Summer Al Fresco!

Patio dining in Milwaukee

By Sarah Biondich

In the last decade Milwaukee has seen a surge in the number of restaurants that offer outdoor patios, giving our city a vibrancy it hasn’t seen since the old German beer gardens of the late-19th century. Until Mayor John Norquist’s initiative to promote al fresco dining in Milwaukee,getting a permit for outdoor dining was far too challenging for most business owners.That, coupled with the health department’s concerns that food served outside was unsafe, meant that Milwaukee diners ate indoors. By 2000, regulations were changed and codes were tweaked, making it much easier to offer outside seating.

These days, to lure Milwaukeeans who want to take advantage of the brief warm-weather bliss, many local restaurants are going above-and-beyond setting out tables on the sidewalk. Here are a few of the locally owned restaurants that offer a proper patio, a defined outdoor space elevated or set apart where customers can eat and drink. We took note of features that provide comfort, convenience and pleasure (think spectacular views, comfy furniture and outdoor heaters), elevating these outdoor oases far above their brethren.

Anaba Tea Room

2107 E. Capitol Drive

414-963-9510

www.gardenroomonline.com

Visitors to Anaba Tea Room’s rooftop greenhouse and garden will feel elevated in both body and spirit. Located on the roof of a Shorewood building that houses a retail store called the Garden Room, the space offers a true escape from the commotion of the ground level. Customers can choose to sit either in the glass greenhouse or at one of the four outdoor tables overlooking Capitol Drive for a selection of delicate tea sandwiches, robust salads, homemade soups and a wide variety of teas.