Ambassador Hotel Restaurants Reopening

Ambassador Hotel. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Three restaurants housed within the Ambassador Hotel, 2308 W. Wisconsin Ave., will soon be fully operational for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of the establishments, Gin Rickey and Cafe Deco, have already reopened, the hotel said in a Tuesday press release, while The Fitz is set to reopen for dinner starting Thursday, May 4.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson has declared that date as “Ambassador Hotel Day” in honor of the hotel’s 95th anniversary.

The restaurants, as well as a newly-added catering division, will be under the purview of Juan Pablo Vallejo Martinez, executive chef at the hotel.

“We are so excited to be welcoming back chef Juan and his wonderful team who worked with us for many years prior to the pandemic,” said Jon Jossart, general manager at the hotel. “His creations in our Envoy restaurant, which was later rebranded as The Fitz, received rave reviews and we will be bringing many of these favorites back.”

One such favorite is a portobello fritter dish, which features breaded and deep-fried mushrooms garnished with basil.

The new catering division, Deco Catering Co., will debut this month, allowing Vallejo Martinez to showcase his creations off-premise. Online catering orders will soon be available via the Deco Catering website.

The 132-room hotel is also in the process of updating its guest rooms with new flooring, drapery, furniture, mattresses and Apple TVs, following its February addition into the Trademark® Collection by Wyndham flag.

“A lot of exciting things are happening to our historic property,” Jossart said. “The Ambassador is a gem for the City of Milwaukee; our job is to continuously polish it and keep it sparkling well into the future.”

The Ambassador Hotel opened in 1928, and has been a constant in a periodically changing neighborhood for nearly a century. Current owner Rick Wiegand purchased the hotel in 1995, commencing a decade-long, $14 million restoration of the property.

Deco Cafe serves a variety of breakfast and brunch items, along with Starbucks coffee and espresso drinks, tea and non-caffeinated beverages.

The cafe is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Gin Rickey, the hotel’s pre-prohibition-inspired bar and restaurant, serves lunch and dinner including salads, sandwiches and burgers, as well as beer, wine and craft cocktails.

Gin Rickey is currently open limited hours, according to the establishment’s website. The bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to bar close. The kitchen closes at midnight.

The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday.

Upon its reopening, The Fitz will be open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as weekend brunch.