So yummy and worth the splurge. First of all, this place is the perfect restaurant for an intimate date or dinner where you want to be able to talk...dark and moody, pleasant music, and quiet for an Ann Arbor restaurant. If you're a wine drinker, The Earle has a 20-page wine menu. If you can't find some wine you like, you're WAY too picky! Our server had a perfect attentiveness, and my water never went dry--a big plus in my book! Tonight, I had the boneless duck breasts (with rum-plumped raisons and apples) which were cooked to perfection...they melted in my mouth. The duck was served with cauliflower and broccoli as well as the potato turnip puree. I also tried the lamb chops, which were also delightful. Duck Breasts (GF) / Sautéed boneless duck breasts... pan sauced with applejack brandy, cider, apples, and brown sugar... with rum-plumped raisins / $38.95 Lamb Chops (GF) / Double cut lamb chops sautéed medium rare with a port tarragon sauce. Served with potato turnip purée, grilled asparagus and roasted carrot and shallot / $49.95 For dessert, we tried the crème brulee, the chocolate mousse, and a frozen hazelnut/praline ice cream-like dish. (I should have taken a picture of the menu as I'm not able to pull any of the descriptions off the website.) All were good, but I might be inclined to try the cheesecake for dessert next time. read more

I have not been to the Earle for a year or more. we went on a Sunday night and the food and service was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised because past experience has been average. our waiter Dwayne was attentive and prompt. my duck breast was fantastic. great light sauce with potato and Brussels sprouts that were also excellent. ended with wonderful strawberry shortcake. read more

I grew up in Amn Arbor and came back to help my elderly parents. I. Came here on a Friday night and I enjoyed their very large menu of wine bottle available, both international and domestic. I decided on a California Cab. The restaurant had Terrific appetizers including escargot which I love but got the tortellini which was excellent. Live Jazz played with a 4 Person band Next. The Earle is a great place for an upscale happy Hour or dinner. read more

Long time AA restaurant establishment with live jazz on the weekends starting at 7pm. I really wanted to like this place and I remember this place so fondly but things have changed versus the last time I visited (which was about a decade ago). The restaurant has a fancy ambience with dark oak furniture and leather details. Our service lady was very nice and was super friendly. The food however, was a different story. The portions were so tiny and the quality was not what I had so fondly remembered. To start off, the bread was cold and reminded me of $1 loafs from the grocery store. The butter was clearly stick butter that had been cut off and was still too cold to spread. The entrees that followed were equally disappointing. The duck breast, which was $40 only came with two very small pieces of meat with large heap of mashed potatoes and four broccoli florets. The duck was also quite gamey so I was not a fan. The dish was so small that it looked like an appetizer portion, for $40 this dish was certainly not appropriately priced - perhaps shrinkflation has hit this dish disproportionately. The roast chicken was good but equally sparse in meat as the duck dish. The roasted garlic and veggies did have a solid flavor though. The mushroom caps, which are from the apps section are probably the best thing of this meal - this one I would order again. The ambience and the jazz music is probably the reason for the upcharge but for a restaurant with a price tag that averages $30-40 a dish, I was not impressed. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Roasted Chicken - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

We went for dinner on a beautiful fall weekend when the streets were still closed. The Earle has nice outdoor seating with lots of plants separating the tables. We sat outside and the atmosphere was lively and the people watching was entertaining. Our server did a very nice job of being attentive but also sensitive to the fact that we weren't in a big hurry. We had the crab cakes, croquettes, the Earle sliders, and the penne with chicken. Everything was very tasty. read more

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Whether it's date night or a business meeting the Earle is a quaint setting in the basement of the building with a it's own vibe. Live music is usually really good and not too loud and the food is excellent. They have a creekstone farms steak so if you rock that way for halal purposes you know you're getting a good one! read more

The Earle Restaurant - Dinner menu - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Really enjoyed the food and atmosphere here at this restaurant. The appetizers we had were ATT top notch delicious. My favorite was the stuffed mushrooms. A killer dish! The Calamari was excellent. Escargot in a puff pastry was good. Roasted garlic was tasty. I ordered the Caesar salad, looked green and crisp! But the dressing tasted more like lemon water than anything else. I had to return it to the kitchen. Main entrees from the group was scallops which was good but it was swimming in a sauce. Sometime with good scallops all you need is butter and salt. Shrimp fettuccine was ok only because the Goat cheese used clashed with the shrimp, ricotta would have been a better match. Jalapeños pasta had a nice taste but was a bit oily. Finally my dish was the wrong one to pick A Skirt Steak. Had nothing on it at all bland and tasteless. Ha! It wasn't even cooked well with any marks. Dessert I had was sorbet. There was a Jazz band and the service was excellent. 2 bottles of wine, Slippy ordered and was told they were good. read more

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Amazing food and great service. Although we weren't super close to the bar, we could still hear the live jazz, who were impeccable. Our food did take about an hour after ordering though, hence the 4 stars. But again, it was really good and the wait staff were very nice. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I would give this more stars if available. It is a cellar and restaurant bar but offers a nice Environment for eating and drinking. I also enjoyed the live background jazz that was playing. Not many places offering live music read more

Setting, service and food and a great jazz band playing at the appropriate level made for a wonderful experience for myself and my family. Definitely a great "date place". I highly recommend this restaurant. - Loved the Pepper Steak but would stay away from the very strong Caesar Salad. read more

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Months ahead of graduation weekend and I need reservations. Alas, I'm a bit late in the game by February but found The Earle had reservations available, I'll take it. We arrived, checked in and were immediately seated. The restaurant is underground so there is a more intimate vibe. We were seated by the wine cellar in a cozy two seater booth. The wine list by the glass has a variety of selections. There is also a variety of hard liquor options. We both selected wine and were delighted by the Malbec. Dinner wise I opted for the linguine with shrimp and Hubs opted for linguine with sausage. Both were sizable entrees. The linguine with shrimp had a good amount of pesto and garlic. The shrimp came de-tailed. The linguine with sausage came with banana like peppers, minced sausage, and capicola. We were happy with the spot for graduation dinner. read more

We selected The Earle for our son's 21st birthday after reading reviews and menus at most of the Ann Arbor "special occasion" spots. The space is cozy and intimate - especially our round booth in the corner. The cocktail menu had a bunch of great options and one of the staff helped us pick a reasonably priced and very tasty Super Tuscan. The menu was classic Continental fair - done well. The staff helped to make our evening and celebration special. Glad we went to The Earle, it was exactly what we wanted the experience to be! read more

Ambience - very nice restaurant in Ann Arbor. feels romantic and intimate. dark but well-lit enough to see the food. be careful of the table when you walk in -- we walked into it and broke a wine glass but they said it happens often. Dress nice if you choose to come. Service - definitely an upscale dining experience where they didn't want to interfere without meal. the waitress was sweet and quick. food came out shockingly fast. 10/10 Appetizer - stuffed mushroom This dish came out sizzling. Flavors were incredible, with the perfect amount of sausage balancing out the mushroom. They also offered to bring out bread with the dish and the bread was amazing, super fluffy but dense. 5/5 Main #1 - salmon puff pastry This was the star of our meal. The tender salmon melts in your mouth and the outer texture of the flaky pastry balanced this perfectly. Our description doesn't do the dish justice and you should definitely just order it! 5/5 Main #2 - 4 cheese pasta with crab This was a miss for us. We ordered it with light cheese so perhaps it was our fault but the dish lacked substantial flavor. The breadcrumbs here nice. It also was served a bit colder. Wouldn't order again but this wouldn't deter us from visiting again. 2/5 Dessert - white chocolate ice cream This ice cream was a phenomenal way to end the meal. Served with milk chocolate sauce on top (sorry we forgot the picture). They have a really large dessert menu and we would totally come back to try more. Overall this is the perfect date location and we would love to come back! I strongly recommend. read more

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Top dishes include: Sauted Duck Breast, Grilled Pepper encrusted Beef Tenderloin, Grilled Eggplant with a roast pepper and tomato coulis,, French Onion Soup, Caprese Salad, Messo Pasta, Shrimp Pasta with tomatoes, mint, pistachio, and goat cheese. Expensive but Worth It Didn't try dessert but the Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse looked Awesome. read more

Nice service as always but my last three trips to The Earle have been met with so so food. I think that something has changed and the quality that made the place exceptional for years has faded. We both ordered a Pepper fillet tonight that was off tasting. The beef tasted like it was frozen twice. It didn't taste like a fillet. The crab cake appetizer was good. After three off meals here over the last two years, I'm taking a break. Great environment. Wish the food were as good as it was ten years ago. read more

It's been several years since we last dined at The Earle. We booked ahead of looking at the menu and hoped for more French bistro classics. But there was enough to keep us interested. Rather than buying two entrees, we ordered 4 appetizers and the sliders. The best was the roasted garlic that came with lots of interesting sides to be spread on toasts. The sliders were delicious and plenty filling, although the fries were lukewarm/soft. Crab cakes were just fine. More disappointing were the escargot-in-puff pastry (too much pastry, not nearly enough flavor in the escargot) which we didnt finish, and the onion soup which was incredibly bland. Service was prompt, prices reasonable, and portion size was good. But overall, we wouldnt rush back for the classic French dishes. Maybe the entrees/pastas would be better. read more

One of my favorite spots for anniversaries, birthdays, or any other occasion that gives me an excuse to dine here! The outdoor seating area in the summer is lovely, and the service is phenomenal! This was my first time ordering the Salmon in Puff Pastry and it might be my new favorite. I almost always order the Bruschetta, though their Calamari never disappoints either. Amazing food, amazing service, & amazing atmosphere! read more

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Went here for my birthday dinner! Beautiful on the inside; low lighting, beautiful exposed brick, and cute wine decor! I believe our server's name was Abigail, and it was the best service we have ever received at a restaurant! Very attentive yet not excessive, knowledgeable about the food, and just overall a wonderful server!!! Her and my dad chatted about the Jamaican festival in Toronto, and she took time to have a friendly conversation with him (I thought it was so sweet of her). The sommelier was very attentive and provided us the story behind the bottle we were drinking! If you go here, you must have the mousse and the salmon, It is to die for!!! The food was overall amazing, but those two were my favorites. Calamari was pretty good, and muscles were delicious! Thank you for making my birthday so wonderful!! read more

We ordered the risotto croquettes and they were super yummy and flavorful. Very cream with a nice crunch on the outside 9/10 The Gorgonzola salad was generous with the nuts and the cheese. It was not a large salad but good for the price. 9/10 Roasted garlic crostini was somewhat average. All I could taste was the Crostini and I was not that impressed 5/10. I got the linguini with the sausage and I have to say I was very disappointed. There was basically no flavor to the noodles and it generally felt like just cooked pasta with meat and cheese. Almost as if pizza was a pasta but without Mariana. I would not order this again. My friend ordered the linguine with shrimp. She thought the Romano cheese was overwhelming and Parmesan would have been better. It was also good the shrimps were deshelled. 7.5/10 The whitefish was outstanding. Moist and flakey and the sauce was wonderful. The only thing lacking was the potatoes. 9/10 The scallops were decent as well. They were not very delicate and the pernot sauce was a little over bearing. 8/10 read more

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My wife and I went here on Valentine's Day and had a wonderful time! Really cool atmosphere and unique menu! (A)

Great menu and great food. Service can be a little slow, but it's a good meal nonetheless.

Food - lamb was swimming in grease; vegetables went charred they were burnt and soggy. Service - waiter was having a bad night, given the cost etc. please stay at home next time you are not 100% Ambiance - just no life in the place read more

This hidden away restaurant has a dark rustic and mysterious feel to it. The service is attractive and reasonably friendly. They have a large drink menu with classics as well as specialty cocktails that rotate. I had the pomegranate martini. It was refreshing and enjoyable. For appetizers we went with the risotto croquettes. Risotto balls stuffed with cheese breaded and deep fried served with tomato sauce. I was rather disappointed in this dish. It was basically a round mozzarella stick. No flavor and the outside wasn't even crisp. We also got mushrooms stuffed with sausage, garlic, and sweet peppers, then topped with cheese. They had a very nice texture and were enjoyable though I'd have liked a bit more flavor. For my meal I got the duck breast pan sauced with brandy, cider, apples, brown sugar, and rum plumped raisins. Served with a potato turnip purée. The duck was juicy and flavorful. The potato was very bland and basic. For dessert I had the chocolate ganache cake which was described as a double chocolate layer cake frosted with chocolate ganache and made with almond extract. I have to say I was rather disappointed in this dessert. It was good but was basically just your run of the mill chocolate cake. The prices are reasonable but in general my meal was forgettable. read more

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Cockroaches ran across the bar while I was ordering drinks. Bartender acted like it was nbd. Blech!

Very slow serving...waited for more than 40 mins for the dishes... And too salty for the two main dishes.didn't meet my expectations since the price is high read more

The Earle Restaurant - Soup - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Celebrated my anniversary at the Earle tonight. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. Bruce was our server and he gave great recommendations for food and drinks. Service was perfect and the food was better than perfect. From appetizers to dessert, 10 out of 10. read more

My husband and I went to The Earle to celebrate my birthday and it was such a lovely experience! The atmosphere was so pleasant, the stuffed mushrooms were delicious, the sommelier helped us choose a lovely wine, and my husband said the delmamico steak was probably the best he's ever had. I had the duck breast and it was way too sweet for my taste. It was cooked well, but it tasted like dessert with meat in it. It had a berry sauce and strawberries on it. We ended the night with crème brûlée and that was very good! read more

Went there for my anniversary. Our server was kind and attentive but the food took over an hour to be ready. I liked the live music and the ambiance. We got the duck and the pesto pasta and they were delicious. The cocktails were solid but not amazing. read more

They have great food here! But the atmosphere is great! It's dark and intimate. Great for wine or for a nice dinner. I usually order the salmon and it's always great. read more

It was our first trip to The Earle, and we loved it. Good food, attentive service, with a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The jazz piano playing during the meal was an added plus read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Been to the Earle many times Excellent French American bistro food, service and ambiance Wine list is amazing read more

I've been here a few times and the food is always amazing. There are some other pretty high end dining spots in Ann Arbor, but The Earle is the only one that I'd recommend going to over and over again, especially if the occasion fits. It's a perfect date spot: located in a basement, which differentiates itself from other restaurants, and there's this really cool speakeasy vibe - dark, but not so dark or noisy that it's difficult to have a decent conversation. The service is great here too - not overbearing or anything like that. The duck breasts are to die for - just the right combination of fatty and lean meat. It's also served in this amazing sweet sauce that evens out the savory duck meat and just leaves you wanting to eat more. The portion size is nothing to write home about - but you'll definitely get full off it. It's an insane dish and if it's your first time eating at The Earle just try it out. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. read more

The Earle Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

My fiancé and I got engaged here and the staff at the Earle were phenomenal in working with us to get everything just right. The food was delicious, the wine was fantastic, and there was celebration in the air. I cannot recommend their frozen hazelnut soufflé highly enough--we go get dinner there sometimes just to have dessert! read more

Great food and amazing service. Came here for a birthday dinner for a close friend and they brought out the sommelier who recommended tasty selections. The French onion soup was heavenly. read more

Service and food were superb. I'd recommend the stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer. For the entree we had the veal scalloppini and the beef bourgogne. No complaints on this experience at all. read more

The food was AMAAAAZZZINNGGGGG. Parking near by. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. 10/10 would recommend read more

The Earle Restaurant - Bruschetta - Wine Bars Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Now that parking has improved downtown, we are revisiting the area and the Earle is as good as ever. The wine selection is first rate and the food, well, I just get a line of appetizers because i want the variety of tremendous flavors. It's a beautiful setting that works for casual or special occasions. However, one star to Ann Arbor itself for being mostly restaurants now. Apparently high rents have killed off all the wonderful interesting retail and walking around after dinner is now pretty boring. What a shame. read more

We had a great dinner snacking on appetizers at the bar tonight. The mussels are back!! Delicious as they ever were! Tortellini, Caprese, garlic plate, beautiful wines. It was all delicious. Excellent and charismatic service by the lovely Jen made it special. read more

Had a reservation for dinner here. Glad we did because it was crowded! The outdoor seating was lovely and spaced out, but we decided to sit inside. The ambiance inside was dark and cool. Would be a perfect date spot. They had a live jazz band which was unexpected and really nice. I liked their social distancing efforts - there was a mobile menu, tables were spaced out, etc. someone in our group is gluten free and she had tons of options. There was also quite a large menu which was great. We had bread for the table which was nice but would've been better warm. We got the Calamari appetizer and it was good, too salty for me but the others liked it. I got the pasta with crab and it was amazing - I loved the breadcrumbs crunch on top and the portion was perfect. Again a little salty but not horrible. Everyone said there meals were great. The Scallops tasted amazing I loved the cream sauce and rice. Overall the food was good and I'd love to come back and try more. read more

Been here 3 times and gotten the Dijonaise steak entree each time-- first two were excellent, third time was disappointing. Really great atmosphere when they have live music, though. read more