Detroit's new wine bar, restaurant, and bottle shop, Vertical Detroit, officially opened to the public on Sunday evening. Oenophiles will have to dip down below street-level to find the basement lounge, yet the design by Rossetti Associates is far from your typical "dive bar." The look features a mixture of textures and colors in muddled yellow and blue upholstered chairs, glitzy chandeliers, and almost snake skin-like green wallpaper.
Vertical is the brainchild of Jim Lutfy and daughter Remy. Each brings strong wine knowledge and experience to the venture. Jim and his wife Livvie own Fine Wine Source in Livonia, while Remy studied wine and winemaking at UC Davis. General manager Todd Allen told Eater in June that their group's goal is to "take the snobbiness out of wine and make it fun." The bar offers 52 wines by the glass and more than 500 bottled vintages, as well as a menu of small plates and charcuterie. Cocktail and beer drinkers can also find something to drink here. Photographers Michelle and Chris Gerard got a first-look inside the new operation.
Vertical Detroit is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday; and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The bottle shop is open from noon to closing Monday through Saturday and 4 p.m. to close on Sunday.
