Soho 7

Milwaukee is in a bit of a flux these days. There seems to be a new store, restaurant or bar opening every week and it’s getting difficult to keep up!

In the heart of the Historic Third Ward, the posh Soho 7 opened early this year and I finally went.

Soho 7 is the babe of Bobby Head, the owner of Water Street’s swanky Centanni Piano Bar. As the classy new kid on the block, Soho 7 promises a posh yet comfortable setting with a vast selection of unique spirits. Supposedly Soho 7 is the new place to be seen on weekends, but if that’s the case, I think I’d rather stay at home.

In my opinion, Milwaukee is casual and unpretentious, which are some of the qualities people like most about our city. You can stop at a bar like Wolski’s and feel at home with a complete stranger or spend time simply chewing the fat with the amicable barkeep. But, when my friend Rose and I went to Soho 7, it felt more like we were crashing a private party.

We arrived at the bar exactly at 7:15 p.m. and when we went to let ourselves in, the heavy doors were still latched. Rose tugged on the handle a couple of times until a woman eventually came to let us inside. Other than being reminded by the woman that they don’t open until 7 p.m. (it was a quarter after mind you), we weren’t greeted by any of the five people on staff let alone acknowledged as we entered. There was only one other patron in the entire place – a lady who sat at one end of the bar and sipped on wine – so it’s not like they were busy mixing a profusion of cocktails or tending to an unruly crowd. Whatever, I don’t hold grudges.

Despite being a bit turned off by the inhospitable and somewhat snobbish staff, Rose and I slid into two chairs mid-bar and began to scan the drink menu that was lying in front of us. Exotic cocktails and martini were aplenty, most of which were made with vodka and unusual flavors like thyme, sage, basil and rosemary. The extensive drink list also included rare vintage scotch blends and premium liquors for personal bottle service, which costs $170 and includes the mixers. With all of the fancy-pants drinks, I was quite surprised to see that there was room for Milwaukee classics like Miller and PBR on the beverage bill. That was a saving grace.

A few minutes passed and the bartender approached us and uttered “Ready?” apparently as our cue to order. I decided to be adventurous and try the “ehm be”, a lemon ginger pomegranate molasses concoction, which was a little heavy on the molasses – I’ve never had that in a drink before, so the first two sips were a little overwhelming. Rose played it safe and asked for a raspberry martini, and then with nothing more than a blink, the toffee-nosed bartender turned away and began mixing our cocktails.

As we waited, we caught up on the day's happenings and admired the swanky joint. It’s a far cry from our usual stomping ground, which was a nice change. I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new places, especially to witness the evolution of Milwaukee.

The place itself is beautiful and luxurious. It’s like no other bar I’ve seen – I assume this is the type of lounge you’d find in Manhattan or L.A. The stark, visual contrast of black and white colors and soft and hard textures immediately caught my eye. Butter cream walls are offset with dark accents and Cream City bricks are exposed around the main bar’s liquor display and along the split-level staircase that leads up to the second floor bar.

Small white tea lights illuminate the lounge and when they’d blow out, a gentleman in a handsome black suit would promptly relight them. Behind us were clusters of plush couches where I envisioned friends loafing around after work. (I love bars with comfy sofas!) There’s another sitting area that’s separated from the main room by long sheer ivory curtains and hanging above the red couches is an immense mirror that faces the bar. Between the candles reflecting in the mirror and the stylish light fixtures hanging sporadically from the wooden beamed ceiling, there is a pleasant glow throughout the room, one that lingers and charms customers into one more drink.

Still, I felt out of place when measured up to the bombshell cocktail waitresses who donned mini black dresses and dark makeup and spent hours leaning against the bar twirling their blonde locks. Evidently, Soho 7 is geared toward fashion-forward people like Audrey Hepburn whose candlelit portrait hangs high on the wall across from the front door in a shrine-like display.

Rose and I stayed around the bar for a while watching stylish locals fade in and out of the modish backdrop. We finally got a smile from the bartender and after two cocktails we were ready to call it a night. While Soho 7 provided a nice place to sip an exotic drink on that wintry weeknight, when I revisited it a month later with Eric, the lounge was a completely different scene and I wasn’t fond of it.

I liked Soho 7 as a comfortable lounge and chic place to grab an interesting cocktail after work with friends, but I’ll avoid it like the plague on weekends. Besides little hole-in-the-wall taverns, I like chill bars like Cuvée and Hinterland that are hip without being obnoxious and over the top posh. Both have an understated elegance and a comfortable atmosphere, and attentive service.

That Saturday night was our second anniversary. No, Eric and I aren’t married; we just wanted to celebrate our stability and endurance, which I think is acceptable, no? Given that we were already decked out for our dinner date at Bacchus, we decided to explore the nightlife in the trendy Third Ward district. Since Eric hadn’t been to Soho 7, we decided to start there.

Soho 7 yielded a mega crowd that night, in fact, there was a line stretched out the door and around the corner to get inside. “A line? Are you serious?” I hissed as we turned around and headed to Cuvée. “This is Milwaukee, not Vegas,” I grumbled as we trekked a block in the cold to the Champaign bar.

*Fast forward two hours later.*

As the night wound down, we decided to give Soho 7 another shot. Without delay we got inside, but not much further than the entryway. We were stuck standing shoulder to shoulder with a crowd that was grinding to the outrageously loud Top 40 songs blaring from the speakers and shaking the floor. If I wanted to be mobbed by drunks, I would have gone to Eve. It definitely was NOT my scene.

I read that the owner of Soho 7 claims that his bar is a haven for a crowd that has matured past “waste-face” Water Street. That might be the case, but Soho 7 still had the same clientele and meat market atmosphere, only with pricier drinks in hand – I say this after a young girl spills her full martini on my new Italian leather boots. It was so loud that I couldn’t hear her apologize; then again, she may have been too drunk to even realize that her drink was emptied onto my shoe. Right then, I had enough. We left after being inside for only three minutes and headed en route for The Jackalope Lounj.

I guess to be acknowledged as a real city, a flourish of stores, restaurants and clubs may begin to shake the low maintenance, friendly, unpretentious feel of Milwaukee that I love. But that doesn’t mean that the development of "big city" nightlife is a bad thing for Milwaukee – it will make the city more diverse (plus some people like grinding to hip-hop music). I’m sure that Milwaukee will find a happy medium between swanky martini lounges, loud dance clubs and neighborhood pubs, and I will be glad to check out each one. But, I’m thankful that no matter what, I can find a beer, a round of darts, and some friendly banter anytime just down the road.

Some of the photos were taken from the Soho 7 website.

_______________

Soho7
231 E. Buffalo St.
Milwaukee WI, 53202
Hours: 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday and Saturday; 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday
(Proper fashionable dress is required)

Comments

[wfbdoglover]

Thanks for the review! I'll take a neighborhood pub any day. Been that way my whole life!

[wfbdoglover]

BTW, I admire your ability to include photos in your blog so elegantly. I stuggle with photo placement on my blog.

[Karen]

Months ago I had a blog account through Blogger. As I recall, it was a struggle to post photos the way I wanted. If I remember correctly, you only have three size options: small, medium and large, and three placement options: right, left and center.

Typepad, on the other hand, allows you to adjust your photo size based on pixels and it offers many more placement options. Plus, it does most of the work for you - thank goodness.

[wfbdoglover]

I will have to look into that, because it is very hard to line up the type and the photos. It is frustrating and if it isn't pleasing to the eyes - you aren't going to hold your viewers attention. They will just keep on moving... (my theory anyhow)

Well, keep on blogging you are sure good at it!

[Karen]

Thanks!!! :)

[Amanda]

That sounds terrible! However, I probably will go see it for myself -- the photos make it look pretty cool. But, I will take your advice and go on a weeknight when it's not so clubby.

[wfbdoglover]

lol - we should all go there on a weeknight and have a "blogger review".

Maybe people will think twice about how they treat others!

[Julia]

Thanks for the review. I think bottle service is kind of stupid. We did it for my bachelorette party in Chicago, and it's ridiculous.

I love Cuvee too. I just did an event there for work and the event space is very elegant.

[Taylor]

You are so Right about Soho 7 on every level!This place seems to be overhyped!I made reservations for 10-12 people but the bouncer said I've hit my max at 10 people so he didn't let them in.What's the point of making reservations and getting bottle service if the bouncer is going to play games.This place is good to experience once but I would not return because of the obnoxious bouncers!

Thanks for the review!This place Bites!Beware!

[sam]

I had a miserable time too. (I'm noticing a trend) Like you said Karen, the service was unfriendly and inattentive and overall, the place was unpleasant.

Taylor, the same thing happened to me and my friends! I was irate!

I think the staff at Soho needs to step off their high horse and learn how to treat customers so they WANT to come back. If word like this keeps getting out, good luck!

Thanks for the review. It was a good read.

[Janelle]

I loved it. Keep in mind you came at 7:15 when most of the staff were preparing for a busy night. Remember this is a cocktail lounge. I went around 10 pm when it was beginning to get crowded and the staff were all smiles. Give them an order of 8 drinks and they'll bring you 8 drink without a pen and a paper. You're right it's not the corner pub but that's not the image here. What did you expect?

[Christi Anderson]

Hi Karen,

Wow, it's been a while since I've been back and what a perfect time for me to come back! Some friends and I have been trying to get to Soho 7 for weeks now but something always comes up. I might think twice about trying so hard to get there now...although I must admit I'm a big fan of the overly snobby establishments. Don't get me wrong, I love a good casual bar as well, but there's something I just can't say no to about an ubertrendy club filled with gorgeous people! =)

[Karen]

Hey Janelle,

You are right that they were probably getting ready for the night, but in my experience working at a restaurant, you prep before the doors open.

With four out of the five people on staff just standing around, I expected better service. That’s all I was looking for.

Also, when a place is referred to as a "lounge", I don’t expect it to be a club, so I was a little thrown off by the ridiculously loud music and randy crowd. While I’m aware that Soho 7 is not supposed to be a corner pub and I knew that before I went, I wasn’t expecting a rude and inattentive staff. Is that wrong?

My issue wasn’t that it was a cocktail lounge and not my typical hangout; in fact, I like upscale places every now and again (that same night Eric and I went to several swanky places that were fabulous!). Cocktail lounge or not, customers deserve *decent* service at the very least. That's what was disappointing.

I’m sure not everyone has had a bad time at Soho 7. I’m glad to hear that you had a great experience and I hope many will. But, I personally won’t go back unless I'm beaten and dragged there.

Thanks for sharing your positive feedback though. Seriously. I enjoy hearing other people's opinions.

[Karen]

Christi, welcome back! You should stop by more often!

[anon]

Never had any problem with the service, and this is a much needed addition to Milwaukee. How many Irish or dive bars does one town need?

Saying Milwaukee is "unpretentious" is code used by people who have never lived anywhere else and are generally afraid of anything new. Don't begrudge people who want to go out and not see people in baseball caps and t-shirts everywhere--there are hundreds of area bars that cater to that crowd. It is SO refreshing to have an adult place to go.

To be great, a city shouldn't be uniform. It should be diverse--socially, racially, economically. You certainly don't have to like a place like Soho 7. But don't judge people who do. Reverse snobbery is just as bad as snobbery. There is no moral difference.

[Karen]

Anon-

I agree that it’s refreshing to have a place like Soho 7 in Milwaukee. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say it was a bad addition, it just wasn’t my scene. “It’s a far cry from our usual stomping ground, which was a nice change,” I said.

I also agree that a great city doesn’t have to be uniform. In fact, in the last paragraph I say, “...that doesn’t mean that the development of 'big city' nightlife is a bad thing for Milwaukee – it will make the city more diverse.”

To make things clearer:

1) Just because I didn’t like Soho 7 doesn't imply that other people will have the same opinion – I know this.
2) I have nothing against establishments similar to Soho 7. “I like upscale places every now and again (that same night Eric and I went to several swanky places that were fabulous!)…”
3) Most importantly, I wasn’t judging people who like it there. Note: Earlier, I reiterated the fact that Soho 7 is a place that will appeal to many people.

As far as the service goes, that was my biggest gripe. Sure, I could have caught them on a bad weeknight. Maybe. Either way, the poor service I experienced is primarily what deters me from going back – and because it was more like a club and less like a classy lounge, but that's an entirely different argument.

To each his own.

[Eric]

Hey Anon, I also find Milwaukee to be unpretentious.

Let's see I've lived in Australia, Japan and Singapore.
I've been to Malaysia, Jarkarta, Borneo, Thailand, New Zealand, Tazmania, China, Hong Kong (before it was part of China), Hungary, Austria, Greece and England.

Just because I like to live in a city where the people don't think they need to look down on other people to feel good about themselves doesn't mean I'm afraid of change.

I think your "code" needs a little revision...

[Eric]

Ha ha ha... I just thought of something.

When I was much younger and when I first started going out to bars and nightclubs, I used to get "dolled up" and would dress really nice. It wasn't till I got a little older and "chasing tail" had lost it's appeal that I started being more causal when I go out. I still dress appropriately for the occasion I guess, more because I'd feel a little out of place otherwise. I just liked how that person said that getting dressed up was a sign of adult hood, whereas for me it seems childish.

Also, it always seems when I go to places that stress dressing up, the bars tend to be all about hooking up (although Cuvee wasn't like that at all; Tangerine certainly was though...) If you aren't looking to meet someone than being in that sort of environment can be tiring. For girls they have to keep rejecting guys, and for guys we usually spend the night having to "save" the ladies we come with. I guess that was what I really didn't like about SoHo7 is it was really meat market-y the night we went. You could see the guys scanning the room looking for their next conquest. Maybe we went on a single's night...

I'd go back to try their drinks though, maybe eary on. Their drinks sound pretty cool.

[wfbdoglover]

Karen,

You gave an objective review of Soho 7 and conveyed how you were treated.

You shouldn't have to explain yourself. It is your blog, your opinion and your experience.

[Erin]

I agree - you shouldn't have to explain yourself at all. Blogs are for telling the truth!! Great post.

[Karen]

Thanks ladies. I'll keep that in mind. Generally, I think I write pretty fair reviews anyway.

[char]

This was a great review and you gave us your opinion and did not "put down" anyone elses opinion. Thanks and people will probably go there to see if Karen's opinion is right or wrong. . . go for it. Customer service with a smile is all that's expected.

[my2sense]

I too have been wanting to try this place out. I got the invite to their Info 4111 party a few weeks ago but again didn't make it. I hear there is a long line most nights and it was already 10pm and we still hadn't left the house so....figured we might have a difficult time getting in. Not that it's ever been a problem before....I've gotten in VIP @ some of Vegas's hottest clubs and line jumped so....But this isn't Vegas. It's Milwaukee (not even Chicago) so I really don't want to have to deal with that. The 'pretentiousness' Don't get me wrong, I do like 'trendy' 'upscale' clubs/lounges so i will probably give this place a try. This weekend more than likely. But I'm glad i read the review so as to know what to expect.
I too am a very eclectic person. I can go from wearing my black 'wife beater' & jeans *paired with my Stuart Weitzman shoes & purse ;)* rockin out to TOOL
To wearing a nice A.B.S or Nicole Miller dress sippin a martini & dancin to Justin Timberlake or chillin to Tori Amos.
I am and like to be all over the board. Just like I said like to know what to expect. :) ThanX for review!

[Katie]

Wow! It must really suck to be so broke that the prices there bothered you ;)

[Karen]

Actually I'm getting by just fine, thank you. Besides, the prices there don't bother me. Not at all. I had no qualms about buying an “ehm be”.

I guess if you're comparing the price of a can of PBR at Landmark to a Cosmopolitan at Soho 7 (which I wasn't), then yeah, prices were a little steep there. :)