This is an outstanding hidden gem. We went in not really knowing what to order, and met another gem, Carmen, our server, who expertly and joyfully suggested items from the menu..(the bisque, the bake, the roast, to name a few) and they were all incredible. Absolutely give this place a shot, and ask for Carmen! We will be back! read more

If you're in the area and want a great dinner, make reservations and go here now! Honestly can't believe a place of this level is located here. Amazing flavors, great selection, great times. Thank you for opening Red Haven here. I'll visit it once a year when we're in town for the holidays. I wish you well and good business, because I would hate for things to not go well where one day you disappear. You're food is outstanding. From the bread and pesto, all the way to the peppermint marshmallow... Amazing, Please open a restaurant near me in Austin. Message me and maybe I can help as an investor :) read more

Simple beautiful. Each dish has complex flavors, while being incredibly fresh. The drinks are exotic and tasty. Expect to have 3-4 dishes per table of 2. The more people, the merrier because you can explore the seasonal menu. Try the bread with the ricotta. read more

Red Haven - Beautiful salad and wine. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

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Adventurous, creative, impeccibly executed, artfully presented "Farm-to-Table / Localvore" small plates. Wonderful mixology. Comfortable, sharp decor. read more

Red Haven - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

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By far, my favorite Lansing Area restaurant. The food reminds me of being back in Seattle. Creative, fresh and oh so delicious. There isn't anything I have tried so far that I haven't loved every bite. It's always an adventure to see what the current menu is. Great selection of beer and wine. I'm not a fan of mixed drinks but they have had some clever (and tasty) choices that always seem to tempt me. The bartender, Liz, is amazing! The atmosphere is wonderful. As my daughter put it the last time we were there...if we could decorate a space of our very own, it would be exactly this right down to all the little details. True true. I couldn't end this review without mentioning their desserts. The birthday cake is my favorite. Not just of their desserts but for cake in general! I was never a big cake fan until we tried this. I get it every time we go now. Different flavors each time, each one just as terrific as the last. Anthony and Nina, thank you for bringing your vision to the area! read more

Flavors were off. Had the chest plate and toss. Didn't try anything else cause kitchen closes,at 845pm Very expensive for what you get read more

This place has a lot of potential. Service was good. Creativity was something I could get on board with. However, some of the dishes needed some tweaking. I know I'm no chef, and critiquing a place that is really trying to be different and progressive kind of feels wrong. But, I heavily rely upon Yelp. So it is my civic duty to provide honest feedback. Had a berry marg to start. Way too tart. Wine list is good though and my second drink redeemed the lackluster marg. Next up, their take on Mexican street corn (deconstructed) with feta and sliced poblano peppers. It was soooo yummy. Then came the salad made of flowers. Beautiful to the eye. Way too pungent to the palate. Homemade focaccia....moist and delish. Last course, the steak. Steak was seasoned well and cooked to order. Came with charred raddicio which was awful and inedible. Waste of space on the plate. Potatoes were ok. And the broiled tomato was cold. They just need a lil work for a 5 Star review. But I did enjoy most of what I ate. read more

Let me start out by saying this: The food is DELICIOUS! Very creative, extremely fresh, just fantastic. I wasn't sure what to expect, because the restaurant is located in an apartment complex. It didn't seem promising. But what a pleasant surprise! As everyone has noted, this is a small plates place. And you'll have to ask your server to tell you exactly what each dish is, because they use that trendy list of ingredients only, so you wouldn't know what you were getting by reading the menu. OK, now on to the food! My friend and I both had the fresh asparagus bisque shooters to start, and it was heavenly. Tasty and cold, creamy (yogurt) but not overly so. The veg were the stars. We followed that with "BAKE," which consists of a variety of unbelievably yummy breads and four spreads. The orange-rhubarb jam and walnut-lentil spread were fantastic--tons of flavor. Then we shared "RAVIOLI" and "TOAST," the latter a play on the usually greasy Chinese menu shrimp toasts. Only these were fantastic--shrimp fried in crispy brioche with tiny fennel fronds and a miso/mustard sauce on the side. The ravioli were outstanding, with a complex sauce that really delivered and a perfectly al dente dough. Here's my one complaint. We were in East Lansing because we had tickets to a play, and we told our very friendly server that when we were seated, so he would know that we needed to leave at a certain time. Unfortunately, he pretty much forgot about us (we had to wave and call to him--twice), so we didn't get to sample the desserts, which we really wanted to try. Grapefruit custard??? Sign me up! I'll be back the next time I'm in the area. There are other small plates I want to try, as well as dessert. I love that everything is local--your taste buds can really tell the difference! Oh--and the drinks are nice too! read more

I was in East Lansing for business and was driving around and found this place. When I got there the place was very busy. There seemed to be a very large party/chefs tasting in the back. When you sit down with the menu it's slightly scary because you have these cooking terms as food names and no description. Don't let it bother you. Also know the dishes are meant to be shared it is tapas style but 3 plates is too much for your average person. I had the bake which was bread and four different toppings for the bread. I followed that with the braise and that pork belly was cooked perfectly. I also had the candy bar, which was awesome. As someone not from Lansing I would definitely comeback if I were remotely near this place. Go , bring your friends, an appetite and an adventitious spirit. read more

Red Haven - Candy bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

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Went to Red Haven with friends and we had a great time. Things I really liked about the place. They had a mixed drink menu, service was great, food was very tasty and the atmosphere was good. I don't understand places that have a bar and don't have a drink menu. This place has a drink menu and it is creative and wonderful. They also had wonderful wine and beer selection. Food was very good, I love to be able to try a variety of things and each dish was perfect. My only issue is the price. Dishes are designed to share and I love that, but to fill up 4 people need to order 6 to 8 dishes total. If you are looking for something different and wonderful this is a great place, just be prepared to spend a lot. I will be going back, but only on special occasions. read more

My favorite place in Lansing. Really nice and thoughtful preparations made with exceptional ingredients. The chestnut bisque as our first course was a WOW. Flavor bomb. One of those memorable first bites. Everything else was excellent- fresh, flavorful and healthy. I will be back ASAP. I was happy to find a place that actually does not have a hamburger and fries as their lead menu item. read more

Went with a large group on a Saturday night. We had heard good things about Red Haven, but I was a little concerned after reading some of the reviews talking about the price and size of servings. After being there, I can't say how wrong those reviews were. The people posting them clearly don't understand the concept of tapas. We had a group of 12 people who all enjoy trying new things, so Red Haven was perfect! We opted for the "tour" that serves up nearly one of every item on the menu. Everything was very well prepared and excellenly presented. One of our favorites...the popcorn soup. Don't judge until you've tried it. Very tasty! read more

In town for a night on business and glad I found this place! To the owner(s): you have the hardest working staff I have ever seen in a restaurant. I sat at the bar and had a good vantage point. Everyone was busy and completely focused. The bartender, Braden, never stopped for a second. If he didn't have a customer or a drink order, he was cleaning or running food. The hostess who sat me also stopped by to check on me halfway through my meal. I ordered off the happy hour menu: Old fashioned: perfect and only $5 Brussels/cauliflower: this was delicious! Cheese: this was a sweet potato puree with a very mild (tasteless?) soft cheese. Honestly I didn't enjoy it. It tasted like canned pumpkin pie filling with cream cheese on top. Very much like a dessert. Just not what I was hoping for I guess. Would have loved something a little more pungent (maybe whipped feta with olive tapenade or goat cheese with a cranberry relish) The staff and laid back atmosphere that belies it's strip mall location more than made up for this and I still have to give you guys 5 stars. Keep up the good work! And thank your staff because they bust their asses for the customer. read more

Really neat farm to table restaurant. My favorite is the 'Fry'! Definitely worth trying if you are an adventurous eater! read more

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The service here was excellent. Our waiter was very nice and happy to explain anything we were curious about on the menu. The portions are small, except for the hors d'oeuvres. Which we thought was a little strange since the waiter (and menu) insisted that it was all to be shared. The food, unfortunately was hit or miss. We had the bread with different spreads. All of it was delicious except for the hummus, which was really sweet and way too much of it. The chicken was good, but pretty salty. It came with 4 tiny pieces of artichokes, most of which were inedible, which was disappointing, especially with how little there was of them to begin with. The steak was the best part of our meal. It was fantastic! Cooked perfectly, and not over seasoned. Fun experience, but more then likely not some where we'd try again. read more

When I go out for tapas...I want to order fifty plates of thirty different finger-foody things! Okay, I'm over exaggerating a bit...but, that's what I expect...a lot of devilishly delicious bites that makes me want to eat like a tapas god, every day. Red Haven, in my opinion, is not a tapas-style restaurant. They "encourage experimenting and sharing" yet their selection, plates, and portions are small for cost. So, I left with an empty wallet feeling quite unsatisfied and disappointed. Take the 'tapas' relation away from the restaurant and I would have enjoyed it more as a fine dining, farm-to-table, experience. The service is great, drinks were neat, and I loved the cozy atmosphere, despite the noise of others' chatter. read more

Firs time visit here, although I have driven past it a few times. Glad I came in for the lunch. This is a farm to table place and loved mindset & the T-shirts the staff wore (it says: "[local] FIRST"). The cuisine is American but refreshing, slightly new but innovative menu items. I tried the beet borscht soup, which is a lemon-beet bisque with a kohlrabi chip. What I liked was since I was not so sure I would like the taste (and I hate seeing food go to waste), they do offer a shot glass version of it - for maybe like $2! I ended up liking it and will order the regular sized version next time. For lunch I ordered the Grilled Chicken Club sandwich, which was a herb marinated chicken breast, grilled bacon, topped with green tomato, lettuce, pesto aioli, and served on a grilled brioche. I asked for the fries which were made from russet potatoes. house cut and salted & peppered. Tasty. Shall be coming back here hopefully again in the near future. read more

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The couple I nanny for gave my boyfriend and I a gift certificate to visit this place for our anniversary. They said it was one of their favorites and wanted us to try it too. We are both pretty laid back people so we were a little worried this place would be too high end for us, but we were wrong. The atmosphere was perfect!! Everything was very clean and relaxed looking. We felt at ease during our whole meal. Our server was polite, unimposing, and efficient. We ordered five of the selections from their very unique menu. We ordered [bread], [cheese], [fry], [poach], and [smoke]. The [bread] and [cheese] plates were excellent starters to a perfect meal. The flavors were so fun and some we hadn't tasted before. I loved the cilantro tomato dip that accompanies the cheese. [Fry] and [poach] plates came out next. We both did not care for the [poach] plate as the flavors were a little too bitter for our liking. It was a very beautiful dish and I will do no justice trying to explain what it is made of apart from saying there is an egg involved. [Fry] was probably my favorite - it was brussel sprouts dipped in egg and fried. The flavor and consistency of these were unreal!! Last we received the [smoke]. It was smoked brisket that was SO tender. I have never been more glad to be a carnivore after eating this dish. The little apple bits added fantastic flavor and complimented the smoky flavor well. We ended with the [candy bar] plate that was chocolate mouse and peanut butter crisps. It was so smooth and easy to eat. I loved the richness but thought it was so fluffy, it wasn't too rich. Thank you for everything, Red Haven! We will be back. read more

The food is beautifully displayed and fresh, with some unique items to try, but WAY TOO SALTY! No ice for water. You are told to order 3-4 dishes per person, which range from $7-$24, and average about $12/plate. We ordered 4 for 3 people, and the bill was $56 without drinks. Though there were 3 in our party, the chicken came in 2 small rolls, about 1oz each, awkward to share between 3. The ravioli was 3 small ravioli with sauce and topping. The fried cauliflower was way over done--just one notch under burned. The kitchen is open to view. I didn't like looking at a box of O-I glasses sitting out in plain view. A waitress brought out a large and heavy stack of clean dishes hugged close to her, no tray. The other helpers ignored her, though she obviously had a heavy load (you are watching all this.) Our waiter commented "good to the last drop?" as if he disapproved that we finished every bite of a way too skimpy meal. We were there about 7pm on a Thursday night. It was an adventure, and I'm glad we went, but would not return. read more

I really love this spot. I've been several times for lunch, happy hour and dinner, so I suppose it's time to write a review. This is farm to table at its best. Everything is prepared fresh when ordered. Presentation is always on point - beautiful, fragrant, and accompanied by explanations from the servers. Quiche - delicious. Cheese - delicious. Bake - yum. Drinks - double yum. Better adjectives escape me, because I'm always so pleased and content after eating here. I haven't yet tried dessert, but only because I always run out of room. Perhaps I'll start with dessert next time! read more

Wow, once again a delicious lunch experience. Everything is so healthy and unique. Great coffee too! read more

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Nothing to not love here! Excellent food, excellent drinks! Everything tastes handcrafted and fresh. Ate here for lunch and split the croque Madame (to die for!!!!) and the chicken Sammy (just ok) and had the fries with egg yolk. read more

Red Haven - The fries (with egg yolk, Meyer lemon, rosemary and sea salt) and the Hipster drink. Both amazing! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

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(review from summer 2013) First visit, will return. Went for our first visit tonight, liked almost everything about the place. We were seated promptly and service throughout the whole night was excellent, food came out quickly too, considering they had a full house that was impressive. I was surprised at both the quality of service and the speed of the food. The food itself was delicious. The fried squash blossoms were amazing. I took one bite and said wow. Recently returning from a trip to Chicago where we had some $200+ dinners and that squash blossom was the best bite of food I've had in awhile. You couldn't really taste the squash, but I didn't care, the filling was ambrosia. It came on a little cucumber salad which was also very good, the whole plate was executed to perfection. I also had the GRIND which was a scotch egg, very good, a little tarragon in the sausage which was nice. My wife also had a mixed green salad with berries which was very nice. Then we split the ROAST which was beet falafel, and the GRILL which was trout with a white chocolate parsnip sauce. The falafel plate was the one bad note. They were good, but a little mushy on the inside, not quite like actual falafel. What I really disliked was that curry sauce and the plate was littered with cilantro. I understand some people like that spice, I'm not one of them, in fact I've heard a portion of the population genetically tastes cilantro like soap, I think I'm in this group. There was no mention of cilantro on the menu, I think if a dish has a strong spice like that (or perhaps sage) it should be listed. Not all curry has cilantro as a rule. (I also thought it was a overpriced, almost as much as the very large very expensive looking burger, the other prices I thought were reasonable) The trout however was excellent. Who knew that white chocolate with parsnip went with trout? For dessert we had the "birthday cake" which was a cherry and chocolate cake and very very good, and again better than anything I had in Chicago (nice portion too). It was noisy in there, but what can you expect with a room full of people having a good time? We'll definitely be back. ------- Update: We went back many times, one of our favorite places in East Lansing before we moved. Their theme dinners are especially fun. For instance they had a 5 course pork theme dinner with wine pairings for $70 a person. I always tell people, eating at Red Haven is the closest you'll get to being a judge on Iron Chef, at least anywhere near East Lansing. It may not always make sense on the menu, but it is usually delicious in a unique and amazing way. read more

Farm-to-table...Grind | Broil | Stuff | Sear | Braise | Grill | Red Haven Peach Drink.... We visited this gem back in the Fall, ordered everything above, and it was all amaZING! One of the dishes was actually topped w/a celery froth (think celery bubbles), food innovation at its best! Dishes are available small or medium plated, and deliciously filling!! We'll definitely be back for more tastilizing dishes! read more

Red Haven - Grind | Broil | Stuff | Sear | Braise | Grill | Red Haven Peach Drink - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

This place is fantastic. It is now over 12 hours since my wife and I, along with some friends and family, ate at Red Haven and I'm still in awe of just how spectacular the food was. We tried just about everything on the menu and we all agreed there was not a single bad dish. I think the best way to convey just how good the food was is this.... my mother-in-law hates goat cheese in all forms that she has tried it (and she has tried it in many forms). One of the plates we ordered was a warm dip made primarily of goat cheese and spinach, she tried it and thought it was delicious, even went back for more of it. If the chef can get her to like goat cheese, they can do anything. Our waiter was very friendly and super helpful, which is good since the menu is a bit different. Their beer and wine selection was fantastic, they even have a good selection of hard ciders which I love! The only qualm I had was the noise level (it was quite loud, even though the restaurant was only half full). I'd also caution people that, while they say it's small plates, I'd call most of what we got closer to a medium plate... My wife and I agreed that when we go back, we will probably share 3 plates between the two of us and still leave quite satisfied. We ordered 3 plates per person (two smaller, one larger item each), and by the time our last course came out, everyone was pretty full. read more

I highly recommend this restaurant for date night or even a small gathering with friends! It's an amazing experience to be had, from the fun/unique atmosphere to the helpful wait staff. The food is impeccable, everything we tried was delish including the drinks. read more

Red Haven - "Fry"; August 21st, 2015 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

Excellent. Interesting dishes with unique combinations that are delicious. Plenty of gluten free options available! Service was great.

We loved Red Haven for the dining experience and it was worth the extra cost. Recently we went expecting the same dining experience but they changed it to a normal dining experience at the same pricely cost and small portions. We were not happy. We won't be back unless they go back to the special menu they once provided. read more

What a neat experience. You get to try fresh, locally grown snacks. It's a quieter environment so you can enjoy your time with your friends/family. Staff is knowledgeable and easily approached if you have questions. I don't go here often but always walk away happy and glad I went. Highly recommend http://instagram.com/p/WYRmHvq3_f/ read more

I selected this place for a work group lunch based on Yelp! reviews. They worked with me to create a menu from which each person could choose, and they selected appetizers and desserts for the table. They were very accommodating, having a table for 30 set for us. The service was attentive and prompt. My guests uniformly loved their choices. I had the vegan salad which was excellent, with a coffee-green apple dressing which was fantastic - who would've guessed that combo could be so delicious! The desserts they chose for us - one chocolate / peanut butter and one merengue - both great! We were also impressed that they were able to serve such a large group simultaneously. It was s great experience overall! read more

Our server Jamie was amazing. Service was excellent, food was divine...eat the scallops! If you are looking for a great night out and lots of food to try, this is your place! read more

Red Haven - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Okemos, Michigan

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AMAZING! Moved my daughter into MSU and treated her and roommate to this gastronomic delight! The dishes we had included: baked Brie, focaccia with roasted tomatoes, roasted cauliflower dusted with cocoa, Shrimp brioche, steak (amazing). Each dish and the order we had them just simply complimented each other and the next. Melissa, our server extraordinaire, recommended the items and explained each tidbit with intimidate detail. This is a MUST go to place and ask for Melissa! Forgot one thing, cocktails and wine list very unique, if you like Old Fashions a must plus the Pinot Noir. Dessert: a meringue with fresh berries and fresh cream! read more

One of my absolute favorite places in the Lansing area. Possibly Michigan. Wonderful service who are very well informed about the menu. Each dish is unusual and delicious. Carefully prepared. The Fry is always a favorite of mine. The menu changes based on local produce and seasons, the way every restaurant should. Great Michigan beer list to boot. Love love love love me some red haven. read more

We were having a difficult time finding a unique dining experience near East Lansing while attending Michigan State graduation last weekend. We ended up searching yelp for "great cocktails" and were presented with Red Haven. What an amazing find! We sat at the bar and Lizzie, our Mixologist, was great. She helped us navigate the creative verb-labeled menu (we had Chip, Mash, Fry, Cheese, Toast & Crust) based on our adventurous and not so adventurous palates, named her "favorites" and checked in with us after each tapas item was presented to be sure we were happy. My man had a local beer which he enjoyed and I had the Violent Femme which was accented with blueberry simple syrup and ginger... perfectly sassy for spring. Overall, the smaller establishment was intimate, energetic and had a wonderfully local feel. There was definitely a LOT of personality, professionalism and dedication to the customer experience in this gem and we thoroughly enjoyed it! read more

An awesome place for a special night out. Delicious food, love that it is all small plates so you get to try lots of things. And I love that everything is local. Very classy yet rustic atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

We had a FANTASTIC dinner at this restaurant!!! The food & drinks were both unique & delicious!!! The food was plated beautifully & tasted amazing. They also had a lot of gluten free options. We sat in the patio area, which was lovely. Why a GEM for the Lansing area :-D read more

I don't do this often, but I am lowering my review. When Red Haven opened, my husband and I loved to frequent often. I love the ingenuity and creativity of the ingredients, dishes, and presentation. We just moved back to the area. Our lives have changed and now are a one-income family. We were looking forward to enjoying a happy hour night out (grandma is in town to babysit our infant). There are many things the we were delighted to see at Red Haven... friendly staff and ambiance is still warm and welcoming. We love the delicious happy hour cocktail list. There were a few disappointments. The portions of the food has shrunk considerably. The entrees are way more expensive (we honestly could not afford them on our budget), and many of the tapas plates were just okay. I do love the bisque, but we did notice (not the first time) that they are heavily salted. I think we will go toward Bridge Street social or People's Kitchen next time we want farm to table. I am glad Red Have is here in EL, but it just won't work for us on our budget. read more

I really, REALLY wanted to love and embrace this place. This is probably the closest restaurant to my house and I was thrilled when it opened. I won't go into a long, wordy review. This place was okay. The service was good. The menu courageous. Inventive. But the execution was just okay. Across the eight small plates there were a couple of shining moments (the squash blossoms, the shrimp tacos), but mostly mediocrity. The room was packed with happy eaters. The hard, flat, reflected surfaces are cool but also extremely loud. I could barely hear my server. An option was to sit outside. On their patio. In the blazing, sizzling light of the setting summer sun in metal chairs and amidst an atmosphere that was more reminiscent of the nearby Bigby Coffee than a place like Chicago's Girl and the Goat. I think this place aspires to a gem like that. And falls achingly short. About the server. She was polite, attentive, professional and seemingly unacquainted with the menu and useless in acting as a guide through the vague, hipster descriptions of the dishes. I don't want to beat up Red Haven. I want them to succeed. I just won't be going back anytime soon. I'm sorry. Up your game. Act like you're a real player on the field where savvy diners live and expect better. Way better. Try. Harder. Please. read more

This restaurant is interesting. you dont see a lot of restaurant like this especially in east lansing. It reminds me of some restaurants in chicago and nyc. The menu is somehow confusing because you cant really tell what those dishes really are. we had 2 appetizers and 2 main dishes. for the appetizer，we had a salad with flowers（i forgot the name）and the "bake". even though the salad looks nice，it doesnt taste good at all. the dressing is so sweet，and the flowers taste really weird. the bread is cold and i think it doesnt taste as good as the bagels sold for 0.99 each. the main dishes are disappointing. we got the walleye and ribeye burger. the fish is ok， but the sauce is too sweet and it doesnt fit the dishes. the burger is ok，but it doesnt really worth 23 dollards. the service is about average，as it takes a while to get a server come to our table. overall，i would give it 2/5. the dishes are interesting，but taste wise they dont taste that good. its worth to have a try， but we will definitel y not come back. read more

I love the aesthetic and the presentation. Farm-to-table is a great concept, but hardly new. No complaints about the food--it's fresh, okay and interesting but not amazing. However, most unfortunately it's priced approximately about 25% more than what you would expect at similar restaurant on the west coast. Bottom line: I feel they try a bit too hard and charge a lot too much read more