47 Best Cocktail Bars in Detroit

“My lady and I celebrated our anniversary at Bar Pigalle last night, and it was just as incredible as we remembered. We had been once before and absolutely loved it, so returning was an easy choice.

The ambiance is elegant yet inviting. It has that hidden-gem quality that makes you feel special the moment you walk in. Our server, Adam, was warm, welcoming, and attentive, making the entire experience even more enjoyable.

And the food? Phenomenal. We started with two expertly crafted cocktails, the Turn on Red and the French Caffee, both delightful in their own way. For appetizers, we shared the beet salad and mushroom gratin, which were flavorful and perfectly prepared. But the real reason we came back...The burger.

I know it’s “just” a burger, but this is the burger I judge all others by. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s the best I’ve ever had—juicy, flavorful, and just downright delicious. If you're a burger lover, this is the one you need to try.

Bar Pigalle continues to impress, and we’ll absolutely be back again!“

“Went for my fiancée’s birthday. First time ever going. Brandon was our server, only way I knew is the hostess told us—he was awful. Kept snorting up snot or something every time he came to the table. Never introduced himself, never told us about the menu, nothing. Waited 25 minutes for water. The cocktails we had were nice. Well balanced. We ordered steak tartare and deviled eggs for appetizers-the steak was very salty. Wasn’t expecting such a large amount of food, with such small amount of accompaniments (four VERY hard pieces of baguette…). Fiancee said the eggs were good, but also salty. Ordered steaks for dinner. The steaks were masterfully cooked, and the sauces were wonderful. And the side of mushrooms were great too. Our server was very ‘rushed’ to get us out of there. Didn’t even ask about dessert or after dinner drinks…

Would we come back, probably. Wouldn’t let that Brandon guy wait on us again. He was awful.“

“Ate in the lounge and had fantastic service. Lovely wood smoke smell in the place. Tried 4 different red wine between my wife and I, all terrific. The small plates we tried were all excellent. My favorite was the whipped salted cod and my wife loved the maitake mushrooms. The mains were also great, the halibut was our favorite. The sherry for dessert was great.

Overall, a surprisingly good meal with fun and knowledgeable wait staff. Best meal I e had had in a good while.“

“everything was very good, we sat at the bar and McKenzie took really good care of us, a must try spot!“

“Quintessential Detroit, I had such an amazing time having a few espresso martinis and a micro of super high in bourbon the bartender josh is Super professional enjoyed the cocktails thank you so much. I suggest everybody checking this place out when they visit Detroit.“

“Downtown Detroit for the first time, tried this restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised, food was great the drinks were delicious the server was pleasant and the prices were fair for todays economy. We recommend you try it, we will definitely be back.“

“I love Willis show Bar. The atmosphere and ambiance is amazing. It's my sister and I go to spot when we go out for some live entertainment and good libations.“

“Best BBQ chicken ever! I would literally go here just for that. They also have great tacos! I highly recommend the pastor, carnitas and barbacoa tacos. It’s super small inside and not many seats so there can be a wait time. But it’s well worth it! This place is a little gem in Detroit. Oh and like others have said- the green sauce is delicious!“

“If you love history, this place will not disappoint. Awesome views from the rooftop and the fireplace on a cold evening was the perfect place to have a cocktail. Make a reservation! Must visit if out with friends and you want a cool location to hang!!!“

“Great foodie experience! Jake our waiter was amazing! Excellent food and service!!! Desserts delicious! Go now!“

“I just spent a week drinking through some of the best cocktail bars in Tel Aviv and was reminded how none of them come even close to the amazing cocktails that the Kevin, Kyle, and the rest of the Castalia team come up with! Each visit to Castalia, be it your first or one thousandth, is magical and wonderful!“

“Went with Family for a B-Day dinner, Had A Berry, 2 of those Your Good. Had the Wings tried other dishes on the table with family remember Great Food. Will stop by before a Piston Game. P.S. Nice Staff and Clean Invironment“

“We walked in to the Buhl Bar and where greeted by George and Aish they where both so friendly and so full of information. We provided our preferences in taste and allowed George to select and make our cocktails. He nailed our tastes and delivered the best cocktails we have had. This place has such a great art deco vide the service was second to none and the drinks amazing. Thank you George and Aish it was a pleasure to have meet you both.“

“As we approached the door to Willow Cocktail bar, the doorman opened the door for us and bade us welcome. Catherine, the hostess, greeted us warmly and explained there was a small wait to allow the staff time to catch up. After about a 10 minute wait, she thanked us for our patience and seated us in a comfortable corner table. She then promptly brought us glasses of water. Chris, our server, checked in with us promptly. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The cocktails were truly innovative and delicious. Willow is using some ingredients that are quite interesting but not too over the top.
Overall, Willow provided a swanky yet relaxing atmosphere, professional and amiable staff and yummy drinks.“

“Awesome spot! Food is great, service is superb, and cozy atmosphere (nice and tucked away). It’s a must come back kinda place TD approved! Travelin D’Vas“

“If you want an amazing Detroit style pizza, look no further than this place. We tried a couple of different pizzas and also an order of the Teader Chips. Everything was perfection. The service was great. They just need a liquor license.

Vegetarian options: Vegetarian pizza options and they offer Beyond Beef as a topping.“

“Best restaurant in Detroit Metro airport sit at the bar for first class service!“

“I can count on one hand the amount of places I've been and experienced this level of umami. the quality checklist of atmosphere, food, cocktails, music and service are outstanding to say the least. just.. come here and see for yourself.“

“This is such a nice café. Would be great if they had a couple more comfy chairs to sit and read a book with my coffee, but it's a small space so I get it.

Update: have been a number of times since for drinks and they always do a great job. Top notch all around!“

“Went to Grandma Bob’s for the first time Friday, and again on Saturday. It was amazing. The staff was incredible but nothing compared to the flavors of our pizza. Hands down the best pizza of my life.“

“Really nice dining experience“

“Such a great Birthday experience! From the delicious whipped feta, filet mignon, and date cake to our AmaZing server Rasool who was efficient, engaging and entertaining and the atmosphere is simply beautiful.“

“Everything and everyone was amazing, can’t wait to go back again“

“I haven't been here yet, but form what I see it seems like it is a pretty nice lil cocktail bar.“

“Beautiful place for a special occasion.“

“Stopped in after yoga at Detroit Abloom. Host, decor, servers all very welcoming. We had a vegan Rueben and spicy margarita outside next to the canal. Can’t wait to return!“

“Great bar and very friendly people here. The neighborhood is such a great place!“

“10/10 would recommend this place to anyone“

“Corporate event here and they were very accommodating . The manager did an excellent job and was very respectful. Overall great job. Food was good, we had a classic menu and some of the dishes were done really well. The beef in particular was excellent, not over seasoned just simple and cooked correctly. Only future request is for the scallops to have one side seared to create multiple textures. The scallops lacked that good sear which holds on to some of the delicious flavors of the butter and salt without that it really became a bland scallop. Regardless we would still eat here again. Good service, nice people and a good enough variety on the menu.“

“The food and service was excellent!!! The stuffed salmon is a must!! The bartender customer service was impeccable.“

“If you’re looking for a culinary experience in Detroit, Midnight Temple is the place to be! From the moment you walk in, the vibrant ambiance sets the tone for a magical evening. Loved the traditional Indian elements, creating an atmosphere that’s both warm and lively.

The food? Absolutely divine! The tikka masala, dhal makhani and biryani are a must try. Don’t skip the garlic naan, it’s the perfect complement to every bite.

Looking forward to coming back and trying more things from the menu :)“

“My friend took me to evening bar for the first time last night and it was a beautiful bar. Modern art deco decor and wonderful cocktails. Shiva was amazing. I had to decide between two cocktails and she described them both in detail that helped me make my decision. I decided on one and it was perfectly up my alley and just as she described. She was so friendly, quick, and attentive even with quite a few guests she was helping. 10/10 will definitely be back. Cocktails were perfectly balanced and had distinct flavors and profiles“

“stopped by for a quick lunch. Sandwich was great service. amazing“

“The bartender Jon was amazing. The food is so good and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. I will say that the hostess, Ms. P was extremely rude, and I almost left. I wanted to dine in, but Ms. P said reservations were required. I told her if we can't eat in, then we can order to go. She interrupted me while I was speaking and asked, "You wanted to eat in, don't you?" I almost left because as her being the face of the restaurant, it was not a welcoming experience.
I'm glad I walked away from her and ordered at the bar. She definitely needs a class in customer service.“

“Great service ………………..“

“stopped by for a quick lunch. Sandwich was great service. amazing“

“This is the best taco truck! They were able to cater an event last minute when a restaurant reservation fell through. It was 9:30 at night and they were able to feed 85 people at 1:00. The portions were excellent, the food was wonderful and there was so much of it. I cannot express my gratitude for your professionalism and yummy food!“

“Super cool bar in the Book Tower lobby! The open seating fits so well in the space and is a beautiful setting to enjoy a drink. To my pleasant surprise, they had a non-alcoholic espresso martini and it was AMAZING! We will definitely be making this one of our go-to spots for a casual drink downtown.“

“The cocktails were very good and unique. Not the basic old fashioned with a fancy name slapped on it. These cocktails seemed much more creative. Speakeasy, cozy vibes.

Parking: Free parking on site with mobile security in the gated lot.“

“Discovered this place while going to the symphony. What a nice start of a great evening!“

“Live the atmosphere good friends good time“

“Excelente !!!!! Para una buena estadía y tomarte algo refrescante“

“The food and drink is creative and delicious, and the staff is friendly and patient. This is a great place to share small plates (or big plates!) with friends.“

“Great service and selection! I recommend Sugar House to any bourbon lover!“

“This place was amazing! The cocktails and ambiance was so cool!“

“It was our first time in this place and Ibrahim made our experience so great!! He guided us on the menu and had amazing mixology skills. Will be coming back!“