clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
The Upright

28 Essential Detroit Bars to Try

Standout spots to grab an espresso martini, a hot toddy, a craft beer, or a shot around town

View as Map

Detroit is a great bar city. Whether grabbing a simple shot and beer with buddies after work at the corner dive, celebrating with girlfriends in the area’s many cocktail bars, rooting for the local teams at the sports-centric watering holes, or appreciating the latest in craft beer — there’s bound to be a spot to fit anyone’s tastes.

Below, find some of the finest examples of what Detroit’s bar scene has to offer, from old-school jazz clubs to unpretentious wine bars. These spots are both seasoned and fresh, and all of them are either offering patio service or to-go drinks.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Two James Distillery

Copy Link

The tasting room at Two James in Corktown gives both industrial, yet inviting vibes with its round concrete bar in the center, where a quirky, friendly bartender is sure to make you smile. The cocktail menu here changes with the seasons and complements the flavor profiles of the distillery’s many spirits such as the Twisted Sister, a cocktail uses Two James’ made with sweetened almond syrup, brandied cherry juice, vanilla bean paste, and lemon. Bottles and cocktails to-go are available for sale. Tour are also available by booking ahead. Looking for a bite before drinks? Two James owner David Landrum launched Supergeil, which specializes in Berlin-style döner kebabs and tinned seafood, as well as a bar fully-stocked with Two James.

The Sugar House

Copy Link

One of the bars that helped usher in Detroit’s cocktail revival, the Sugar House is known for training some of the best bartenders in the city (its owners have since opened several other excellent establishments). The bar serves an extremely deep and detailed list of classic drinks as well as original — often themed — recipes.

Motor City Wine

Copy Link

Motor City Wine defies expectations of what a wine bar should be. This longtime drinking spot features a quality selection of bottles from around the world for sale in its shop as well as by-the-glass and bottled choices behind the bar. The fenced-in patio is a popular destination during the warm summer season, while the indoor space serves as a cozy option for sips and taking in the occasional DJ set.

UFO Factory

Copy Link

Indie music venue and bar UFO Factory offers is a chill spot to grab a beer or a simple cocktail and a snack. Yes, this spot is great for a casual beer, as well as reasonably-priced cocktails made with the bar’s selection of house-made cocktail mixers. In the snacks department is Laika Dogs, featuring a number of unique toppings, such as the banh mi, Detroit-style with vegan coney chili, and the PB&J featuring Thai peanut sauce. When weather permits, the rooftop deck bar is used for outdoor drinking and free movie nights.

Nemo's Bar

Copy Link

For more than 50 years this Michigan Avenue tavern has catered to baseball and hockey fans, though the Tigers Stadium has long since moved out of Corktown. The bar is known for serving a classic cheeseburger and stiff, affordable drinks. Remember to bring cash.

‎Batch Brewing Company

Copy Link

This small brewery in Corktown is a destination among beer fans. The beer hall keeps a rotating list of brews on tap ranging from IPAs to barley wine and even beer slushies. The kitchen features a regular menu of house-made pretzels, sausages, and brisket burgers, but Batch also frequently hosts popup ventures, which have included Khana, food trucks during Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, and continues to feature Taqueria El Rey on Mondays and Tuesdays. The spacious outdoor patio space is covered and offers heating during the colder months.

The Skip

Copy Link

The Skip in The Belt alleyway gives guests “edgy” downtown vibes, with cozy, festival feels no matter the time of year. During the warmer months, the indoor/outdoor spot opens its walls so that guests can spread out with frozen cocktails and catch summer breezes in the outdoor seating area. During the winter, the place closes off the outdoor area but keeps things fun with a variety of tiki-style drinks, and usually nostalgia-inducing holiday specials.

The Monarch Club

Copy Link

With panoramic views of the Detroit cityscape and three outdoor terraces, the Monarch Club is a popular spot for al fresco drinking or feeling fancy in the rooftop bar’s indoor area. The public cocktail lounge perched at the top of the Metropolitan Building serves a mixture of classic drinks alongside original options such as the Dark Corners with rye whiskey, amaro sfumato, cherry liqueur, and orange bitters. Make a reservation online.

Candy Bar

Copy Link

The pretty in pink, swanky downtown cocktail bar inside the Siren Hotel makes for the ideal date night bar, either to begin the evening or for a fancy night cap. The pink, plush velvet booths and massive chandelier puts guests in the mood to be glamorous, while the drink menu changes regularly. Original cocktails have included the fruity Oaxaca Sunset with tequila, mezcal, watermelon, lime, and cilantro to complement the spot’s fun takes on classics like espresso martinis. Reservations are recommended, however, walk-ins are always welcome.

The Royce Detroit

Copy Link

The Royce is the Grand Circus Park-adjacent wine bar and bottle shop situated on the first and second levels of the Kales Building. The storefront features custom shelving made from walnut wood and piping, globe light fixtures, and library ladders. A 12-seat bar fills out the center of the first floor. Owners Ping Ho and Angela Rutherford have curated a massive wine program featuring some 300-plus bottles available for retail, an extensive menu for pours by the glass or bottle, and a selection of cured meats and cheeses. The spot even offers classes for those who want to expand upon their wine knowledge base.

Temple Bar

Copy Link

This come-as-you-are, LGBTQ-friendly spot has been serving drinks in Cass Corridor for decades. Drop in for a local selection of beers and music. Park in the back lot and enter through the gate to access Temple’s outdoor space.

Cata Vino

Copy Link

This sibling of La Feria spotlights Spanish sherry and Basque cider in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere. Selections are available by the bottle, the glass, and in flights, so customers can sample different styles of sherry. Pair the drinks with tapas-style bar snacks like Serrano ham, olives, and tinned fish. The restaurant also accepts phone orders.

Castalia at Sfumato

Copy Link

Dive down to the basement level of an old Victorian mansion in Cass Corridor to find this small, but inviting bar. By day, the space operates as fragrance brand Sfumato and by night the space converts into a sleek lounge called Castilia that pairs cocktails with perfumes for a multi-sensory drinking experience.

A hand holds two yellow freezer pops from Castalia in dappled sunlight. EE Berger [Courtesy photo]

Detroit City Distillery

Copy Link

This Eastern Market distillery produces a diverse selection of high-quality spirits at its nearby production facility ranging from whiskey to gin and vodka, including its annual limited-edition Honey Bourbon, made in collaboration with Bees in the D. The tasting room boasts moody lighting, a variety of original and classic cocktails that change with the seasons, and during the summer DCD expands out onto Riopelle where bartenders sling drinks from an outdoor bar and guests can lounge about and maybe snack on the Indian street food available at Midnight Temple next door.

Lost River

Copy Link

This east side tiki bar has a menu filled with rum-based classic and original tiki cocktails set inside a space brimming with beachy, vintage kitsch. While the menu does change from time to time, over-the-top cocktails have included specialties like the Toucan Sam made with Doctor Bird rum, Campari, molasses syrup, Ming River, pineapple, and lime — all served in a colorful parrot. Drinks and merch are also available to-go.

Cadieux Cafe

Copy Link

This old world Belgian establishment near East English Village is carrying on the Flemish tradition of featherbowling (similar to bocce ball). Reserve a lane for a group and roll some wooden wheels while sipping a beer. The bar serves a selection of European brews plus the standard domestics and craft beers. It’s also known for that quintessential Belgian beer accompaniment — steamed mussels.

Kiesling

Copy Link

Eater Award-winning saloon brings a strong cocktail game to the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. With past lives as a general store, a saloon, and a cop bar, this beautifully restored spot honors its history by maintaining the interior’s immaculate woodwork, exposed brick, and hand-painted mural uncovered during the spot’s renovation. Guests can keep things simple with the bar’s $5 beer and shot special or get creative with a long list of classic cocktails with a twist.

Bumbo's

Copy Link

This refurbished, neighborhood bar in Hamtramck has friendly service and delicious, affordable cocktails and beer. The drink menu changes frequently, but expect a list of cocktails that range from light and refreshing as with the Frenchie made with gin or vodka, elderflower liquor, and grapefruit, to the stiffer drinks like the Boulevardier or Negroni with bourbon or gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. When the winter hits, Bumbo’s has been known to serve hot drinks, perfect for sipping on on the fenced-in, heated patio (just remember to alert the bar staff to adjust the heaters).

Baker's Keyboard Lounge

Copy Link

Right off Eight Mile, Baker’s is one of the oldest continuously operating jazz clubs in the world. The restaurant, known for its signature piano bar and soul food, features regular live events that draw music lovers from around the city. Go for house favorites like fried chicken, collard greens, and the incredible peach cobbler served with great live jazz.

The Oakland

Copy Link

This longtime speakeasy-influenced bar serves superb cocktails amid luxurious oversized velvet chairs, gold chandeliers, and dim lighting. Seating is first-come, first-served and one can expect a bit of a wait on prime bar nights, but the drinks don’t disappoint. A creative, rotating menu includes classics that have included the Tom and Jerry alongside cocktails with quirky names like Silence of the Yams and Rhubarbra Walters.

Time Will Tell

Copy Link

This Milwaukee Junction bar is among the newer creations to come from the Detroit Optimist Society’s lineup of watering holes. Here, the ownership adds a bit of whimsy to the space with cute 50s vibes and a jukebox loaded with 80s and 90s classics. To drink, expect to find a variety of agave-based drinks like the Hiatus Cowboy — the spot’s take on an old fashioned made with Espolon reposado tequila instead of whiskey, mole syrup, bitters, and grapefruit. Also available, a brief menu of craft beers and wine by the glass.

Spot Lite Detroit

Copy Link

This spacious bar, gallery, record shop, and event space has quickly become the place for east siders and non east siders alike. Meeting someone for a morning coffee meeting? The indoor Cairo Coffee kiosk has that covered. For after-work cocktails, the full-scale bar offers up classics like martinis, sangria, mojitos, and beer and wine. Spot Lite also frequently hosts private parties, gallery exhibitions, prime DJ sets, and other special events (especially during Movement). The bar is owned and operated by Jesse Cory and Roula David.

Paramita Sound

Copy Link

This downtown record shop doubles as a wine bar and is the ideal pocket-sized spot to start an evening on the town. Situated in the former famed cultural hub 1515 Broadway Café in the Siren Hotel, guests can get comfortable at the bar with a selection of wines by the glass, a limited selection of beers and hard ciders, and mixed drinks whilst perusing the spot’s collection of vinyl records available for sale, and taking in the sounds of the in-house DJ, broadcasts of the big sports game, or special musical events.

Downtown Black-owned craft cocktail bar, Willow pays homage to Southern hospitality. The speakeasy is located in the alley around the corner from SavannahBlue downtown.

Restaurateurs Ron Scott, J.D. Simpson, and Roger Yopp brought on cocktail impresario Andre Sykes, who led the bartending team behind the James Beard Award long listed nominees Shelby in 2022, to help open spot. Guests are greeted at the entrance by a maître d’ who leads them to the luxurious interior. The menu is designed to tell the story of the Black experience through the lens of drinks.

Serena Maria Daniels

Nain Rouge Brewery

Copy Link

Midtown now has a new brewery in Nain Rouge Brewery, located next to Smith & Co. The Detroit News says the spot is “named after the storied mischievous imp of Detroit and harbinger of doom” and features a variety of brews like the Jalopy, a session IPA. The brewery’s beers are sold exclusively at Smith & Co.’s bar and the business has also partnered with Eastern Michigan University’s Fermentation Science program to serve as a brewing school to promote diversity in the beer industry.

The Upright

Copy Link

The Upright, a cozy bar and lounge situated beneath the restaurant to serve as a spot where diners can top off dinner with a night cap. Guests will be able to enjoy cocktails, designed by bar manager Jacob Feitler, and small plates like bolognese arancini, and cacio e pepe pasta fritti — crispy pasta bites with parmesan and pepper.

The Upright

Dragonfly

Copy Link

The folks behind Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and The Oakland bar in Ferndale recently opened Freya, a tasting menu establishment, and Dragonfly, a more casual bar that leans in on the low ABV movement with a variety of cocktails, low alcoholic beverages, and mocktails — both set next to each other in the Milwaukee Junction area. Herbal teas, fruits and veggies, and natural sweeteners are used to flavor cocktails like the Forgotten Kingdom with Smokey Mist Tea Liqueur, oolong tea liqueur, and ginger, honey, and lemon. Happy hour is available 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.

Two Birds

Copy Link

The teams that run downtown Detroit custard window Huddle, Eastern Market bar Collect, and east side tropical craft cocktail and rum bar Lost River partnered to run this West Village haunt. Go to this old house, turned bar for wine, cocktails (vodka-, gin-, and rum-based ), a cone of custard, or a mix of both. One of the highlights is this spot’s take on the hummer, which is said to have originated in Detroit. It includes two Hawaiian rums along with Huddle vanilla custard.

Two James Distillery

The tasting room at Two James in Corktown gives both industrial, yet inviting vibes with its round concrete bar in the center, where a quirky, friendly bartender is sure to make you smile. The cocktail menu here changes with the seasons and complements the flavor profiles of the distillery’s many spirits such as the Twisted Sister, a cocktail uses Two James’ made with sweetened almond syrup, brandied cherry juice, vanilla bean paste, and lemon. Bottles and cocktails to-go are available for sale. Tour are also available by booking ahead. Looking for a bite before drinks? Two James owner David Landrum launched Supergeil, which specializes in Berlin-style döner kebabs and tinned seafood, as well as a bar fully-stocked with Two James.

The Sugar House

One of the bars that helped usher in Detroit’s cocktail revival, the Sugar House is known for training some of the best bartenders in the city (its owners have since opened several other excellent establishments). The bar serves an extremely deep and detailed list of classic drinks as well as original — often themed — recipes.

Motor City Wine

Motor City Wine defies expectations of what a wine bar should be. This longtime drinking spot features a quality selection of bottles from around the world for sale in its shop as well as by-the-glass and bottled choices behind the bar. The fenced-in patio is a popular destination during the warm summer season, while the indoor space serves as a cozy option for sips and taking in the occasional DJ set.

UFO Factory

Indie music venue and bar UFO Factory offers is a chill spot to grab a beer or a simple cocktail and a snack. Yes, this spot is great for a casual beer, as well as reasonably-priced cocktails made with the bar’s selection of house-made cocktail mixers. In the snacks department is Laika Dogs, featuring a number of unique toppings, such as the banh mi, Detroit-style with vegan coney chili, and the PB&J featuring Thai peanut sauce. When weather permits, the rooftop deck bar is used for outdoor drinking and free movie nights.

Nemo's Bar

For more than 50 years this Michigan Avenue tavern has catered to baseball and hockey fans, though the Tigers Stadium has long since moved out of Corktown. The bar is known for serving a classic cheeseburger and stiff, affordable drinks. Remember to bring cash.

‎Batch Brewing Company

This small brewery in Corktown is a destination among beer fans. The beer hall keeps a rotating list of brews on tap ranging from IPAs to barley wine and even beer slushies. The kitchen features a regular menu of house-made pretzels, sausages, and brisket burgers, but Batch also frequently hosts popup ventures, which have included Khana, food trucks during Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, and continues to feature Taqueria El Rey on Mondays and Tuesdays. The spacious outdoor patio space is covered and offers heating during the colder months.

The Skip

The Skip in The Belt alleyway gives guests “edgy” downtown vibes, with cozy, festival feels no matter the time of year. During the warmer months, the indoor/outdoor spot opens its walls so that guests can spread out with frozen cocktails and catch summer breezes in the outdoor seating area. During the winter, the place closes off the outdoor area but keeps things fun with a variety of tiki-style drinks, and usually nostalgia-inducing holiday specials.

The Monarch Club

With panoramic views of the Detroit cityscape and three outdoor terraces, the Monarch Club is a popular spot for al fresco drinking or feeling fancy in the rooftop bar’s indoor area. The public cocktail lounge perched at the top of the Metropolitan Building serves a mixture of classic drinks alongside original options such as the Dark Corners with rye whiskey, amaro sfumato, cherry liqueur, and orange bitters. Make a reservation online.

Candy Bar

The pretty in pink, swanky downtown cocktail bar inside the Siren Hotel makes for the ideal date night bar, either to begin the evening or for a fancy night cap. The pink, plush velvet booths and massive chandelier puts guests in the mood to be glamorous, while the drink menu changes regularly. Original cocktails have included the fruity Oaxaca Sunset with tequila, mezcal, watermelon, lime, and cilantro to complement the spot’s fun takes on classics like espresso martinis. Reservations are recommended, however, walk-ins are always welcome.

The Royce Detroit

The Royce is the Grand Circus Park-adjacent wine bar and bottle shop situated on the first and second levels of the Kales Building. The storefront features custom shelving made from walnut wood and piping, globe light fixtures, and library ladders. A 12-seat bar fills out the center of the first floor. Owners Ping Ho and Angela Rutherford have curated a massive wine program featuring some 300-plus bottles available for retail, an extensive menu for pours by the glass or bottle, and a selection of cured meats and cheeses. The spot even offers classes for those who want to expand upon their wine knowledge base.

Temple Bar

This come-as-you-are, LGBTQ-friendly spot has been serving drinks in Cass Corridor for decades. Drop in for a local selection of beers and music. Park in the back lot and enter through the gate to access Temple’s outdoor space.