“ 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. Because it was full, it was on the noisy side. We had a group of 4 to one side and they could be loud at time. So don't come if you are expecting a quiet/intimate dining experienc. 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. ”

“ Tapas style restaurant with dishes from a bunch of different cuisines!! Love the variety you can get, 3-4 dishes is definitely good for 2 people. we sat at the bar on friday night but the wait for bar seating wasn't bad at all. Best dish is definitely beef empanadas!! We got the seared trout but I didn't read that it comes on a mushroom medley (and I don't love mushrooms). moroccan braised goat was such a unique dish too, goat is super tender and complimented the couscous well. I will def be back to try the other dishes!!!!! ”

“ La Merenda is my favorite restaurant in the city. It might be my favorite restaurant, period. Their menus (both dinner and drink) rotate frequently, so even for someone like myself who goes here a number of times each year, there's always something new to try. I love farm-to-table restaurants on principle, and this one is cool because many of their ingredients are things locals have heard of. For two people, we'll often order 4-6 tapas to share, and we always end up taking some home in little boxes after eating more than enough. You can enjoy flavors from around the globe made with ingredients found locally. It has an artsy interior with medium to low light and music, plus servers who are very knowledgeable about the menus and offerings. ”

“ Brandon's service was impeccable. Do get: lamb queso fundido y beef empanadas y thai duck y argentine steak , and car bomb for dessert. Don't bother with ceviche (tuna was cooked practically through) . Vibe was awesome. Food was seriously next level delicious and plates were easy to share. This would be a repeat spot for me if ai lived here. ”

“ 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! ”