4 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 But far from feeling stuffy and outdated, you'll be seated for lounge-y dining in wing-backed chairs and velvety couches for a menu of small plates (the lump crab cakes are a must); sharable fondue;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.

Apple crumble French toast; roasted butternut squash and tofu hash; grilled Portobello sandwich with overnight-roasted tomato mayo served on ciabatta. Those are some of the favorites at this local gem, whose menu adjusts with the seasons to ensure the freshest ingredients possible, most of them locally sourced. Together with the cheerful repurposing of an auto parts building, shelves fashioned out of reclaimed wood, and a serious recycling effort, you get way more than just a meal here. You get the philosophy of owners Lori and Tom Hartz to live more lightly—and we say tastier too.

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).