One of the better meals I've ever enjoyed, and that says something. Hubby and I were visiting the area proclaiming to be "The Most Beautiful Spot in America," and yes, it's very pretty, but not sure I'd vote for Sleeping Bear Dunes over Maine or Alaska. This restaurant, however, did not disappoint. Blu ain't cheap, as if anything good ever is, but if you are able to do as you wish, you'll thoroughly enjoy a meal here. Our appetizers were the crab puff for hubby and I ordered the cheese plate, both exceptional. For salads he had the arugula and I had the frisee, again, both exceptional. While it seemed odd, I was recipient number 8,552 of duck confit ($40) at this establishment, and it was every bit as delectable and yummy as you'd expect. Hubby had the NY Strip that was also very good, but at $69 it better be! We shared a yummy cheesecake and had three cocktails between us, and before tip our dinner was $223. The dining room is small, but with excellent views of Lake Michigan. Our server was quite good, and our 8 PM dinner reservation was there last guest for the night, and it wasn't a problem when we arrived at 7:45 we were seated early. There is no separate bar area, and it's not large unless you are talking about the view. A very nice unexpected dining experience! It's unlikely we'll ever return to this part of the world, but if we did I'd absolutely stop back in... appeared to be the nicest option in the area. read more

Blu - French Near Me - Glen Arbor, Michigan

Stopped in here for dinner tonight with my husband for our mini honeymoon date night, food was amazing! It was a little restaurant, but considering it's a Wednesday in May, it wasn't very busy. Only a couple other tables occupied. The service was great and the (I believe?) chef stopped by to give us a beet sampler. I had the duck confit and my husband had the beef tenderloin. Both delicious! The portions were more generous than expected, and we couldn't even finish either of them. Pricey, but would love to go back again when we come back to visit! read more

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Blu lives up to the hype. It is pricey, but you pay for what you get. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great. Service was also on point read more

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Blu was a wonderful dining experience and was a great place for our group to celebrate a birthday. The restaurant on the the side of the Le Bear resort with large windows that provides a view of Lake Michigan. It was smaller than expected inside, though they also have an outdoor patio. The restaurant is lovely, simple and allows the view to be the focus. The service was excellent, very attentive. They have a good wine list that includes local wines (including some we had sampled earlier that day on our wine tour that were considerably marked up). To begin the meal you are served an amuse bouche. At our visit this was a salmon mousse. The idea of fish whipped is strange but this was surprisingly light and made a nice start to the meal. I had the crab puffs as an appetizer, which were as good as the other recommendations suggest. A friend had the fried green tomatoes. I would not have thought to order this and it was another pleasant surprise. Our group primary ordered fish items, the salmon and the sea bass. They also had a asparagus risotto. This is not the easiest to make and this was perfect and creamy. The salmon was very good, but the sea bass was amazing. I am not sure how often the menu changes or what items are seasonal but this fish option seems to be a good choice. Expect that any meal you have here is going to be pricey. We came to celebrate a friend's birthday, had a wonderful experience and felt that it was worth the price. If you are just looking for somewhere to eat or do not have much time, this is not going to be a good choice. As I noted, Blu is small, and I would recommend making reservation, especially during the busy part of the year. read more

What a wonderful experience. If you're planning a stay around Glen Arbor and enjoy a special evening out, Blu is highly recommended. Our server, Erin, was very friendly and enjoyable to chat with. We ordered the escargot (yum!) and foie gras for apps then rack of lamb, crusted whitefish and the duck confit...all wonderful and so much food we took our deserts to go! read more

Great Restaurant!!! Food is amazing!! Randy is a terrific chef. The variety of dishes showcases his skills. Very good wine list and creative cocktails. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. And the setting overlooking Sleeping Bear Bay at Sunset is spectacular. This is truly a Michelin star-level restaurant in Northern Michigan. read more

Randy and Mari serve some of the most creative food in the best atmosphere in Leelanau County. Service has always been impeccable. A one of a kind experience that everyone should experience. read more

Excellent food, service and views. Very expensive. Very nice outside deck if weather is good.

Had a late reservation but a wonderful indoor seat overlooking the lake and sunset view. Setting is beautiful -- small dining area inside with large windows looking out towards the beach. We shared two apps: sweetbreads and pate. Both were flavorful beautifully presented. Our entrees, which we also shares, were the duck confit and rabbit gallantine. The duck was crispy on the outside but retained its moisture and flavor -- I asked for more of the jus and they quickly brought a generous side of it. The rabbit was exceptional and was our preferred dish. We paired it with a lovely bottle of chianti and then finished the meal with two desserts: spiked rum cake with sorbet and a creme brulee. Again, both hit their marks. Service was excellent start to finish and the entire experience felt like a Michelin star restaurant -- consistency between all our plates and service was phenomenal and our best dining experience in recent memory. Very solid 5 stars and with a reasonable bill (under $250 including wine, desserts and tip, but no cocktails) read more

As good as it gets!!! is the only way to describe Blu in Glen Arbor. The food is first class, over the top, such as the crab puffs. Full menu is excellent. The ambience is unbelievable, particularly as the sun sets across Lake Michigan outlining Sleeping Bear Point and the Manitou Islands. The wine list is very good, and they know their wines...just ask. Prices are high for the area, but worth every penny for a loveley evening out. Limited space, seats about 30, but I have taken a party of 10. read more

I think Blu is the best restaurant value on the Leelanau Peninsula. Randy Chamberlain's meals are always outstanding, the menu interesting and varied and the service really professional. Mari Chamberlain is co-owner and a qualified sommelier who makes sure that she has wines that fit both the menu and a reasonable budget. The restaurant is small enough and the service and food good enough that the whole experience has a European feel. There are a few other restaurants in the area where you can pay more and get as good an experience and many more where you will pay as much for less. On top of the dining value there is the spectacular view of the lake and the sunsets. Its our favorite place for a quiet dinner or a chance to show friends the "best of Leelanau". read more

Blu delivered a terrific experience, top to bottom. Although I suspect it wouldn't be half as wonderful if we'd been sitting inside, which seemed a little sterile. The porch really makes the evening. We ordered many small plates and two entrees for a table of five, and each dish was excellent. Beef, fish, salads--all done with equal care and attention. Cocktails and wine list were also notable. Service was equally attentive but non-obtrusive. read more

A fabulous room with a fabulous view. Absolutely beautiful. 5 stars there. Very good service. The food was .... good. Each first bite a treat, but after that it didn't sustain itself. Didn't leave those yummy flavors floating around your mouth that makes a really good meal terrific, a meal that you eat slowly to savor each bite. At these prices, it really should. I had the roasted garlic soup and the walnut rissoto. One unpleasant surprise, a lovely bathroom with a tacky storage shelf holding linens wrapped in plastic about to fall off. In a place like this you don't expect for the bathroom to also be a storage room. At least put in cabinets and keep things out of view. Over priced, by at least 50%. Because of the exuberant pricing considering the food, I do not see how anyone would rate this over 4 stars. read more

Really fantastic. If you like excellent food and are in the area, you need to go. I have to say I've eaten in some pretty nice places over the years, places in NYC, Chicago, Napa, etc, and this place in a little Michigan tourist town was as good as any of them. We had a fried green tomatoes appetizer-- I admit, a bit of a cliché at this point, but these were excellently prepared. I had a cucumber cold soup kind of creation that was amazing, along with excellent walleye. My wife had the beef tenderloin, and she is awfully picky about her beef-- and this was excellent good. We finished up with some simple sorbets, local sour cherry and prickly pear. The atmosphere and view were also impressive. This is on one of the beaches in Glen Arbor where one goes to see the sunset, and our late (8:30) reservation turned out to be a pretty good idea. We had an excellent table with a very romantic view of the setting sun. And at the end of the day, for this high end sort of food, it wasn't that expensive, either. We didn't go super high on wine (I think we had a bottle that was about $40 or a little less), but for this kind of food and service, I thought our final bill of about $150 or so was very reasonable-- hell, we paid twice as much at the Detroit-area "The Lark" for half as good of a meal. Go. Totally worth it. read more

First time to blu, went on recommendation from another local restauranteur, and one of our party was another local restaurant proprietor. The service was beyond excellent, the food was almost par with Frankfort's Coho (add $10/ entree) The management on the other hand was instantly combative and defensive when given the slightest criticism. Our problem moved from something so little, to having a huge damper put on our entire evening, on a holiday no less. At $420 for a four top there is a bit more professionalism to be had, sans the arrogance. The paid bill was a beautiful sign, as it meant we could leave. I would be hard pressed to return to blu. read more

A truly great experience. Blu has taken one of the best locations in Leelanau and created a memorable dining experience. Last night's fresh morels were sublime. read more

My mother wanted me to go somewhere extra special for dinner since she wasn't going to be with me on my birthday; on her of course. I decided I wanted to go to blu in Glen Arbor. We were welcomed by Mary (the owner) and one of the staff and invited to sit either in their small dinning room or on the patio. Easy choice; the patio is surrounded by flowers and overlooks Lake Michigan. It was a perfect day, not too hot and a light breeze coming off the water. Our server was a very sweet experienced woman, who was very knowledgeable about all of the dishes and the extensive wine list. We ordered a half bottle of a Champagne on Mary's suggestion but it ended up they didn't have it chilled, so she suggested the Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne instead. We ordered the Crab Puffs, panko breaded and sautéed, Creole menuire sauce to start. Our server brought out the bottle and a chiller and showed the bottle and poured us each a glass. We were brought a house appetizer of two little pieces of toasted bread with some sort of topping which went perfectly with the Champagne, as did the crab when it arrived shortly after. I am not a fan of seafood as a general rule, but I always like to try it to see if my tastes have changed. Let's just say if all crab tasted that good, I'd eat crab everyday. My boyfriend ordered the rack of Lamb, char-grilled, with Leelanau dried cherries in Port wine demi-glace and mint olive oil and I ordered the grass-fed beef Tenderloin, pan-seared choice filet with a Burgundy-button mushroom sauce along with a bottle of very muscular Oregon single vineyard Pinot Noir. Our glasses never went empty; always being refilled by our attentive server. The meal was by far the best I have ever had at any restaurant. I wish I could find my pictures so I could include them with this review because the presentation of the plates was so beautiful, the food was that much more enjoyable. We finished in a European style, by sharing a light salad of fresh greens and a light dressing. I must say that my whole perspective of which comes first, the salad or the entree has forever changed since then. After having such a delightfully filling and satisfying meal, the salad calms the stomach and makes being full a very pleasant experience. I will never eat a salad before my dinner again. The whole meal lasted about two and a half hours and I never once felt rushed. We were able to enjoy every bite, every sip, all while watching the sun sink below the watery horizon. Truly an amazing birthday. read more

Wow! First trip to the area and we are SOOO glad we were able to get a last minute reservation at Blu. The ambiance is beautiful, service was superb (Nick) and the food was excellent! We shared the whitefish (best we've ever had, still talking about it days later), shrimp cocktail, salmon and gnocchi. Wine selection was on point. Would absolutely recommend Blu. Many thanks to the chef and team there for such a special night! read more

Amazing discovery. Blu was recommended by two friends, one a professional chef. It is beautifully situated in the corner of the Le Bear Resort, right on the beach in Glen Arbor. Small, intimate dining room with rich finishes. They currently have a fabulous Friday night promotion that we took advantage of - salad, entree and a bottle of wine for two people - only $59. Everything was beautifully prepared and very tasty. Got to meet Chef Randy and his lovely wife. The dessert was to die for - marscarpone donuts (mini), with hazelnut brittle, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Only wish we could have enjoyed the sunset, but it was blowing sideways and snowing. Atmosphere inside was nice and warm! We'll be back. read more

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We had our wedding reception on a Sunday afternoon - so that may bias my review. Along with the great weather and family and friends. The best part is the glorious view of the blue water and sky and the sun pouring in (no, it was not over heated, either). We never got a hint of the menu until the Thursday before, which they said would be the case, as they want to check the market for what was best and freshest available. Randy emailed us a suggestion of two fish dishes and two fowl dishes. We replied, maybe we could add a red meat dish for the more conservative in the crowd. We never saw the complete menu until we arrived, but what a meal! They surprised us with a litte "amuse-bouche" of a single bite of toast with a pate, herb leaf and single berry on top. Pretty and tasty! There was a choice of Swiss onion soup (done in a cream finish) and a goat cheese/beet and greens salad - both were decent sized and very tasty. Four entrees: Rainbow Trout on a bed of chopped beets and a delicate sauce, Tilapia, locally raised of chicken thigh and leg confit on rillette of goose, and Chateaubriand. I had the trout - good sized piece that was perfectly cooked, the sweet flavor went well with the slightly sweet beet flavors and delicate sauce. We had all Michigan wines, the Riesling from Brys was excellent. Also had an unoaked Chardonnay and a Cab Franc/Merlot blend that was great. Short's beer seemed to be popular, too. Then the desserts - OMG!! Randy outdid himself here!! A dark chocolate pudding-like scoop with a stunning triangular cookie sail, a slice of white chocolate mousse laid on a bed of liquid dark chocolate - we liked them so much, we sampled each others! Outstanding! Wonderful experience! Mary was the a great host, and never rushed us, allowing us to visit with our guests. I only wish I had a chance to delve more deeply into her audacious wine selection - there were some unusual selections available! Couldn't have asked for a better experience - highly recommended. We didn't spend anywhere near $100 pp either. Very reasonable! Can't wait to return for the anniversary! read more

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After an evening at Blu, my husband and I were content, full, happy and utterly blown away by the food. My suggestion--make sure to order the duck confit! It's the restaurant's specialty and it's AMAZING! We're talking 'out of this world' good. read more

Simply outstanding. Fantastic service, great views and excellent food. While its a bit pricey for this area, it was worth it. The Alaskan halibut was amazing. Very generous portion and cooked to perfection. Great fresh vegetable sides. All of the salads are great too. Highly recommended. read more

We vacation twice a year in Glen Arbor, Michigan and this is our special place to dine on our last evening. Always 100% in service, dining experience and of course, the cuisine. Our family of six has varied tastes. Two ordered the pan seared duck, which was incredible. It was a pan seared half of a duck and very flavorful. One ordered the veal chop which was to die for and everyone wished they had ordered it. One ordered the rack of lamb which was delicious, (and did not taste gamey like your grandmother's lamb.) I made it a point to taste everyone's, which is gouche, but what the hey!) My husband and I ordered the fish special, which was grouper (I think? but I had already had several glasses of Duckhorn wine!) The fish was a flakey, very tasty white fish. We all ordered the different salads: a BLT salad, a buttery bib lettuce salad with gorgonzola and cherries. The fried green tomatoes for an appetizer were wonderful as well as the crab puffs but the fried green tomatoes won that round, hands down! The desserts were over the top. Blueberry crisp won as the best dessert ordered at the table but the profiteroles and chocolate torte cake were close seconds for sure. We will return for sure next time we are in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Chef Randy came out to greet us towards the end of our meal. What a talent! Of course, our server, Kevin was very attentive. He has been our server before and is quite entertaining with our group. We will definitely request him next year, if he is still with Blu. read more

Spectacular Duck Confit ! Exquisite culinary excellence. Patio right next to the surfs of Lake Michigan. Basking under soft warm, late summer sunshine. Perfect ! read more

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We wanted to have a nice dinner to wrap up our stay in Glen Arbor. This seemed to be the best place in town and the views looked amazing, so we gave it a try...and it did not disappoint. We hoped to eat on the patio, but it was kind of chilly so they weren't serving out there that night. Instead, we got a great seat by the window with an amazing view of the lake. Our server was friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived. We started our meal with the crab puff and duck pate appetizers. Both were excellent! I'm not usually one to eat duck but the pate (which came in a form different than what I would have expected) was quite good. We also both decided to go for the Wagyu steak...since the waitress said it would be the best steak we would ever it. It was also quite delicious! We wrapped things up with the flourless chocolate cake - a great way to wrap up the meal! The chef also came out to greet us and every other table, which was a nice touch. We would definitely recommend Blu for a high quality, adult dinner with views that can't be beat! read more

My husband flew back up to Glen Arbor after a week at home during our month-long family vacation, and we wanted a special date night dinner to wrap up our summer up north. I hadn't been to this restaurant location since it was called Le Bear, and Yelp raves about Blue, so these two foodies simply had to try it, once we secured a sitter. The spot is tiny, and I think there is almost as much seating on the patio as there is indoors. That said, in the summers, a patio diner would have a glaring yellow sun in their faces until 9:30pm, or heat directly on their back, and a squinting date. We sat indoors near a window, and our server was Kevin. The amuse buche was a beet cream cheese with cherry segment and mint leaf on a tiny toast. Lovely to see, beautiful color. We had the escargot (better seasoned than La Becasse, don't tell them that), the sweetbreads, and then the delicious wine kicked in. I had a not-that-memorable trout with tomato jam and a gorgeous crust on it (at any other restaurant, this would be fantastic, but I'd just had such incredible hors d'oeuvres). My husband has a "beer test", where he requests that the server or chef recommend the best beer to go with his meal, and they had the CUTEST beer bottle with a gnome on it, and the flavor truly was perfect with his dinner. I don't know how Kevin did it! The desserts were things like flourless cake, coffee gelato, etc. We would have been better off just not having dessert and getting coffee, but we wanted the evening to last longer. Our bill with a couple of drinks each, 2 starters, 2 dinners, and 2 desserts, was around $180, and over $200 with tip. Again, a "good" date night, but well worth it. After dinner, we thanked Kevin and went outside for some sunset photos and to chat with other patrons and hotel guests. I hope we continue to have this babysitter so we can make an annual date night to Blu! read more

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Outstanding and excellent don't do this place justice. My wife and I eat here every year during our annual 4th of July vacation, and we usually order the duck which is Chef Randy's specialty (you even get a numbered card for your bird)! Mary usually greets you and checks during your meal, and everything from the soup to the dessert is amazing and delicious. If we could afford it we would make the trek to Glen Arbor just to eat at Blu! As a bonus the sunsets over Lake Michigan is one of the most beautiful sights to be seen. read more

I've never been disappointed with Blu. The beet risotto is amazing, the steak was perfectly cooked and tender, and the creme brûlée was excellent. We ordered the handmade tater tots for the table and were pleasantly surprised. Our server was very knowledgeable and was able to recommend both drinks and different dishes. read more

Loved the food, the service, the ambience -- everything. We ordered a number of appetizers sharing. Leave room for dessert! Would definitely return here. read more

One of our best dining experiences ever. We went there for our 20th anniversary last Wednesday. Our server Tracie was outstanding. We ordered 4 appetizers and dessert. Tracie paired the appetizers in twos (as we asked her to) and each one was just as amazing as the earlier one. We felt perfectly served with magnificent food. Now my favorite dining experience in Michigan. Can't wait for an excuse to go back. read more

The food was every bit as good as the view, meaning both were spectacular. We enjoyed the early bird special enhanced by appetizers and wine. The weather added drama outside the picture windows, with high waves and a helicopter rescue near North Manitou Island. I highly recommend Blu for the adventurous diner with the dough to indulge in great food. Be sure to try the crab puffs, a Blu specialty. read more

Blu is one of those restaurants that you expect might be not-so-good because the view is OH-SO-GOOD! But they didn't scrimp on the food either, as it's luckily equally as good as the location. Blu is located right on the beach of Lake Michigan's Sleeping Bear Bay and you can sit on their patio deck and watch the incredible sunset over the lake as you eat. The food was delicious and made excellent use of the Upper Peninsula's many fine local ingredients. Our server deftly steered me away from the Walleye to a more interesting choice, the Grilled Sea Scallops. They were perfectly done, crisped nicely on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth good on the inside. Then, after dinner, the restaurant even called us as we were driving away to let us know that we had left something at the table. This is a place that truly cares about their customers. It was one of several special dinners on my girlfriend's birthday weekend, and our great friend, Kim, could not have picked a better spot for the occasion. Thanks, Kim! read more

One of the best dining experiences I have had. I have been all over the world and this is top notch. The food, the ambiance, the wine list and cocktails all make this restaurant sing. Very personable service and owners. This has quickly become more than a 'special occassion' place for me. I am becoming a 'regular.' Wonderful. read more

love this restaurant! Heading there now. Back from a great dinner. So friendly & accommodating. All six of us enjoyed our respective entrees of duck con fit, trout and shrimp. Crab puffs were great as usual and also enjoyed the parsnip soup and pate with pickled ramps ! Great night. Thanks Randy and Mari. Oops, almost forgot to mention----Sunset and view of Sleeping bear point with a very flat Big Blu also spectacular. read more

My second time to Blu and although the view is amazing, the food still did not wow me. I went with three other people and we all had a nice time but the food... meh... not quite worth it. When we spend $100 dollars a head at a near by French restaurant we always come away WOWED but this was not the case. Stuffy atmosphere, good service, good food but no wow factor. The confit is over-rated. Plus charging 50 cents for an extra blue cheese stuffed olive when you spend $350 not including tip, give me a break. read more

Had dinner at Blu with some out of town relatives last night. We could not have enjoyed ourselves more!! I've dined here a few times before and found the atmosphere a little stuffy (I come from a long line of laughers) but last night the ambience was a little more relaxed. Kevin was our server, and he's THE BEST server in Leelanau county. He seemed to magically appear every time we started to look for something (water, another drink, etc.) and he is the consummate professional. The restaurant faces out towards Lake Michigan in the town of Glen Arbor and has an unparalleled view. However, the best part of the meal was the delicious food. We booked the early seating for the prix fixe menu and because I had a 7 pm commitment (which I missed but it was well worth it!). The prix fixe menu allows for a soup or salad, entree and dessert. 3 of the 4 of us chose from that menu (I had chicken confit with mushroom risotto and seasonal grilled vegetables, and the other 2 had perch or trout) and our 4th had the famous duck confit. He even received a card saying his duck confit was the 7130th serving of that dish at the restaurant since opening. We also tried 3 appetizers: the crab cake puffs, hand made tater tots and pate maison. I did not try the pate, not my thing, but my guests raved about it. The tater tots were good but the crab puffs were my favorite and incredibly flavorful!! Everyone loved their entrees and the desserts were out of this world (philo dough nest with raspberry compote, profiteroles, duck egg creme brulee and a special chocolate/mint dessert). Each one was decadent but so satisfying after the incredible meal we had just consumed. We left feeling totally satisfied but not stuffed like you feel after a Thanksgiving meal. We had drinks and wine with dinner and the wine menu is extensive. The prix fixe menu offers a more affordable way to dine at Blu (I believe it was $33 for the meals offered at that time), but I would have chosen what I ate had it been a stand alone entree. I've updated and modified my original review based on a fantastic time and memorable meal that I won't soon forget. My guests were impressed and this will be added to my go-to list of places to take visitors. Thank you to Chef Randy for a delicious meal and his impeccably trained staff for making us comfortable and humoring our shenanigans! read more

The best restaurant I have EVER been too. Great food, let me rephrase that, WONDERFUL food. Great menu, awesome service, and a perfect view. This is definitely a must when you are in GA! read more

Absolutely phenomenal not enough to be said about this place I will tell you worth every penny best meal I've had in ages highly recommend if they had six*I would give it read more

Sorry, not happy with blu, was really looking forward to the dinner that night as I had a guest from Chicago. So dissatisfied and disappointed. We spent well over $250 for the two of us, don't mind if the food is great. Will not recommend but may try again myself. Fish dry, edges like jerky!!! Lamb mediocre. Sides cold. Salad good. Appetizer ok. Please step it up. I want our restaurants to be great!! read more

Unbelievable. This was our best meal and dining experience to date in Northern Michigan. I had the signature Duck Confit which was cooked to perfection and my boyfriend had the Bronzini. I am not a big fish eater so I was a little apprehensive in trying the Bronzini but I am so glad I did. The taste and textures were great and balanced, the scallop was such a nice addition to the meal as well. We sat on the patio as the sun was setting, stunning views combined with the top notch service and dishes made this spot for us, second to none. I would highly recommend Blu to anyone visiting the area. read more