Studio Lounge

This was always a cool spot in Bay View to go for a unique signature cocktail. The rotating art gave it a unique feel each time you went in.
Unfortunately it closed down now, so not much more to say. :(

A friend/​coworker of mine recently had a gathering at Studio Lounge in the Bay View area. This is a very hip and fun place to go for drinks and dancing. When you first enter, there are chairs and sofas to sit on. The back half contains the bar and dance floor, as well as some tables.
Every Friday and Saturday night, there are free salsa dancing lessons. Our group took part in the salsa dancing the night that we were there. Definitely not as easy as it looks! But it was a lot of fun.
The bartenders were very nice. Studio Lounge offers many options for drinks. I was very pleased that they had a pink sparkling Moscato on their wine list, and I stayed with that during our time there.
I also like that there is artwork featured throughout the place. They have some very nice pieces to look at, and they rotate on a monthly basis.
The only thing that I would change about Studio Lounge is the volume of the music. They have it rather loud, which can make it difficult to talk to people. It is still a great place, though, and I will definitely be back in the future.

Love it! I love their lay out and their cocktails. Honestly, I can’t think of a better place for cocktails. And last Friday they had salsa lessons. Not sure if it’s a regular event, but if it is, you get a free lesson!

This is one of my very favorite places in Bayview and a go to spot when I’m making plans.
It’s a very unique lounge with rotating art exhibits and some of the best hand crafted cocktails in town.
The displays change regularly and the mediums vary. I’ve seen pen and ink, cartoons, watercolors, B/​W sketches, it runs the gambit.
The décor is cool, without being too hip and the vibe is laid back and welcoming, just like Bayview.
But the real jewel is the beverage menu. The owner, Ken, has developed some of the best cocktails around. All of the ingredients are fresh, I’ve never seen a can of juice in the place. The classic capirinha is my fav and it’s the perfect balance of the delectable Brazilian cachaca, sugar and lime. One sip with your eyes closed and you picture yourself on a tropical beach in South America.
The mojitos list varies’ and if you see strawberry-​elderflower on the chalkboard behind the bar you cannot go wrong. Here, unlike many Milwaukee establishments, they understand flavors and balance. As much as I love, love elderflower liqueurs, too much of it is never a good thing as it takes over your drink. That won’t happen at Studio Lounge.
There is also an extensive list of bottle beers if cocktails aren’t your thing.
This is one of few places in town that I’ve never heard a bad word about, and everyone I introduce to the place loves it!

Great atmosphere, music, drinks… Bartenders = 0. After mistaking a 50 for a 5, and taking change left on the bar as tip… Multiple times… Really??? Try to be professional… instead of a Cancun gas attendent.

This place is electric. You walk in from the street and it’s like you walk into a whole different world. Lounge style in the front with a crowded bar with a decent crowd of fancy looking people. Towards the back people going nuts on the dance floor dancing to salsa music. Two bathrooms — both unisex — what a good idea?
Too bad my friend didn’t want to stay here long, this place seemed like the place to be in Bay View.

Went here Saturday night and wasn’t too thrilled. I was expecting a lounge and walked into a club. Music was good but too loud, wasn’t able to converse with my friends who were within two feet away from me. Ordered a strawberry mojito from the bartender who was a bit tipsy and sloppy. There were two bartenders and they both had a little too much to drink. I was referred by the alderman Tony Z but I don’t think I’ll be coming back. I’ll check it out when it’s salsa night, hopefully it’ll be different.

Awesome music, good drinks, nice atmosphere and friendly service. The décor is very cool. Simply put great place for drinks and salsa dancing. Highly recommended
Music: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Cocktails: ⁴⁄₅
Location: ⁵⁄₅

This is my favorite spot to dance Salsa! It’s a small bar setting with a lively atmosphere and friendly people and staff. They always have unique kinds of Cocktails, Margaritas, and Seasonal Beers that you cannot get anywhere else. The other best thing is that there is No Cover! They offer drink specials and have Happy Hours so be on the lookout !
They offer free Ruedas (Group Style Salsa Lessons) at 8p on Fridays and Sundays. On Sundays, they also offer free Chips and Salsa, which is to die for and very delicious! It is very spicy I must warn you lol.

It’s a great date or every day place, local art adorn the walls, a distinct Moroccan décor at the bar and great craft cocktails. Plus they offer free salsa lessons, dance music on the weekends and karaōke on Thursdays.
Nigel is a great craft cocktailer too!

A beautiful bar with lots of great architectural details, gorgeous artwork (available to purchase), and fun karaōke on Thursday nights. The beer selection is limited, but definitely favors quality over quantity, with Bell’s Oberon and Two Hearted available in bottles. Cocktails, however, are handmade here and definitely the way to go. $ 6 tall margaritas on Wednesdays and Sundays, and they are delicious. I also had their Paloma ($ 7) which is one of my favorite tequila drinks, and they made it very well.
Last, but not least, friendly bartender and fantastic karaōke hostess on Thursday nights. Like karaōke? Get here now, before the word gets out and it gets crowded, because although there was a decent number of fun, high-​energy people who really enjoyed karaōke in the crowd, there was not a very long wait to sing, and I got to sing plenty of songs without waiting more than a few songs at a time.
The cherry on top of the evening? The karaōke hostess, Desiree, and my friend and I decided to do a 1998-​themed karaōke evening, and the crowd totally got into it.
Would be a five star review, if not for one tiny detail: price. It’s a higher end place with higher quality beers and cocktails, so coming out with $ 20 will not last very long here.
Is it worth it, though? Absolutely.

CLASS-​ACT!
Great drinks, high quality ingredients, friendly service, fabulous atmosphere, wonderful music, great art, community involvement, great bartenders who care about their craft and their customers! I don’t know what else they could possibly do to be a better business.

I’ll start off with the fact that I have only been to Studio Lounge to see live local music. It’s a perfect, intimate venue for that! The rotating installations are always gorgeous. The cocktails are innovative and the bartenders are warm. I love the mix of a bar setting, high top tables for groups, and lounge seating. It gives a very unique vibe. Feels very welcoming once your inside, although looks a little daunting from the outside with it’s mix of gallery feel and bar feel.

With a welcoming bartender serving up cocktails in a very interesting space there is a lot to like about Studio Lounge. Add a few outdoor seats and it gets better, but we found that the drinks seemed weaker than they should have been. Very friendly people, but let’s start pouring drinks that Frank Sinatra would want to drink!

Studio Lounge owners Ken and Kerry Yandell have totally immersed themselves and their cool chic combo bar/​lounge/​gallery into the latest Bayview renaissance taking place along KK Ave.
Besides being some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, they are also very talented.
From creating and exhibiting high end art to crafting complex, world class cocktails, these two are the creative force behind Studio Lounge.
The hardworking couple did all the remodeling and detail work themselves, including building the impressive bar and sourcing the stylish, «where-​did-​you-​find-​those!?» lamps hanging above it.
Studio Lounge was created as an «adaptable» space, with the ability to change it’s layout almost instantly. The walls holding much of the art move, and of course the furniture does, as well, enabling Ken and Kerry to switch things up daily to accommodate everything from wide open dance spaces to cozy, couch filled corners for couples and conversation.
The next time you’re looking for that perfect place to chill out, unwind, relax and kick back, while breezy world beat, island or salsa (Sunday night is Salsa night here) music fills the room with just the right amount of energy, put Studio Lounge on your short list of places to pop into.

BYO, you get the honor of being the first Milwaukeean establishment to receive a Unilocal review from moi! This is a case of inspiration, not frustration or disappointment; BYO amalgamates many of the things I like.
First off, the neighborhood, as other Unilocalers have mentioned, is very inviting, with Café Lulu, Riviera Maya and the ice cream parlor around. Still, it is kind of a hike for me to go there on a Sunday with work the next day, but if you come early for salsa, it’s worth it.
The place welcomes you with nice décor, free chips and salsa (which I haven’t tried, but I’ve heard they’re great), inspired cocktails and dancing. The rueda lessons are a lot of fun, and people, contrary to what others have expressed, are very approachable. I do think that if you’re more on the shy side when it comes to salsa dancing, you may feel a bit intimidated… I think the cliquish aspect does not take anything away from BYO; it makes it more classy and chill.
Many successes to the owners in managing this unique place!

Mojitos! That’s all I’m gonna say. They have damn good Mojitos in different flavors for not too terribly high a price. Didn’t notice any waitstaff, but the bartenders give good, friendly service.
The vibe is super-​shill in here too. I like it.

What a great atmosphere. I loved the overall ambiance of this place. The glass fixture hanging over the main area was stunning and you can tell they really put a lot of thought into every detail.
I stopped in to see a friend perform the other night. and I was glad I did.
They have a creative list of drinks available up on the board… ranging from various margaritas to martinis. Try one — they’re great!
It was such a chill place to hang out with friends and I will definitely keep this on my list to go back!

Like both kinds of Salsa?! Then this place is the perfect match for you.
I’ve been here on two weekend nights. The crowd is very mixed, although trending towards the older crowd.
Drinks are great, although sometimes borderlines on being too strong. This is coming from a guy drinks whiskey straight out of the bottle…
Their free food nights are amazing. I don’t know where they get their salsa from, but its absolutely delicious. In fact, I’ve haven’t had better salsa here in Milwaukee. Someone please tell me the source of this salsa. They also offer some other appetizers.
The highlight of course is the salsa dancing itself. People are friendly and it is common for random people to dance together, which promotes some mingling. Most of the people dancing are beginners, and thus is your a newbie you wont be intimidated. In fact, I didn’t see anyone really try and «take over the floor», which is good.
Only drawback is its relatively far location from downtown, which makes this a great place to pregame, dance some salsa, and then head to where the action is.
In addition, the crowd can be a bit cliquey, seems like at least ²⁄₃ of the crowd knows each other and «sticks» with one another. Not a problem if your extroverted, but if you are kind of shy, you might want to come with a large group.

When I realized that I had not reviewed Studio Lounge, I was very disappointed in myself. Studio Lounge is one of my very favorite venues in all Milwaukee.
Here’s why… Think about all of the things you dislike in a bar, then remove them. Are things looking up? Ofcourse they are. That’s what the owners of Studio Lounge did.
No one looks at you funny if they don’t like how you’re dressed because nobody cares how you’re dressed. Nobody cares how old you are or whether you’re rich or poor, sexy or not so much. You can just be you.
Studio Lounge has features that make for a comfortable place to hang out and have a beverage and they found a way to keep out the bad things that turn many of us off when it comes to bars.
The good things include a nice selection of micro brews and spirits and house specialty cocktails on a list that changes often to keep things fresh. The lighting is provided by small chandeliers that don’t match. They were acquired from different vendors at different times, but together, they work well. Besides bar stools and high top tables, there are sofas and coffee tables where you can make yourself feel at home. A variety of music performed live, from a DJ or from the house sound system provide something for everyone. There are even free Salsa dance classes on Sunday nights.
The best part of Studio Lounge is the crowd. I doubt you’ll find a more diverse crowd. There are people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, gender, religion and sexual orientation. Everyone is welcome and everyone is made to feel welcome. You won’t find pretentious people there, but if they walked in, they would be welcomed too (and they might even mellow out).
My only regret is that I don’t visit as often as I would like. When I do, I’m always glad I did.