Greek taverna bargreektownMon-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; bar runs late.
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.
Neighborhood cocktail barferndaleTue-Sat 17:00-24:00
Joebar on John R Road in Hazel Park serves a cocktail bar in metro Detroit. Joe and Cari Vaughn's spot connects to Frame next door, a low-fi neighborhood room.
Signature drink: Martini-leaning house list
Food: Sandwiches and bar snacks
Tip: Walk-in bar; the back patio opens in summer. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Modern cocktail bardowntownWed-Sun 17:00-24:00 (Fri-Sat to 02:00)
Standby in The Belt alley off Gratiot serves modern cocktails in downtown Detroit since 2015. James Beard Outstanding Bar Program semifinalist in 2017 and 2018; the city's top room.
Signature drink: House cocktail, often barrel-aged
Food: Composed small plates
Tip: Entry is from The Belt alley; reservations through OpenTable. World's 50 Best Discovery list.
Craft cocktail speakeasycorktownMon-Sun 17:00-02:00
The Sugar House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails in Detroit since 2011. The room that brought serious cocktail bartending back to Detroit.
Signature drink: Prohibition-era classics
Food: Small bites and bar snacks
Tip: Walk-ins Monday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday need reservations. Tin ceiling, old bar.
Jazz club and supper roomdowntownWed-Sat 17:00-24:00, Sun 16:00-22:00
Cliff Bell's on Park Avenue has poured cocktails in Detroit's downtown since 1935. Reopened 2006 by Paul Howard, it is the city's premier live jazz room.
Signature drink: Classic Manhattan
Food: Steak frites and chophouse classics
Tip: Tickets for the band run separately. The dining room is half the room; cocktails at the bar.
Jazz clubnew-centerMon 19:00-23:00, Tue-Fri 16:00-24:00, Sat 18:00-02:00
Baker's Keyboard Lounge on Livernois has poured drinks in Detroit since May 1933 and started booking jazz pianists in 1934, the oldest continuously operating jazz club in the country. Steinway piano picked out by Art Tatum in the 1950s.
Signature drink: Old-fashioned
Food: Soul food kitchen alongside
Tip: Only 99 seats; tilted mirrors let the audience watch the pianist's hands.