My best Milwaukee things to do, restaurants for Christmas, holidays

There’s something magical about Christmastime in Milwaukee.

Sounds cliche, I know. This is the season of Hallmark movies, after all.

But, I kid you not, I still remember the butterflies I’d get crossing the Hoan Bridge into the city around the holidays as a kid. I was probably going to a First Stage holiday production, a family tradition back then, or a cozy dinner at Barbiere’s. Maybe we were headed for the Holiday Folk Fair International in West Allis or the Brewers Clubhouse Sale at then-Miller Park.

Between then and now, there have been many more holiday shows, festive eats, Folk Fairs and Clubhouse Sales.

There are just those things we do again and again, year after year. And, next year, God willing, we’ll do ’em all again. That’s part of the beauty of this time of year – the tradition.

The years have been sprinkled with other holiday cheer, too. A tour of the Pabst Mansion – my next-door neighbor during my Marquette days – all dolled up. Driving through the holiday lights, lights and more lights of Candy Cane Lane. A Christmas outing with an old friend at the Mitchell Park Domes, which has a holiday-themed one this time of year.

Whether you’re a Milwaukee homer, like me, or a first-time visitor, I’ve created a festive itinerary for a day downtown during the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s what I would suggest to a loved one, somewhat off the top of my head, if they asked me what to do downtown in the coming days for “it feels like Christmas” fun and food.

Almost everything on this list is directly downtown, with two or so things being a 10- to 15-minute drive away.

I’ve included a full – and I do mean full – schedule, including “choose your own adventure” portions. Some additional dining options are at the bottom in case you’re kicking off your boots, taking off your coat and planning to stay a while.

Everything below I’ve done before, some in years past. And would do again.

Note: Since we’re around the holidays, if hours aren’t listed below, check the place’s social media page and website before going there to make sure it’s open the given day you’re planning to visit.

Brunch

Café at the Pfister

While the iconic Pfister Hotel is a vibe all its own year-round, that’s turned up a notch this time of year.

In the lobby proudly stands an 18-foot tree glistening with 5,100 lights. Around the hotel are other decorated trees, 150 large-scale bows made from 750 yards of ribbon and 320 feet of garland, according to a Pfister spokesperson.

Cozy, yet refined. Charming and timeless.

And, you can take it all in as you make your way over to Café at the Pfister for brunch (menus here).

It’s even where two boyhood friends – former Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig and former senator and Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl – had a weekly lunch reservation for the last 12 years of Kohl’s life. It’s a personal fave of mine, too.

If you’re looking to up the holiday cheer even more, the hotel hosts Breakfast with Santa brunches in the Grand Ballroom Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21 (reservations required).

The Pfister – consistently named one of the country’s best historic hotels – is known for being where the most famous stay while in town. And, it’s famous itself – for being haunted … allegedly.

Address: 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Café at the Pfister hours: Breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the barista counter from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Pfister spokesperson confirmed that hours won’t be different on Christmas, New Year’s or their Eves.
More info: thepfisterhotel.com/dining/cafe-at-the-pfister

Choose your own adventure

Christmas at the Pabst Mansion

A taste of Milwaukee’s brewing history mixed with the spirit of the season and stunning architecture. The mansion, once owned by Captain Frederick and Maria Pabst, gets transformed into “a winter wonderland with dazzling holiday décor that changes annually,” according to its website. Every room offers a “unique holiday experience.” People can take self-guided tours of the historic house museum, all decked out. While it’s been a couple of years since I last visited, it’s one of those things that I think to myself, “I should do that again,” whenever I drive by. Visit the mansion’s website for more info, including tour options and tickets.

Mitchell Park Domes

If you’ve been to the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory during the winter, you know just how good it feels to step into the Tropical Dome and escape the cold in a steamy rainforest environment that houses 1,200 species of plants. Another one of the three beehive-shaped Domes, the Show Dome, is hosting “12 Days of Christmas: A Playful Parody” through Jan. 4. It features “whimsical displays inspired by the inescapable verses of this beloved song – with a botanical flair,” the Domes’ website says. Plus, the Show Dome has a holiday tree and several special events still coming up. The third Dome, the Dessert, is 50-degrees this time of year and has 600 plants, including giant cacti. More info, including hours and pricing can be found here. The Domes are about a 10-minute drive from downtown.

Shopping the Third Ward

To the Third Ward we go!

Whether you have a little last-minute Christmas shopping left to do or have a gift to buy for “me, myself and I,” this is a shopping destination where you can easily pop from shop to shop. There’s the Milwaukee Public Market – which was named the nation’s best public market in USA TODAY’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards – local boutiques and brands, like Unfinished Legacy, and popular chain retailers, including Anthropologie and Lululemon.

From bustling sidewalks during prime times to the giant holiday tree in Catalano Square, it’s giving “Christmas time in the city.” And, when you need a warm-up or pick-me-up, the Ward has no shortage of cozy cafes, including Valentine – one of my go-tos – Anodyne inside the Public Market, Colectivo, Likewise and Grace.

That neighborhood is also where you’ll be having dinner tonight, if you’re following this guide to a T.

Dinner: Onesto, my tried and true

Anytime someone asks me for a dinner rec in Milwaukee, Onesto is my tried and true. Even my bougiest bud from Chicago, a regular at Maple & Ash and Adalina, was a fan when I recommended it to him a couple of years back.

I was there with a best friend not too long ago. We sat at one of the tables at the front of the restaurant, lined along those ginormous windows. Feeling all cozy and content inside while watching people stroll on by, like we were in a snowglobe.

Onesto feels sophisticated and special without being stuffy or outrageous. Benson’s Restaurant Group, which Onesto is a part of, described the restaurant’s holiday vibe as “minimal winter wonderland.”

My order, always: The fusilli, featuring asparagus, cremini mushroom and truffle cream sauce. It’s so good I just haven’t been able to bring myself to switch it up. Often, I opt for a side Caesar salad, too. And, to drink, either a refreshing iced tea or a mocktail.

In addition to its full menu, Onesto is offering Christmas week specials, called “The Feast of Seven Fishes,” from Dec. 19 through Dec. 30. Those include an east coast oysters appetizer with cranberry mignonette; a chilled seafood salad with rock shrimp, bay scallops, calamari, mussels and lemon-caper vinaigrette; pomodoro pasta, featuring braised whitefish, grilled swordfish, San Marzano tomatoes and bucatini; and an Italian roll cake dessert made with chocolate sponge cake, peppermint buttercream, chocolate ganache and sugared cranberries.

For New Year’s Eve, Onesto will have its regular menu, plus specials, including a chilled seafood platter app with shrimp cocktail, east coast oysters, chilled lobster and champagne mignonette; tortellini pasta with wild mushroom duxelles, truffle cream and shaved black truffle; and a 24k gold cannoli, featuring pistachio cream, dark chocolate and gold leaf.

Knowing from experience, make a reservation.

Address: 221 N. Broadway
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Christmas Eve and Day. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve.
More info: onestomke.com

Choose your own adventure: A holiday production, Christmas movie or legendary lights

Holiday productions

As I mentioned earlier, holiday productions have always been a cornerstone of this time of the year for me.

This time around, I’ll be checking out “A Wonderful Life” at Fort Atkinson’s Fireside Dinner Theater. In past years, it’s been The Rep’s “A Christmas Carol” – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary! – “Elf the Musical” at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (multiple times) and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” from First Stage, among others.

There’s simply never a shortage around here. But … how do you choose what to see?

Just like Santa, arts editor Jim Higgins makes his own list. But, instead of names of who’s naughty or nice, Higgins highlights a few of the several holiday shows you can still catch around here. A couple do close Dec. 21, but others carry on until after Christmas.

A trip to a theater for a Christmas movie – and a step back in time

Another option that’s in a similar vein, but more lowkey and typically less spendy than live theater: Catching a festive flick at one of these area theaters that are showing ’em this season.

You’ll be filled with next-level nostalgia as you feel like you’re taking a step back in time.

If you get my Be MKE newsletter (shameless plug), you know Cedarburg’s Rivoli Theater has got me in the movie-going spirit.

Holiday lights displays

Right downtown, there’s …

The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival includes these displays: “Community Spirit Park” at Cathedral Square Park, “Santa’s Celebration Square powered by We Energies” at Zeidler Union Square, “¡Felices Fiestas!” at Pere Marquette Park and “Slice of Ice Lights” at Red Arrow Park. There are also lighted chandeliers down Wisconsin Avenue. Bonus: Also along Wisconsin Ave. (and other select spots nearby) is an Ornament Trail, featuring 20 larger-than-life, hand-painted ornaments.

Over in the Deer District, err Cheer District, there’s the City of Milwaukee Christmas Tree and more than 30 other trees lit up around Fiserv Forum.

About a 15-minute drive from the city is West Allis’ Candy Cane Lane, a neighborhood where hundreds of residents decorate their houses elaborately for the holidays, which supports the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund. It’s bordered by 96th Street to the west, 92nd Street to the east, Montana Avenue to the north, and Oklahoma Avenue to the south. You can drive it or walk it. Either way, there are these rules to follow. It’s free, though donations to the MACC Fund are encouraged, which can be made at a collection site on 95th Street between Oklahoma and Manitoba or online at candycanelanewi.com. Runs through Christmas Day.

Night cap: Holiday pop-up bar

A couple years ago, I put together a social media video, highlighting a handful of the area’s pop-up bars. It was an absolute blast, seeing how they all decked their halls – and pretty much every space else.

Our neck of the woods is bursting with pop-ups, from Sippin’ Santa at Pufferfish to Miracle on 2nd St. at The Tin Widow, which made Yelp’s 10 Outrageous Holiday Pop-Up Bars 2025 list.

Holiday decor galore paired with an on-theme nightcap? Count me in! I’ll have your most festive mocktail, please and thank you.