As we wind down the year of 2023, I’m looking back on the things that brought me joy in Detroit.
Maybe this is becoming a ClickOnDetroit tradition. I’m not sure yet. I did something similar last year, and I got a lot of great emails, so we’re running it back. (Don’t worry, Supergeil, I still love you.)
As I said last year, I’m not a food critic or a reviewer. I’m just a guy, who likes to eat, point at things and say, hey that’s cool, and occasionally go for a walk to a new trendy bar. But I basically never leave the city, so I end up popping around to a lot of new spots. Not everything here is new, necessarily, but it doesn’t have to be new to be enjoyable.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite Detroit places of the year.
Bienvenue à Détroit
Detroit was first established as a settlement by the French back in 1701, but here today, in 2023, the French influence is making a comeback, and it’s all about food.
In recent years, several new spots opened repping a French flare, following in the footsteps of The Statler opening in the former Statler Hotel in 2021.
Right down the block, inside the newly renovated Book Tower, Le Suprême is open, serving up some amazing Parisian-inspired cuisine. The vibe is fantastic, too. It’s fun, classic and has the feel of a real French brasserie. I loved the escargots, the macaroni and the roasted duck. The cocktails were great, too, and they have an extensive French wine list.
Over in Midtown, a more casual approach to the French inspiration -- Cafe Sous Terre, a coffee shop that serves cocktails, sandwiches, bagels and more sweets, tucked in the basement along Forest Avenue.
Walking into Cafe Sous Terre is a joy. The walls are green, the décor is pleasing and the staff is friendly. And the coffee is amazing. It’s definitely a place to post up at with your laptop if you’re around Midtown.
Finally, we travel back up the street into Brush Park, where Bar Pigalle is serving up some of my favorite food and cocktails of the year. Another French-inspired restaurant, a little fancier, but also maybe serving the best burger in the city (yeah, I said it!). Also loved the bone marrow, heirloom beets, and the mussels. Everything is great, though, you can’t go wrong.
---> Check out some of our recent burger reviews from around town here
The French food revolution is taking over Detroit. Je ne suis pas en colère contre ça.
You have to eat the tacos at El Parian
If you haven’t had the tacos at El Parian, you’re missing out.
El Parian was already a well-known taco food truck staple in Southwest Detroit, but last year, they opened up their first standalone restaurant at 1633 Lawndale. It’s a beautiful space filled with Mexican art, and amazing Mexican cuisine.
I’ve been looking for some new taco places this year, after Taqueria El Rey burned down -- that was my spot. And they’re still going with the food truck and an upcoming new location in Lincoln Park. But I needed more options.
Taqueria El Parian filled the void, along with one of my top places from last year’s list, La Jalisciense. Both places are serving up fire and keeping me very full of tacos.
---> Related: Eater names best new Detroit restaurant and wine bar for 2023
Paying more for drinks than food
The city’s craft cocktail scene has been strong for a while now. But in the last few years, even higher-end cocktail bars have opened, like Dragonfly, Bad Luck Bar, Shelby, Upstairs Bar, Evening Bar and Willow, to name a few. All great places.
But it’ll cost you. And many times, it’ll run you even more than your dinner tab.
It’s not unusual to see cocktails listed at $16-24 per drink right now at some places, and even higher at others. A couple of rounds of drinks with a friend could push your bill towards $100, especially after tip. That’s wild.
Don’t get me wrong -- I love bars like this. It’s amazing to see the creativity infused into these menus and bartenders flexing skills to create something beautiful. But if prices continue to go up, I’m not sure it’s sustainable. I can just make a whiskey sour at home.
All that said -- if you’re looking for great cocktails that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, try Kiesling in the Milwaukee Junction area, or Time Will Tell on Woodward, just south of New Center. Or head over to West Village and check out Two Birds, which was voted best cocktail bar in Metro Detroit in our best bars bracket earlier this year.
Or just check out Supergeil in Corktown -- they have a great new drink menu with some of the most creative ideas I’ve seen.
Here are some other places that caught my attention this year:
- Petty Cash: One of my favorite brunches of the year was over at Petty Cash along the Avenue of Fashion. “Bringing a subtly upscale yet approachable swag to Detroit’s north side,” as stated by the restaurant, is a perfect way to describe Petty Cash. They’re open for dinner, too, but serve brunch on weekends.
- Seasons Market: This was on my list last year, but it’s worth mentioning again -- Seasons Market in Midtown just keeps getting better. The local selection of produce and products, the rotating hot food and coffee, and the growing grab-and-go food options, including bowls from Baobab Fare. Can’t beat it.
- Ash-Bar: Tucked in the second floor of the Siren Hotel downtown, in the former Karl’s location, Ash-Bar is a beautiful, sleek, classy joint, with great vibes and food. Candy Bar is downstairs, so it could be a double-feature for you. They’ve got a nice happy hour menu, and a really good cheeseburger.
- Alpino: If you’re looking for something really unique in the city, check out Alpino in Corktown. It was just named one of the best new restaurants in Detroit by Eater. The cuisine is centered on Eastern European cooking -- think cheeses, wienerschnitzel, and goulash.
- Pho Lucky: The amount of times that Pho Lucky in Midtown has warmed my soul during the coldest days of the year. Too many times to count. Go there and get the P-4, or the salmon pho, but also, their bánh mì sandwiches are amazing.
What were some of your favorite Detroit places this year? Let me know in the comments.