El Batey Brings Puerto Rico to National Avenue
New cocktail and tapas bar now open in Walker's Point.
Cafe Con Ron and Coquito from El Batey. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
On the day of its soft opening, El Batey was nearly lost in the dark.
The matte black building at 1003 W. National Ave. faded into another early-evening sunset as the frigid wind battered passersby on the ice-crusted sidewalk. Just beyond its unassuming facade, though, the ambience couldn’t be warmer.
Owners Carolin Rosario-Virella and Mildred Virella-Martinez have transplanted a piece of their native Puerto Rico to the heart of Milwaukee’s South Side, conveying their culture through island-inspired cocktails and authentic food.
The scaled-down space—just 651 square feet—is cozy, not cramped, with three barstools overlooking an open kitchen, several two-top settings and a central table for larger groups. Wood-paneled walls, corrugated metal details and lampshades made from pavas—woven palm leaf hats—offer subtle nods to El Batey’s name and the traditions behind it.
For the Taíno peoples indigenous to the Caribbean islands, “el batey” refers to a central gathering place for celebrations, meetings, ceremonies and competitions. The term can also mean an open-air portion of a rural house.
“Old people will say, ‘Oh, I’m going to the batey,'” Virella Martinez said. “That means the patio of the house.”
For the couple, who also operate Las Virellas at Zocalo Food Park, the term encapsulates sharing—whether that’s food, drink, conversation or culture. Their version of El Batey covers all the above.
The soft opening menu features 11 signature cocktails, including the quintessential coquito—a creamy, spiced holiday drink spiked with rum and served over ice. Here, it’s elevated with a smoldering cinnamon stick and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.
Cafe Con Ron riffs on the espresso martini craze, blending rich coffee and cocoa with a dash of cinnamon, while fruit-forward offerings such as Tamarita Picante pack flavor with chili-infused mezcal, tamarind and house-made chamoy. Playa Los Bohios honors the black sand beach with three rums, cream liqueur, dark sugar and coconut, with classics like mojitos, piña coladas, palomas and sangria rounding out the cocktail list.
A tapas menu covers the essentials: plantain soup, alcapurrias, pernil and mondatidos de churrasco—skirt steak piled on crispy tostones and drizzled with chimichurri. Or opt for a shareable sampler platter of chicken chicharrones, fried pork, mofongo balls, tostones and more.
Now in its soft opening phase, El Batey is open Thursday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to midnight. Reservations are available to book online.
Photos
Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
