New French Bistro Named One of Nine ‘Must-Visit’ Restaurants in U.S.
Third Ward restaurant Cassis will make its debut on Jan. 5.
Menu selections from Cassis. Photo by Kevin J. Miyazaki.
Ça va, Cassis.
Celebrated restaurateurs Kyle and Meghan Knall are on track to debut their latest venture, an all-day French bistro, Jan. 5 in the Historic Third Ward.
Located on the first floor of 333 Water, Cassis marks a milestone for the newly constructed tower as its first restaurant tenant, while bolstering the neighborhood’s identity as one of the city’s premier dining destinations.
And, with any luck, its “warm and rustic” menu of classic roasts, slow braises and rich cheeses will help mute the chill of another Midwestern winter.
“Our goal is to bring a sense of European leisure to Milwaukee dining,” Kyle Knall said in a statement, noting that he hopes the restaurant feels “transportive” while maintaining a deep connection to community.
Named for a small, historic wine region in Provence, Cassis will center on southern French cuisine reimagined with Midwestern ingredients—an M.O. for the couple, who also lead the seasonally inspired Birch at 459 E. Pleasant St.
The Knalls, along with chef de cuisine Miles Thomas, have designed the menu around a signature style—thoughtful sourcing, approachable flavors and elegant presentation—with an inclination toward French comfort, drawing from Kyle’s earlier work at Chez Fonfon in Birmingham.
The result is a varied selection—ranging from hearty grilled meats to light, chilled seafood—with clear differentiation between brunch, lunch, dinner and apéro, a pre-dinner ritual of drinks and light appetizers. Overall, guests can look forward to options for nearly every taste, delivered through dishes that “respect the seasons and let the ingredients shine,” the restaurant noted in a news release.
Cassis’ more formal dinner menu features chilled oysters with mignonette, croque monsieur with nutty Alpinage Raclette, a foie gras mousse–filled éclair and Ravioli Dauphine stuffed with Pleasant Ridge Reserve.
Oeuf mayo—a Provençal riff on deviled eggs—packs complex flavor with smoked walleye and fines herbes, while lighter options range from shrimp, avocado and grapefruit salad to a starter of crunchy farm vegetables with poached steelhead trout and aioli.
Lunch highlights include sandwiches and a soup du jour, with apéro selections focusing on raw and chilled seafood and shareable canapés.
The restaurant’s wine list, curated by Jeff Cleveland, will offer a rotating selection of exclusively French bottles with an emphasis on standout wine regions. The cocktail menu aims for modern takes on French-inspired classics such as the Sazerac, French 75 and Normandy Flower.
Cassis’ arrival has been a buzzy topic since it was first announced in December 2024, with Bon Appetit preemptively naming it among nine “must-visit” restaurants for 2025.
Chicago-based Kuchar spearheaded interior design for the restaurant, incorporating marble mosaic floors, vintage lights, wood paneling and other intentional touches meant to transport guests from Water Street to “a beautiful bistro in France.”
The creators spared no small detail—even the bathrooms draw from French landmarks, destinations and storylines, with museum-like murals and custom wallpaper.
Cassis’s large dining room seats 179, with an 12 additional settings at the bar. The restaurant also includes a 14-seat, 253-square-foot private dining and event space. The room can accommodate up to 25 people for reception-style gatherings, and is meant to resemble a wine cave with a curved, plaster-covered ceiling, custom wood wine shelving and green silk drapery.
Once open, the restaurant will serve dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Lunch service will take place weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with apéro offered daily from 2 to 5 p.m. Weekend brunch will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Cassis will accept reservations via OpenTable. Private event bookings are available by emailing hello@cassismke.com.
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Skeptical of pre-opening buzz, even in Bon Appetit which I generally like. Idk if it’s just an effective marketer or paid content. But with that cynicism out of the way, it sounds lovely. Hope I get a chance to stop in for lunch.