether you choose to enjoy a four course meal or simply grab a burger at the bar. However you choose to enjoy a visit to Buckley’s, do not forget to order a signature house-made dessert. You won’t regret it.

At this family owned and operated restaurant, guests are treated like family. Come see for yourself!

Top review

heidi

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent service, food, and drinks. Best carrot cake to top it off.

MOXIE Food + Drink

4.8

4.8 (1324)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Whitefish Bay

About the restaurant

Inspired American comfort food, cocktails and wine. Dining room, patio and curbside. Serving dinner 5-9 Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday Brunch 10-2.
Reservations or order online: www.eatatmoxie.com.
Our Reservation Policies:
- We do not take PATIO reservations. Patio seating is first come, first served.
- Maximum reservation/table size in our DINING ROOM is 6 guests.
- All guests must arrive within 15 minutes of reservation time.
- Payment with one check is required for parties of 6 or more.
- A 20% gratuity may be added to parties of 6 or more.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined on 13 Apr 2025

Sunday brunch is fantastic. Unique and delicious versions of old favorites plus new tastes to explore. This neighborhood haunt shines. Eva is one of the top servers in Milwaukee. A sincere, welcoming, helpful and attentive person.

The Knick

4.7

4.7 (2197)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Come enjoy an upbeat, contemporary dining experience at one of Milwaukee's favorite restaurants. The Knick offers an exciting menu and great nightly specials. A big city feel with friendly service, we offer an unique specialty drink menu and feature over 60 different vodkas from around the world. Enjoy our homemade desserts or a "Great Maltini" as a nightcap after a night on the town. End your weekend with our fabulous brunch and indulge with our signature "Queen Mary".

Top review

joeVIP

Dined 3 days ago

The Knick is always exceptional. Highly recommended

Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant

4.6

4.6 (2427)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Milwaukee

About the restaurant

Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restaurant is set in a sleek, stylish space in the Cudahy Tower in downtown Milwaukee. Its menu emphasizes seasonal ingredients and its wine list is among the most extensive in the city. Bacchus offers several exclusive spaces for private events, including a glass-enclosed conservatory. Valet is available Monday through Saturday from 5 - 9 PM.

Reservations are recommended, and we have a 15-minute grace period, so please call us if you are running late.

Top review

Janette

Dined 5 days ago

The food, ambience, and service are exceptional. Kimberly and Nick are a great team. They made me feel comfortable and well taken care of. I also appreciate the manager checking on me. The octopus starter and kiwi desert were both excellent recommendations. The amazing experience is always well worth the money.

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4.6

4.6 (1764)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Delafield

About the restaurant

A modern American kitchen located in the heart of Lake Country. Small plates, featuring locally sourced ingredients, and craft cocktails headline this farm-to-table restaurant. Choose from the artfully curated wine selection or let the sommelier on staff make expert recommendations. The Sunday brunch menu boasts one-of-a-kind dishes and breakfast classics. Private space for every event--from intimate dinners to large gatherings.

Top review

Dined 4 days ago

We love all the food and the service was excellent we just wish there was mention of how much cilantro was going to be used in the dishes on the menu! Overall awesome!

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Experience

4-Course Mother's Day Brunch at I.d.

Bonfyre American Grille

4.8

4.8 (2375)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

Bonfyre features Contemporary American Cuisine in an upscale-casual environment. In addition to our hand-cut, wood-fired steaks, guests can enjoy fresh seafood, rotisserie chicken, pastas, signature salads and so much more from our seasonally changing menu.

To complement the cuisine, Bonfyre’s bar features classic cocktails with a modern twist, creative new libations, domestic craft beer selections and a wine list consisting of 60 labels from both North and South America.

Top review

MelanieVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Good food, service also good and food came out quick and was delicious!

Buck & Honey's - Monona

4.8

4.8 (1509)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison

About the restaurant

At Buck & Honey’s, we've taken great care to ensure your first visit makes you feel like you're stopping by an old friend's. We're locally owned and offer a wide variety of traditional fare made from scratch with only the freshest available ingredients.… Great pastas, tender steaks, fresh entree salads, unique specialty sandwiches, critically acclaimed Friday fish fry and our deliciously crispy thin crust pizzas round out our offerings. Check out the extensive wine list, craft cocktails and beer selections. Join us for live entertainment and special events. Located on the Yahara River in Monona, featuring 23 boat slips for boat parking and dock side carry out.

Summer months include patio seating, that is first come first serve, and non-reservable.

Top review

Malina

Dined 4 days ago

Everything was great about our experience at B&H. It was packed but luckily we had a reservation and got seated on time. The parking was a little dicey but as people left spots opened up. We tried 2 of their signature cocktails and both of them were fantastic. Our food was excellent and we were served quickly. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. I highly recommend their risotto as a side dish. It was soooo good! All and all a great meal.

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