Ristorante Bartolotta

At 8:15 pm on Sunday we were looking for a nice place to dine so we chose Bartolotta’s. Walked in, atmosphere was great, people were dining, but host told us kitchen was closed. Really? 8:15!

Let me just start by saying, wow! It was incredible!
My boyfriend and I went there a few weeks ago (10÷24÷15) for our anniversary dinner. First, we were seated right away (we had a reservation at 7pm) and at our table there was a little hand written card from the restaurant wishing us a happy anniversary. I do have to disclose that when my boyfriend made the reservation he mentioned that it was our anniversary but we did not expect anything. Second, the waitress came and greeted us right away (although it was a Saturday night and it was pretty busy). She was very knowledgeable on everything on the menu and helped us choose a wine paring that would nicely accompany our meal. Also, we had a second waitress/​helper to keep the everything moving smoothly. Third, the courses came out at a very nice pace and everything tasted incredible! We both had the fall four course meal special. Fourth, although are meals were four courses (soup/​salad, pasta, entrée and dessert) I chose not to get the dessert that came with the meal but instead one of their other options. When the waitress brought the desserts out she said they would cover the difference in price because it was their anniversary gift to us. Last but not the least, we have never been to a place that classy. It was «wait to be served» type of place. When our wine glasses were running low the waitress refilled them. Also, every time we were done with a course our silverware was replaced with new. That was a pleasant surprise for the both of us.
We will definitely return but not for a while since it was pretty pricey but totally worth it!
The only tiny flaw is that the parking in that area of town is really weird and limited. We tried finding our own but ended up paying for the valet ($ 7). The parking issue isn’t really the restaurant’s fault though. I suggest getting there at least 10 – 15 minutes before your reservation (we were almost late for ours!) so you can find parking or you can just go for valet.

The host treated me and my husband like children and we were very offended. We arrived at 5:10 for a 5:30 reservation and he said, «just so you guys know for other restaurant experiences, it is not a good idea to show up early for a reservation at peak hours.» Yes, we know this. But they opened at 5 pm and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant when we arrived. He also assumed we wouldn’t want a wine list because apparently we look young. His behavior was condescending and really unprofessional. Luckily, our server was wonderful and the food was great. I just think the host needs to take the stick out of his derrière and treat all customers equally.

This is in my top 3 favorite restaurants in MKE. The service is great, the staff is very knowledgeable, and the rustic Italian food in this small intimate restaurant is incredible. Although it is expensive, do the seasonal 4 course meal with wine pairings. In truffle season its a meal you will remember for the rest of your life, I guarantee it. They also have a great Italian wine selection. If unsure, ask for a recommendation, they are happy to help.

Every once in a while, you have an experience at a restaurant that is so amazing, so unforgettable, that you can’t stop talking about it. My experience at Ristorante Bartolotta is one of those. From the minute we walked in the door, we were given nothing but fantastic service. Even though we didn’t have a reservation, we were able to be seated right away. Our server was super nice and knowledgeable about the menu and the wine.
One thing that I thought was incredibly neat to see was a server walking around with a basket of bread, going from table to table, and placing the bread on your plate with a pair of tongs. I have never seen bread given out in that manner before. I must also rave about the butter that comes with the bread. While eating the bread, my husband and I detected a salty flavor. It turns out that they put rock salt in the butter. I loved it!
For my meal, I had the Ravioli di Magro al Burro Nociola Tartufato. It is a spinach and ricotta ravioli that includes brown butter, grana (which is a parmesan cheese) and truffle essence. It was absolutely amazing. My husband had the Garganelli alla Panna con Prosciutto e Piselli. It is pasta quills that are tossed with cream, prosciutto, peas and Grana Padano. He was kind enough to share some with me. Wow! The prosciutto really adds to the flavor.
The manager told us that it was one of their most popular items on the menu. I can see why.
For desert, I had their flourless chocolate cake with desert wine. It was absolutely delicious. My husband had their special pudding. I believe it was Salted Caramel Budino. Mmmm!
The Bartolottas do a fantastic job with their restaurants. This is one restaurant that we will absolutely be coming back to.

Really nice place for Italian food.
i ordered lobster spaghetti, very good. one thing if picky, just no vegetable inside.
Terrific service and desserts. deserve second try.

Amazing food, great service!!! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The staff knows the menu very well and did a great job pairing the wine with dinner. The food was delicious and not American Italian food, but very authentic.

With news of a sudden promotion, Joe and I were scrambling. After a terrible experience at another Bartolotta restaurant last year, I was left with a $ 25 gift certificate that was getting old. I jumped on here to make a reservation and somehow snagged one a half hour later.
We got there about 5 minutes before our reso, and our table was still being set up. No problems. There are only 20 – 30 tables total, and every single one was filled. Everyone looked dressed up and almost everyone was sipping on wine with a pinky out. Eventually our server came over and watered us, mentioning the special of Mon/​Tues… half off bottles of wine under $ 100. The wine list is extensive, and we finally settled on a delicious Chardonnay.
For an appetizer we chose the Mozzarella alla Pizzaiola, a baked dish with tomatoes, olives, capers and buffalo mozzarella, served with toasted bread. I was surprised that this dish was deemed a «dip» as it was SO watery. Seemed like a can of diced tomatoes was mixed with olives/​capers and dumped in. The flavors were great, but I was just not blown away.
Entrée wise Joe got the Pappardelle al Ragu d’Anatra, a papardelle pasta with duck ragu, and I got the Chef’s special, Gnocchi di Patate Dolci, a sweet potato gnocchi with purple carrot purée and cabbage. The pasta was quite obviously homemade, and the bite I had of Joe’s pappardelle was cooked to perfection. Slightly chewy, with nice texture. He said that the duck was melting in his mouth. My gnocchi was underdone, pretty gooey unfortunately. I really liked the vinegar of the cabbage and the tanginess of the carrot purée mixed with the sweetness of the sweet potato gnocchi. My qualm is pricing! They have «appetizer» portions and «entrée» portions… with at least a $ 10 difference. I spend $ 26 on about 26 gnocchi while Joe spent a dollar more for a significantly larger amount of food. Especially with the gnocchi being sans meat, I felt that it was not enough «bang for the buck».
We decided to skip dessert this time and focus on finishing our bottle of wine, but those being delivered around us looked amazing. I think the big plus at this restaurant that really pulls back from all other Bartolotta restaurants is this service. The servers at Ristorante were very well trained, extremely professional and really knew their stuff. Any questions about ingredients or wine were answered expertly and respectfully. While it is definitely not something we can afford to include in regular rotation, it will be a place that I keep in mind for special occasions. Congratulations on being the first excellent experience I’ve ever had at a Bartolotta restaurant!

I’ve visited as a couple, with a group, and even stopped for a glass of wine. I’ve not been disappointed once so far. Really consistent, really solid experience. If I’m in Tosa, this is where I’m dining.

Food was fantastic. Customer service made it even better!
Although we sat in a tiny two-​top near the restrooms, we didn’t mind. The atmosphere was romantic but not cheesy, the servers were attentive and not overbearing, and the food was tasteful and well-​balanced.
I loved how well the servers balanced each other out (came in a pair) and timed their pitstops at our table. They provided great recommendations and really took the time with each table.
I ordered the bone-​in pork chop (Bistecca di Maiale al Marsala Ambra) and my girlfriend ordered the very popular half chicken (Pollo al Mattone). They were both so good there were no leftovers! The crispy skin of the chicken complemented the tender meat well. The porkchop was cooked perfectly. I would even go medium to medium rare. The mashed potatoes were smooth and fluffy. I also had the Aranciata Orange Italian soda and my gf had a glass of red wine. We never order dessert and felt compelled to do so. All desserts were made in house, and you can taste it!
Will definitely be back!

I dined ate Bartolotta this evening with my daughter. We were fortunate enough to get the table 2 steps away from the restroom in the way back of the establishment. Thank goodness we had a reservation!
Service was AMAZING but the food was so very under impressive.

During truffle season, Bartolotta is a must stop to satisfy all your truffle needs. It’s only a 3 day journey between the time the truffle is picked until its on your plate and the freshness is noticeable. Yes, the tasting menu is not cheap but I would encourage anyone to get it. My girlfriend and I decided to share it and round out the meal with an additional appetizer and pasta dish from the regular menu. As expected, the waitstaff are attentive, friendly, and do an excellent job with managing the courses. The food and staff combined with the ambience of the setting (the restaurant is located in a former Pabst Brewery building) make for an romantic and extraordinary meal.

Six of us came on a Saturday night for a birthday dinner. Had no experience or knowledge of the place as we were visiting from Minneapolis. Wanted to find a nice restaurant for our dinner.
It did not disappoint. Perhaps a step below the best we have to offer in Minneapolis, but it held its own. Good service from start to finish. Wine list was good with lots of Italian selections. Atmosphere was quaint and romantic (also read: a bit cramped).
Shared several dishes. Best was the truffle special (although $ 60). Started with the meat board which was good and the mozzarella special which was a bit odd and not what we thought. Paperdelle and the chicken were great. As has been my experience in most Italian restaurants, dessert did not match the rest of the meal.
Good stuff and a place we’d go back to if we lived there.

One of the best restaurants in the area. Classic and traditional, this is hands down the best place to eat for authentic Italian food. The service is always spot on and professional, and the food never seems
To fail. We usually order the carpaccio… twice. As an appetizer, and dessert. It’s light and refreshing, and has the perfect amount of flavor. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.

Went here for the second time last night due to a lost bet. Let’s just say it wasn’t so much of a loss.
First off the service was just as great as I remember it being the first time. The staff is incredibly friendly and not in a way where as it comes off as fake but genuine and almost as if you knew them. It’s also mind boggling how knowledgeable they are not only about the food but also on the large book they put on your table that they call a wine list. We even had a gentlemen who wasn’t our server come over and chat about wine as well as give us a few recommendations and samples after we already had a bottle at our table.
Now for the food. Oh. my. god.
We had:
Beef carpaccio (incredibly tasty but also very light which is perfect because you need to save room for dessert)
Caeser salad (the girl had this but I had a few bites and it was delicious as a salad can be)
Duck ragu (as mentioned in the other reviews, it’s literally out of this world, the house made noodles are perfect and the duck meat is tender and instantly mouth watering, I could literally have eaten a platter of this and still asked for more. GET IT!)
Swordfish/​Pesto potatoes (this was the girls dish but she ordered it after hearing the lady next to us rave about it, the fish itself was incredible but the best part was by far the pesto mashed potatoes, I would never even think of that)
Filet (I ordered this because I had it the first time I was here and they really knock it out of the park, perfectly charred on the outside and a perfect medium rare on the inside, the black truffle sauce really adds a nice flavor as well)
Tiramisu/​Sea salt caramel pudding (get both of these, just do it and thank me later)
All in all, this place has easily become one of my favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. I hope I keep losing bets.

Like a 15 year old girl, «I just can’t even» right now. Ristorante Bartolotta may have produced one of the top 3 pasta dishes I have ever eaten. It has been three days since we ate here and my mind is still blown.
Settled into the most quaint part of the Village of Wauwatosa, Ristorante Bartolotta has all the comfort of small, unique Italian restaurant, but with the warmth and friendliness of my family’s Italian holiday cooking. Just like Harbor House, the tables and chairs are a little close to your neighbor, but it never interfered with our dining experience. Servers were helpful, friendly, and everything was done with ease.
They have an academic-​sized book of wine for your reading pleasure-​which turned out to be fantastic-​as their wine was scrumptious with dinner. Naturally, after my fiancé and I had both worked a little over a 50 hour work week, so we went straight to the cocktails. The Italian Old-​Fashioned was smooth and warm, while my fiancé had the Solstice which had started off smooth, but ended with a kick.
For an appetizer, we ordered the Mussels (all the titles on the menu are in Italian and I was not smart enough to write them down before we left. So you get my ignorant retelling with English words). Sweet Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds, I have never had mussels this delicious. They were bathed in the fantastic white wine cream sauce, which was finished off with a touch of saffron and truffle oil, topped with fennel and tomatoes. It was as close to sex as you get.
For dinner, I ordered the Ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach in a brown butter sauce, drizzled with truffle oil (I never pass on truffle oil meals) and my fiancé had the Pappardelle with duck ragu. First, the ravioli was absolutely divine. Although it sounds heavy, the homemade pasta made it light and airy with an amazing creaminess with the filling. The ragu was equally amazing as the duck was so tender and the little bit of spice was perfect.
For dessert, we ordered the gelato in three flavors; white chocolate, coffee, and pistachio. Again, perfect little pops of flavor, the best after-​dinner dessert I have had in a long time. Ristorante Bartolotta should be on everyone’s list to enjoy at least once, and I know for sure we will be back.

Curious about this iconic spot that launched the local culinary empire. Some high points, but thought it was just ok. 3.3 stars
Food: 3.5, Service: 3, Atmosphere: 3
Cost to worth it rating: 3 (appetizer pastas ~$ 15, entrees ~$ 25)
Return worthiness: maybe
Highlights:
— Creamy pasta: peas, prosciutto, and peas was the winner of the night. Decadent cream sauce with the accents of the features ingredients was divine.
— Duck pasta: tons of tender shredded duck meat on thick pappardelle noodles
— Gluten free handmade pasta: love that they had this as an option
— Pear vodka cinnamon cocktail: never had anything like it and it was exquisite
— Tomato salad: fresh wedges of tomato with cheese
— Budino: salted caramel pudding with a layer of chocolate on top was a nice meal closer
Midlights:
— Spinach ravioli: good but nothing too special – just a touch of truffle taste
— Spicy spiny lobster: liked the kick of the spice but seafood could have been less tough
— Mozzarella appetizer: big slab of melted cheese with tomato sauce. With the quality of the cheese something simpler might have sufficed
— Service: just ok and was expecting a bit more attentiveness with all of the hype
Lowlights:
— Eggplant pasta: ok but least exciting and flavorful of the bunch
— Irish coffee: no cream on top – just a normal coffee with some whiskey
Had a fine meal here but might try some other of the spots in the restaurant family instead.

After a great experience here at a Unilocal event, my wife and I decided to come here for a dinner celebrating my new job. The meal was flawless, top to bottom.
My wife had a beer, I opted for the H20. We had calamari for the app. Solid. Perfectly fried, with some mint on top.
For entrees, my wife had duck ragu, I had fillet. Why would I order a fillet at an Italian joint? Because I knew they would knock it out of the park. And they did. Perfect sear, with it still medium on the inside. Great potatoes and veggies. The duck ragu was top notch, as I knew it would be.
We decided on some tiramisu for dessert. It was very flavorful, with a nice, light texture. And I don’t really like coffee flavored anything.
The service was great as well. A great place to come for a special occasion. Unless your wallet can handle this place on a more regular basis!

I wish I could give this place ten stars, a hundred stars… We had such a good time there last night that it was a bit unreal. The first time I went to Bartolotta’s was with the other Elite Unilocal reviewers for their event there a few weeks ago — so glad that we returned for dinner last night!
So, we made reservations online for dinner at 6:15 last night. It was so easy to do and much more efficient than calling during business hours. One of their staff called me to confirm the reservations, which I appreciated.
My mom, mother-​in-​law, and I arrived earlier than planned, as we were planning to have a cocktail at Le Reve beforehand (which was closed). We had an excellent experience at the bar. The bartender recommended the Metropolitan martini, which my mom and I had, and then she made another drink for my MIL. The martinis were delicious! As a gin-​drinker, she recommended to me a gin drink made with lavender bitters that was UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. My dad and FIL, who arrived later, ordered whisky manhattans, which they both thought were perfectly mixed. The bartender and the woman she was training were both very nice, friendly, and efficient.
When the rest of our party arrived (my dad, FIL, brother, and husband), our table was ready and waiting for us. My brother ordered the wild boar medallions (which he really enjoyed), I ordered the chestnut gnocchi, my FIL got the salmon, my parents got the duck ragu, my MIL got the grilled seafood, and my husb got the Garganelli. Several of us ordered Caesar salads.
The Caesar dressing was perfect — creamy and flavorful, with a hint of anchovy — and the salad was crisp and fresh. The bread that they brought out was thick, soft, and had a really good texture.
All of the food looked delicious, and everyone really enjoyed their meals. For my part, the chestnut gnocchi is one of the best meals I have ever had. I wish I had ordered the larger portion so I could be eating leftovers right now! The gnocchi was soft and sort of melted in my mouth — the chestnut flavor was present without being overwhelming. So unbelievably good that I don’t even have the words necessary to convey how much I enjoyed it.
The tiramisu, carmel pudding, and desert drink we had were so, so good. Have I mentioned how good our experience was? Should I say the word «good» a few more times?
But here’s where they really won my heart: with their amazing service. The two servers handling our table were experts. Our waters were refilled when we drank less than half the glass, our used silverware and plates where whisked away as soon as we were done, and they were both friendly and engaging people who greatly added to our dining experience.
I can’t wait to go back! Best service I have experienced at a restaurant in Milwaukee BY FAR, with delicious food and drinks to boot. So thankful that I went to the Unilocal event and had the opportunity to try this place out! Now it’s one of my favorites for sure, and I am very much looking forward to checking out the other establishments under the Bartolotta umbrella.

I can’t even express in words the food experience I had here. Please see the pictures… then read.
Service: Our servers were delightful. They were knowledgeable and passionate about their craft. They knew the menu beyond anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. They knew details down to the technique in which the risotto rice was prepared. My glass was never empty and I doubt an empty dish was in front of me for more than 10 seconds. A+
Atmosphere: The restaurant was quite a bit less stuffy than I was expecting. Everyone is welcoming and makes you feel comfortable. A
Food: We were advised to do the Chef’s menu and then a handful of dishes off the regular menu. Everything exceeded my expectations. The highlights were the chicken entrée and the budino. I have never had better chicken in my life. I know rule of thumb is to never order chicken at restaurants — ORDER THE CHICKEN. Do it. You won’t regret it. I’m not usually a dessert person but I would go back just to eat the budino here. It is the dessert dreams are made of. A+