Safina

Such an amazing restaurant! It has a small, intimate feeling, and the food is outstanding. The owner was walking around and he was very sweet. We got the eggplant fries (which is a HUGE portion), and I tried the penne alla vodka, which was super unique and tasty. I wish I had remembered to take pictures, but the food was so good I ate it all before remembering!! Can't wait to come back

So awesome- nicely managed. You feel they care and want you to have the best experience.Food was outstanding.Ordered the fried zucchini- was such a big portion- we actually shared them with the table next to us! So good- could have ate the whole plate for dinner....Didn't take one pic of dinner- was so good that we just dug right in. Shrimp diavolo and ragu al forno.... Both outstanding. Our waitress was pleasant and our dinner was perfect. We sat at the bar for an after dinner drink.

I have had this restaurant on my list for several months so was excited to try it! The exterior is unassuming but sophisticated, as is the interior. It's a small restaurant with a bar area in the back. The one issue we had was being seated quite late when we had already made a reservation - likely because of how small the restaurant is but it was somewhat disappointing.We ordered two appetizers: the bruschetta and the mozzarella. The bruschetta was unique and enticing with eggplant pieces - it was a fresh take which I really enjoyed. For a main dish, I ordered the fusilloni al pistachio, which was incredible. The rich flavors and crunch from the pistachios was perfect. We did save some room for dessert and ordered the cheesecake, which was also delicious.Overall really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant! I hope next time the service is a bit more organized since we had made a reservation.

Date of visit: December 14, 2024O. M. G. What a wonderful gem of a restaurant! While I had never heard of it, some good friends of ours were huge fans and it is so easy to see why, everything was fabulous!We were seated upstairs, which was wonderful--except for when a giant group came in and attempted to talk over each other simultaneously... Thankfully that was at the end of our meal and was time to head out anyway. All of the food was wonderful. The ragu with meat sauce was fabulous and I almost forgot about the appetizers--you can never go wrong with fried cheese and calamari--as they were a wonderful start to the experience. And did I mention the tiramisu? I didn't, because you save the best for last and this truly was The Best!Honestly, my only complaint is that they were trying to be a little TOO authentic Italy with the room temperature water at the table. Girl, we need ice here in the States; don't have us drinking that tepid water!

We kicked off 2025 with dinner at Safina - the perfect place for a quiet date night! The ambiance is top notch - the dining room on the main level is intimate and cozy. They offered a Peroni NA beer, which my husband enjoyed, and since I didn't see any other NA options, I just stuck with water. We absolutely loved the bruschetta with goat cheese, crispy Brussels sprouts and honey - every bite was perfectly composed and so delicious. The perfect start to our meal! We ordered the fusilloni al pistachio and the shrimp diavolo. The server rated it a 5/10 for heat, which sounded great. The food came out quickly and piping hot, and the portion sizes were generous. My husband said the shrimp should have been rated a 7/10, and he really likes spicy food, so maybe beware a little if you're not looking for something too spicy. The fusilloni was fantastic - our server said it was their most popular dish.Toward the end of our entrees, we noticed most of other tables had bread and oil - so perhaps we were supposed to get it as well and did not? We opted not to ask since we were done with our meals, but I do love freshly baked bread! Not the end of the world. One other issue was our waters were only refilled once, when we were almost done with our meals, and since I was only drinking water, that was a bummer. It was tough to get our server's attention to get more. For dessert we shared the chocolate panna cotta and it was phenomenal - so good! Cherry preserve, chiffonade of mint, crunchy toffee brittle - we loved all of the flavors and textures, and it was a great way to end our meal.Overall, a fantastic evening, and we would go back. Be sure to try Safina if you haven't yet!

The restaurant was beautiful and the service and food were good! My only problem was that I think we went on a day that was was either the beginning of their week, or the end, and because their schedule varied and they source their ingredients fresh, a hand full of things that I was looking forward to eating, they said that they were out of. I shouldn't be upset about a restaurant outsourcing fresh ingredients, but I was disappointed and it was something that I didn't know before going! We would have chosen a better day to visit haha.

5 StarsHad an incredible dining experience at Safina in Milwaukee! From start to finish, each dish was beautifully prepared and bursting with flavor.We started with the Beet Ricotta Salad, which was fresh, vibrant, and had the perfect balance of earthiness from the beets and creaminess from the ricotta. It was a great light start to the meal.Next, the Carpaccio arrived, and it was outstanding! The thinly sliced beef melted in the mouth, and the presentation was elegant yet approachable. A true classic done right.For the main courses, we ordered Chicken Vesuvio and the Pasta with Pistachio Pesto. The Chicken Vesuvio was flavorful and tender, with a deliciously herby sauce with peas and potatoes. It was hearty but not heavy--perfect. The pasta with pistachio pesto was unique and so satisfying, with a creamy, nutty sauce that didn't overpower with guanciale and crispy toasted breadcrumbs. Perfection. Overall, Safina is a gem in Milwaukee! The ambiance was warm and inviting, and the service was attentive without being overbearing. If you're looking for quality Sicilian dishes with a bit of creativity, this is the spot. Highly recommend!

Highlights 1) Great Service2) Gluten-Free Friendly*3) Good for GroupsCame here for a dinner with a group of 6 on a Thursday night. I had made a reservation in advance which was easy to do online. We were seated in their upstairs dining area promptly upon arrival. Our service throughout the night was friendly and paced just right for our meal! We did a cheese plate and the roasted veggies for appetizers to share and then we all got a variety of pastas. They have gluten-free pasta which is awesome! *Not sure if this is a fully dedicated GF kitchen. I would recommend calling ahead if you have additional questions. I had the gluten-free pistachio penne and it was great! Start to finish, this was a fun and delicious meal. Can't wait to be back!

My girlfriend picked Safina for our September birthDATE, and I couldn't wait to try some classic Sicilian dining. The restaurant was cozy and seriously smelled like a grandmom's kitchen. They brought out some bread with olive oil from their family farm?, which was a great start. But let me tell you about the eggplant fries--they were absolutely addicting, and they gave us such a generous portion. Perfectly salty, not oily, and not soggy at all.I made the rookie mistake of getting carried away with them before my ragu alforno with garlic bread arrived. Hi carbs! The ragu was on the sweeter side, but still rich and homey. My friend got the fusilloni al pistachio, and wow, the guanciale and cream sauce were chef's kiss. It was an unexpected pesto that was very savory. You can't go wrong with either dish, depending on if you're in the mood for something more traditional or a little different.We ended our carb feast with a very big birthday tiramisu, and it was the perfect finish. The staff was super sweet, with multiple people checking in on us. I'm really interested in trying more of the menu (carpaccio, veal, and nonna's eggplant parmigiana) and now, everyone I told wants to go too.

Wow! This place is immediately one of my favorite MKE restaurants! The noise level was that perfect one where there's no music needed and you don't feel awkward because everyone around you is in their own conversations. We recently traveled to Italy and this is the closest we've felt to being back. The food was just amazing, I can't say enough about the pistachio pesto, it was that good! Everything we had was delicious, the family olive oil and bread, the cannoli, the bruschetta, the chicken Parmesan and the pesto. Everything was amazing! If you're looking for the best place in MKE to split a bottle of wine and have great Italian food, this is the place!