It’s getting cold outside, but one can get a feel of the Caribbean at Good Life bar and restaurant. Located on the corner of Humboldt Boulevard and Water Street, this new restaurant resides among the condominiums going up along the river.

The trendy new establishment has high ceilings and large windows which create an open atmosphere for drinking and dining. The garage-style walls, similar to those at Cush, allow the restaurant to be opened on warm nights.

For now, Good Life only serves dinner, but there are plans to start offering brunch later this month. The full dinner menu is served until close.

The food selection is somewhat disappointing because there are only five entree options and six appetizers. But, despite the limited selection, the food is quite unique. Try the Caribbean chips and salsa, and you’ll be in for a surprise. The chips are dried plantains and the salsa has a mango flavor ($8). Other appetizers include rum barbeque chicken wings ($6) and grilled shrimp skewers ($12).

Salad choices include a chopped lime chicken salad topped with cashews and garlic-lime mayo dressing ($10) or crab and avocado garnished with crumbled bacon ($12). If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, try a “shark and bake,” a pocket sandwich stuffed with fried fish, vegetables, mango salsa and garlic mayo ($12).

The short list of entrees includes unique specialties like the jerk plate, which comes with a pork chop, chicken, shrimp or tofu grilled in spicy jerk sauce ($10) and a roasted half chicken served with Red Stripe beer butter sauce ($10).

The dressy yet casual bar is busy any night of the week, peaking on the weekends. The clientele include a variety of people, ranging from businessmen to hip-hop gurus.

Good Life is known for its Mojitos — the flamboyant variety of cocktail ($7) is the highlight of the bar, including the highly recommended Good Life Iced Tea. It tastes somewhat like a pina colada and is made with Malibu Coconut, Malibu Pineapple and Malibu Mango rums.

The Good Life has an array of tap beers including two rotating taps for seasonal variation. There is a decent selection of domestic, import and micro brews in bottles ranging from $3 to $4.

So if you need to transport yourself to the tropics but can’t afford to leave Milwaukee, try out Good Life. But a word of caution: if you go on a busy night, good luck with parking — there is no parking lot.

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