If you're looking for a spot that truly elevates the downtown Detroit experience, Standby…read moreabsolutely lives up to the hype. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere pulls you in. It's sleek, intimate, and effortlessly cool without feeling pretentious. The lighting, the music, the overall aesthetic -- everything feels intentional. It's the kind of place that works just as well for date night as it does for a night out with friends. Now let's talk about the drinks -- because that's where Standby really shines. The cocktails are creative, beautifully presented, and perfectly balanced. You can tell there's serious thought behind every ingredient. Whether you're into something bold and spirit-forward or smooth and refreshing, they nail it. The food matches the energy of the bar. Every dish feels curated, flavorful, and plated with care. It's not just "bar food" -- it's thoughtfully crafted and pairs perfectly with whatever you're sipping. Service has always been attentive and knowledgeable. The staff knows the menu inside and out and makes great recommendations without making you feel rushed. Standby is one of those places that feels like a hidden gem even though everyone knows about it. If you want craft cocktails, elevated bites, and a true downtown Detroit vibe, this is your spot. I'll definitely be back.

I hadn't been home in three years, and I probably hadn't been to The Standby in five or six years…read more. and let me tell you, it's still just as amazing as I remember. Downtown Detroit definitely feels different now, and the crowd has shifted a bit, but none of that took away from what The Standby is. That alleyway magic is still there. Walking in honestly felt like a little blast from the past, and it made me really happy. It ended up being a highlight of my trip home. The food was phenomenal. The crab was so buttery, the waffle situation was amazing, and the overall execution across the menu was impressive. We ordered a lot, basically half the menu and everything hit. * Short rib plate: delicious, rich, and comforting * Chicken schnitzel with curry mustard: WOW. Juicy, crunchy, fresh, perfectly seasoned. The curry mustard was everything, and that little pepper on top? 10/10. This was hands down my favorite dish. * Drinks: They had brand ambassadors for Wild Turkey, giving out free Old Fashioneds, which was honestly the perfect touch. We also had a small ounce pour of a mezcal that was beautifully smoked, super aromatic and smoky in the best way. Service was great too, we had two different servers, and both were attentive and kind. The only miss for me personally was the pastrami salmon toast. I wanted to love it so badly because I love salmon and I love smoked fish, but it just wasn't for me. I actually sent it back (which I felt bad about). I think the slight sweetness, (possibly from the tomato jam)threw it off for my palate. I was craving something fully savory with a bit of acidity. I think a thicker, crunchier toast and a more umami-forward, citrusy or pickled element might have taken it where it needed to go. That said, I know pastrami-style salmon is a thing right now, it just didn't work for me. Everything else? Truly amazing. The Standby will forever be a place I come back to when I'm home. I'm excited to return, see what's new on the menu, and relive that magic again. Highly recommend. 10 out of 10. Will absolutely be back.

We had another incredible dinner at Selden Standard, which will always be our number one restaurant…read morein Detroit. We even got married here this summer!! So it holds a special place for us. Lauren took great care of us and encouraged us to order whatever we were craving. Dangerous advice, but we happily accepted . Warning - the ratings are real. They're not a mistake. We started with our usual cocktail, the Instant Karma (5/5). It is the perfect balance of citrus and salt with a light cucumber note. Clean, refreshing, and it pairs well with everything. The roasted sweet potato (6/5) is one of the best vegetable dishes in the city. The caramelized exterior gives way to a soft interior, and the crispy quinoa adds a subtle light crunch that plays against the creamy texture. The salsa macha brings a smoky, nutty depth without the heat, and the crema ties it all together. I had to physically stop myself from scraping the plate (actually they had to take it away ). The tagliatelle (5/5) with beef bolognese and parmesan was flawless. The pasta has that ideal handmade chew, and the bolognese is rich without being heavy. The parmesan blends perfectly into the sauce and stands out in every bite. The potato pierogi (10/5) were the star of the night. Soft potato-filled pillows with horseradish crema, apple, and crispy shallot pieces create this perfect sweet, tangy, creamy, and crunchy bite. Each forkful felt intentional and balanced. I felt guilty, because in my head, I didn't want to share with my wife, but I did anyways . The cruelty of having to split an odd number of pierogis...well played...we should have just ordered another one. We also ordered the smoked potatoes and the pan roasted half chicken with sauce au poivre (always 5/5 for both) The smoked potatoes, with raclette, and crème fraîche, are always a must. These winter variation was just as good! The chicken remains one of the most consistently well-executed mains in the city. I have tried recreating it at home with the cold pan method and it never comes close. Every time we dine here, it feels like four or five different dinner experiences in one evening. Selden Standard continues to set the bar for us in Detroit. We love the staff, the food, and the memories tied to this place. Cheers to many more amazing years to come!

It was one of those meals that I enjoyed so much that I forgot to snap photos of all of our food…read more Selden Standard was the setting for an amazing date night recently in Detroit. My husband surprised me with a birthday dinner here, and I'm glad that we got to experience it. We arrived in advance of our reservation and grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender brought us a glass of wine while we waited. It took about a half hour, but we were shown to our table for the night and promptly greeted by our server. All of the food looked amazing, both on the menu and with what people were ordering at other tables. We chose a variety of dishes - cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, squid ink orecchiette, octopus, mushrooms, and scallops. I would recommend all of them, but the standouts for me were the Brussels sprouts and the scallops. Flavors were unique and textures were especially on point with those dishes. Service was good, but we both felt like it was slow. There was a slight glitch in the beginning of the night where the host stand didn't mark that we had checked in when we actually had, which probably contributed to the half hour wait at the bar. Aside from those points, it was an impeccable night!

We went here for dinner and had an amazing time!! The ambiance is nice and the staff is very sweet…read more They offer a tasting menu if that's up your alley but we went with recommendations off the menu from our waiter and it did not disappoint! Hands down the absolutely best thing was the mushroom dumplings!! They are literally one of the best things I have ever eaten! When I tell you I would eat here everyday just for those I wholeheartedly mean that! We had an amazing time and everything we had was great! I cannot wait to come back and bring friends!

Marrow remains one of my favorite restaurants in Detroit. They never disappoint. It is a place to…read morego and eat, not a place to be seen. This is to say that one goes to Marrow for the food, the experience, and the memories with people you care about.

Very nice ambiance, food was good. I personally don't care too about drinks or ambience, but if I…read moredid I might rate them higher. We came in around 9 an hour before closing but they reportedly only had bar space. Came out fairly quickly, pretty much the standard for this type of food. Pasta was al dente, sauce wasn't monotonous. Meat was well cooked, I liked the mushrooms and turnips it came with. If this is your scene, you'll like it. Parking might be hard.

Beautiful place and great service, mediocre food at best and just ok cocktails, only local draft…read moreand bottle beer. The burger that is not on the menu was great, greasy but great. Will give it a try for brunch but not dinner anymore

We dined at the Grey Ghost for a special dinner last week and it was outstanding. The service was…read moreabove reproach and they carefully accommodate allergies, walk you through the menu, and provide a stellar experience. Our server, James, was phenomenal. Atmosphere is nice, decor is very cool, and the setting is intimate, but when it fills up, it is quite loud. Regarding accommodations, for our teen daughter, the chef went WELL beyond normal accommodations to modify the Steelhead Trout dish to allow her to enjoy what she called "the best fish I've ever had". He absolutely made her night. We all shared the Brussel Sprouts (w/ honey, lime, & chicken skin) and Octopus appetizers. The Brussels were heavenly and the octopus was flavorful and tender (very nicely prepared). Aside from the Steelhead entrée, my wife and son both had the Ribeye Cap w/ yaji, peanut, & kiwi. They couldn't stop raving about it. The pairing of kiwi with steak was delicious and creative! I ordered the Lobster dish and honestly, it was better than many top tier seafood restaurants I've visited. It featured tail & claw meat atop a crab cake with a citrus beurre blanc and crispy wontons. I'd go back just for this dish. For dessert, we tried the PB&J Napoleon, and found the berry sorbet to be ridiculously fresh and bursting with flavor. Portion sizes were just right. Everyone left well satiated, but not overly full. We had a reservation, and I'd highly recommend if you're thinking of going, you get one as well. It was a full house the entire time we were there, and it was only midweek.

A solid 4.5. FINALLY made it to this place after years of being on the list. Went here with a…read morefriend for a birthday meal, and it was a solid if not spectacular time. AMBIENCE - definitely a hip spot, not too dark, not too light. the hosts were very friendly and accommodating as we hit some traffic on our way in and had to switch our reservations to 40 minutes later. We ended up being placed on the "veranda" which was an enclosed space with about 4-5 tables. They had heaters, but fortunately, it was warm enough that they were not needed. SERVICE - my friend made it well known that we were there for my birthday, but I'd like to think even without the birthday drop, we would have gotten great service. Our server was friendly, attentive and made a number of recommendations to help guide our dining experience. MENU - Grey ghost has a rotating menu, with a few items that our consistently featured (I'll talk about my burger later). An interesting array of starters including brussel sprouts and coconut shrimp as well as a great variety of main entrees. I feel like there was something for all tastes at this place. They also had a good variety of cocktails and mocktails. FOOD - We started off with shrimp tempura which had a tropical salad of some sort served with it. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the tropical salad really complimented it very well. We also decided to try their home made Rock and Rye (their take on Faygo's marquee drink of the same name). The Rock and Rye was decent, but if you want rock and rye, nothing beats the original. For our main dishes, a number of things caught our eye. including the lamb and ribeye, but we ended up going with their burger and a side of fries and their wild boar pappardelle. I've heard Grey Ghost has one of the best burgers in Detroit, and it did not disappoint. And you know we had put an egg on it and it was rocking. I don't know what the burger sauce they put on it was, but it seemed like a much, MUCH better executed big mac. The fries were great as well. The pappardelle was good, nothing mind blowing, but a solid entree in it's own right. I was curious how the burger here compares to the one at their sister restaurant (Little Ghost) and the host said the quality of meat used in the patty is better at Grey Ghost than little ghost. Guess I'm going to have to go there as well. OVERALL - definitely worth a visit. I'd say a good spot for a first date, or some other sort of special occasion. I won't wait as long to make a trip back to this place, that's for sure. CELEBRITY RATING - Collin Jost

So cute and very demure. The service was soft and welcoming overall a 1000/10 experience. I left…read morefeeling satisfied.

Our family had a wonderful Easter here, The service was great! We all had a different meal and each…read moreone was delicious - from the lemon ricotta pancakes to the steak and eggs!

Fantastic! Enthusiastic staff and perfect food. Cornbread can be hit or miss in general. This…read morecornbread is perfection. Crispy, soft, sweet, buttery. The lamb chops were top tier (that's what I ate) but the fried chicken that my wife had was mind blowing. I'm not generally given to hyperbole. Seriously: try this chicken. Also, this may be the best bread pudding I have ever had (though I think I had to order the ice cream separately).

I appreciated an article written about the dress code and fine dining attitudes of this…read moreestablishment. I purchased gift cards during Covid to help support local restaurants during shut down, and I was pleasantly surprised that we could still use them in 2026! We had tried to use them in 2022, but were told the restaurant was small and could not accommodate our party of 8, even early on a Sunday. Fast forward 4 years! We made a reservation for a party of 4. It would've been nice to know the restaurant was on the second floor with no elevator, but perhaps that is my lack of inquiry. We were warmly greeted. Our server was absolutely fantastic! She made wonderful recommendations, and our meal was delicious! We had the crab dip, cornbread muffins, fried chicken and catfish entrees with yams and collard greens. Our family is from the South (KY, NC, TN, VA, MS, & AL) and we cook southern food on a regular basis. The yams were perfectly cooked and sweetened. The collard greens had just enough density, not runny or too salty. YUM!!! The chicken was tasty and moist. Catfish was seasoned and prepared perfectly and absolutely delicious also. Served with Frank's! We finished it off with the skillet cookie dessert, shared by all. A great way to end a really wonderful meal. The restaurant wasn't busy, so food service could've been a little faster, but we enjoyed a leisurely early dinner. My only other comment is that with glass top tables, you almost have to use Windex when tables turn over. The water streaks on all the glass top just make it look more like a greasy spoon or diner and does not do justice to the great service or the quality of the food. I don't usually do catfish at home, so we will be back for more!

This location is the perfect stop before events downtown - within walking distance from all events…read moreand parking garages, and beautiful scenery surrounding! The staff were so friendly upon greeting us and walked us right to our table (heads up, arrive early - it filled up so fast!) The menu is sophisticated and composed of a wide variety of options for any appetite. We indulged in some amazing fries with specialty dips, pizza, salad and Mac. Everything came out in a timely manner even when the restaurant was packed. The food was phenomenal! The ambiance inside is chill, cozy, girl date and family friendly vibes. The decor is unique, lots of things to look at. We cannot wait to come back!

This is a cool little place to get a bite to eat and a drink after any good show or a sporting…read moreevent in downtown Detroit. The ambiance is set in a retro theme. And a very kinda relaxed atmosphere as well. The food is served hot and good as well. As it was an after show kinda walk in for my wife and I. We were served rather quickly as it was 9pm and the stop serving food @10p Service was quick and very friendly as well. We'll remember this place the next time we're downtown.

We visited during happy hour and sat at the bar, and the experience was lovely from the moment we…read morewalked in until the very last bite. The service was attentive and our server was both personable and knowledgeable, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Everything we ordered was well-seasoned and well prepared. The standout dish was easily the lamb shoulder appetizer, extremely tender and perfectly paired with the creamy hummus. Hands down, the best lamb shoulder I've had to date. The half chicken was also very good, tasting fresh off the grill, and paired nicely with the light, fluffy rice and grilled asparagus. The ambiance deserves a mention as well. The space feels modern and classy with romantic undertones, while still being warm and inviting. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience, and I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

The staff is so fun and talkative. Not just our server but everyone would pass by and ask how we…read morewere doing and chat with us. The place is so nice, clean and very modern. I like that the booths are kind of private with the party you are with. For starters we had the pulled lamb shoulder hummus. The lamb was well seasoned and so tender the hummus was great but the combination was amazing. The mini gyros were really good too. They should make them as an entree with a bigger portion. They were so much flavor in the two bites I had since we split them in half. The branzino was good I have had better and the sides that it came with were a little on the small side it was Swiss chard and there was suppose to be romesco in it but I didn't see any and just a few pieces of fingerling potatoes. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and came sliced already the sides were plentiful and flavorful. The lamb chops were very small and not a lot of pieces and didn't really come with any sides. For dessert we split the Citrus Cheesecake and Trilece Cake. The cheesecake was very creamy and light the citrus taste was very pronounced and so fresh there wasn't any kind of artificial taste to it at all. The cake was delicious the cream on top was light and fluffy, cake was soft and moist, the sauce at the bottom gave it that extra touch that made it one of the best things I ate that night.