Leña

Our monthly dinner group of four came for dinner at the end of January. We had one severe nut allergy at our table. Service was very attentive and well informed. The dark sangria was fabulous. Will definitely be coming back for that. We ordered a small variety from each category on the menu. Everything is served tapas style. Anything with nuts (which is most of the menu, and Spanish cuisine) was served with nuts on the side. The standout dishes were the roasted squash and the basque cheesecake. We could not get enough of the squash!

I'll start on a positive note. All food we had was delicious and the main course (Icelandic cod) was even exceptional. Cocktails were good. Slowly transitioning into a less positive part of our experience. We (a party of 2 people) ordered 5 Negroni cocktails on Hendrick's gin - pretty basic type (not from the restaurant's signature cocktail list though) and one cocktail from their signature cocktail list. Negroni ended up to be $18 in the bill while signature cocktail with MORE expensive market prices for each of its ingredients was $15. Because obviously for places who don't care to build a long term reputation an order of something even pretty basic which is not on the menu allows this "fair and transparent" establishment to charge guests whatever. We were also charged for 2 cocktails (of course overpriced Negroni's) which we never had. It was my husband's birthday which we made our waitress Mar aware of. The candle was put in his dessert. I'll be fair - we were not billed for the candle . We were billed for everything else which we did order + 2 overpriced cocktails which we DID NOT order. Of course, it was fixed since we pointed it out.Well, at the end it all left us with a pity for the place with a good chef and not that good management - obviously it is a management issue. Detroit restaurant scene is on the rise and pretty competitive at the moment, this kind of mistakes of work ethic which could easily be avoided with proper management will most likely come at a cost.

Food: Lovely! Lots of great variety of food, what stood out was how delicious they were able to make a simple vegetable taste. The tasting menu was definitely worth it.Service: It was very busy but nonetheless the servers were warm and friendly and we felt taken care of.Ambiance: Love the lighting and the open concept. Everyone looked happy and it was nice to sit near the window on a winter night!!

Great experience dining at Leña! My husband has been craving Spanish food and was excited when he discovered Leña serves Catalan cuisine. All the food we ordered was very tasty. The flan here is arguably the best I've had in Michigan. We ordered a couple 'tapas'-style appetizers, the lamb and the crab. Each order came with two bites. We also ordered the chorizo de pollo, a chicken sausage dish with lentils. Service was friendly. We sat at the bar where our bartenders made sure we stayed hydrated and had everything we need. The bathroom was clean and aesthetic. The restaurant has a casual ambience and filled with fantastic smells from the wood-fired stove. Good experience, will definitely be back!

My first note is that I'd definitely make a reservation if you're planning on coming here! It seems to be a new go-to spot, and was pretty busy when we arrived. But, since we had a reservation, we were seated right away. We walked in and were immediately greeted by such incredible smells! The atmosphere was so welcoming and cozy. We taken to our table and were immediately asked about any allergies or dietary restrictions and guided through the menu. The menu is filled with dishes that are meant to be shared -- our waitress suggested 3ish plates per person -- but we decided to not share and just get 3 plates each for ourselves. I ended up going with the sangria to drink which was absolutely delicious, the cangrejo en piquillo (crab stuffed peppers), hongos a la brasa (grilled mushrooms), calabaza asada (roasted squash), and the queso y mantequilla (cheesecake). I really enjoyed the flavors of the dishes. I think I would get everything again, aside from the squash. I just wasn't super impressed with their entree offerings. Overall, the food was good, the service was great, parking was easy, and I loved the atmosphere. I'd visit again!Pro tip: if you park at 440 Alfred, Leña will validate parking!

Had a delicious evening at Leña, so glad I was able to come try this place as it has been a hot spot. It definitely holds up to the hype as the food was very tasty and the service was great as well.As opposed to other places in this area the parking is comped with the meal, and there are signs clearly marking where to park. Our server patiently explained step by step how to do it online so that we were able to have the complimentary parking. That was a huge plus and much appreciated. It was also nice to not feel rushed at all during the meal, everything was timed out nicely so we had breaks between courses and were really able to relax and enjoy the meal. The server gave excellent recommendations and explanations on each dish so we felt like we ordered just the right amount of food and knew what we were getting. The drinks were very fair priced and for a cocktail at a place like this was large and strong, I tired the floral gin tonic and I was impressed with the flavor. For food we started with the bacalo, whipped cod, which came highly recommended and was worth the hype it had a delicious flavor and texture. As well as the cangrejo en piquillo, crab stuffed peppers- a standout in flavor. The brochetas de coredo, lamb skewers, very good. And finally the special of the day the croquettes de iberco, so delicious! For main courses we had the hongos a la brasa, maitake mushrooms- those were also a standout in flavor and texture very very good. Would order them again and highly recommend. The main dish was the red snapper which came with a delicious sauce and peppers and fried potatoes. Overall I felt like the pacing of the courses, great service, great flavor, and warm ambiance, made this place a hit. I highly recommend coming in and trying many different things. It says a lot I tried so many items and can't pick a clear favorite due to each being so delicious and unique in flavors. I'm sure you can't go wrong and with knowledgeable staff you can order with confidence having questions answered and recommend dishes based on your preferences.

Went to Leña to celebrate a friend's birthday a couple nights ago. It's Dining In Detroit week through the 27th and the menu Leña has for it is fantastic: $55 for three courses. I'm glad I went with two friends because they had three entrees for dinner so we were able to try all three entrees. I had been curious about Leña since the opened so this was the perfect introduction. The food was delicious and in surprising ways, as in, we ended up really liking things that you didn't think would be that great. Like the chicken. I rarely even order chicken at a restaurant but the chicken at Leña was phenomenal. I really liked all the different sauces and attention to detail. Another detail I noticed, half the dining room was carpeted. Like someone actually cared about sound dampening. In Detroit. Yes, I'm as shocked as you. I will say that the service was slow at the beginning. Like waited 15 minutes for a glass of water slow from when we sat down slow. And they seemed a little disorganized with the regular menu and LDDD menu and the bottle menu but also the glasses menu. Not sure what was up with that but after the slow start it got a little better. Some of the pauses between courses was long and I'm glad we got a side bottle of cava while we waited. Despite whatever hiccups, I would come back and probably just get the chef's tasting and wine pairing. No thinking and just all the delicious food and wine.

Incredible experience trying Leña last week! It's been on my list since it first opened and I'm so happy I got to try it. The service was amazing. We had the sweetest and most enthusiastic waitress who truly felt like a friend by the end of the night. The restaurant vibes are very welcoming and there's a mix of high and low table tops. We decided to sit at a high table top and the table was large and nestled in the center of the restaurant. Food was delicious and so flavorful. We tried the brochetas de cordero (roasted lamb) to start followed by batata (sweet potato dish). For our mains we tried the calabaza asada (our favorite of the night) and the hipogloso a la plancha (halibut). The dishes were so creative and unlike any flavors I've experienced before - I am still thinking of them! I can't wait to come back soon!

Pretty good wine but worse than other restaurants in the area and not that good of a pairingExcellent appetizers on tasting menu and main course. For the main I got fish with a bunch of bones that I did not like. I had to send it back but they did successfully replace it. Kind of shocked it got served in the first place. Good service and great ambiance. I would probably go back but I'm not running back.

I've been here on a few occasions and I have been extremely impressed with their menu and service on each visit. Helpful hint is that they validate parking for the parking lot behind the restaurant for up to 3 hours. The ambiance for the restaurant is fantastic, with wood fired elements and a large space. The menu is extremely unique and they do a good job of rotating items pretty regularly to keep things fresh. It's a shared plate style of menu, so it's recommended to order a few items from each section of the menu and share family style. Looking forward to coming back and trying all the new items they come up with!