What a wonderful experience! Food was fantastic! The only thing is that they sat us right next to the speaker and it was difficult to talk to each other.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zac Fineberg
This is the best restaurant in Ann Arbor and probably Washtenaw county. If you don't get it, stop eating food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adriana Wietrzynski
Amazing food, wine, and service. Miranda was great and so informative as we didn’t know what wine to drink. Will be coming back soon!
Jeff Toms
Fresh food, knowledgeable staff, and an inviting atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle Cooley
Excellent food, drinks, and atmosphere. The rotating menu of seasonal flavors is well balanced and thoughtful. The menu for each month is fixed, but they have a few optional add-ons if you're still hungry. Their wait staff is knowledgeable about all the food and eager to recommend a glass of their favorite wine.
One small area for improvement: our first course was a delicious focaccia, but a little olive oil for dipping would have really taken it over the top. Olive oil was one of the optional add-ons for $4, but we didn't think about it until after we had mostly finished the course. I'd suggest just including this kind of thing as part of the course, and if you need to raise the overall price by $4, I don't think anyone would complain.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mikah Jablonski
my partner & I came here after waiting for the perfect menu (for our tastes) to drop and it just so happened to be on our 7th anniversary! everything was very well balanced, the plating was beautiful, and the descriptions from our server were very helpful going into each course. the portions are actually very filling, which I was worried about in terms of value, and we both got a hojicha lemonade that paired extremely well with the menu for this month. my personal favorites were a kohlrabi, sprouts, and radish salad that had an amazing tahini, fried garlic, and sunflower seed dressing, and the lemon cake with Jasmine cream and candied buckwheat. I know my partner was in love with the green garlic pierogi and beets with farmer cheese & smoked olives (she doesn't usually like olives so it's a hard sell). I cant recommend this place enough if you like good food and have the means to afford it, they list the local farms they buy from as well so it's worth it to me!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mack Monegan
Wonderful evening with spectacular food and great wine recommendations from our host.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vangelis Dikopoulos
I love spencer, but putting a $25 corkage fee when buying a bottle of wine from the restaurant to drink there is a ripoff.
Lauryn Seelye
My boyfriend and I had a rare night off together and decided to book a reservation at Spencer. Time and time again, this places delivers the most unique, considered, and comforting dining experience in all of Michigan.
Take it as a given that everything is made with love in house and seasonally sourced—we were literally sitting next to the farmer that grew the spinach for our butter bean dish. Likewise, the wine program is remarkable. A humble place in Ann Arbor has no right having bottles this good. The list leans natural, but there are plenty of choices for all palates and the staff is very happy to walk you through it all. Prices are more than reasonable—a steal in comparison to some of my favorite establishments in New York or Los Angeles.
But simply focusing on the excellent food, wine, and local produce misses the overall point of Spencer. This is convivial hospitality at its finest. The communal tables and relaxed but attentive service allow for a rare sense of camaraderie when dining at this level of refinement. It feels like a dinner party among new friends, hosted by the absolute best chef you know, with outrageously good wine to match. And oh yeah, you’ve never had vegetables this good.
Book a table, you won’t regret it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yangji Sherpa
Went there last night with my boyfriend. The food was very meh to the point that we thought maybe this was a wine store experimenting with food. We didn’t finish and got our food to go. It turns out that the waiters forgot to pack the entree. Ridiculous that we spent almost $200. Would give zero star if possible. Terrible.
I dined at Spencer over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The service was lackluster for the required 20% gratuity. We were offered seats at the bar; however we didn’t want to sit in a high chair, so we asked for table. We were place between two parties similar to a public sitting in a European restaurant. The hostess seemed irritated that we wanted to sit at a table. My wife and I don’t drink and the staff keep asking if we wanted to order wine which was annoying. The space is nice and cozy with an Ann Arbor granola feel.
The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course a piece of bread and the other a small desert). The food was brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once. One was a fried fritter, so it needed to be eaten immediately.
The food was lackluster. First dish was a small portion of garlic bread with cheddar and parsley. The crust was over baked making it difficult to cut with a knife or pulled it apart with your hands. Second course small portion of honeynut squash fritti, sage, onion, and pine nut. There were more fried onions than squash. Batter was oily and appeared old. It was not light, nice and crisp. It reminded me of the terrible onion rings my mom would order at Burger King. This was brought out with 3 other dishes, which is a red flag. You need to eat this hot.
The next dish was a small plate to share of brussel sprouts, priglia lentil, meyer lemon, and mint. The dish lacked flavor. Brussel sprouts were served nearly whole and raw. It would have been nice to have then charred a bit to bring out some nuttiness and make them a little softer. I was confused was this a warm or cold salad?
The main course was a gorgonzola scarpinocc, treviso, rosemary , and saba. The presentation was terrible it appeared the chef just threw a bunch of radicchio over the pasta. There were 10 scarpinocc on the plate. The pasta was over cooked and soggy.
The desert was walnut tiramisu, nocino, cocoa. This was definitely bought at a store and not made in house. We took one bite of the desert and I spit it out in my napkin. This was a terrible dining experience at a ridiculous price point. Every single dish was lacking something. When the waitress brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. The entire hurried experience took less than 1 hour.
Vegetarian options: They have a vegetarian option.
Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
D K
Utterly Disappointing Experience
I recently dined at Spencer, and I can confidently say that it was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time based on my expectations and the high price point. From the moment we walked in, the service was lackluster at best. We were barely greeted with a disinterested nod rather than a warm welcome. We were offered seats at the bar which we didn’t want for dinner and they begrudgingly allowed us to sit at a table. We poured our own warm water from a carafe. The staff seemed irritated that we didn’t order wine.
The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course be a piece of bread) so this was odd. Again, it was a prix fixe menu not a tasting menu. The food was continually brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once.
Now the food: The food was brought out with no explanation. Every single dish was lacking something. Whether it be lack of umami, salt, spice, an acid or it had an odd mouth feel. Nothing was good, not one dish. The temperatures were off. The platings were wrong. The wine of the diner next to us was served in a glass without a stem. Our water was served in a shot glass. It’s almost as though the chef had zero culinary experience from front of the house to the kitchen. Granted, I know good food (from local diners to Michelin restaurants) but even the people to our left and our right quietly complained about their food to each other too. Sandy clams to tough and greasy bread. The dessert was unpalatable. We each took one bite and left it. The service was so rushed and discourteous among all diners. When we were brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We dine out at least two times a week at high end restaurants and enjoy spending our time and money on food. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. I would have rather donated the $200 to an animal charity and eaten a sandwich at home. The entire hurried experience took less than 45 minutes (thank god)! Avoid this place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Jens Wessling
The menu is a bit uninspiring, but the food turned out top notch. Best French dip sandwich in ages.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salads, Lightly Breaded Fried Zucchini with Mint Honey and Sweet Mild Peppers
Suzette Wanninkhof
Superb! The food was creative and incredible - we especially loved the butternut squash ravioli with kimchi and the sausage with white beans. The menu was prefix and $75 a person, with immaculate service and generous portions. Perfect vibe to celebrate my anniversary with my partner.
Note it's hard to get a reservation - you need to book as soon as reservations opened at the beginning of the month. October dining is indoors, which was a cozy vibe.
What a wonderful experience! Food was fantastic! The only thing is that they sat us right next to the speaker and it was difficult to talk to each other.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the best restaurant in Ann Arbor and probably Washtenaw county. If you don't get it, stop eating food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food, wine, and service. Miranda was great and so informative as we didn’t know what wine to drink. Will be coming back soon!
Fresh food, knowledgeable staff, and an inviting atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food, drinks, and atmosphere. The rotating menu of seasonal flavors is well balanced and thoughtful. The menu for each month is fixed, but they have a few optional add-ons if you're still hungry. Their wait staff is knowledgeable about all the food and eager to recommend a glass of their favorite wine.
One small area for improvement: our first course was a delicious focaccia, but a little olive oil for dipping would have really taken it over the top. Olive oil was one of the optional add-ons for $4, but we didn't think about it until after we had mostly finished the course. I'd suggest just including this kind of thing as part of the course, and if you need to raise the overall price by $4, I don't think anyone would complain.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
my partner & I came here after waiting for the perfect menu (for our tastes) to drop and it just so happened to be on our 7th anniversary! everything was very well balanced, the plating was beautiful, and the descriptions from our server were very helpful going into each course. the portions are actually very filling, which I was worried about in terms of value, and we both got a hojicha lemonade that paired extremely well with the menu for this month. my personal favorites were a kohlrabi, sprouts, and radish salad that had an amazing tahini, fried garlic, and sunflower seed dressing, and the lemon cake with Jasmine cream and candied buckwheat. I know my partner was in love with the green garlic pierogi and beets with farmer cheese & smoked olives (she doesn't usually like olives so it's a hard sell). I cant recommend this place enough if you like good food and have the means to afford it, they list the local farms they buy from as well so it's worth it to me!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful evening with spectacular food and great wine recommendations from our host.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love spencer, but putting a $25 corkage fee when buying a bottle of wine from the restaurant to drink there is a ripoff.
My boyfriend and I had a rare night off together and decided to book a reservation at Spencer. Time and time again, this places delivers the most unique, considered, and comforting dining experience in all of Michigan.
Take it as a given that everything is made with love in house and seasonally sourced—we were literally sitting next to the farmer that grew the spinach for our butter bean dish. Likewise, the wine program is remarkable. A humble place in Ann Arbor has no right having bottles this good. The list leans natural, but there are plenty of choices for all palates and the staff is very happy to walk you through it all. Prices are more than reasonable—a steal in comparison to some of my favorite establishments in New York or Los Angeles.
But simply focusing on the excellent food, wine, and local produce misses the overall point of Spencer. This is convivial hospitality at its finest. The communal tables and relaxed but attentive service allow for a rare sense of camaraderie when dining at this level of refinement. It feels like a dinner party among new friends, hosted by the absolute best chef you know, with outrageously good wine to match. And oh yeah, you’ve never had vegetables this good.
Book a table, you won’t regret it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went there last night with my boyfriend. The food was very meh to the point that we thought maybe this was a wine store experimenting with food. We didn’t finish and got our food to go. It turns out that the waiters forgot to pack the entree. Ridiculous that we spent almost $200. Would give zero star if possible. Terrible.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Main entree was a big letdown, not worth
Disappointing Experience
I dined at Spencer over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The service was lackluster for the required 20% gratuity. We were offered seats at the bar; however we didn’t want to sit in a high chair, so we asked for table. We were place between two parties similar to a public sitting in a European restaurant. The hostess seemed irritated that we wanted to sit at a table. My wife and I don’t drink and the staff keep asking if we wanted to order wine which was annoying. The space is nice and cozy with an Ann Arbor granola feel.
The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course a piece of bread and the other a small desert). The food was brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once. One was a fried fritter, so it needed to be eaten immediately.
The food was lackluster. First dish was a small portion of garlic bread with cheddar and parsley. The crust was over baked making it difficult to cut with a knife or pulled it apart with your hands. Second course small portion of honeynut squash fritti, sage, onion, and pine nut. There were more fried onions than squash. Batter was oily and appeared old. It was not light, nice and crisp. It reminded me of the terrible onion rings my mom would order at Burger King. This was brought out with 3 other dishes, which is a red flag. You need to eat this hot.
The next dish was a small plate to share of brussel sprouts, priglia lentil, meyer lemon, and mint. The dish lacked flavor. Brussel sprouts were served nearly whole and raw. It would have been nice to have then charred a bit to bring out some nuttiness and make them a little softer. I was confused was this a warm or cold salad?
The main course was a gorgonzola scarpinocc, treviso, rosemary , and saba. The presentation was terrible it appeared the chef just threw a bunch of radicchio over the pasta. There were 10 scarpinocc on the plate. The pasta was over cooked and soggy.
The desert was walnut tiramisu, nocino, cocoa. This was definitely bought at a store and not made in house. We took one bite of the desert and I spit it out in my napkin. This was a terrible dining experience at a ridiculous price point.
Every single dish was lacking something. When the waitress brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. The entire hurried experience took less than 1 hour.
Vegetarian options: They have a vegetarian option.
Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Utterly Disappointing Experience
I recently dined at Spencer, and I can confidently say that it was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time based on my expectations and the high price point. From the moment we walked in, the service was lackluster at best. We were barely greeted with a disinterested nod rather than a warm welcome. We were offered seats at the bar which we didn’t want for dinner and they begrudgingly allowed us to sit at a table. We poured our own warm water from a carafe. The staff seemed irritated that we didn’t order wine.
The menu is labeled a tasting menu which is inaccurate. It’s actually prix fixe menu. A tasting menu offers a chef’s selection from an a la carte menu. The food was served family style and the portions were very small. This would be fine for an 8-12-16 course meal but it was 5 dishes (one course be a piece of bread) so this was odd. Again, it was a prix fixe menu not a tasting menu. The food was continually brought out too quickly so we had four dishes sitting on the table all at once.
Now the food:
The food was brought out with no explanation.
Every single dish was lacking something. Whether it be lack of umami, salt, spice, an acid or it had an odd mouth feel. Nothing was good, not one dish. The temperatures were off. The platings were wrong. The wine of the diner next to us was served in a glass without a stem. Our water was served in a shot glass. It’s almost as though the chef had zero culinary experience from front of the house to the kitchen. Granted, I know good food (from local diners to Michelin restaurants) but even the people to our left and our right quietly complained about their food to each other too. Sandy clams to tough and greasy bread. The dessert was unpalatable. We each took one bite and left it. The service was so rushed and discourteous among all diners. When we were brought the iPad to pay, she simply said “insert your card”. When I asked to see a summary, she acted mad. We dine out at least two times a week at high end restaurants and enjoy spending our time and money on food. We wanted to like this place so much but we left feeling robbed of our money and hungry. I would have rather donated the $200 to an animal charity and eaten a sandwich at home. The entire hurried experience took less than 45 minutes (thank god)!
Avoid this place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
The menu is a bit uninspiring, but the food turned out top notch. Best French dip sandwich in ages.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salads, Lightly Breaded Fried Zucchini with Mint Honey and Sweet Mild Peppers
Superb! The food was creative and incredible - we especially loved the butternut squash ravioli with kimchi and the sausage with white beans. The menu was prefix and $75 a person, with immaculate service and generous portions. Perfect vibe to celebrate my anniversary with my partner.
Note it's hard to get a reservation - you need to book as soon as reservations opened at the beginning of the month. October dining is indoors, which was a cozy vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ravioli
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