The Most Flavorful Cocktail Bars in Detroit

Barrio Cocina y Tequileria

★★★★☆ 4.1 (833) • $$

"We usually order salsa fight to try all 3 different flavoured salsa with chips. Fried avocado taco is a must try for vegetarians. They are very quick at serving. It has an amazing vibe overall. Not just on weekends but on weekdays too."

Public House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (909) • $$

"My friends suggested to meet for a ladies brunch day at the Public House. I has never ate at Public House, so I was excited to finally try the restaurant out. And I wasn't disappointed with the experience!My friends and I ordered the Mimosas Tower, which for four people, still was too much to handle! I ordered the Sausage Scramble, which was really good! And so much food! I ended up having the leftovers boxed up to go. My friends and I shared the Classic French Toast. Overall, the food was really good, the service was good, and the vibes and ambiance was really good! I definitely would check this restaurant out again!"

Takoi

★★★★☆ 4.3 (744) • $$

"Everything about this place was great, including the music. There was just one thing that really turned me off and ruined my experience. In the process of signing our check, and finishing up a last drink, a food runner/hostess got extremely loud with me to tell me that my time was up at the table. Her demeanor and approach was horrible when she dropped off my food, and it was even more horrifying as she yelled at me that it was time to leave. I felt super uncomfortable being spoken to that way after a $200 dinner."

Andiamo

★★★★☆ 4.1 (804) • $$$

"Had a wonderful dinner, and overall experience down on the riverfront. Went with the filet which was perfectly cooked with excellent flavor. The zip sauce wasn't overbearing. We also had the bolognese pasta which was also good. The service provided by Erica was above par, especially compared to other restaurants of similar Caliber. I also have to give a shout out to the hostess Suzie who helped me with the parking garage and directions! Andiamos validates parking and you really don't even have to walk outdoors to get to the restaurant. And don't forget about the great happy hour 4-6....we'll be coming back for sure."

Joe Muer Seafood

★★★★☆ 3.8 (878) • $$$$

"Great ambiance; professional staff...white glove service. Food was delicious except the lamb chops, ordered medium but it just did not taste good and I've had lamb chops from all over. Al through my check was over $1400 I will go back to Joe Muer."

Ronin Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.9 (805) • $$$

"Second time here - always such a fantastic experience. Great sushi, intimate, lively vibe, good service, and adjacent to downtown Royal Oak. This visit we came for their happy hour, which happens daily even on the weekends (with varying hours). As we came early evening, we were seated quickly- but the restaurant filled quickly and there was soon a lengthy wait for tables by the time we finished. We didn't order any cocktails this time, but we did get their green matcha tea which was solid. We ordered:- tuna tartare tacos - hamachi crudo- hot crab rolls - Mountain Dew roll- spicy salmon crunch roll- crispy rice crab rangoonOur favorites were the hot crab roll and the crispy rice crab rangoon - so so good. Sushi rolls were solid, hamachi crudo was a bit small, and the tuna tartare tacos were a bit heavy on spicy mayo and pickled jalapeños. That said, we have no regrets. We even got doubles of things we liked. On my last visit, I came for my birthday and the desserts are on point, especially the warm butter cake. Highly recommend Ronin in Royal Oak for a nice, fun sushi evening out."

SavannahBlue

★★★★☆ 4.1 (658) • $$

"I've been wanting to visit SavannahBlue for too long and finally made it today! We walked from Detroit Opera House in a drizzle, totally worth it!! Absolutely delicious dinner with enough for leftovers! They provided cornbread muffins with honey that were delicious!! We both got fried chicken that came with collard greens with ham and candied yams better than I've ever had at any Thanksgiving!! Friend wanted black eyed peas we shared some of it with her taking that home too!!! We arrived about 5p and first table but, over an hour later the place was packed. This place is special and already look forward to going back to try the next item-unless it's time for more fried chicken!!!"

Bobcat Bonnie's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (706) • $$

"The food is ALWAYS great here. Fried Goat cheese APP was fantastic, with a orange-infused honey. PERFECT, the coating was PERFECTI had the colonels bowl, a nod to KFC, but done CORRECTLY. every ingredient was ideal.Try the place, it's great. We've been coming here for years"

Mi Mosa

★★★★☆ 3.8 (647) • $$

"Decided to stop in for brunch. Ordered the salmon bites which came with this spicy sauce, which was delicious! After the salmon bites ordered the omelette which you can chooses four things to add to the omelette. The potatoes that come with the omelette are phenomenal. Also ordered a picture of blushing mimosas! Overall great experience."

Taqueria El Rey

★★★★★ 4.5 (452) • $

"Had an incredible experience at this restaurant that just re-opened, we visited it on a Friday night and it was packed but they were still able to get us a table within a few minutes. The margarita was excellent, not too sweet and they didn't skimp on the alcohol. I had the 3-taco dinner which were excellent, highly recommend the Al Pastor and Carnitas. Those were my favorite from what we tried. These were authentic tacos with fresh ingredients.Our server was awesome, he checked on us multiple times and made us feel at home. The restaurant was really nicely decorated and it was a fun ambiance. Overall if you're in Mexicantown, highly recommend coming here and for sure getting a margarita and some authentic tacos. The prices are fair and the quality is there."

Testa Barra Kitchen & Cocktails

★★★★☆ 4.3 (482) • $$$

"Great atmosphere, food, service and drinks!!! We enjoyed a great family dinner. I will definitely be returning."

The Whitney

★★★★☆ 3.5 (722) • $$$$

"We'd heard this place is nice. It's beyond that. Nicest venue in the Detroit area in my opinion. From a friendly greeting from valet parking, to host, seating, and service. It was wonderful.This is a 130 year-old mansion with numerous rooms on three levels. Perfect for special occasions or date night. If it's your first time here, they offer a free guided historical tour (do tip) and we'd recommend that. Ghost bar on third floor is cool.We were seated in the formal dining room. It was wonderful. There is a secret room off to the side here. See if you can find it.Service was perfect. Maddie gets an A+ for sure. Staff is obviously very well trained. A very well managed place. Manager stopped by twice. Nice guy. Very professional.We had the Beef Wellington. It was delicious. Nice portions too. Sides and bread were delicious too. Prices are reasonable for what they deliver.Enter off Woodward. Drive slowly - easy to miss the entrance. Use valet as other parking costs as much in area. Very happy we visited this spot. I hear Sunday brunch is fantastic. We'll be back."

Iron Horse

★★★★☆ 4.1 (415) • $$

"Never been here before, thought we give it a try. Amazing food, server was awesome but one thing that could've been better was the temperature of the restaurant. Nicely decorated for the holiday but it was freezing!!! Would definitely go there again, just dress a little warmer. As you can see in the food pics, it was delicious!"

Smoke Street BBQ

★★★★☆ 4.1 (398) • $$

"Great Salad. Great portion. Fast service. Came here with a group of coworkers during lunch and we were all served fairly quickly. I always enjoy getting the BBQ Chicken Salad because the chicken is flavorful, the crispy strips are delicious, and overall the portion is good! Was not too impressed by the cornbread as it was fairly hard, but the taste was good!"

Aqua

★★★★☆ 3.9 (430) • $$

"The appetizers were all amazing will definitely come back for some apps and a drink at the bar. The service was definitely lacking, very slow, didn't come back to check on our food, and had to stop her to grab more water and drinks. The vibe was great as far as decorations go and how it is laid out we were in chairs at a table but there were lounge style chairs that I was honestly jealous of , we had five people and they were set up for four and there was no way you could add a fifth. They also had a violin player but just kept playing the same songs over and over, probably the same 4 or 5 songs and we were there for what felt like forever for dinner. Again I'll go back to sit at the bar if someone wants to go but I wont bring it back up to try and the other four people probably wouldn't either."

RH House

★★★★☆ 4.2 (360) • $$$

"We came here for our anniversary. I made a reservation for 8:00, but we arrived at 7:45 and got right in. The hostess was very friendly, and we loved our server. The food was outstanding. We had steak bites, cabbage soup, Caesar salad, twin lobster tails, a vegetable pasta (Lupino), and butter cake. The gravy on the steak bites was amazing, and we couldn't stop talking about it. The soup and salad were about what you'd expect. The lobster was perfect and the pesto on the pasta was delicious, without being overpowering, and the vegetables with the pasta were fresh and flavorful. The butter cake was the best cake we've ever had in a restaurant. All the portion sizes were perfect, and we left feeling satisfied without being too full (which rarely happens with so many different items on the table). We also tried three different cocktails. The Boozy Bubbles was a great choice for social media in October, since it comes out smoking and bubbling. It tasted good as well, and went down easily but still had a kick. The New Old Fashioned was good, maybe the second best we've had. The Berry Blissful was interesting, kind of like a watery smoothie with alcohol. They all tasted great and had a thick, syrupy texture, which I thought was interesting. The feel of the place is a casual luxury. It's moody inside but there are TVs at the bar and contemporary music playing. The restrooms were very clean and well-lit. Guests were wearing a variety of clothing, from sweatshirts to cocktail dresses, and they all seemed to fit in nicely. We saw high chairs and a guest with a newborn in a car seat, but I wouldn't recommend taking young children due to all the glass and other decor on the table. We will be back!"

Downtown Louie's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (342) • $$

"Walking to the Airbnb after a full day's work and followed Yelp here. Loving practicing for retirement! Starting with saganaki and roasted Brussels sprouts. We'll see if we want more. My eyes are always bigger than my stomachBrandi tells me the "seasonal veggies "'are FRESH and not cooked to mush. Excited to try them next time. Give Louie's a try!!"

Johnny Black's Public House

★★★★☆ 3.5 (393) • $$

"Great place to eat a variety of foods where ppl can vibe party and enjoy the gaming world. Service good but busy."

Grandma Bob's

★★★★★ 4.5 (212) • $$

"Found a diamond in the rough. Okay, not rough but expensive restaurants everywhere. This one isn't, it's mid priced and well worth it. $17 deep dish pizza is the best I've had. I think that's inexpensive for the best. Got a full bar. Drinks might be a little pricey but really delicious. You're not getting ripped off at all, they make them really good. The bartenders and waitstaff are super nice. Make you feel comfortable instantly. If you're looking for incredible food and drink, go here. Do not pass it bye going elsewhere. I love the atmosphere, the decorating. One thing, better chairs but really not a big deal. We will be back a lot. Do the same !"

Browndog Barlor & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (237) • $$

"Food was really tasty! Fire fries for spicy people only, I would say. Ambience was nice. Very busy but great service."

New Mandarin Garden

★★★★☆ 4 (245) • $$

"I had no idea this place even existed until my dad told me about it. Since I was hungry for Chinese, he suggested we come here, since it's one of his favorites.Pulling in, the parking lots a bit of a mess. Pot holes everywhere and crumbling like no other. It could use a refresh! Walking in though the place is cute and well decorated. We were seated by the hostess near the fish tank which I loved, and our server came to our table to give us menus and such.The menu here's pretty thorough, and their prices are pretty decent. I started with Crab Rangoon which was fabulous by the way. They didn't offer any dipping sauce, but we did get these chips of some sort with sweet and sour sauce, which I used to dip the Rangoon in.My dad got the hot and sour soup, along with a beef dish. I went with the Sesame Chicken, which was a huge portion. While the chicken was good, it was kind of bland. The waitress asked me if I wanted it mild, medium or hot, and I should've gotten medium. They kind of skimped on the rice a bit especially since there was two of us. I wish they would've given us more.Even though the place is great, we barely saw our server. We ran out of water several times and had to flag her down for our bill. She was good when she was there though. Staff here's genuine and great so that's a bonus. Very friendly people, well versed just wish we had more rice!"

Thompson & Co.

★★★★☆ 4.2 (195) • $$

"Have to give the staff major props for dealing with my U10 soccer team coming in to celebrate their season. 30+ people in our group and they were on top of orders, separate checks, and a lot of energy. I've been a few times with friends and family outside of this and always found the staff friendly and the food good."

Aldana Mexican Bar & Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (294) • $$

"Great dinner spot! Came here for a birthday celebration and did not disappoint. The best part is definitely the stunning decor. Everything is from Mexico, and I had a blast looking around at all the beautiful light fixtures. The bathroom tile was also stunning WOW. Got Horchata and the enchiladas dinner. Wonderful presentation and flavorful food. Big portions perfect for lunch the next day. Thanks Aldana!"

Naked Burger

★★★★☆ 4 (209) • $$

"My wife and I had an amazing time at this place! The food ,drinks and service were top-notch. I had the late-night smash, and it was to die for! My wife tried the bacon me crazy, and she loved it too. We also tried the Karaage Chicken Bites with Korean BBQ sauce, and they were delicious. And for drinks, we got the pain killer, which was also really good. The only thing we didn't like was that it was a bit too dim inside, and the draft every time someone came through the door would suck out all the heat in the place."

Armando's Mexican Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (305) • $$

"Always a staple in Detroit's Mexican town. Fresh off the plane I needed to eat because I wasn't paying $15 for a sandwich at the airport. I didn't complicate things and went straight for my usual the wet burrito with beans & rice along with a couple of margaritas. After all these years the place hasn't changed and that's why they will always be A-1."

El Arbol

★★★★☆ 4.3 (174) • $$

"I came here for Dia des los Muertos. They did a great job sponsoring the event. This place is very cool. Authentic Mexican decor, beautiful murals and an adorable walk-up taco window. The tacos are spectacular, particularly the Brussels and nopales. Their Palomas are also amazing, as are the fruit infused tequilas. We had: chips and salsa, various tacos, fruity, spicy and blood orange Palomas. We ate lunch upstairs, then had drinks on the patio to enjoy the beautiful weather. I will return for more tacos and to try a few other Paloma flavors."

Barr's Public House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (207) • $$

"Barr's Public House was very warm and inviting. The service was excellent, we sat in the bar area and about half way through our meal a new server came an introduced themselves. Drinks were excellent as well. The food was good but had some areas of needed improvement. I had the ahi-tuna tacos. The tuna was amazing, cooked perfectly and flavored well. The greens and sauce were fresh as well. The only negative was the whole wheat pita took over the dish and over powered everything. My husband had the black and blue steak sandwich. The new york strip was served whole including the fat strip on the one side. Small changes would make a big difference! Would visit again."

Harvey's Grill and Bar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (221) • $$

"Fancier "bar and grill" than we were expecting but everything was yummy. Started with the spinach and artichoke dip (which was a bit creamier and more garlicky than we were expecting). Also tried the perch, sirloin and fried pickles. Service was nice and quick. Not sure we will be in the area again, but would come back again if we are."

Joe Muer Seafood - Bloomfield Hills

★★★★☆ 3.5 (234) • $$$

"Growing up in the Detroit area, I have many memories dining at Joe Muer Seafood downtown to celebrate special occasions with family... I looked it up since and learned that JMS has been around the area for more than 90 years!This new(er) location on Woodward happens to be super close to where my parents now reside and I recently went for a special meal with my siblings, aunt and uncle.Despite feeling a bit underdressed (note - there is a bit of a dress code), this restaurant delivers on atmosphere, service, and most importantly fine food and beverages!Our group enjoyed a variety of apps, salads, sushi, seafood, steak and dessert... It comes with a price tag, but I highly recommend a meal at Joe Muer. From start to finish, this place delivers. Enjoy!"

Ivy Kitchen + Cocktails

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (246) • $$

"HLa, I like that IVY is in thēē middle of the neighborhood, Ya may miss it on Jefferson but the service was cool, personable ladies. VERY quaint, sat at thēē bar. We ordered wings & fries, coulda been hotter but the other customers suggested to try the crocroissants, Steak (medium) w/ asparagus. The drinks looked YUM. Will visit again, I believe you'd ENJOY! GRATZî Yall"

Stella's Restaurant and Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (216) • $$$

"Enjoyed this stunning salmon burger that was obviously homemade Delicious and very satisfying. Service was superb and atmosphere lovely. Four stars as the non-alcoholic Stella's was far overpriced at $8."

The Silver Pig Bar & Oyster Room

★★★★☆ 4.3 (118) • $$

"Hidden Gem in Howell Downtown Great local atmosphere, food is great quality, service was amazing Forgot to take pictures but the pizza was great tooWill visit again"

Chomp Burger

★★★★☆ 3.6 (165) • $$

"A++. So good we went two nights in a row. Food was stellar, service was exceptional. Highly recommend!"

The Greek

★★★★☆ 3.8 (147) • $$

"The food was delicious!!!. Staff was great and it was quick service. They have a shuttle to the hockey stadium as well:)"

Amore da Roma

★★★★☆ 3.6 (160) • $$

"Fast service and it was very fresh, though the sauce was a little bit sweet, which I wasn't expecting. We definitely would go back if I was in the area."