Detroit has many bars for anyone's desire. Here are the best 16:
1538 Centre Street
313-732-WINE
This is one of the newest bars in the city. One thing the city of Detroit has been lacking in recent years is a quality wine bar. If you are a wine drinker and have been looking to enjoy a bottle along with delicious small plate meals, make sure to check out Vertical Bar.
1400 Porter Street
(313) 338-8008
There are plenty of other brew-pubs in the city. There are also bars with a larger selection of beers on tap. However, this is a true Detroit bar. It serves locally crafted beer, Faygo pop and yet it doesn't hit you over the head with "Detroit" signs and labels. You already know you're in Detroit.
624 3rd Street
(313) 965-2269
Cheap food, dozens of TVs and a festive atmosphere make this the best spot to watch the big game. Whether hitting up a Wing's game or looking for a spot to catch Monday Night Football, Tommy's is the place for you, and it won't kill your budget.
608 Woodward Ave
(313) 961-3043
Spelled The Scottish way, The Whisky Parlor is a small speakeasy that really offers the kind of vibe you'd want in a whisky bar (or whiskey, if you prefer American or Irish). If you have trouble finding the place, look for "Grand Trunk", then head up the stairs next to it.
15 E Kirby Street
(313) 818-3915
Maybe you are hungry for a small portion meal before heading home, or maybe you just want a cocktail to sooth your nerves after sitting in the office all day? Whatever you're looking for, Chartreuse is a perfect option for you.
The Bronx Bar
4476 2nd Ave
(313) 832-8464
If you are new to a major rust belt city, you'll learn one of the things it does well is dive bars. During the auto industry's heyday, when the third shift left work, many would want a drink, despite the sun coming up. That is why these dive bars don't have windows (built before law required it) and have a very homely feel to it. The Bronx Bar is just one of the many great drive bars in the city.
2130 Michigan Ave
(313) 962-0123
Detroit is a blue collar city. Due to this, most bars rend to fall under the drive and beer bar label. The Sugar House specializes in cocktails, but is still very much in line with other Detroit bars. It also takes up the mantel of a worker's bar as workers make up their own mixers and bitters, which really helps take the cocktail taste to the next level.
Tom's Tavern
10093 W 7 Mile Rd
(313) 862-9758
Tom's could easily go into the best local joint or best dive spot. However, it has some fantastic local music too. Your'e not going to get the big names here or even big local bands (just about any other bar in the city offers this). Tom's though has the legendary bar owner himself playing on the piano, telling stories while playing the piano, some local musicians, and best of all, an old-school, record-playing juke box. There's just something about an old school jukebox that makes everything worth wild. This is the kind of bar you come to Detroit for.
660 W Baltimore Ave
(313) 873-1739
A nice lounge with DJ's and hip hop shows during the week, Northern Lights Lounge also has a fantastic outdoor area as well. Plus, bring in the food the bar serves and it is tough to find anything better than what you'll find here.
17051 Kercheval, Grosse Point
(313) 343-8800
If you want a unique, original and upscale bar, you'll have to head just to the outskirts of the city (Detroit is a worker's city, so you won't find too many upscale bars in downtown). Marais is a new-age American/French bar and restaurant.
Abick's Bar
3500 Gilbert Street
(313) 894-9329
This is a tough category to list, as there are so many local bars in Detroit. If you wanted to create just a "top 10" bars of Detroit, most of them would be dive/local joints. However, Abick's Bar takes the cake thanks to the small cigar room hidden in the bar. If you're into a beer and a cigar, look around the small stopover. You'll find it and probably won't want to leave.
719 Griswold Street
Ste 180
(313) 962-9106
Open for breakfast and brunch, this is a great spot to stop by if you're craving a drink in the middle of the day. Of course, make sure to check out the fantastic Bloody Marry selection available here.
4421 Woodward Ave
(313) 832-5700
Hopefully your date doesn't end up a horror story, but The Ghost Bar is a great first date spot. It is dark and cozy, which makes it easy to focus on conversation. it isn't terribly loud, and there is a nice selection of both cocktails and some small food options.
110 Clifford
(313) 782-3009
All of the juice here is fresh made, mostly from local farmers, so you are drinking straight from Detroit.
Club Gold Coast
2971 E 7 Mile Rd
(313) 366-6135
If you're looking for a spot where you're free to be yourself and never judged by anyone else, Club Gold Coast is where you need to check out. It's also a pretty killer dance club as well.
2080 Park Ave
(313) 961-2543
Excellent live jazz and blues music played in the background. The atmosphere is some of the best here, if you want a spot where you can just kick back, relax and loose yourself.
