DETROIT – The Monarch Club in downtown Detroit will open its doors to the public on Saturday.
The Monarch is Detroit’s first public skyscraper rooftop bar, offering sweeping views of downtown Detroit’s retail and theater and entertainment districts from its front and rear terraces.
Recommended Videos
Located on the 13th floor of the historic Metropolitan skyscraper at 33 John R Street, the Monarch offers not only unparalleled views, but also artisan cocktails, a fully stocked bar with moderately priced and higher-end liquors and wines, and a food menu including shareable small plates created by Chef Jared Bobkin, a repeat contestant on the popular TV show “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Highlights include brisket sliders, lettuce wraps, homemade meatballs and grilled cauliflower steak.
The Monarch interior is a throwback to Detroit’s 20th Century city-club heyday. The club offers a moody and sophisticated series of rooms, including red velvet serpentine banquettes and leather seating. The bar itself features stone tops and an elaborate wood back-bar that incorporates the building’s windows to illuminate the offerings.
The Monarch Club’s outdoor patios feature comfortable seating and three fireplaces. Guests will enjoy vistas in 360 degrees, featuring views overlooking Comerica Park and Woodward Avenue’s historic and restored retail corridor. The Monarch accommodates seating for about 80 people indoors and 70 more outdoors. These include lounges inside the Tower and on the front Court terraces, both of which are available for private events.
"The inspiration for The Monarch Club pays homage to the storied city clubs of Detroit that used to be on rooftops, such as the Savoyard and Recess clubs," said David Di Rita, one of the principals of The Roxbury Group, which saved The Metropolitan after it had stood abandoned for nearly 40 years. “Our goal was to create a space that does not exist in the city that, at the same time, feels very much like a familiar part of Detroit’s fabric and spirit.”
Though located in the same building as the Detroit Element, The Monarch Club will be open to the public seven nights a week, 4 p.m.-midnight, at first.