Really really cool spot! But, not good for an event in my opinion. I came here for a work event, and there weren't even that many people here and when I tell you it was difficult to navigate, it was very uncomfortable. The space itself is laid out nicely for what it is, but I would not RSVP to an event if it was being held here. I'd like to give it another shot when it's not during an event, but based on my experience, not good. read more

Absolutely love the Shelby! We try to find speakeasies wherever we are traveling. Came across this on TikTok and so glad we did! Reservations are preferable, but not always required. We were able to sit at the bar as walk ups. The hostess was so kind. The bartender was also great. We had several cocktails and loved them all. The cheesecake was to die for! The perfect temperature, texture and flavor. The decor and vibes are sexy/chic. Definitely a great option for date night. We will definitely everyone about it and come back next time we're in Detroit. read more

shelby - Bar - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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My favorite place for cocktails in Detroit. I come here regularly and I'm always impressed. The menu changes regularly too so you will always have new things to try. The mixologists are phenomenal!!!! They are so knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. The cocktails are amazing and the mocktails are equally delicious. I love the ambiance, lighting, and decor. I love that this used to be a bank vault. Perfect place for a date or evening with friends. I love this place so much! read more

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I am on a speak easy journey, this is the fourth one I've came too since last night. This one is hidden in a coffee shop behind a blue door. This place has a low lit calm atmosphere with soft jazz playing. We sat in a " vault". We ordered a charcuterie board which was pretty tasty, there is not a dinner menu but that is okay. I also ordered an espresso martini which was really good as well. 10/10 will return. read more

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Shelby is a REAL hidden gem, a Speakeasy!! Didn't know where I was headed til we actually walked in the door to Shelby!! The ambience is immediate, very relaxed, good music, great vibe!! My son took me here for Mother's Day last night! We were sat immediately ( we had reservations) they offer small plates, we started with the Charcuterie Board (various crackers strawberry jam, various cheeses, and my favorite pickled mushrooms) very good, then we had Chips w/ French onion dip but fresh n very good!! We also ordered drinks my son had a margarita (very good) and a glass of wine, I had 2 different drinks (can't remember the names) both very good!! Would definitely go back read more

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Very nice speakeasy low lighting private door. Very intimate and personal . Made a reservation for six on a Saturday they were very accommodating. No food was ordered. But the drinks were delicious the service was nice . We sat In the vault. And the all around experience was nice we ordered two Long Islands , lemon drops , espresso martinis, and a margarita. read more

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We were disappointed by the Shelby. We fell in love with speakeasies on a trip to San Francisco. While the service was good, the cocktails were just okay, but the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. They were so dirty it was like you were using a restroom at a gas station - yuck! read more

Clever little speakeasy snuggled behind a coffee joint. Fun place to warm up with a drink before dinner, or have dessert and a nightcap. (Just a heads up: They don't do dinner here; if you're hungrier than apps and sharables you'll need to line up another restaurant.) The old bank vault is down there, too, and you can even have your old fashioned inside it. Great happy hour specials, friendly staff, and homemade French onion chip dip that's to die for. Don't be afraid to ask for extra potato chips so none of that creamy oniony goodness goes to waste! Reservations accepted and recommended. read more

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Shelby speakeasy is always a cozy spot for delicious cocktail on date night, with groups, or girls night! A reservation is an easy way to score a table, or checking in with the host at the coffee bar right down the stairs. They will lead you through a secret door to an old bank vault. The menu offers small bites & craft cocktails. We always enjoy the different varieties of spirits offered! Be sure to check the Shelby out when in downtown Detroit. Located below Brome eatery. read more

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Very cool place! Kind of hard to find due to the nature of the speak easy. The service is adequate and helpful when trying to explore the drink/cocktail menu. The happy hour specials are VERY impressive. The food items were expensive and very small portions. But very well created The cocktails are exquisite! Carefully crafted and just the bedrock of this whole establishment. We will be back when we are in town next. read more

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First time at the Shelby. We made a reservation for 5 people to celebrate our daughter's birthday. We were seated in the "vault." Our server was attentive and friendly. We were happy feted a free toast of champagne for a toast which was a wonderful surprise. For five drinks, our bill was $ 65. Very intimate, cool space. read more

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Dining in an old bank vault is very cool! I sat at the bar and was serviced immediately. Fast, friendly service! I stopped in for a special brunch event and absolutely enjoyed the event! Fried Chicken & Caviar did several pop-up events in February, thankfully. Their food was delicious! I'm excited about experiencing two businesses at once! Street parking- read more

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We were so excited to try this place! Went looking for it, went downstairs and there was a sign that said "please wait to be seated" we waited but no one came, so we just went to the blue door to make sure that it was open, we peeked in and the girl came right up to the door and said "there's a please wait to be seated sign" and we apologized, stating that we weren't sure if this was even a real place or open since we didn't see anyone. She continued to say "well you walked right past it" like we said, we waited, didn't see anyone so we wasn't even sure if that sign was meant for the speak easy of the coffee bar. We were super apologetic and she was just so rude we felt uncomfortable and left. read more

Made reservations for New Year's Eve and unfortunately the experience was less than outstanding not to mention a $20 cover per person. Service was extremely slow and took almost 30 mins for drinks with only two other groups there. The bench seats were also sticky with previously spilled drinks. Overall wasn't a great experience and didn't stay for a second drink as the mixed drink quality was unfortunately not well executed and extremely bitter. Kind of a bummer! read more

French onion dip that is out of this world. Amazing service, fancy cocktails, and fun vibe. read more

shelby - Espresso martini, Italian Ice, Double Agent - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

We made a reservation for a Tuesday night to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Pretty quiet early. Such a fun place, great cocktails & the music was perfect for setting a special mood. Our cocktail mixer, Tyler, was very kind & gifted us sparkling in celebration when he heard it was our anniversary. I really enjoyed Moment of Clarity--wow, what great flavors! Subtle & delicious. Husband tried Twilight Lure and Night at the Savoy & really enjoyed both. I had sips & thought they were very good. Next time, I want Night at the Savoy, really interesting & tasty take on a martini. So many cocktails out & about now but Shelby is waaay better than most! Can't wait to back & enjoy cocktails plus food--(we were on the way to a dinner rez)..... read more

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Super fun cocktail bar, especially for those who like a speakeasy ambiance. Went during a happy hour and prices for both drinks and appetizers were very reasonable. read more

shelby - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Where to start? Ok I know this is a FOOD review BUT I NEED to start with the AMBIANCE... you have to go down stairs, into a coffee shop... ask for the Shelby and taken through an almost hidden door into the coolest spot!!! Like seriously the vibe, the lights, the different sections of the spot. You can't go wrong! It's def a cool spot to take all your friends for drinks! Ok now next, the SERVICE. I love getting a waiter that really knows the menu, is attentive and recommends based on your likes instead of just random items. We were lucky to have Marquise and ALL of his recommendations were spot on. From the oysters to the desserts everything we tried was delish! Obviously the drinks were amazing and STRONG. So you can't go wrong with taking your friends here for a late night drink! read more

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Drinks were solid, ambience was less so... we went on a very warm/humid evening and the Shelby was a sweatbox. The staff said the A/C was on high but it was way too warm. Definitely would go again... in the winter. read more

Drinks looked great, but did not taste as good as they looked. I have had better cocktails elsewhere. This place is a speakeasy you enter through a coffee shop. There are no signs which was kind of fun. The inside has a nice decor. The service was a little shotty though It's worth a try one time. read more

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Very cool place for drinks and some inventive food to go with it. The experience starts in the Down Under coffee shop and continues as you're brought through the door at the back of the shop. The space opens into the bar, very cool vibe, and snakes around the room to a variety of eating and drinking spaces, little nooks, couches, and more. We were seating in the main vault space and our server greeted us immediately. Limited but creative menu. Started with local beers then moved into some of their cocktails. The State Fair Old Fashioned was my fave and was one of the best balanced OFs I've ever had. My wife opted for the Greenthumb and said "I'd like you to make these at home"...a tall order considering the high end ingredients! :-) The roasted maitake mushroom "steak" was amazing and complemented the charcuterie board and cheeses well and an entree. The ham spread and honey/vinegar combo on the board was to kill for! Overall, a fun place to hang out and enjoy each others' company with a laid backl but cool vibe! read more

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Super cool, dark place. Perfect ambiance for a date or a fun post-dinner or pre-show cocktail with friends. Service was fairly quick for a craft cocktail bar, though they were a bit nitpicky about people entering and exiting the bar, even to go to the bathroom, which is outside. Our group tried a bunch of cocktails and most of them were pretty good (the House Call was my favorite), with perhaps the exception of their espresso martini, which was pretty watery and bitter (even for an espresso martini). That said, I think their menu lacks options, and they're not as consistently good as some of the best cocktail bars in town like Bad Luck, Sugar House, Mutiny, or Two James. I'll likely be back, but I'm hoping they expand or at least change their cocktail menu soon! read more

Really cool hidden bar and small plate food in the basement of a building. Really delicious signature drinks. Had one that came in a popcorn container with infused popcorn rum. The small plate dishes were also amazing. Had there burrata dip that had hot honey and sun dried tomato with home made potato chips which was to die for. The waiters and bar staff were super friendly and helpful with picking drinks and food. read more

shelby - What's Poppin with infused popcorn rum - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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This is such a cool concept. If you know, you know. You walk into the coffee shop and head down to the vault. The drinks were good but there wasn't much to get excited about. They also offer small bites like charcuterie. I really enjoyed the concept and ambiance but the drinks and small bites were just ok to me when compared to other places. Service was great and we had a nice seat right next to the vault! I would stop in again for a cocktail for dinner or another event downtown. read more

shelby - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Love this stylish/ swanky and hidden speakeasy underneath Hanah! I love how there is a "coffee shop" front for this very cool bar and concept. You may feel like you're robbing your bank having a few drinks here but it is well worth the ambiance. I got the espresso martini and it was definitely strong and the service here is on point. They do have snacks/small plates to nibble on too which is a bonus! Drinks will run almost $20 each with tip I believe on average. read more

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Who doesn't love going into an old bank fault and having drinks and some food? Super cool experience and they did a great job making this into a speakeasy. ‍ Service was good! Everything came out in a timely fashion and they gave us great drink recos! We had to order some of the food so we tried the oysters and mushrooms. The oysters were up to par with others I've had and the mushrooms were interesting. Not my cup of tea with the way it was prepared but I'm sure for others they'd be tasty. The drinks were awesome. I loved mine that was set on fire Definitely don't expect cheap drinks coming here, it is a speakeasy after all. But I thought everything was fairly priced for the type of place The Shelby is Will definitely be coming back! read more

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Absolutely horrible. Worst experience I've had in a restaurant. On the 4th of January. I recently visited Shelby, hoping for a fun night out with friends, but what we experienced was anything but enjoyable. The hosts were unbelievably rude and unwelcoming. When we arrived, they gave us attitude right from the start, with no explanation or reason for why they wouldn't let us in. We were dressed appropriately, and there was no line or obvious capacity issue, yet they treated us like we were a nuisance. We tried to be polite, but they refused to engage in any meaningful way, acting like they were doing us a favor just by acknowledging us. After waiting around for a while, we left, feeling disrespected and frustrated. It's baffling how a bar can have such poor customer service. I've never felt more unwelcome at any venue. If you're looking for a good time with decent hospitality, do yourself a favor and skip Shelby. The attitude and disrespect aren't worth it. The guy who was short with dark curly hair and a beard. He made my friends and I feel stupid. We work in the service industry and if he had just said they were busy we would understand. He treated us as less than people and we will never go back. Talking to the employees at 2 other bars we went to they said they had similar experience with the hosts. STAY AWAY!!!!! read more

Place was very cool inside but extremely dark. Had to use a phone to see the menu. I know that's the vibe but it was a little too dark. Drinks were good and refreshing but didn't really taste like what they were listed as. Staff was friendly and would visit again. read more

Make reservations! This hidden old bank vault has been turned into a cocktail/shareable dinner spot. It has an odd layout and we only saw part of the restaurant- the bar goes along the wall as you walk in then winds to the vault where there is actually still seating! It's dim and the music is loud enough to mask conversation around you and not at your table. We had the whitefish spread, the mushroom dish, and the beef tartar. It was just enough for two and we had some cocktails too. I had the state fair old fashioned, nice twist on the old fashioned and the vendetta had a more complex flavor profile. My friend had viva la vida "perfect and easy" and the agua verde. Parking a pain. Deck near Buhl building where we finally parked. Don't park in "Wayne county officers" street parking . read more

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Very quaint speakeasy in a bank vault!! Great ambience. Dj plays great music. Great appetizers also. We had whitefish dip which was delicious! Drinks are what the spot is really about and the mixologists have come up with some nice ones. We had the mezcal drink and had the ice changed to a large cube but it was still very fruity. We enjoyed the novelty of it and might be back. read more

shelby - Mezcal drinks - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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If you want to feel cool, book a seat at Shelby's bar. It's a downtown speakeasy in the back of a coffee shop (Down Under Coffee). Once you get to its address, walk down the stairs to the coffee shop. Tell the barista you have reservations (recommended) at The Shelby. You'll be directed through a blue door into a dimly lit speakeasy with bar seating and a few small tables near a bank vault. It's a cool experience. The Shelby has a drink list and a small food list that includes two desserts. The cocktails range from sweet to more boozy and are between $13-$17 per cocktail. If you like more sweet drinks, order the Cosmo Milk Punch. It's more fruit forward and is NOT creamy despite its name. Service is attentive. Your water glass is always full of water and the bartender makes sure you're happy. read more

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Really cool spot we went to after dinner. The bartenders were really engaging and the drinks were great. Would recommend for sure. read more

shelby - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Came in for cocktails here for the first time. Their cocktail menu offered lots of creative and fun drinks. Ended up going with the Safe Word and Ace High. The drinks were beautiful! The Safe Word had nicely balanced flavors and was very fresh. The Ace High was served with a playing card face down - half off if the card happens to be an Ace! Such a fun idea and even more fun that we actually pulled an Ace! This drink was on the sweeter side though. As for the ambiance... I was a bit underwhelmed by the atmosphere. I had to scan the dining room for the bank vault door. It was very cool, but wish they could've played more on that! Aside from this, the bar did have an appealing design. We were seated at the end of the bar top directly in front of the cash register and dishwasher on the other side of the bar. Not the best placement for some barstools but it's a small space so I understand. My biggest complaint was trying to get a waiter's attention when we were ready to order or wanted the bill. Once we were able to talk to someone they were very accommodating and apologized for the wait. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying their drinks! Keep in mind you will need to make a reservation if you don't want to wait around, and they have a very strict 15 minute grace period for reservations! read more

shelby - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Dropped in for a happy hour. It's on the smaller side, and really put together nice. It's a cute bar inside an old bank vault which adds to the ambiance. Drinks were spot on and some nicely prepared snacks helped. You won't be disappointed with anything at this place. It's a great pre-dinner stop. read more

Cute place! Love a good speak easy. Glad we got to sit at the bar. I loved my aviation! read more

shelby - Aviation - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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The Shelby is the coolest speakeasy in Downtown! Located through the coffee shop and asking the barista you're there for Shelby you get walked through a vault door and into a vault! Vibes are absolutely immaculate and every time I'm there I always have a laugh with the bartenders and staff. Everyone just seems so happy to work there. The drinks are insanely creative and do change seasonally, but I can't say that I've been obsessed with any of them. If you're feeling adventurous have fun going through the menu, if not the bartenders are talented and make a mean Dirty Martini or Old Fashioned. The Shelby is perfect for date night and spending time in a vault makes time zoom by. Enjoy your drinks and the vibes at this speakeasy, this is truly hard to come by! read more

shelby - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Cool speakeasy hidden behind a coffee shop. Luckily we had reservations because it's a popular spot and not a lot of room to wait. After checking in, we sat up at the bar since we were just having cocktails. Loved the decor, music, and overall vibe. But more importantly - the drinks. I started with the Nain Rouge, which I really enjoyed. Then I tried the Fresh to Death, which was also very good. They're a little pricey ($15-17) but good quality, and not something I'd ever concoct at home, so felt worth it to me. We also had an awesome bartender and it was fun to watch them make the different drinks. If you're looking for a good cocktail bar in Detroit, definitely add this place to your list. read more

shelby - The Antidote (left) and Fresh to Death (right) - Speakeasies Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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As an avid speakeasy enthusiast, I made a list of spots that my partner and I had to visit during our weekend in Detroit, with The Shelby at the top of the list. It was our first time, and what a striking atmosphere! You really feel like you are entering a bank vault. The venue was dark and cozy, and the layout made it easy to have private conversations while still being part of the larger scene. We had a fantastic server who guided us through their signature cocktail list. And when in Detroit, you have to order The Last Word--of course! The Shelby is a great spot, so definitely check it out if you're in Detroit! read more

Really interesting bar to stop in for a quick drink! We are from out of town and wanted to grab a drink prior to going out for our dinner reservation somewhere else. The way you check in for the "speakeasy" is fun but nothing creative. The decor of the bar is lacking creative design but had a good layout. We sat at the bar which seemed like we got lucky in the sense of having some personal space. The bartender Dean was kind and everyone made sure we were taken care of. MOST IMPORTANT PART : despite everything else typically making it just an average experience - the cocktails were GREAT so that's all that matters! read more

Great food and great service. The atmosphere is awesome and by far the best happy hour in Detroit