Gray Ghost Detroit
Midtown
Gray Ghost is Detroit's most acclaimed restaurant bar — a Midtown establishment from Michelin-starred chef Dave Kwiatkowski whose bar program matches the ambition of the kitchen with outstanding cocktails and a dining experience that celebrates the best of Michigan's extraordinary agricultural bounty. Its role in Detroit's culinary renaissance and its exceptional hospitality reflect the city's determination to reclaim its place among America's great food and drink cities.
Honest John's Detroit
University District
Honest John's is Detroit's most beloved dive bar — a University District institution that has been serving Detroit's creative and working-class communities with great beers and a genuine neighborhood character since 1990. Its extraordinary jukebox, welcoming regulars, and unaffected atmosphere make it the benchmark for what Detroit neighborhood bar culture at its best looks and feels like.
El Moore Lodging Lounge Detroit
Midtown
El Moore is Detroit's most architecturally extraordinary hotel and lounge — a 1898 converted apartment building in Midtown with a rooftop garden, community lounge, and commitment to sustainable Detroit living that represents the most interesting vision of Detroit's architectural adaptive reuse potential. Its community-focused lounge programming serves Midtown's creative economy while modeling the kind of sustainable urban development Detroit needs.
Green Dot Stables Detroit Lounge
Downtown Detroit
Green Dot Stables is one of Detroit's most iconic bar experiences — a Downtown institution presenting outstanding craft cocktails alongside Detroit's most creative food menu in a genuinely authentic Detroit atmosphere. Detroit's extraordinary cultural resilience (the city's remarkable comeback from bankruptcy to one of America's most creative urban environments) and Green Dot's genuine Detroit character create a bar experience of authentic Motor City significance.
The Sugar House Detroit
Corktown
The Sugar House is Detroit's most acclaimed craft cocktail lounge — a Corktown bar that has appeared on national and international best bar lists since opening in 2012, helping establish Detroit as one of America's great cocktail cities. Its extraordinary cocktail program, Michigan ingredient focus, and genuine hospitality in a city that has faced extreme challenges create one of America's most meaningful bar experiences.
Whiskey Parlor Detroit
Downtown Detroit
Whiskey Parlor serves Detroit's downtown professional community with an extensive whiskey selection and craft cocktail program in an upscale lounge environment. Detroit's remarkable downtown revival, which has seen thousands of new residents move downtown in the past decade, has created a sophisticated cocktail market that upscale lounges like Whiskey Parlor serve with genuine quality.
The Anchor Bar
Corktown / Downtown Detroit
The Anchor Bar is a Detroit institution in the Corktown neighbourhood near the casino district — a classic American bar serving an exceptional burger alongside a lengthy Michigan craft beer and spirits selection. A popular stop for pre-casino dining and post-show drinks for visitors to the downtown entertainment precinct.
Craft Work Detroit
West Village
Craft Work is one of Detroit's most charming neighborhood bars — a West Village establishment serving exceptional craft cocktails and beers in one of the city's most beautifully preserved residential neighborhoods. West Village's extraordinary Victorian houses and the Detroit River views at the end of every cross street create an neighborhood bar experience of genuine beauty and community warmth.
Batch Brewing Detroit
Corktown
Batch Brewing Company is Detroit's most community-focused craft brewery — a Corktown taproom producing exceptional IPAs, stouts, and seasonals in a neighborhood that has undergone the most dramatic transformation in Detroit's remarkable revival. Corktown's emergence as Detroit's most exciting neighborhood, catalyzed by Ford's acquisition of Michigan Central Station, creates an ideal context for Batch's community-first brewing philosophy.
Bad Luck Bar Detroit
Downtown Detroit
Bad Luck Bar is Detroit's most acclaimed craft cocktail destination — a downtown bar that has appeared on national best bar lists for its extraordinary cocktail program showcasing Michigan spirits and local ingredients. Detroit's cocktail scene, long overshadowed by the city's musical heritage, has emerged in the 2010s as one of the most interesting in the Midwest, with Bad Luck Bar at its creative forefront.
Cliff Bell's Jazz Club
Downtown Detroit
Cliff Bell's is Detroit's most beloved jazz club and supper club, a 1935 Art Deco masterpiece reopened in 2005 after 22 years of closure. The intimate venue hosts nightly live jazz and big band performances alongside expertly crafted cocktails and seasonal menus — a piece of preserved Detroit elegance that recalls the city's golden age of nightlife.
Founders Brewing Company Grand Rapids
Founders Brewing Company is one of America's most acclaimed craft breweries, a Grand Rapids destination taproom famous for Breakfast Stout, KBS, and their bold beer philosophy. The taproom hosts regular live music events and is one of Michigan's most important craft beer destinations, drawing pilgrims from across the country for its cult-status seasonal releases.