Opus at the Belfry House

The story

Opus at The Belfry House: Fine Dining Tasting Menu in Elkhorn, WI

Opus at the Belfry House in Elkhorn, Wisconsin

At Opus at the Belfry House, the kitchen works with French technique and Asian influence, turning out a tasting menu that changes weekly. Located near Lake Geneva, this intimate, limited-seating dining room seats just 16 guests for the early seating and 22 for the later one—a scale that makes every evening feel personal.

The menu is offered in two formats: a 5-course option at $98 per guest and a 7-course option at $158. Both are available with an optional wine pairing, and the wine program has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for multiple consecutive years—a recognition that speaks to the care behind each pour. Guests have described the experience as "the best fine dining experience" they have had, with one visitor noting it rivaled Charlie Trotter's in Chicago.

Dishes change regularly, but recent courses give a clear sense of the kitchen's ambition. A Lobster Bisque with charred corn and vanilla tarragon oil opens the meal, followed by a Carrot Tarte Tatin with fennel, apple, and crème fraiche. Halibut à la Meunière arrives with caperberry and lemon brown butter, and a Chicken Ballotine is paired with morels and fiddlehead ferns. The savory courses build toward Braised Wagyu Beef with gochujang glaze, celeriac puree, and sesame, before finishing with a Mango Sticky Rice topped with coconut and lime meringue.

The dining room itself is quiet and unhurried, with an open kitchen where the crew works with visible focus. "It was like watching artists at work," one guest remarked. The atmosphere is meant to feel transporting—"like a small European town," the restaurant says—and the pacing of the meal gives each course room to land.

This is fine dining built on precision and restraint, with a wine list that matches the kitchen's ambition. For those looking for an evening that feels intentional from start to finish, Opus delivers.