Cocktail barDistillery tasting room$$$corktownMon-Thu 12:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00, Sun 12:00-20:00
Two James Spirits on Michigan Avenue in Corktown is Detroit's first licensed distillery since Prohibition. Order the old cockney gin and tonic.
Signature drink: Old Cockney gin and tonic
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Backyard patio looks at Roosevelt Park and Michigan Central Station. Patio in summer.
Cocktail barBrewery taproom and cocktail bar$$$eastern-marketMon-Wed and Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-20:00, closed Thu
Atwater Brewery Tap Room on Joseph Campau in Rivertown has served beer in Detroit since 1997. Located in Eastern Market. Order the atwater dirty blonde lager.
Signature drink: Atwater Dirty Blonde lager
Food: Pub menu
Tip: Atwater Arcade for the bar games. 225 cocktail bar reopens for summer evenings.
Cocktail barBrewpub$$$downtownTue-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-24:00, Sun 12:00-22:00
Detroit Beer Company on Broadway has brewed in downtown Detroit since September 2003. Order the local pony express ipa. Booking recommended.
Signature drink: Local Pony Express IPA
Food: Pizza and bar food
Tip: Game-day crowds spill from Comerica Park; weekday lunch books up faster than dinner.
Cocktail barMusic dive bar$$$corktownWed-Sun 18:00-02:00
PJ's Lager House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Cajun food and live music in Detroit since 1991. Order the pabst tallboys. Open wed-sun 18:00-02:00.
Signature drink: Pabst tallboys
Food: Cajun po-boys and gumbo
Tip: Cover charge varies by act; Pabst is the canonical pour. Cajun po-boy is the deep cut.
Cocktail barBrewery and seafood bar$$$ferndaleMon-Fri 11:30-21:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-21:00
Lily's Seafood Grill & Brewery on South Washington in Royal Oak has brewed and poured in metro Detroit since 1999. House-brewed beers alongside fresh seafood.
Signature drink: House brewed ale
Food: Seafood and pub fare
Tip: Patio in summer is the prime seat; book ahead for weekend evenings.
Cocktail barGreek taverna bar$$$greektownMon-Thu 11:30-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-02:00, Sun 11:30-23:00
Pegasus Taverna on Monroe Street has been a Greektown anchor in Detroit since 1981. The flaming saganaki and the after-casino crowd are the constants.
Signature drink: Ouzo and Mythos lager
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Tip: Open through 02:00 weekends; the bar takes walk-ins later than the dining room.