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Lupi & Iris
777 N. Van Buren St., (414) 293-9090
lupiandiris.com
Mediterranean, French, Italian
$$$-$$$$
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If you’re looking for an opulent dining experience, you’ll find it at Lupi & Iris. Every detail of the space has been attended to, from the zinc-topped bar to comfortable banquettes and a chef’s table-style counter surrounding the open kitchen.
Mediterranean fare forms the foundation for lunch, dinner and brunch at this Downtown restaurant, which serves up a menu of dishes inspired by the French and Italian Riviera.
The current menu offers a wealth of options, from starters like the always delicious chevre tart, currently featuring smoked trout, tomato confit, endive and pistou; and zucca arrostita, a simply delicious melange of roasted winter squash and herbs with sherry vinegar and housemade whipped ricotta. Pastas include the unctuous housemade corzetti with walnut sauce, while entrees run the gamut from delicate wood-grilled Dover sole to wood-oven roasted rack of lamb with olive oil potatoes, black olive puree and rosemary. Also be sure to look at the plates of the day, which change out frequently.
Planning a date night? The wood-oven roasted Angus porterhouse served with seasonal vegetables, roasted fingerlings and persillade is a hole-in-one.
Weekly Sunday Dinners are also worth a look. Priced at around $65 per guest with reservations required, the themed menus change out weekly (this week features Alsatian cuisine crafted by Executive Sous Chef Kait Greenhalgh). Dining with friends? Consider this week's evening with Chef Adam Siegel on March 16 featuring a five course dinner featuring some of the chef's favorite dishes. Cost is $540 for a group of four (includes five courses and pairings)
Visit for Sunday brunch, served between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and you'll find a large menu offering salads, sandwiches and modified entrees, plus dishes like eggs served atop a buckwheat crepe with French ham, cheese and arugula; cheesy polenta topped with chard, sautéed mushrooms and eggs; and French toast made from housemade country French bread and served with preserves, berries and mascarpone cream.
Recommended: Tarte au chevre; zucca arrostita; corzetti with walnut sauce; dover sole
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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