If you're looking for a spot that truly elevates the downtown Detroit experience, Standby…read moreabsolutely lives up to the hype. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere pulls you in. It's sleek, intimate, and effortlessly cool without feeling pretentious. The lighting, the music, the overall aesthetic -- everything feels intentional. It's the kind of place that works just as well for date night as it does for a night out with friends. Now let's talk about the drinks -- because that's where Standby really shines. The cocktails are creative, beautifully presented, and perfectly balanced. You can tell there's serious thought behind every ingredient. Whether you're into something bold and spirit-forward or smooth and refreshing, they nail it. The food matches the energy of the bar. Every dish feels curated, flavorful, and plated with care. It's not just "bar food" -- it's thoughtfully crafted and pairs perfectly with whatever you're sipping. Service has always been attentive and knowledgeable. The staff knows the menu inside and out and makes great recommendations without making you feel rushed. Standby is one of those places that feels like a hidden gem even though everyone knows about it. If you want craft cocktails, elevated bites, and a true downtown Detroit vibe, this is your spot. I'll definitely be back.

I hadn't been home in three years, and I probably hadn't been to The Standby in five or six years…read more. and let me tell you, it's still just as amazing as I remember. Downtown Detroit definitely feels different now, and the crowd has shifted a bit, but none of that took away from what The Standby is. That alleyway magic is still there. Walking in honestly felt like a little blast from the past, and it made me really happy. It ended up being a highlight of my trip home. The food was phenomenal. The crab was so buttery, the waffle situation was amazing, and the overall execution across the menu was impressive. We ordered a lot, basically half the menu and everything hit. * Short rib plate: delicious, rich, and comforting * Chicken schnitzel with curry mustard: WOW. Juicy, crunchy, fresh, perfectly seasoned. The curry mustard was everything, and that little pepper on top? 10/10. This was hands down my favorite dish. * Drinks: They had brand ambassadors for Wild Turkey, giving out free Old Fashioneds, which was honestly the perfect touch. We also had a small ounce pour of a mezcal that was beautifully smoked, super aromatic and smoky in the best way. Service was great too, we had two different servers, and both were attentive and kind. The only miss for me personally was the pastrami salmon toast. I wanted to love it so badly because I love salmon and I love smoked fish, but it just wasn't for me. I actually sent it back (which I felt bad about). I think the slight sweetness, (possibly from the tomato jam)threw it off for my palate. I was craving something fully savory with a bit of acidity. I think a thicker, crunchier toast and a more umami-forward, citrusy or pickled element might have taken it where it needed to go. That said, I know pastrami-style salmon is a thing right now, it just didn't work for me. Everything else? Truly amazing. The Standby will forever be a place I come back to when I'm home. I'm excited to return, see what's new on the menu, and relive that magic again. Highly recommend. 10 out of 10. Will absolutely be back.

We had another incredible dinner at Selden Standard, which will always be our number one restaurant…read morein Detroit. We even got married here this summer!! So it holds a special place for us. Lauren took great care of us and encouraged us to order whatever we were craving. Dangerous advice, but we happily accepted . Warning - the ratings are real. They're not a mistake. We started with our usual cocktail, the Instant Karma (5/5). It is the perfect balance of citrus and salt with a light cucumber note. Clean, refreshing, and it pairs well with everything. The roasted sweet potato (6/5) is one of the best vegetable dishes in the city. The caramelized exterior gives way to a soft interior, and the crispy quinoa adds a subtle light crunch that plays against the creamy texture. The salsa macha brings a smoky, nutty depth without the heat, and the crema ties it all together. I had to physically stop myself from scraping the plate (actually they had to take it away ). The tagliatelle (5/5) with beef bolognese and parmesan was flawless. The pasta has that ideal handmade chew, and the bolognese is rich without being heavy. The parmesan blends perfectly into the sauce and stands out in every bite. The potato pierogi (10/5) were the star of the night. Soft potato-filled pillows with horseradish crema, apple, and crispy shallot pieces create this perfect sweet, tangy, creamy, and crunchy bite. Each forkful felt intentional and balanced. I felt guilty, because in my head, I didn't want to share with my wife, but I did anyways . The cruelty of having to split an odd number of pierogis...well played...we should have just ordered another one. We also ordered the smoked potatoes and the pan roasted half chicken with sauce au poivre (always 5/5 for both) The smoked potatoes, with raclette, and crème fraîche, are always a must. These winter variation was just as good! The chicken remains one of the most consistently well-executed mains in the city. I have tried recreating it at home with the cold pan method and it never comes close. Every time we dine here, it feels like four or five different dinner experiences in one evening. Selden Standard continues to set the bar for us in Detroit. We love the staff, the food, and the memories tied to this place. Cheers to many more amazing years to come!

It was one of those meals that I enjoyed so much that I forgot to snap photos of all of our food…read more Selden Standard was the setting for an amazing date night recently in Detroit. My husband surprised me with a birthday dinner here, and I'm glad that we got to experience it. We arrived in advance of our reservation and grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender brought us a glass of wine while we waited. It took about a half hour, but we were shown to our table for the night and promptly greeted by our server. All of the food looked amazing, both on the menu and with what people were ordering at other tables. We chose a variety of dishes - cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, squid ink orecchiette, octopus, mushrooms, and scallops. I would recommend all of them, but the standouts for me were the Brussels sprouts and the scallops. Flavors were unique and textures were especially on point with those dishes. Service was good, but we both felt like it was slow. There was a slight glitch in the beginning of the night where the host stand didn't mark that we had checked in when we actually had, which probably contributed to the half hour wait at the bar. Aside from those points, it was an impeccable night!

Marrow is a locally female owned butcher shop and restaurant. They specialize in locally owned…read moreingredients. They are really conscious of where they get their ingredients and try to stick to local Michigan farms. A great dining experience from start to finish. We sat outside on a chilly night but don't let that deter you. They have plenty of heaters outside to keep you warm. The menu was fantastic. Everything was really delicious and flavorful. I highly recommend getting the bone marrow and you can't go wrong with any of the steaks. They are locally sourced which makes them that much better. The steak was cooked just how I want it. Also the drinks were just as delicious as well. I got an old fashioned and it was mixed perfectly. This is a great new, unique, delicious restaurant that needs to be checked out while you are in Detroit.

I went to Marrow yesterday, to attend one of their Seafood Boils. It was an amazing evening! First,…read morethe event took place on the patio, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Second, the food was amazing. While we were waiting for the food to be served, we got to try a little nibble of a hushpuppy with a creamy corn and crab sauce. They were only about the size of a Bing cherry, but the little fried morsal was so delicious. I could have definitely eaten more. Next, we were served the seafood. Honestly, I can't remember having seafood that tasted this fresh in Michigan. This was the first time I really enjoyed crawfish. The crab cluster was so sweet, and I was a huge fan of the clams and mussels. Marrow had seasoned butter for dipping all of the seafood in, and it was to die for! The dessert was a very surprising and delicious dirt cake, complete with gummy worms! The chocolate tasted elevated from the elementary school version, which I appreciated. My husband and I are definitely looking forward to attending another one of these!

Very nice ambiance, food was good. I personally don't care too about drinks or ambience, but if I…read moredid I might rate them higher. We came in around 9 an hour before closing but they reportedly only had bar space. Came out fairly quickly, pretty much the standard for this type of food. Pasta was al dente, sauce wasn't monotonous. Meat was well cooked, I liked the mushrooms and turnips it came with. If this is your scene, you'll like it. Parking might be hard.

Beautiful place and great service, mediocre food at best and just ok cocktails, only local draft…read moreand bottle beer. The burger that is not on the menu was great, greasy but great. Will give it a try for brunch but not dinner anymore

We dined at the Grey Ghost for a special dinner last week and it was outstanding. The service was…read moreabove reproach and they carefully accommodate allergies, walk you through the menu, and provide a stellar experience. Our server, James, was phenomenal. Atmosphere is nice, decor is very cool, and the setting is intimate, but when it fills up, it is quite loud. Regarding accommodations, for our teen daughter, the chef went WELL beyond normal accommodations to modify the Steelhead Trout dish to allow her to enjoy what she called "the best fish I've ever had". He absolutely made her night. We all shared the Brussel Sprouts (w/ honey, lime, & chicken skin) and Octopus appetizers. The Brussels were heavenly and the octopus was flavorful and tender (very nicely prepared). Aside from the Steelhead entrée, my wife and son both had the Ribeye Cap w/ yaji, peanut, & kiwi. They couldn't stop raving about it. The pairing of kiwi with steak was delicious and creative! I ordered the Lobster dish and honestly, it was better than many top tier seafood restaurants I've visited. It featured tail & claw meat atop a crab cake with a citrus beurre blanc and crispy wontons. I'd go back just for this dish. For dessert, we tried the PB&J Napoleon, and found the berry sorbet to be ridiculously fresh and bursting with flavor. Portion sizes were just right. Everyone left well satiated, but not overly full. We had a reservation, and I'd highly recommend if you're thinking of going, you get one as well. It was a full house the entire time we were there, and it was only midweek.

A solid 4.5. FINALLY made it to this place after years of being on the list. Went here with a…read morefriend for a birthday meal, and it was a solid if not spectacular time. AMBIENCE - definitely a hip spot, not too dark, not too light. the hosts were very friendly and accommodating as we hit some traffic on our way in and had to switch our reservations to 40 minutes later. We ended up being placed on the "veranda" which was an enclosed space with about 4-5 tables. They had heaters, but fortunately, it was warm enough that they were not needed. SERVICE - my friend made it well known that we were there for my birthday, but I'd like to think even without the birthday drop, we would have gotten great service. Our server was friendly, attentive and made a number of recommendations to help guide our dining experience. MENU - Grey ghost has a rotating menu, with a few items that our consistently featured (I'll talk about my burger later). An interesting array of starters including brussel sprouts and coconut shrimp as well as a great variety of main entrees. I feel like there was something for all tastes at this place. They also had a good variety of cocktails and mocktails. FOOD - We started off with shrimp tempura which had a tropical salad of some sort served with it. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the tropical salad really complimented it very well. We also decided to try their home made Rock and Rye (their take on Faygo's marquee drink of the same name). The Rock and Rye was decent, but if you want rock and rye, nothing beats the original. For our main dishes, a number of things caught our eye. including the lamb and ribeye, but we ended up going with their burger and a side of fries and their wild boar pappardelle. I've heard Grey Ghost has one of the best burgers in Detroit, and it did not disappoint. And you know we had put an egg on it and it was rocking. I don't know what the burger sauce they put on it was, but it seemed like a much, MUCH better executed big mac. The fries were great as well. The pappardelle was good, nothing mind blowing, but a solid entree in it's own right. I was curious how the burger here compares to the one at their sister restaurant (Little Ghost) and the host said the quality of meat used in the patty is better at Grey Ghost than little ghost. Guess I'm going to have to go there as well. OVERALL - definitely worth a visit. I'd say a good spot for a first date, or some other sort of special occasion. I won't wait as long to make a trip back to this place, that's for sure. CELEBRITY RATING - Collin Jost

We were roaming around Detroit for breakfast before the baseball game and by luck, came by Parc…read morejust before they opened! This was an amazing find and we had SUCH a good time here - amazing food, service and vibes all around (especially with a cool fountain out front!). We sat on their patio as it was such a nice day and our server, Paris, was SO attentive throughout our meal. Being on vacation, we started off with a mimosa bubbly bar and shortly after ordered our meals including: - Proper Breakfast (my order - was just the right amount and delicious bacon/chicken sausage!) - Chicken Sausage + Swiss Omelette - Cast Iron Steak + Eggs - Biscuits & Gravy - Peach Cobbler Baked Pancake (MASSIVE) - Eggs Benedict Everyone really enjoyed the meal and it is such a nice spot with indoor & outdoor seating! Would definitely recommend a visit, this was an easy spot to walk to and close to all the sport stadiums.

A group of fellow REALTORS® and I had just wrapped up a real estate conference and had a few hours…read moreto explore Detroit before catching our evening flight. We ended the day at PARC -- and honestly, we couldn't have chosen better. The location on Woodward Avenue overlooking Campus Martius is stunning, and we arrived right at the start of spring with fresh tulips outside that made the whole scene feel even more special. I went straight for the Cracker Jack Old Fashioned -- caramel-infused bourbon with actual Cracker Jacks. Sounds fun, tastes incredible. One of the more creative cocktails I've had in a long time. The drink selection here is extensive and the bartenders clearly know what they're doing. For dinner I had a medium rare steak cooked to perfection with potatoes -- classic done right. We were a sharing kind of table and took bites of several other dishes. Everything was fresh, well-executed, and satisfying. San Pellegrino flowing, great conversation, great food. The service was the cherry on top -- knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely warm. Our waiter knew the menu cold and made the whole evening feel effortless. If you're visiting Detroit even for just a few hours, make time for PARC. It delivers across the board.

Spectacular! I had a large party and they accommodated us at the last minute. Shout out to Miss…read moreLisa for making it happen. The real star was the food!!!! The hot sauce was ridic. The fried catfish, yams, greens, fried chicken, dark maple hot wings and anything that hit the table was exceptionally tasty. With classic tastes like grandma used to make, but with that extra touch of love. Inside the dining area was super clean and upbeat. Gorgeous artwork and a speakeasy type vibe. Met chef Aisha and she was wonderfully sweet. So were Miss Lisa and Brandy. Huge shout out to brandy as she was the mixologist. That Mr Bowie was the best!

OMG- I lived in the metro- Detroit area for 15 years and never turned on this street ever. I wanted…read moreto try a restaurant that I had not been to and saw this one on FB and decided to do something different. I have never been so disappointed in a restaurant before. First, the restaurant is up two flights of steps and there is no elevator. I injured my knee and walked up the stairs. Second, when I was seated and shown the menu, I was shocked at the very limited options. They only offer white- meat chicken, no rice or plain sides. I was going to try the greens but the server said they put vinegar on them which I don't care for. The Brussels sprouts with corn is a hard pass. I had no other choice but ordered something that I would never put together as a meal: fried catfish, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with corn. The fish was fried hard and needed seasoning and the sprouts were forgettable. They brought out hot sauce on the side assuming all people want hot/ spicy food. I wanted tartar sauce and they didn't have a traditional sauce- they had a " Cajun- style sauce." My friend had a crab cake for $25. When I called about parking, the hostess mentioned the cash lot behind the restaurant and.a parking structure across the street. She didn't mention that it was extremely expensive, I paid $24.49 for 1 hour and 6 minutes in the structure. Oh, I almost forgot that they added a 20% gratuity automatically for a party of 2! So, overall, my catfish dinner, 1 crab cake appetizer, and $2 up charge for the Brussels brought my bill to $74. Plus, the $24.49 for parking was a $100 night with no liquor only to have to leave and go eat elsewhere as what I wasted money on left me hungry and unsatisfied for sure.

This location is the perfect stop before events downtown - within walking distance from all events…read moreand parking garages, and beautiful scenery surrounding! The staff were so friendly upon greeting us and walked us right to our table (heads up, arrive early - it filled up so fast!) The menu is sophisticated and composed of a wide variety of options for any appetite. We indulged in some amazing fries with specialty dips, pizza, salad and Mac. Everything came out in a timely manner even when the restaurant was packed. The food was phenomenal! The ambiance inside is chill, cozy, girl date and family friendly vibes. The decor is unique, lots of things to look at. We cannot wait to come back!

This is a cool little place to get a bite to eat and a drink after any good show or a sporting…read moreevent in downtown Detroit. The ambiance is set in a retro theme. And a very kinda relaxed atmosphere as well. The food is served hot and good as well. As it was an after show kinda walk in for my wife and I. We were served rather quickly as it was 9pm and the stop serving food @10p Service was quick and very friendly as well. We'll remember this place the next time we're downtown.

We visited during happy hour and sat at the bar, and the experience was lovely from the moment we…read morewalked in until the very last bite. The service was attentive and our server was both personable and knowledgeable, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Everything we ordered was well-seasoned and well prepared. The standout dish was easily the lamb shoulder appetizer, extremely tender and perfectly paired with the creamy hummus. Hands down, the best lamb shoulder I've had to date. The half chicken was also very good, tasting fresh off the grill, and paired nicely with the light, fluffy rice and grilled asparagus. The ambiance deserves a mention as well. The space feels modern and classy with romantic undertones, while still being warm and inviting. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience, and I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

The staff is so fun and talkative. Not just our server but everyone would pass by and ask how we…read morewere doing and chat with us. The place is so nice, clean and very modern. I like that the booths are kind of private with the party you are with. For starters we had the pulled lamb shoulder hummus. The lamb was well seasoned and so tender the hummus was great but the combination was amazing. The mini gyros were really good too. They should make them as an entree with a bigger portion. They were so much flavor in the two bites I had since we split them in half. The branzino was good I have had better and the sides that it came with were a little on the small side it was Swiss chard and there was suppose to be romesco in it but I didn't see any and just a few pieces of fingerling potatoes. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and came sliced already the sides were plentiful and flavorful. The lamb chops were very small and not a lot of pieces and didn't really come with any sides. For dessert we split the Citrus Cheesecake and Trilece Cake. The cheesecake was very creamy and light the citrus taste was very pronounced and so fresh there wasn't any kind of artificial taste to it at all. The cake was delicious the cream on top was light and fluffy, cake was soft and moist, the sauce at the bottom gave it that extra touch that made it one of the best things I ate that night.

Perfect sliders and ambiance. Their slider of the day was…read moreon point. Very good staff and great drinks, cant go wrong with them.

First of all, I'd give this place 3.5 stars if it were possible, definitely not a 4, it just didn't…read morelive up to the hype. We happened to be going someplace nearby, and decided to finally try this spot. (I sort of wished we just went to Mexican Town to eat). All 3 if us were first timers, we luckily came in before a Pre Tigers game rush. Our server, Bobby, was efficient but lacked personality. It was like he rushed us through our order, I guess that's great to turn tables and get ppl to the game on time. We wanted to try a bunch of sliders. We got the double cheeseburger, Philly cheesesteak, fried chicken, Cuban, pork belly and fried chicken Caesar. We also got Cajun fries, Poutine , chili cheese fries and Mac and cheese. The double cheeseburger was typical and good. Fried chicken Caesar was good, We liked the dressing Pork belly was disappointing and bland Cheesesteak was just ok Fried chicken was good The Cuban was one of the better ones For the sides, we liked the thin fries, with Cajun and poutine being our favorites. I didn't care for the venison chili cheese fries, but the others liked it. The Mac and cheese was so bland, even some salt and pepper would have made it better, but it wasnt on the table and our server wasn't around to ask for it. One thing that annoyed me was that our food came out gradually, our fries came out way before our food, 12 minutes to be exact (looked at the time on my photos). We also ordered some cocktails, I was in the mood for a margarita, so I ordered a spicy margarita, it waa pretty good, not spicy at all, no salt, but the flavor was decent. My sister ordered a New fashioned, she said is wasn't anything special. We also got summer soda (vodka, basil, lemon, cucumber and soda) it had a strange flavor, I'm not sure from what, as it should be pretty simple and straight forward. I'm not sure of the name of the other cocktails, it may have been gin promise, it was pretty good. Overall, we all said we wouldn't go out of our way to eat here again. We all agreed that it didn't live up to the hype we've heard all of these years. I did like the old school vibe inside, dark with horse stable themed decor. Interesting place, some things were better than others. I could see this being a good place to grab a pretty quick drink and bite to eat before a game. Surely, better than eating at the ballpark, etc..