Zen on 7

A trip to the rooftop bar at Milwaukee's Hotel Metro

Over the summer, I was pretty psyched at how much I crossed off my Milwaukee bucket list. I caught live music at the Harbor House, in Lake Park, and at the Botanical Gardens. I had a cabin weekend and a camping weekend, Ren Faire days and nature days. But I never made it to Hotel Metro's Zen on 7 until a couple weeks ago. The problem is, the rooftop bar and lounge at Hotel Metro is reserved for private parties, except on Sundays and Mondays during the summer months. 

Life got in the way for me this summer, but luckily my fabulous Aunt Kal was invited to speak at an Alverno College alumni event, hosted at Zen on 7. Though I'm not an Alverno alum, my aunt invited me to come hear her speak — partly so she could find a friendly face in the audience, and (I'm sure) partly because she wanted me to hear what she had to say about putting yourself forward and coloring outside the lines as a woman in the workplace (she's an inspiration!). 

But that's a long story for another time, maybe. Let's talk Zen on 7. It's located on the roof of Hotel Metro in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. As you step off the elevator, don't be fooled by the winding hallway of office doors. Zen on 7 really has a fabulous thing going on, once you get there. The indoor room and bar is quite small and nothing terribly special, but outside is just awesome. 

There's a fabulous view of the surrounding buildings, which look especially lovely during the golden hour. The comfy couches, fireplace, fountain, bistro tables, and string lights overhead offer that same kind of cosmopolitan comfort found at The Outsider at The Journeyman Hotel — but Zen on 7 did it first. It's certainly a much more intimate space than The Outsider, but what's not to love about that? I'm bummed that I'll have to wait until next summer to go back to Zen on 7, but at least now I know it's definitely worth a stop!