Clear

I went to Clear with a few co-​workers for lunch one day to try their lunch ramen menu. They only serve two types: Kaiju and Tonkotsu. I was the only one in the group to try the Kaiju. Instead of the traditional pork served in ramen, this had a giant piece of bacon. It was tasty, but I missed the crispy pork pieces I am used to.
The Kaiju also had bamboo shoots, which were delicious, and mustard green kimchi, which was out of this world tasty. If they had a dish of that just mustard green kimchi I would get it every time. As is customary, the portions were very well sized and I walked out feeling very satisfied. I definitely think I will be back.

Very nice hotel lounge!
I would even recommend stopping by for a drink if you weren’t staying here. very classy and trendy feel. I would say avg age on Friday night was about 35 years old.
Live music was great too!
Wine prices very reasonable, esp for a hotel. Bottle of SB was $ 30.
Enjoyed the sweet treats too! $ 8 for 4 smore’s — fun way to end the night!

Stopped here before seeing Beauty and the Beast across the street. Very convenient place to get a drink or a bite to eat before or after a show. They have a pretty good happy hour which I was fortunate enough to take advantage of. The non-​happy hour prices aren’t great. Wine selection is pretty good and food was fresh

It is nice you have the option of sitting outside but if service is similar to what we experienced on this particular day, perhaps it isn’t so nice. We sat down, the server was outside when we sat but didn’t do anything about us. Ten minutes later we were able to flag her down for a menu and the rest of the visit followed a similar pattern. Maybe our server had duties inside but it seriously hampered the outdoor guests. If that is the case, then management should be on top of this.
The beer prices were surprisingly affordable for a hotel lounge. The food prices were high, except for the burger. For $ 6 you get 6 measly bacon wrapped dates — not worth it. The $ 10 Vine Ripe Tomato Salad was 6 thinly sliced tomato rounds laid on a plate with a bit of drizzle and two thumbnail hunks of cheese to the side. Everyone agreed that this plate should have just been called «Tomato Slices.» The $ 10 burger on the pretzel roll was the winner on the menu because it wasn’t outrageously prices and was very good.

The hotel lobby bar. It can be terrible or it can be very good. I happen to be a big fan of Clear, the lobby bar at the Intercontinental Hotel. It is a large, open space that is both sleek and modern, but also has a clubby feel with bits of wood paneling and brown leather chairs. As downtown Milwaukee is a bit short on nightlife, a lot of the hotel patrons end up here in the evening, which makes for a lively scene, even on weeknights. The bar tends to be very busy, even at 10:30−11pm.
When I stay here, I often either meet colleagues here for drinks or after a long day of work and an evening working in my room on stuff, I will come down here for drink to unwind. The bar has a great selection of beers and booze and you can order food from the hotel restaurant. The prices are reasonable as well. Mixed drinks were only about $ 8 – 9.
The service is excellent at the bar as well, from the bartenders to the lounge servers — everyone working here is friendly and they turn around drinks pretty quickly.

After the Unilocal Brew City Bash at the Historical Society, we wanted to keep the festivities going and headed to Clear at the Intercontinental. We were expecting a typical hotel bar, but we were so impressed. The bar was packed and not just with tired travelers who stumbled upon it; it was clear (no pun intended) that for some it was their deliberate destination. With a great band rocking in the lobby and a chocolate bar featured in the middle, patrons were having a great time and were engaged with the events at the lounge. Beyond that, we were also pleased to find that drinks weren’t ridiculously overpriced like some hotel bars can be – beer generally ranged in the $ 4 – 6 range and cocktails were on average $ 8 – 10, which seems pretty standard. I’d definitely be up for returning here and appreciate having a swankier-​yet-​lively stop in the downtown Water Street stretch.

It’s a bar in a hotel. They’ve got great wine specials on Wednesday nights and I’ve always had nice service here. It’s a great place to go for a drink before a show at the one of the adjacent theaters, but I can’t say I’d go here without a reason.

Atmosphere was Outstanding. Service was stellar. If I was rating it just as a bar to enjoy a drink and listen to some quiet jazz music, it would be a 5. The music the night we were there was very nice. Martelle Jossart singing with a great accompanist. Unfortunately, we were also hungry and that is the reason for the 3 stars. We had the Charcuterie and I think it was lunch meat and cheese from Pic N Save. I recommend Clear for drinks and relaxing music, but go somewhere else if you want some food.

I was there two weeks ago for Intercontinental Underground with Alpha Transit as the featured band. This lounge is upscale casual. I love the fountain in the middle of the room and the comfy chairs and cozy seating arrangements. The music was just the right level and feel for the room. The waitresses were pretty quick and friendly, despite the full house. The chocolate bar was an awesome bonus. What a great place to socialize with friends for the evening.

Most hotel lobby bars aren’t nearly as nice as Clear. Each time I’ve been I had a glass of red wine that always put a fabulous end to my evening. Most recently, I visited after the Art Milwaukee party across the street at City Hall. There was a band playing live music (I have GOT to find out their name) that featured a cellist. Keep this fact in mind; it’s important.
They had a chocolate bar set up in the middle of the main aisle near the bar selling all manner of chocolate truffles & other chocolatey goodies. I ordered some truffles and a piece of chocolate covered bacon (delicioso), & paired them with a glass of pinot noir from the bar. The lovely ladies serving the patrons were friendly & accommodating, despite how large the crowd was. The place was packed with people from all walks of life who were buzzing & enjoying the ambiance. The décor is beautiful and modern, perfect for a ladies’ night or an intimate date. It all just seemed so sophisticated (or maybe the fat glass of pinot made me think so.)
Now, back to that band. WHAT IS THEIR NAME? That cellist had me swooning like you wouldn’t believe. My handsome date led me to a comfy seat where we laughed & ate chocolate truffles. I love that an experience that classy can be had in a beer n’ brats-​type of city such as Milwaukee.

The drinks were so weak they tasted like ice water. The $ 12.00 cheese plate was a joke. You could barely see the cheese on the plate. The place is a total rip off.

This lounge is inside the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel. I had the pleasure of stopping in there a few times when my boss flew in from out of town as he likes staying at the intercontinental.
The layout of the place is very modern. Lot’s of glass and black shiny tables but I would expect as much since the place is called Clear. Though I’m not sure if it’s because of the glass or because of the awesome martini’s. I guess both are possible explanations.
The martini’s were excellent. They were large and reasonably priced. They had an extensive cocktail menu (if it’s flavored, it’s not a martini people) if that’s your thing too. The nights we were there we hit up happy hour (twice since they have 2) and received b1g1’s on the martini’s which was nice. They also put out appetizers which I didn’t eat but the boss said were good. Mind you he was four martini’s in and had just switched to scotch so I think everything was better for him at this point.
Music? Well, if you’re looking for a club you won’t find it here. The DJ’s seem to play mostly modern lounge music. It wasn’t terrible.
Prices are pretty good too. I think my Martini’s were about $ 9 apiece but when it was happy hour I thought that $ 9 was a steal!
I have to talk about service. The service we received was excellent all night. Stacey was our waitress and she was on top of things. However, we may have gotten extra attention since when the boss and I get together, we have a lot of fun and tend to suck in those around us in as well. But most of the staff seemed very attentive.
Overall, I plan on stopping in here soon. For a hotel bar, I rather like it.

This is for all the business travelers and people working downtown above the age of 19 that don’t want to do $ 1 shots further up on Water street.
Respectable drink selection, bar-​tenders know what they’re doing, and a cool space. It does tend to get crowded on weekends, but is an A-​OK spot to stop for a well mixed drink at the end of the day otherwise.
Detracting from being four stars: 80% because of the smoke :(, and 20% because I just can’t get over the cliché of being in the hotel lobby. What was that song again?

This is a cool hotel lobby bar, which I generally would try to avoid but this is worth it for the Saturday night Chocolate Bar!!! It’s an amazing variety of desserts. Everthing from little chocolates to fondue w/​fruit & rice cripie treats for dipping. The little petit fours are amazing! The chef is very cool, great to chat with. The only downside was it’s very crowed and limited seating.