High Stakes by Bartolotta opens in downtown Milwaukee

High Stakes by Bartolotta opens Thursday in downtown Milwaukee, a European-inspired steakhouse where chef Paul Bartolotta returns to the stove inside the space that closed as Rumpus Room in 2020.

The restaurant sits at 1030 N. Water St., the address that held Eagan's on Water before Rumpus Room, a Bartolotta property that shut during the pandemic. High Stakes reopens the room after a six-year gap, with the Bartolotta Restaurants group betting on downtown Milwaukee's recovery.

The menu runs on wagyu: American, Australian and Japanese grades sit alongside a dedicated wagyu tasting menu. The kitchen also plates a blue lobster en croûte for two and a filet mignon finished with a porcini mushroom and bone marrow crust, plus caviar and langoustines sourced for the opening.

Milwaukee has supported the Bartolotta Restaurants for more than 30 years, and we continue to believe deeply in this city.

High Stakes by Bartolotta puts the chef back at the pass

Paul Bartolotta, the group's founder, is cooking service alongside director of culinary Aaron Bickham and chef de cuisine Ian Jones. It marks his most direct kitchen role at a Milwaukee restaurant in years.

"Milwaukee has supported the Bartolotta Restaurants for more than 30 years, and we continue to believe deeply in this city," Bartolotta said, announcing the opening.

The group has run its Wisconsin restaurants for three decades, and High Stakes is its first new full-service concept downtown since Rumpus Room closed. European-leaned steakhouses have opened elsewhere this year too, including Beefbar's new London flagship, part of a broader push toward tableside theater and premium beef sourcing.

Jay Franke designs a Peacock Lounge next door

Designer Jay Franke, who also worked on the Bartolotta property The Commodore, built the room around 1930s art deco and the private clubs of London. The adjoining Peacock Lounge pours cocktails with tableside presentations and serves light bites, with live music planned on weekends.

Sourcing wagyu at this scale isn't new to steakhouses; a wagyu fillet from Australia took the top prize at this year's World Steak Challenge, and High Stakes draws on the same supply chain. Reservations opened ahead of the Thursday debut, with menu prices still unpublished.