French Restaurants in Milwaukee

The gritty, bratwurst-and-beer-loving city of Milwaukee does not exactly resonate with French character. Yet sprinkled throughout the town are a few well-regarded French restaurants serving everything from lunchy fare like a croque madame to more sophisticated meals like coq au vin. And of course, what would a French be without wine? Check out these four French restaurants in Milwaukee.

French Restaurants in Milwaukee: Coquette Café
316 N. Milwaukee St.
Milwaukee, WI
414-291-2655
http://www.coquettecafe.com/
A Third Ward establishment with a simple, refined bistro décor, Coquette has been welcoming diners since 1999. Must-haves are the onion soup with gruyere cheese and the navarin d’agneau, a lamb dish with turnip and rutabega. Diners can complement their meals with a selection of pates and wines to round out the French food experience. Popular for pre-theatre and pre-opera dining, Coquette tends to attract an enlightened yuppie set – the financial advisor types who also fancy themselves patrons of the arts.

French Restaurants in Milwaukee: Trocadero
1758 N. Water St.
Milwaukee, WI
414-272-0205
http://www.ztrocadero.com/ (note their attempt to be witty with the URL)
If the Hipster Handbook had a Milwaukee appendix, it would feature a photo of Trocadero. Just off the western edge of Brady Street near the new pedestrian bridge, a tidy “Tabac” sign beckons East Siders to the two-story restaurant/bar, which also includes a popular patio. Despite my tendency to dismiss places like this as merely “see and be seen,” Trocadero really does offer superb French food (along with some not-so-French food, too). Try the goat cheese turnover, the vegetable crepes, and the blackberry duck. The entrees do change a bit by season, but the cheeses and pates are quite consistent.