27 upscale places in Detroit, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Detroit: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Detroit food.
Standby ★ 4.8
downtown · 225 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
Standby in The Belt alley off Gratiot serves modern cocktails in downtown Detroit since 2015. Order the house cocktail, often barrel-aged. At 225 Gratiot Ave.
Tip: Entry is from The Belt alley; reservations through OpenTable. World's 50 Best Discovery list.
Selden Standard (bar seats) ★ 4.8
midtown · 3921 2nd Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
Selden Standard on 2nd Avenue in Cass Corridor pours by the glass at the bar next to the wood oven in Detroit. Located in Midtown. Open daily 17:00-22:00.
Tip: Bar seats hold for walk-ins from 17:00. The wine team writes the list weekly.
Selden Standard ★ 4.7
midtown · 3921 2nd Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
Selden Standard on 2nd Avenue has anchored Cass Corridor seasonal cooking in Detroit since November 2014. Located in Midtown. Priced at $$$.
Tip: Book two weeks out for weekend evenings. Bar seats hold space for walk-ins at 17:00.
Cliff Bell's ★ 4.7
downtown · 2030 Park Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
Cliff Bell's on Park Avenue has poured cocktails in Detroit's downtown since 1935. Reopened 2006 by Paul Howard, it is the city's premier live jazz room.
Tip: Tickets for the band run separately. The dining room is half the room; cocktails at the bar.
Baker's Keyboard Lounge ★ 4.7
new-center · 20510 Livernois Ave, Detroit, MI 48221
Baker's Keyboard Lounge on Livernois has poured drinks in Detroit since May 1933 and started booking jazz pianists in 1934, the oldest continuously operating.
Tip: Only 99 seats; tilted mirrors let the audience watch the pianist's hands.
Mudgie's Deli & Wine Shop ★ 4.7
corktown · 1413 Brooklyn St, Detroit, MI 48226
Mudgie's Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown pairs a New York-style deli with a natural-wine retail shelf in Detroit since 2008.
Tip: Patio in summer is the prime seat; corkage $15 with the meal turns the shop into a wine bar.
Takoi ★ 4.6
corktown · 2520 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216
Takoi on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves modern Thai cooking in Detroit since March 2016. Order the crispy rice salad and the whole-fried fish with herbs.
Tip: Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday from 16:00. Reservations open three weeks out.
Voyager ★ 4.6
ferndale · 600 Vester St, Ferndale, MI 48220
Voyager on Vester Street in Ferndale serves sustainable seafood and a raw bar across the city line from Detroit. Priced at $$$. At 600 Vester St.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Bar runs through 22:00 on weekends.
The Sugar House ★ 4.6
corktown · 2130 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216
The Sugar House on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails in Detroit since 2011. Order the prohibition-era classics.
Tip: Walk-ins Monday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday need reservations. Tin ceiling, old bar.
San Morello ★ 4.5
downtown · 1400 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
San Morello inside the Shinola Hotel on Woodward serves Southern Italian wood-fired cooking in Detroit. Located in Downtown. At 1400 Woodward Ave.
Tip: Brunch runs weekends 10:00-14:00. Reservations on OpenTable; bar seats are first-come.
Wright & Company ★ 4.5
downtown · 1500 Woodward Ave, Floor 2, Detroit, MI 48226
Wright & Company on the second floor of the Wright-Kay Building on Woodward serves James Beard-nominated composed small plates in Detroit. Open since 2014.
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended for weekend evenings; cocktails worth a stop alone.
El Asador Steakhouse ★ 4.5
mexicantown · 1312 Springwells St, Detroit, MI 48209
El Asador Steakhouse on Springwells in Southwest Detroit serves Mexican steakhouse cooking, the gourmet end of Mexicantown. Family-run since 2014.
Tip: Tuesday and Wednesday close at 22:00; weekend prime time books out a week in advance.
Two James Spirits Tasting Room ★ 4.5
corktown · 2445 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216
Two James Spirits on Michigan Avenue in Corktown is Detroit's first licensed distillery since Prohibition. Order the old cockney gin and tonic.
Tip: Backyard patio looks at Roosevelt Park and Michigan Central Station. Patio in summer.
Eastern Palace Club ★ 4.5
ferndale · 21509 John R Rd, Hazel Park, MI 48030
Eastern Palace Club on John R Road in Hazel Park serves a community Key West beach bar in metro Detroit. Order the rum buckets and classic tiki cocktails.
Tip: Voted Best Tiki Bar by Detroit Metro Times in 2023 and 2024; karaoke and dance nights run multiple evenings.
Marrow Butcher Bar ★ 4.5
eastern-market · 2442 Riopelle St, Detroit, MI 48207
Marrow Butcher Bar inside Marrow in the Market on Riopelle Street pours wine by the glass next to the butcher counter in Detroit. Open since November 2025.
Tip: Walk-ins for the bar before 18:00; the open kitchen runs the steaks behind the counter.
The Apparatus Room ★ 4.4
downtown · 250 W Larned St, Detroit, MI 48226
The Apparatus Room inside the Detroit Foundation Hotel on Larned Street serves New American cooking in a converted 1929 firehouse. Open since 2017.
Tip: Breakfast runs from 07:00 daily. Dinner reservations recommended; the bar is open later.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails ★ 4.4
midtown · 15 E Kirby St, Detroit, MI 48202
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in the Park Shelton next to the DIA serves farm-to-table small plates in Detroit's Midtown. Open since 2015. Priced at $$$.
Tip: Two private dining rooms; lunch Fridays only. Walk-ins for the bar.
Coriander Kitchen and Farm ★ 4.4
west-village · 14601 Riverside Blvd, Detroit, MI 48215
Coriander Kitchen and Farm in the Jefferson-Chalmers canal district serves farm-to-table cooking in Detroit. Kitchen leans farm-to-table american.
Tip: Seasonal hours; the patio over the canal is the seat to ask for. Open from spring through autumn.
Wright & Company (wine bar) ★ 4.4
downtown · 1500 Woodward Ave, Floor 2, Detroit, MI 48226
Wright & Company on the second floor of the Wright-Kay Building on Woodward serves a wine bar alongside small plates in Detroit. Located in Downtown.
Tip: Sommelier-led pairing flights at the bar; reservations open the dining-room side.
Coriander Kitchen and Farm (canal patio) ★ 4.3
west-village · 14601 Riverside Blvd, Detroit, MI 48215
Coriander Kitchen and Farm pours small-grower Michigan wines on its canal patio in the Jefferson-Chalmers district of Detroit. Located in West Village.
Tip: Boat dock for guests arriving by water; the patio fills at sunset.
Atwater Brewery Tap Room ★ 4.2
eastern-market · 237 Joseph Campau St, Detroit, MI 48207
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.
Tip: Atwater Arcade for the bar games. 225 cocktail bar reopens for summer evenings.
Lily's Seafood Grill & Brewery ★ 4.2
ferndale · 410 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067
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.
Tip: Patio in summer is the prime seat; book ahead for weekend evenings.
San Morello (wine bar) ★ 4.1
downtown · 1400 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
San Morello on Woodward in the Shinola Hotel pours Italian regional wines next to the pizza oven in Detroit. Andrew Carmellini's NoHo team since 2018.
Tip: The standing bar in the front room runs first-come; pizza by the slice at the counter.
Detroit Beer Company ★ 4.0
downtown · 1529 Broadway, Detroit, MI 48226
Detroit Beer Company on Broadway has brewed in downtown Detroit since September 2003. Order the local pony express ipa. Booking recommended.
Tip: Game-day crowds spill from Comerica Park; weekday lunch books up faster than dinner.
PJ's Lager House ★ 4.0
corktown · 1254 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
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.
Tip: Cover charge varies by act; Pabst is the canonical pour. Cajun po-boy is the deep cut.
Pegasus Taverna (late-night) ★ 4.0
greektown · 558 Monroe St, Detroit, MI 48226
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.
Tip: Open through 02:00 weekends; the bar takes walk-ins later than the dining room.
Chartreuse Kitchen (wine and cocktails bar) ★ 4.0
midtown · 15 E Kirby St, Detroit, MI 48202
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails on East Kirby in Midtown pours biodynamic and natural wines next to its chef-driven small plates in Detroit since 2015.
Tip: Bar runs through to close; the cocktail program leans herbal and bitter alongside.