This was my first and last time at this establishment. We had a 9:30 reservation and were seated by the door even though there were tables closer to the stage and away from the door (it was 30 degrees out). Once we were seated, directly by the door and entrance stand, we had to wait, about 5 minutes, for water and then another 3 or 4 minutes for lemons to go with the waters. Terrible. We eventually ordered one glass of wine and a cocktail which came after our food was delivered. My husband and I both had the chicken and it was extremely bland, lacking seasoning and dried out. In a word, disgusting. In addition, the Brussels sprouts were all overcooked and charred as well. Once we told our bartender/waitress, the manager offered to comp the bill 50% and that was the only option given. We ended up asking for BBQ sauce and the chicken became tolerable at best. We paid, full price, because we knew it was our last time visiting and as a courtesy to those working. The highlights of our visit were the Emmy award winning drummer playing while we were there, as well as the drinks. However, the lack of wait staff, plus longer wait times for drinks and terrible food while sitting by the cold door, makes coming back less than desirable. If you visit on a Saturday night, pack your patience and DON'T order the chicken. read more

Great old school jazz club in downtown Detroit in a sketchy neighborhood. The music was great. The interior was swank albeit old. Acoustic panels would make a great difference. The Jewell jazz club in Omaha has acoustic panels and they enhance your sound experience. You're not coming for the food as it was average. Support local live music. read more

Food is horrible - the rest is great. 1. Jazz show was 5 stars. What a treat to see Johnny O'Neal. 2. The service at Cliff Bell's was fantastic overall. 3. The ambience at Cliff Bell's is a wonderful experience. 4. The FOOD at Cliff Bell's, however, was AWFUL. The 6 of us unanimously agreed. Burgers were undercooked with raw meat chunks (despite nice charred exterior). The homemade ketchup was bland and chunky. The tomato soup was a bland, very chunky concoction. The mussels were gross, even though normally I love mussels. I ate three and left the rest. The mac n cheese was blah according to people who tried it. The person left the remainder after a few bites. The cheese on the cheese plate was not fresh, and it was an underwhelming assortment with just-ok bread. No one wanted more than a couple bites of the chocolate dessert. The $7 bread appetizer was underwhelming with two types of just-ok sliced bread and a side of butter. The potato appetizer was good, but it only came with three pieces. So it was $2.50 per bite. We were not expecting 5-star food at a jazz lounge, but the food was really quite gross overall and with a high price tag. Eat elsewhere and then just go there for the show and drinks. read more

I absolutely love this place. The ambiance and food are always amazing I always try to go on the nights where there's no cover charge or it's cheap. read more

On 6-24-23 I brought my mom here for her bday, we were visiting from Los Angeles. The atmosphere is old school but delightful to match exactly what jazz restaurant to be. Like another review stated, the food is just ok, and overpriced for the food to just be just ok. But the music was awesome! The night that we were there an all female jazz band performed, they were called Straight Ahead. 10 out of 10! read more

Food: over priced and blah. Staff: super wonderful, first class and friendly. Setting and building is real 1930s stuff and beautiful. Suggestion: go for drinks, skip the food. But the live jazz is world class. read more

As I searched yelp for a jazz bar I came across Cliff Bells. Since it ranked high in reviews me and hubby decided to try it. As we pulled up I was a little skeptical. The exterior was not appealing for a place you had to make reservations for. I was so tempted to cancel but hubby convinced me to try it. While we waited for our reservations I found out that this was a jazz bar that has been around since 1935. When we walked in I was blown away. The interior had a modern, upscale, 1940's cotton club vibe to it. The hostess greeted us with a smile and the staff was so polite. We were seated in one of the beautiful 2 person booths. Candlelight made the ambience feel romantic and serene. A beautiful fresh flower added the perfect touch to our table. Soft jazz played in the background. Sadly we missed the jazz group that had performed but another was going to perform a few hours later (we missed as well). We ordered wine and dinner. I had the sirloin dinner while the hubby had the roasted chicken dinner. The dinner was filling. The taste was better than what I have had at expensive restaurants but nothing to write home about. All in all it was enjoyable. We ended our dinner with the blueberry cheesecake which tasted like any other cheesecake. Me and hubby really enjoyed ourselves and as we were leaving the crowd was getting thicker and people were swarming in. I know I will visit this place over and over again. It's perfect for a romantic date!!! read more

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There are not a lot of Jazz spots left, and I'm glad I was able to visit the only Jazz spot left in the downtown area of Detroit! Great food and music!! read more

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We had been to this place several times in the past with great experience. Used to have great food with great ambience and music. We had a reservation last night. The food was terrible, I mean TERRIBLE. Waste of money that we paid for the NY steak and salmon. Even when I brought it up to our server, she acknowledged that they have had a new chef for the past year or so, the food is more expensive than what it used to be, and the quality of food is bad. Also, we had made a reservation for dinner, and nowhere was there any mention of a cover charge. When we got our check, there was a $40 cover charge for the two of us. Bottom line, the $180 we spent there last night could've been spent much better. Such a waste of money and time. Definitely won't go back unless they have a new chef and Manu. read more

Good music and retro vibes! Cliff bells reminds me of an old jazz jupe joint in the 1930's. If your looking for live music and a decent meal this your place in the downtown area. The lighting is really dark but it adds to the ambiance of the restaurant . The artists are generally local and are super talented. We enjoyed them. My husband and I ordered the chicken waffles and burger and fries, off the bar menu. The chicken was cut up into nuggets and the waffles were amazing. read more

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Love that it's over 100 years old, and it kept it's je ne sais quoi from yester-years. But I do think the place could benefit from a bit of restoration TLC. We hit this place because cousin Tyler, a Jazz musician, was in town from PA and he wanted to catch a show. The band amazed him, and he was very impressed with their talent. I too enjoyed the show, but I'm not much of a Jazzier. The food was priced way above comfort zone, appetizers $13-$17 and entrees $25-$56. Since I was the DD, I stuck to water, since their CO2 machine was not working. Their cocktails were all over $10 each, so my crew stuck to $2 High Life's on draft. I have to agree with the rest of the yelpers that the service was sub par. We were 10 minutes before we even were asked what we wanted. Also, once our waitress came to the table, she commented at our pile of jackets, saying they had a complimentary coat check, and she was surprised no one offered that when we were seated. Again, a lack of service. All in all, this place is a gem, although their prices are exorbitant and their service lackluster. read more

Cliff Bell's - Bone marrow appetizer - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Came on a Friday night... Parking: street parking Reservations: highly recommend Cover: $10/person Service: Good Drinks & dessert: had one of the desserts (forgot name), but it was fantastic! Drinks were strong. Got the last word & old fashioned. Nothing on menu looked veggie friendly, so can't comment on main course food. Ambiance: great for date night!! Show: started at 9pm & had three sets til 12pm. Excellent show!! Not sure I would come back to try food, but great for date night drinks & show if you enjoy Jazz/blues!! read more

Cliff Bell's - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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What a special and different experience downtown. This was perfect for a calm night out. Food was delicious and the live music was the cherry on top. It is basically a dinner show that started at 7pm, once the show is over everyone leaves and they seat for the next dinner show. read more

Cliff Bell's - View from a table next to the stage - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Gin fizz! With egg whites! I'm so happy to see you in Detroit! After a week in Nashville of drinking these babies I was sad to return to Detroit where there was no Gin Fizz to be found*. Enter Cliff Bells who saved the day with their fabulous cocktail menu. It started my meal off right. Also kickstarting the meal was the calamari and shrimp appetizer. Fried and served with what was to be a spicy dipping sauce but was a bit more garlicky aioli than spicy. Which was a-ok by me since I prefer garlic to spice. The shrimp was definitely the highlight of that app and I wish there had been more of them in the dish! So tasty! Most of the rest of our orders came off the specials menu. I got the wine braised short ribs with a wild mushroom bread pudding. Holy cow was this good! The ribs were perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful (not overwhelmingly wine tasting, either), and the bread pudding was just...wow! I really loved that part. It was so interesting. The sauce served with it was fantastic. Cream based and not sweet but a hint of cinnamon lent itself to a warm spiced flavor that made it feel more sweet than savory when paired with the bread pudding. Sounds weird but it really worked! I also had more than my fair share of bites of a dish (whose name escapes me) of shaved pork topped with pickles and aioli over a bun. This was also fab. Almost like an open faced schwarma. The pickles were the highlight and I'm not really a pickle person! Very tasty. By the end of the main course our tummies were busting but dessert was necessary. I always need to end on sweet so we split the Tin Roof sundae. It was pretty good. The ice cream was fabulous, creamy and rich. The peanuts were a nice salty touch. As a self-confessed chocoholic I would have liked a richer chocolate sauce but overall it was a nice send off to a great meal. The space, as others have pointed out, is fabulous. Lots of wood detailing and nice brassy colored touches here and there. The stage is lovely, although we were there earlier so there wasn't live music happening yet. I concur with other folks that the service can be slow. Our server, while very nice, wasn't exactly The Flash. Normally this wouldn't stress me out too bad except we were hitting a show at the Fox so our dessert and check paying portion of the evening felt a little rushed since everything up to that point had taken longer than expected. But in the end fabulous cocktails, tasty food, a beautiful atmosphere will have me coming back to Cliff Bell's again and again. I'll just be sure to get there a little earlier next time! *If you, dear reader, know of another kick ass place for a Gin Fizz do let me know! read more

We checked it out for brunch today, plus I wanted to get the lay of the land if I bring the Momma back for dinner. Reading the other yelps, I was expecting woodwork like what you find in the Whitney. The interior of Cliff Bell's gradually grew on me, and in the end I was in love with the place. Yes, service is slower than molasses. But with $10 bottomless mimosas and/or Bloody Marys, well, I didn't care about the wait after two drinks. And they were out of liver and onions (which made me shudder even though I know it was their play on a foie gras title). Damn! We sat in one of the mini curved booths on the stage floor. Great for people watching and some snuggling. Started with the calamari and shrimp appetizer, served with aoili dipping sauce - loved. Very seasoned, but we like salt so no complaints. Ken had the french toast with a side of bacon (more to come on that). I had the Benedict du Jour, which was prosciutto and bernaise sauce today. Ken's dish came with fresh berries, and mine came with a side bowl of honeydew and pineapple with what I think was creme fraiche. Nice portion size and good tasting all around. Ken's bacon. Damn, it was good. Crispy and chewy and glazed with some magic elixir of awesomeness. Tasted like the best Easter ham. Loved that bacon! $4 for 4 thick slices. Ken said he'd come back and order Bloody Marys and bacon only! Speaking of Blood Marys, they make their own mix - so very complex flavors - horseradish, pickle juice, Wor sauce (our waiter named about a dozen ingredients but I'd already had 4 mimosas by then...). Our waiter did a very nice job answering all my questions re cover charge, parking, busy-ness on early Saturday evenings, the restaurant.com certificate, etc. Plus he gave us a history lesson. So cool we still have a place like this in Detroit! read more

Went here for the first time today, for the last day of Detroit Restaurant Week. We were definitely underdressed, since we had come from the Tigers game, but it wasn't a big deal. They were out of the creme brulee, which was disappointing ... had been looking forward to that, but everything else was good. I had the risotto for my appetizer which was maybe my favorite part of the meal, it was fantastic. Ordered the chili/chocolate/cinnamon-rubbed filet for my entree, which came with mushroom ravioli, and chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert, which was very small - came with a tiny cake, berries, and about a TBSP of vanilla ice cream :). But at that point we were pretty stuffed so that was fine. They also give you a nuts and olives plate (small) when you walk in. We ordered their martinis too ($12, yikes) and they were also very good. Service was excellent, my water glass was always kept full. The jazz trio started around 6pm (we arrived around 4:45pm) and was fun to watch. We left Cliff Bells around 6:45, I think they know you kind of want a leisurely dinner there. I'd definitely return to Cliff Bells when downtown if I was celebrating a special occasion. read more

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Lord have mercy. This gem is all it's said to be. If you like SpeakEasy feel, a trip back in time with drink and ambiance and music and mood this place is for you. The food is palatially detailed. Hard to impress me but they did. Truffle fries are a nice addition as is the lemon aioli side for dipping. Stayed for the Burlesque show. Glad we did. Sorry no pics but phone died and I'm glad it did. Allowed me to be "present". Also had great selection of "non-alcoholic" drinks. If you're a DD or in AA don't be afraid to come here. read more

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The history the ambiance is great. Great jazz music service was very good. Food and drinks were great

No one said anything about about a band/cover charge. Popped in for a drink and got charged $71 for a gin and tonic and a beer. Be careful just stopping in. read more

THIS IS DEFINITELY AN EXPERIENCE PLEASE BE SURE TO MAKE A RESERVATION!!! Even though my sister and I didn't have reservations we waited for 10 minutes or less and we were accommodated and was placed in front of the stage. The food was phenomenal and the drinks I'll give this establishments a 10/10. Our server was wonderful. read more

The band was outstanding very nice crowd will return soon. SMALL Menu beautiful bar spacious seating well worth the admission. read more

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Brunch was above average had the "King Crab Eggs Benedict" wanted a bit more crab but wasn't bad just needed salt n pepper or hot sauce. Over all menu seemed a bit limited but was very tasty. Atmosphere is perfect with live Jazz. Bloody Mary's and Mimosas are $10.00 with $1 refills so drink up!!! read more

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This is absolutely a must-do if you're in Detroit. This jazz club doesn't have any age restriction, so not to worry if you are under 21. The interior of the place transports you straight back to the golden age of Jazz, with its beautiful wood-covered interior and dimmed lighting. The food is fantastic but a bit pricey. The waitstaff is so friendly and helpful; I didn't think about how loud the music would be, and as a neurodivergent person it was overwhelming, but I asked for earplugs and they kindly provided some for me! The biggest star of this club though is of course the music. We saw a Hammond organ trio from Pittsburgh called The Norside Organ Trio and they were absolutely phenomenal. They clearly put in effort finding up and coming groups and artists that are incredibly talented. We had a fantastic night at Cliff Bell's and I will absolutely be returning if I ever visit Detroit again! read more

Came to Cliff Bell's for some jazz and cocktails after dinner. We came on a Friday night and there was a $10 cover charge to see the band. One of my friends paid by credit card and it was no problem. We didn't have a reservation but they easily/quickly found us a table and they also offered complimentary coat check which was nice. The atmosphere is swanky with leather curved booths, low mood lighting, dark mahogany wood walls and curved ceilings and a stage with a purple and blue sunbeam like pattern. It feels like you're transported in time and has a 1940s Casablanca vibe. Even the bathrooms are upholstered in zebra print carpet and large retro vanities. The cocktail menu offered several vintage cocktail classics like a sazerac, mint julep, last word, and pink squirrel. I started off with a boozy ice cream dessert cocktail, the mudslide, with Kaluha, Bailey's, ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was so good! My friend got the Pink Squirrel ice cream cocktail with creme de cocoa, almond liquer and ice cream. Another friend got the blueberry mojito and Belle's Blossom which was a nice light sweet cocktail with Valentine's White Blossom vodka, pear purée, lemon and nutmeg. I also had the Last Word, which was gin, cherry, chartreuse and lime. Most cocktails were around $13. They also offered flavored sodas is you weren't drinking. Gratuity was included on our check since we were a larger party of seven. We didn't order food since we just had dinner but someone next to us got the scallops and they looked amazing. Service was excellent! Everyone from the host and hostess to server were very nice, friendly and accommodating. My friend brought his 11 year old daughter and called ahead and they said it was no problem at all. Patrons were somewhat dressed up but some people were wearing jeans and t-shirts and they didn't seem to have a strict dress code where they wouldn't let you in if you were wearing tennis shoes like some other bars. The band started playing around 9:30 and they were great! They were a five piece band with bass, trumpet, clarinet, drums, and guitar. They took a short break but played until around midnight. They also sold cds. Really had a great time here! Stunning atmosphere and was a lot of fun and relaxing to listen to live jazz over tasty cocktails with friends. Can't wait to return again. read more

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Hamburgers are not great,chicken needs more flavoring ,shrimp and grits were outstanding,very tasty. read more

Loved it here, definitely stay for the show if able. Nice classy old world style dinner. The food was absolutely amazing! read more

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Cliff Bell's is a cool jazz spot in Detroit that provides the ambiance, live jazz, and feel of a relaxing lounge. The food menu is fairly classic with the typical entrees, but has some interesting features and specials. The drink menu is also quite large and the full bar should provide you everything that you need. The interior is beautiful as many people mention and with live jazz shows, it's definitely a cool vibe. The dark ambiance, oversized booths, and large (albeit kinda crazy) murals that line the walls probably makes this place unique and a great place for both dates and group events. Overall, I was a bit on the fence to give this place 3 vs 4 stars with my potentially snooty rating system as I think the food was just okay. Still, with the live jazz, cool ambiance, and interesting bar, I think this place deserves more than a typical 3 star experience. read more

This was a fun spot! And you know...the food was actually pretty good. I got the pollo veronique and was really impressed with the buttery rich burre rose sauce. Very good! The portions were huge (enough to split) and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. Well, hold on, I can't say the food was all good. My risotto was all starch and the dessert was kind of lackluster. The cinnamon roll was exactly that and very dry like it just came from the pillsbury wrap. hmph. But the ambiance is great. We were seated on the stage and really enjoyed the show. The act does a great job interacting with the crowd. Also, the service was very attentive and friendly even while the show is going on. My only comment on the entertainment is I wish there was a bit more 'motown' during the night we came. Bring cash to valet your car (close to $20 on the night we came) read more

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Just awesome! Great ambiance & great jazz! Worth the trip! Just do it! Great place! read more

I have been here 5 times now and I can't believe this is my first time writing a review. This place is spot on, all the time. The music has always been amazing but the meals this time truly blew me away though. I got the King Salmon and it was melt in your mouth. Crispy skin, amazing texture and perfect flavor. My fiancé and dad both tried some and they agreed it's some of the best salmon they've ever had at a restaurant. But next up.... That Mac and cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. I'm usually not a huge fan of Mac and cheese at restaurants because it tends to be on the drier side if baked but this was creamy, cheesy and the penne was perfectly al dente. Add in some of the best live jazz and incredible service by our awesome waitress and you have yourself a great evening. We love it here and highly recommend it!! read more

Amazing ambience. Great talent. Amazing staff :) I love this place!!! We didn't get food as the kitchen closed at ten but my mom raves about the truffle fries!!! read more

Could've have done with out the long intro of the band, explaining to the crowd to cheer etc. Which delayed the already late show. Show started after dinner was over when we sat for the show at the suggested time. Filet was great and the cliff bells cocktail was also delicious. read more

We decided to meet up in Detroit! Just another one of our random adventures together. I love jazz and I was looking for and I am still looking for a jazz bar, low key, low lit, with jazz musicians scattered throughout the whole place. I want to feel like they've all known each other or at least bumped into each other along the road during their jazz musicians life. I'd like un rehearsed raw music notes being played. I'd like to feel like a whiskey straight is the only move to make. But anyways this place met a lot of that criteria! But not all which is why I'm still on the hunt. The jazz was great! And the food delectable. Service was fast and the lighting was low. If your looking for a place with ambiance and good to match to take a loved one, this is the place to do it. On a side note, if you don't like the smell of fish... I have to warn you! It's very strong when you walk in, kinda turned my stomach a little bit, but that could've been from the chili dogs I had from layfette coney hotdog a few hours before. Anyways! Cheers! read more

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I came here one night for a Burlesque performance and it was just dazzling! After finding parking (that was no easy task) a group of friends and I walked over to this cool ass tucked away jazz bar. We were immediately met at the door by a big bouncer, and another nice looking gentleman that checked our ids and took everyones cover. After that we were seated in a circular booth that faced the bar, but it wasn't difficult to turn once the show began. We arrived in enough time to have drinks and food before the dancing started to we all ordered and chatted a bit. I got the salmon that came with a rice pilaf and asparagus that was really good. I think I liked the the glaze on the salmon more than anything. It was a smoky bourbon-y glaze that complimented everything else on the plate very well. The performance was amazing! I definitely recommend seeing a show here!!! read more

Cliff Bell's - Salmon dinner! - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Overall a good time. Sat on stage which wasn't the best choice if you want to eat and have a conversation. The atmosphere is pretty cool but was disappointed in the service and the demeanor of the staff. The bartender had a tuxedo T-shirt on which was weird and our waitress was not really concerned about really waiting on us. The food wasn't bad and luckily tasted pretty good. The short rib was delicious but it was all thrown on the plate and didn't look appetizing when it was sat down. If this is meant to be a speak easy type atmosphere the drinks were disappointing and the staff lacked that vibe. read more

Cliff Bell's - Short ribs - Bars Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Awesome vibe. Great food. Great ambiance. Love this place. First time to Detroit night life. It was recommended by a friend. Glad we stopped in. Great time. read more

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You would be hard pressed to find a better place to have a late night drink where the bartender is quick with a joke or light up your Vap, or a place to ease into a evening with the greatest American invention of all time or a place to enjoy Sunday brunch with food and jazz piano to rival all. Thank you staff and Jarrod for the music and the hospitality. Also thank you for the fish. read more

This place is super cute! I popped in here for a mixer and loved the vintage feel to it. The bar staff was super friendly and the appetizers were super good. The bathrooms were a bit small and dark, but fine. I wish we were able to catch a little show, I'd certainly come back next time I'm in town for that! read more

What a Detroit GEM! If you're in the city, this place is a must. Enjoy a strong cocktail while listening to a great set. They update their musicians online, however, their menu is not the most current. The bartenders take their time to get to know you by first name and never leave you dry. Our bill was steep, but it was expected for the atmosphere and service that was offered. Tip: if you come here for a first date, be prepared to speak loudly. read more

This is by far my favorite Jazz club. It has everything that it needs to be great, live music, good food, classy drinks if you're into that sort of thing and ambiance in spades. I first started going to Cliff Bells in my early college years and since then whenever I have people from out of town or very good friends that I want to WOW Cliff Bells is the spot for me. It has a history and a feel that you cant find anywhere outside of New Orleans. This gem features a brunch show that starts every Sunday around 11:30 am with recurring musician in resident Jarrod Champion who is an internationally successful musician and a son of Michigan. I like him for his energy and the addition of romanticism that he adds to the art form. For brunch we had French toast which is topped with blue berries, blackberries and raspberries and the spinach crepes for the perfect balance of sweet and savory since we shared the entrees. My friend had a cup of coffee and our bill came to just under $30 a bargain for a live show and a stellar brunch. read more

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