Amilinda

We returned to Amilinda, and this renowned restaurant let us down again. While the quaint space can be charming, the overworked staff and minuscule kitchen provided a frenetic atmosphere. No one seemed relaxed, and thus, there was a lack of warmth and graciousness. Our servers did their best, but their stress created a dark cloud that hung over our table. The small menu didn't provide much choice, but that's fine when the food tastes great. My appetizer, pickled shrimp, was the best taste of the night, but nothing memorable. I ordered the $40.00 meatball entree, which was not only expensive but tasted bland as well. My wife's chicken thighs were smothered in a sautéed mushroom sauce that drowned every other flavor. It was ridiculously over-sauced. Desserts were okay but provided no culinary surprises. Milwaukee restaurant critics love Amilinda. It's on every "best restaurant in Milwaukee" list. The owner must be a charmer. The cuisine at Amilinda is called Portuguese, but our dinner didn't have any Portuguese flavors. I have spent time in Lisbon and eaten at Portuguese restaurants in NYC. The food was full of flavors, and every taste had soul, called alma in Portugal. Alma is an integral part of Portuguese culture. Sadly, Amilinda had no alma and was an empty representation of the great cuisine of Portugal.

Everything was wonderful for the NYE dinner.Service was excellent and our glasses never remained empty for more than a minute or so. Attentive service and an ever-changing menu guarantees we will be visiting at least once a month.We are already looking forward to going back.

We finally made it to Amilinda! The space is cozy and inviting, and the open kitchen allows you to watch Chef León and his team as they make the magic happen. The staff was friendly, the pace unhurried, and the whole experience was enjoyable.For the NA crowd, I recommend the agua de finca mocktail and the NA Mashgang IPA - both were excellent. The duck with a salsa verde was perfectly cooked, and the skirt steak was well-executed and served with a parsnip puree. We ended on a sweet note with pasteis de nata--little Portuguese custard tarts with caramelized, crispy-sweet tops. If you haven't been yet, be sure to check out Amilinda!

Amilinda has been on my list of places to visit for a long time. I'd say a few things about my experience.1. The restaurant was so lovely. It was decorated in a way that seemed almost homey. 2. The service was also great and the ambiance was nice as well. I think that when you have restaurants that offer such a unique experience and menu, you meet some equally unique and interesting people. We sat next to such a lovely couple. Another thing that made our experience very special was that towards the closing of the restaurant, the head chef and owner came out and sparked up a conversation. Such a nice guy. 3. Now as excited as I was to taste the food, I was severely underwhelmed. The thing that I enjoyed the most was the tomato salad with heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese. It was lovely, however, the other dishes we ate weren't my favorite. We tried the braised cabbage and the strip steak. The cabbage was kind of bland, and although the steak was cooked nicely and was very flavorful, the succotash that was plated with it really took away from the flavor of the steak. Now with that being said, I would definitely go back to try a few other items on the menu.

Amilinda delivers exceptional seasonal Spanish-Portuguese fusion cuisine. The fried quail, octopus, radicchio salad, and stuffed peppers were all standout dishes. Impeccable flavors, presentation and chill vibe make it one of Milwaukee's Michelin-level gems. Highly recommend if you're looking for something unique.

While the location is appealing and the building itself is cool, the food leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered the New York strip, and it was incredibly bland, lacking any flavor at all. We had to ask for salt for all of our meals, as the entire table found their dishes to be flavorless, which is totally unexpected for a Spanish/Portuguese inspired restaurant. It was also tough, overdone, and thicker than any New York strip I've ever seen, more closely resembling a filet in size and shape - definitely not tenderness though. The cocktail menu is a plus, however! Fun drinks, mixed well.I would not come back to this place unless I knew they had undergone a drastic menu makeover. Also worth noting: the restaurant was extremely hot and lacking airflow when we ate there. Not sure if the AC wasn't working or couldn't keep up, but it was very uncomfortable.

Food was the best food for a fine pallet ! It was made to perfection. The atmosphere is great and it could be intimate . It's best to make a reservation ! They made sure you happy and satisfied . It was well worth the experience and travel. Loved the food and the atmosphere .

I have been wanting to try Amilinda for a while and I really wanted to love it. We made a reservation, same day, for a Friday night and had no problem. When we arrived, the night was just starting, and there were only a couple other customers in the restaurant. The menu is limited but does rotate on a regular basis. At the time of our visit, I wasn't really interested in much on the menu. We each had wine and split the Brussel sprouts with candied bacon. The Brussel sprouts were pretty good and I would order again. For our entrees we had beef tongue and roasted cauliflower over pureed pumpkin. The cauliflower was good, but not very filling, and everything was a little on the pricier side so I didn't want to get anything else. I did enjoy the décor and ambiance of the restaurant, the walls are covered in painted tiles, international photos, and the chef's memories. I did enjoy it and would come back, but would watch the menu in advance.

Service was fantastic! We went for a Yelp Elite event and got a free cocktail and appetizer. They made a duck piri piri for the appetizer and the sauce was to die for. They also accommodated our group of 6 to sit outside when the table is normally only for 4 people. The inside is full of eclectic decor and has a moody ambiance, but it was incredibly hot inside (one of the reasons I'm only giving 4/5 stars). They have a fun cocktail list and an abbreviated menu that you can tell they put a lot of effort into. The menu changes often, so the picture of the menu below will probably be different if you visit! My only complaint about the food is that the portion sizes are smaller and the plates are $28-40. Drinks were about $10-15 each. The rose I wanted was out, so our server made me a drink that wasn't in the menu and it was delicious! Overall, we loved our experience at Amilinda.

What a great experience! We started the evening with roasted beets- so delicious! They were very earthy, and the lavender flavor was subtle yet noticeable. A great balance! We ordered the Goat and the rabbit- the goat was very tender and cooked well, but the star was the rabbit with a carrot and blackberry pureé. After adding a dash of salt- it was absolutely amazing. I couldn't get enough and was so sad when it was gone. We ended the meal with a final cocktail and the dark chocolate mousse. I would have licked the bowl clean! A great experience with very friendly staff.