First Course Charcuterie - a disappointment. Exception was the Duck Pâté which was delish. Halibut was exceptional and the Opera Cake was a perfect finish. Will come again!!! read more

Food was great. Our waiter had great recommendations. A place to take time and enjoy the food. Not that they are slow but don't rush yourself. read more

Was really excited to go here, but after my experience, I don't think i'd recommend any of my friends to go. I had a reservation for 12 people, and asked days in advance for a vegan option for desert for 2 people in the group. The highs: * good atmosphere, well put together food * good location * they take reservations for large parties on Fri/Sat (but that's because they aren't busy) The lows * way too cold. We asked probably 6 times to turn the temp up. The AC was so cold, it made just being there painful. When everyone is wearing sweaters in mid june, that's a good sign to start listening * Server wasn't on par with the level the restaurant was aiming for. She never asked how meals were, and never asked if people wanted drink refills, and at greater than $10 a glass, she's crazy not to * Veg options were pretty bunk. The risotto and chickpea fries were nothing to write home about. the trout portions ranged from massive, to sadly small. You should be aiming for consistency * price / value just isn't there. * horribly convoluted menu. I consider myself a well versed foodie, but the menu barely passed my comprehension. The entire table was confused with your "fancy" descriptions, that people ended up just selecting what they could decipher as being somewhat familiar. I hate when I take people to restaurants with menus like this, it's just annoying, and the server should have read peoples body language and came to the rescue. But, when gratuity is auto added to your bill, I guess there's no motivation to earn your tips I suppose. I wont' go back, but give it a try if you like what they're offering. hopefully you're better off than us read more

Wow, I am surprised at all the great reviews! I felt it was an overall mediocre food experience, and from the reactions of the other 8 people around my table, I think we all felt the same way. We tried a good variety of the dishes, a few salads and soups, and everyone was underwhelmed. Even the dessert (chocolate pot de creme or whatever it was called) was fair at best. My standard is to ask myself if I would have been happy if I had served this meal in my home, and it is a resounding "no"; I would have thrown out the recipes. Won't be back. read more

This place was great! Food amazing customer service great. Veal was delicious with the cream sauce they use taste bugs where so satisfied. Also the wine selection here is great as well! read more

My soon to be husband took me here two years ago for valentines day and we have made it a tradition to go once a year for something special. All I can say is amazing. The food is beyond great and the service is wonderful. It is expensive but so worth it, I like how the menu is always a little different, last time we were there they had a skate special, it was the yummiest fish i have ever had. read more

The atmosphere is great as well as the wine and food. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and offered some great selections. However I don't know how this is rated $$$ as it is very expensive. A dinner for 2 with each having a salad, entree, 1 glass of wine and sharing a desert cost $160 with tip. Definately a place for the very well to do, or a special occassion where you are willing to spend twice as much as you normally would for the same. read more

Here with a large group over an hour wait then my food wasn't even warm. Not sure if it's the size of the group might try again but disappointed read more

Was a fan of the old Forest Grill; probably won't be going back to this one. Wasn't terrible, so wouldn't feel right going less than three stars, but there are a lot of better choices in the metro area, and even in the B'ham corridor. The service was both not that great and kind of odd. Water glasses left unfilled for long stretches, server showing up as we were seated to say should would be right with us and then disappearing for what seemed like a very long time -- not returning to take orders for our entrees until well after our starters were cleared, etc. And then to the food. Really like the simple menu, and the focus on interesting starters. Definitely a middle eastern twist, and wish we were iwth a larger group to have tried more. But most of what we had was disappointing. Scallops with lentils were waaay too salty, beets with cumin and frisee were bland. (Had one bite with a crunch of cumin and had a hint of what it might have been -- but wasn't.) Duck breast was good, but a little tough and not special. And just to round things out, the wife's bronzino was fine, but again pretty salty. They do have interesting wines by the glass and a nicely curated beer list, not always something you find in a place like that, so points. Bottom line is that if a friend wanted to go, I wouldn't object, but even if we don't feel like trekking to one of the great new choices in the D, there are better choices out here in Oakland County, especially when you look at the price point. read more

This place is fantastic. We did try to find parking around the venue but everything said it was a private zone so we valet parked in the front. We could only get a 9pm rez for a Saturday evening but I had called that day so I was fine with that. The inside is modern and pristine. It had a fun, busy, and an alive vibe. We ordered a glass of champagne each ($20). We skipped the appetizer and went ahead and ordered dinner. I had the Branzino (Quinoa, Pine nut, Pomegranate $34) and we shared a side of mushrooms ($8-9). I liked how it came w/ the pine nut and quinoa. I believe my friend had the salmon (around $30). I couldn't believe how generous my portion of food was! I ended up taking half of it home. The prices were so reasonable for the amount of food you get and for the location. Ok, I watch my calories and I'm not a dessert eater but we splurged that night since it was a holiday wknd. We ordered the last item on the menu, "The Baked Alaska," which was something listed as flourless cake with marshmallow - it was heavenly. If you decide to get dessert ask for this item! You won't be disappointed. I'm only giving it a 4 star rating bc my waitress took forever to get our drink order. It was a bit annoying but I could see that it was a busy night so I'm trying to be fair. She was professional and pleasant though. Other than that, I could see this place as being one of my go-to's. Food is good Great date place Had a nice crowd of people Amazing portion sizes Amazing prices Elegant and stylish read more

Food is always five star. Amazing customer service. I ordered Hendricks with a cucumber. They were out of cucumbers. I was wondering what took so long for my drink, but it turned out that the owner had run out to get a cucumber as they had use the last of them to make gazpacho. Above and beyond. read more

we had a wonderful dinning experience here. i do have to agree with some of the other reviewers that the menu was vague. luckily we had a wonderful attentive server point out the standouts on the menu or else we would've missed the black rice. you must try the black rice! seems very ordinary in the menu description but is unlike anything you've ever tried. thinking about it now makes me want to go back there and have a giant order of just that. then the chocolate pot de creme is incredible! if you are a chocolate lover you cannot leave without having this. we are looking forward to our next visit! read more

The food was very good. We ate the meat board (good but wouldn't make a trip especially for that), Caesar (good), scallops (good), pork shoulder (great and savory), Mac n Cheese (very good) and for the finale...bread pudding OMG..I don't even like bread pudding and we ordered a second one lol! read more

My husband and I went here for my birthday and really enjoyed our meal. Having recent'y moved from Denver and Scottsdale before that, we are no strangers to fine dining and had been worried we wouldn't be able to find anything too great in the area. We started off with the charcuterie which was really good. I especially loved the smoked halibut. I had the beat salad and my husband had the caesar. Both very tasty. My salad came with fried goat cheese and I think I would have preferred plain goat cheese. For dinner I had the pork shoulder which was very good. The creamed cabbage that accompanied it was amazing. My husband had a steak which we both loved. I think next time I would get that. I can't remember the cut but it wasn't a filet. Great flavor! For dessert it was the croissant bread pudding. Very very good!! The atmosphere was good as well as the service. We felt a tad underdressed but it didn't seem to be a big deal. We're still use to the semi-casulness of Colorado. I'm sure we'll be back! read more

I was visting from out of town and this restaurant had just been reviewed in the Detroit Free Press and my friends had been here before. Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience from service to ambiance to food. The place was understaffed beginning at the front desk. No hostess in sight with parties backed up three deep, all with reservations, as a harried wait person had to seat us. There was no need for reservations as the place remained only 1/2 full on a Friday evening. Although the decor was lovely, there was no energy in the room and it was lethally quiet. Our waiter could only produce one menu for our party of three so we had to share it. The menu had changed dramatically from what was posted online...new chef with a partiality to meats with no fresh vegetable or green salads offered. The menu needs a rewrite to more accurate describe the dishes: lamb shank surprised us when it arrived as a chopped lamp mix with garbanzo beans served as slices wrapped in papaya leaves. Frog legs were a crumpled tasteless undercooked heap on a bed of messy smashed peas. Scallop appetizer was also tasteless and again served on a messy plate. Halibut en papilotte was okay but bland. To make matters worse, the server pointedly asked us twice "How does everything taste?" How do you respond when everything is unremarkable? The Freep review said the place had just been reinvented but perhaps another makeover should be considered. read more

Hands down best quality food I had in a long while m very creative and tasteful. Yes it is pricy but definitely worth a try. I recommend it to everyone. ... read more

Disappointing. I ordered wrong probably. A friend and I sat in the bar. Nice wine and bartender. But the steak I had seemed like it had been cooked and then been sitting around. My dog will like what I brought home, I'm sure. This place didn't meet it's reputation or my expectations tonight. read more

Friday, August 16, I went to the Forest Grill for lunch. I did not enjoy my experience with the server and wrote a one star review detailing my experience. Today the manager, Kaitlyn, sent me a message stating her regrets and said she would address the situation and invited us to return with an incentive. This was a first-class, business-like way to handle the situation. My thank you to her and to the Forest Grill. read more

I have been following Chef Brian Polcyn through most of his career and I am still a great fan of his approach and execution of food. The Forest Grill offers excellent food and good service but being in Birmingham it is very expensive and the dining room can be a bit too loud. Overall still a great restaurant run by a great Chef just not a place I can afford to attend more than occasionally. read more

This place is seriously atrocious. For what you pay, it's seriously a crime to eat here. I ordered octopus that was so ill prepared I had to return it (and I eat it often)---I still got charged too! My friends ordered gnocchi and it tasted tragic. I think it was salt and peppered gnocchi with cilantro..??? This place needs a new chef ASAP. We also got these fries which were so overly fried that you couldn't even taste the potato.. it was just a total crisp... the waiter was the worst too.. all around terrible experience. My friends and I will never return. Btw.. we had made reservations and still had to wait over 30 mins to sit.. if u plan on going here I seriously suggest you rethink it ... Whole Foods hot bar is 1000000x better read more

Unique attractive modern white aesthetic that is refreshing change to all the dark industrial distressed wood places everywhere! Overall a lovely dining experience- great date night place. Not a kid oriented place. Lovely menu. read more

I thought it was ok... In a rather odd part of town, but the food was decent. The environment was a little cold. Something to try, but nothing to really recommend. read more

How Sad to have a special day damped! We are long time fans of Chef Brian Polcyn, and even use his recipes on a regular basis. We have followed him from Pike Street etc. and his book on chac. is my bible for several dishes (haven't tried my own sausage yet, but love corning beef & doing confit) Our experience at the Forest.Grill was one of of mixed emotions. You are encouraged by the front of house when you call, to accept a 9:30 PM reservation as "we serve until midnight": Thus you are/should-be entitled to the same dining experience as the 8 PM reservation people, and the same non-frantic service - right?! Maybe not. The atmosphere that Saturday Night was a little frantic, but not awful. However, we waited much longer than usual (compared to other Birmingham high end places) for our bottle of wine to be served. (twiddling thumbs) The soup arrived in a fairly timely maner and was excellent. (tomato bisque) The entre' took an unusually long amount of time - the waiter apologized twice for it not being ready - and when it arrived, we were a bit confused. One entree was perfect - the fish (Halibut). One was supposed to be Rack of "Pig". ... we had discussed at length w/ the waiter the provenence and heritage of said pig (hoping it was an older or heritage breed or even javelina - (which he said was true) ) and my love of Pig even came up. ...... (We discovered too late) I was served Lamb shoulder . confit of - hoping for an heritage breed of pork, I hoped it was so, and accepted the dish hoping it was a wild variety (as they tend to be a darker meat) but wondered where the bones might be and why it didn't taste like even wild pork. (In 40+ years of dining out, I have never been served the wrong entree! ) After 2 bites (tasty but fatty) I decided to pass and have the meal boxed. The amount of fat (not from the confit process) was VERY high. The waiter backed and filled but said he thought I had said lamb (SIGH) The waiter, however, was startled that I had NOT ordered the lamb, even though the diners at the adjoining table also wondered how my rack of pork had turned out.( No adjustment was offered) We did have dessert/Port. The bacon brownie was OK but odd. It was a bit distracting that the chef frequently passed thru the dining room heading to the basement. When we were leaving at 11:40, the staff were already sluicing down the kitchen area (open to diners) with buckets of soapy water even though there were 5 tables of diners and 6 bar patrons yet there. It was a bit disturbing on a Saturday night. (also the bathrooms were out of TP (sigh)) The Valet parking fellow was very friendly though and deserved his tip! I have worked at a few high end dining places and some of these things are not good at all. The menu is interesting, but not sure we'll chance it again. Even though it's almost walking distance from our home. read more

I went for a birthday dinner here once. I'm reading a lot of the reviews and they are stating that this place has been in a state of flux. I don't know exactly when I was there but the facts are that myself and my party were underwhelmed. read more

A wonderful dinner, starters set the tone for interesting entrees. The farm egg is smooth and creamy. Salads interesting with fresh dressings. A very comprehensive wine list, our waitress was quite helpful with suggestions. I had the short ribs, melt in your mouth, the richness is tamed by the home made pasta it is wrapped in. My daughter had the NY Strip steak , prepared perfectly and big enough for others to sneak a bite or two. Save room for desserts as the baked Alaska as delicious as it is beautifully presented. Love, love, love Forest! read more

I wish there was a 3.5 star rating, because Forest Grill doesn't really deserve the mediocrity of a 3, but was just lacking enough that 4 stars would not be appropriate. At first glance, the menu listed some tantalizing possibilities - elegant French classics that I was surprised to find at a restaurant in Metro-Detroit. We ordered the tuna tartare appetizer and two entrées consisting of the roasted duck breast and the veal cheeks. While the chef is to be applauded for venturing out and re-inventing the classic tartare dish with a Mediterranean flare, the strong pungency of the hummus did not compliment the tuna well. The spices covered up the delicate flavor of the fish - you could have supplemented anything in the stead of fresh tuna and the effect would have been the same. The duck and veal dishes were both very well executed, but lacked that extra "oomph" of flavor to really please the palate. The flavors were muted, as if the chef was cooking with a stuffy nose. If restaurants were cars, Forest Grill would be a Lexus - refined, elegant, but boring and lacking in excitement. I would rather have a CTS-V any day - bold and daring, as prone to blowing a headgasket as to blowing your socks off, but promising an experience that you won't likely forget. read more

I used to really like Forest Grill under the old chef. It was probably my favorite restaurant in SE Michigan outside of Roast and Joe Muer's. After my experience last night, I likely will not be coming back again. I understand that there are growing pains while changing chefs, but if the growing is this painful, a restaurant should shut down in the process. The service was passable, the ambiance the same, but the food was not good. I went last night (a Saturday) with a group of 4 people, including one vegan. The menu was much more limited than under the old chef, with the only options being 4 appetizers, 2 salads, 4 entrees, 2 pizzas and charcuterie. Of the 4 entrees, there was only a strip steak, a duck, a braised lamb, and a salmon entree. Gone are the bouillabaisse, mussels and frites, truffled risotto, steak and frites, clay oven chicken, and other outstanding entrees that used to exist. Despite the lack of options, I maintained an open mind, but unfortunately every dish under delivered. The strip steak was slightly gritty and overwhelmingly average, served with a sliver of potato that was effectively a garnish. The Duck was cooked well, but there was nothing special about it, and it was accompanied by some bland vegetable (maybe turnip) stuffed with a truly awful foie gras mousse. Given my love of foie gras, this should have been a slam dunk, but was instead inedible. One of the reasons we had picked Forest Grill was because the one vegan among us had in the past been able to get custom vegan dishes prepared by the former chef, which had always been good. A similar accommodation was made last night, but the result was nothing special, and even the vegan was disappointed. Even the wine list and the desserts were lacking. I normally can get a glass of an Oregon Pinot Noir, which tend to be my favorite, but the list seemed much more French and Italian oriented (way to stay local, or even made in USA). The bread pudding wasn't anywhere close to what it used to be under the former chef, the peach cobbler had some funky clove or herbal taste that was very off putting, and the chocolate waffles were gritty and tasteless. The chocolate ice cream on top of the waffles was good, but I could have eaten that at home. Needless to say, it was a bad experience among otherwise good experiences I have had at Forest Grill. If it is due to the transition to the new chef, the restaurant should have been closed until the kinks were worked out. If it is a harbinger of what to expect from Forest Grill going forward, the food is just not good. In either event, I won't be going back unless and until I hear that the food is up to the quality previously expected of Forest Grill. read more

As the mom of someone who owns some fabulous restaurants downtown, I consider myself a pretty informed diner! Dinner at Forest was an exemplary experience! From the Valet who walked me from my car with an umbrella to protect my hair, to the sweet hostess, to Emily our excellent server it was a great experience! Emily was never annoyed by our dietary restrictions, gave us samples of the wines when we were unsure of what to order and generally was wonderful and attentive. My friend had the gnocchi and the duck, I had the brussel sprout salad and lamb shank and my husband had the salmon. We all absolutely LOVED our meals! The restaurant is also beautiful, comfortable and quiet, perfect for an evening of conversation. At the end of the meal we were given jars of handmade granola which I plan to enjoy soon. All in all, a total 5 stars! read more

The food here was excellent. I was in town on a business trip in May and tried it out due to the good reviews. I went by myself and was seated near a window where I could look outside and at the rest of the restaurant. It was a very comfortable atmosphere. I ordered a beet salad as a starter and then I tried the duck as an entree. Both were very good. The desert and the and coctails were great as well. I would definitely go back here if I were in town again. Only next time I would hope that my hubby was with me. read more

My wife and I had one of the best dining experiences possible. The food was excellent (we had the Brussels sprouts, braised rib and black rice for apps, duck breast and bronzino for dinner with side of fries- fries were the only thing sub par but no big deal). We split everything and both of us gave everything 2 thumbs up. Our waiter, John, was great and the support staff was, also. read more

Wow, is this place over-rated. I am not a fan of restaurants that blend ingredients that sound fancy, but have no relationship to each other in the food. We had a table for eight, and none of us enjoyed our meal. It is simply a case of trying too hard, but not actually tasting what one has created. I will not be going back. I have read the reviews of others, and can't imagine what they ate that deserved their ratings. read more

Lots of hype, only an OK experience at Brian Polcyn's new bistro in Birmingham's triangle district. First, the positives: Polite, knowledgeable server. Great wine list. with many interesting options available by the glass. Food was tasty (what there was of it). Would recommend the beet salad with goat cheese, the scallops & the trout. Now on to why I will probably never go back...first off, the portions were ridiculously small. Most entrees (hovering near the $30 mark) lack starches and usually also seem to lack veggies, as well. You can order them on the side, but the a la carte sides don't always mesh with the proteins offered. For example, they had a seared tuna special that was served with more tuna (in the form of a carpaccio of the belly) that sounded tasty...but it had no rice with it, no veggie to speak of...and I did actually bring my appetite! Since there was no suitable side on the a la carte menu, either, I had to skip it. I went for the scallops, which were perfectly cooked although served with a bit of an overpowering sauce, and they came with a smear of cauliflower puree (maybe a tablespoon's worth) that was apparently supposed to be both my veggie and my starch. My friend ordered the $17 "crab cakes" appetizer for her meal--she had been in on 9/22 and had enjoyed it--and it arrived with only one crab cake, although she had previously had two. When she asked about it, they said, "oh yeah, they have made some changes to that dish". At $17, those changes seemed like a slap in the face. Needless to say, the price was a pretty big factor for all of us. The food was good and the menu interesting, but in this economy we all felt there were better places to spend money on dinner. Paying big bucks to leave hungry is never fun. Also not fun is having to leave the restaurant and take an elevator downstairs to use the restroom. I think I'll let the scenesters keep coming to Forest Grill. I'll stick to 220. read more

We were very disappointed with our first visit to a longtime favorite since the new chef took over. The favorite menu items are all gone. Service was solid as always, but the food was average at best. The lamb shank dish tasted ok, but was one of the least appetizing presentations that we have ever seen. Gnocchi appetizer was tasteless and the pasta dish was flavorless, with the pasta not even being cooked to al dente. The manager approached the table once, before we had ordered to see if everything was okay. He spent lots of time at other tables, but never approached us again. Sorry to say we probably won't go back and for years it has been our go to recommendation and special occasion restaurant. The desserts were good but we missed their bread pudding, and it was really too little too late to redeem the experience. read more

You know the old saying " I don't mine getting screwed but I hate getting fucked " that was the forest grill on Mothers day. worst menu I've ever seen. not only was the menu extremely limited but, they had a cheeseburger on the menu. yes ! a cheeseburger for mothers day. our bill was $ 211.00 for a Cheeseburger, Cesar Salad, and a fratada. 1 cup of coffee, green tea, and 3 Mimosa's. we should have known something was wrong when there was no one there on Mothers day and we were seated immediately. This place shouldn't be open for business.Absolutely Horrible. wouldn't take my worst enemy here. hope they close there doors very soon. Oh ! did I mention it was $ 45.00 a person for that garbage. read more

First visit. Scallops and pork shoulder were good. Ordered peach cobbler and bread pudding... Did not finish cobbler, ordered second bread pudding. Peter was awesome waiter. read more

I really liked this place. We ordered the Paella and it was good, full of seafood :-), we also had the wine recommended by the waiter and it was a great selection. They were really patient with our baby! We are definitely going back. read more

All four of us were very underwhelmed by the food. Very disappointed. Decent wine list. Excellent service. No wonder it was virtually empty at 7:30 pm on a Friday night. We will not be back. read more

Ambience was great at first sight. Seated on time with our reservation. Service was excellent and my food and all others were top notch which is what I had expected. Never felt rushed either. I would be back and will recommend to others. read more

Unfortunate Experience, I took my fiancé to a romantic dinner last night and our first impression was quite pleasant. The hostess and ambiance were all very enjoyable. Since we had plans to meet with a group of friends down the street for cocktails we did not plan on staying for too long. We ordered the: VEGETARIAN PARISIAN GNOCCHI & CLAY ROASTED HALF FREE RANGE CHICKEN We were enjoying our discussion but realized that it was actually 1 full hour after we had ordered. We asked our waiter who offered absolutely no reassurance (a complete surprise) about the situation and we decided to give it ten more minutes. After an hour and ten minutes we asked for our bill. When we told our story to our friends they were astonished how the waiter did not reassure us and did not apologize what so ever. I recall explaining that we had been waiting for over an hour and he looked at his wrist watch and walked away. I understand it was a very awkward situation for him, but eventually if we had some sort of comforting assurance or kind words I believe we would have understood that they had missed a table order or something of that nature. However we walked away upset and hungry. We will never go back to Forest Grill, Birmingham, MI. read more

I would give give FG 3.5 stars but I settled with just three. It is definitely a place to go for a special occasion. Service was very good and our waiter, Michael was well informed regarding the menu. Went with two other couples who seemed to like their glasses of wine but we all agreed that the french onion soup and white pizza was very bland. Prices at FG are over priced and portions are quite small. I ordered the bouillabaisse and it was very good. I would recommend that. Another person ordered the filet and fries and he was joking how small it was. The vegetable gnocchi was the girls' favorite of the night as well as the red trout. I would recommend the trout, vegetable gnocci and bouillabaisse. I have to say that the desserts were fantastic. We ordered the banana bread pudding as well as the banana parfait. I would go back to FG just for the desserts and a cup of expresso. All in all, the restaurant's decor is inviting, offers good service, small portions and excellent dessert. read more