When Haven Cafe & Bar opened this spring in the Nova Apartments on Van Buren Street, it was still finding its groove. But just a few months later, the cozy East Side spot feels like it’s always been there.
Behind the new counter service cafe and bar is Jeff Kinder, an industry veteran who has spent nearly 20 years working in and managing bars like Bryant’s, The Jazz Estate and Art Bar.
The counter service cafe functions much like a coffee shop and cafe during the daytime hours, offering breakfast and lunch sandwiches along with coffee and beverage service.
Beginning in the afternoon, under the stewardship of Bittercube alum and industry veteran Cameron McKenzie, the bar offers cocktails, THC-infused beverages and zero-proof offerings.
“Our goal was really to build a place where people can free free to come and hang out any time of the day,” says Kinder. “It’s that place away from home where you go to study, to work, to hang out with friends and play board games or to get together with your knitting club.”
Overall, with a fuller menu, regular events and a comfortable lived-in vibe, Haven has grown into the kind of neighborhood gem worth lingering in.
A welcome retreat
The cafe is bright and welcoming with a midcentury modern vibe that stems from large overhead spherical pendant lighting made from jute twine and a color palette that embraces various shades of green, orange and yellow.
In between the bar and the coffee counter, there’s a lounge area with soft seating where guests can gather with friends.
Meanwhile, the center of the space showcases communal tables built by Mark Sprott of Bulldog, where guests can gather to work, socialize or just hang out.
Sprott also built the back bar, where folks can hang out during the day and into the evening hours.
Haven offers a wide range of entertainment for guests, including board game nights, comedy nights about twice a month and various other forms of entertainment, including opera performances and DJ Dance Parties on Saturday nights.
On weekends, the space embraces brunch and Sunday Funday vibes with housemade (vegan) Bloody Marys, breakfast sandwiches and a wider selection of morning bakery items.
On the menu
Kinder says the menu is designed to offer “solid options at a reasonable price”—approachable, satisfying, and easy to enjoy on a casual visit.
Breakfast options range from $6.50 to $9 and include build-your-own sandwiches with eggs, bacon, sausage, or housemade veggie sausage. There are also quesadillas, burritos, and yogurt parfaits with fruit and Greek yogurt.
There are also sweets from Bakehouse 23 like big cookies, banana bread and scones (priced $4-5).
Lunch and casual dinner options run around $11 and include snacks like white bean spread with olive oil and focaccia from Midwest Sad Bakery; quesadillas and sandwiches, including a pastrami sandwich and a Cubano (herbed butter, yellow mustard, ham, pork, pickles and Gruyere toasted on a hoagie bun.
Cocktails, THC & NA options
The bar features standards like beer, hard cider and wine, along with a full menu of house cocktails, all priced at $13.
Favorites include:
- The Last Armadillo Waltz, a summery blend of lime, strawberry, Tequila and dry vermouth.
- Hey, Sis!, a playful mash-up between a Painkiller and a Pina Colada made with lime, turbanado sugar, coconut milk, pineapple, Cameron’s Surf Rock Rum Blend, ginger bitters and nutmeg.
THC-infused cocktails ($13) are made with 5 mg of hemp-derived THC. Try:
- Planet of the Grapes with lemon, grape, mango, peach and THC
- It’s Not a Bong, showcasing lemon, rosemary, flowering hyssop and THC.
“We’re really looking at how to expand our THC offerings,” notes McKenzie. “Namely, we’re working on expanding their flavor profiles well beyond the typical sweet and citrusy profiles.”
Meanwhile, zero proof cocktails ($11) include:
- The Allure with currant, hibiscus, rosehips, rooibos and orange peel.
- Losing Frequencies showcasing lime, raspberry, seltzer and grapefruit.
Haven Cafe & Cocktails is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to midnight, Friday 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to close.
Give them a follow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and keep your eyes out for special events and appearances from local performers.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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