3 Best Restaurants in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Dine amid the historic elegance of this immaculately preserved 1885 home and get a sense of Lake Geneva's summer home heyday. But far from feeling stuffy and outdated, you'll be seated for lounge-y dining in wing-backed chairs and velvety couches for a menu of small plates (the lump crab cakes are a must); sharable fondue; sliders; charcuterie, and selections of Wisconsin artisan cheese. In addition to the restaurant, the 17,000-square-foot, 30-room Nationally Registered Historic Property serves as a luxury inn, so feel free to have that second martini or weekly changing craft beer.

Chances are you'll smell the slow-roasted rotisserie chicken before you reach this lakefront restaurant, a family-friendly institution for locals and visitors alike since 1972. Fittingly adorned with nautical décor—think ropes, netting, a mermaid, and tables topped with treasure maps—Popeye's also serves a rocking Friday-night fish fry and homemade broccoli cheddar soup. Expect a bustling crowd during the summer.

Diners to this top tourist choice go for the renowned beer cheese soup made with Milwaukee-originated Sprecher's beer, and they get hooked by great 8, 9 or 10-buck lunch-combo deals, the crinkle-cut sweet potato fries, fried cheese curds and other tasty brew-worthy accompaniments. Beer-battered fish on Fridays comes with a tap beer, Old Fashioned cocktail or root beer (make ours a root beer float, please).