1. Mink Detroit
2. El Barzon
In Southwest Detroit, this incredibly unique restaurant offers one of our favorite date night experiences in all of Detroit! The fused culinary influences of both Italy and Mexico come together in such an unexpected and yet welcomed manner, that it works beautifully and always leaves you full and happy after the meal. In addition to their unique menu, they also have an extensive wine list which is great for date nights or celebrations.
Location: 3710 Junction Ave, Detroit, MI 48210
3. Grey Ghost Detroit
Named after the alias given to an infamous rum-running pirate of the Detroit River during the Prohibition Era, this New American restaurant does elevated classics and simple recipes like dry-aged steaks or even one of Detroit’s best cheeseburgers. While the food menu is nothing to scoff at by any means, what really sets this place apart is its ability to mix and serve a killer cocktail, in fact, their Midnight Espresso is one of our favorite cocktails in the entire city!
Location: 47 Watson St, Detroit, MI 48201
4. Basan
Incredible Japanese food in a romantically lit restaurant with delicious food and incredible cocktails, what more could you want? The high-quality ingredients used for everything and the incredibly friendly staff are what set this place apart for us and are what make Basan such a remarkable place for date night!
Location: 2703 Park Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
5. Shelby
Right in the midst of the Financial District in Downtown Detroit, Shelby offers an incredibly unique date night experience complete with a menu filled with things to share and try as well as a list of stunningly visual and refreshing cocktails for you to enjoy. The restaurant space is built around the location of where a former bank vault was built around 100 years ago, making the vibe feel upscale and certainly perfect for a few quick photos on date night.
Location: 607 Shelby St, Detroit, MI 48226
6. Parc
Simple, elegant, beautiful, and delicious is a quick way we’d summarize the dining experience at Parc! The food is delicious, and while not overcomplicate delicious recipes, they manage to make some of the most delicious dishes we’ve ever had, specifically, their salads and their pasta dishes are incredible and well worth it if you’d like to have a great date night right in the downtown area where you can immediately follow up dinner with a quick walk around the area.
Location: 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226
7. Highlands
If you are hoping to find a more romantic restaurant in Detroit you may have a hard time, located on the 71st floor of the RenCen, this incredible steakhouse-style restaurant gives you the best dining view of the Downtown Detroit area and the Detroit River. For only $80 you can choose three categories to fill out a three-course meal, which has options like wagyu beef tartare, lobster pasta, and even dry-aged duck. In other words, it doesn’t get much more luxe than this.
Location: 400 Renaissance Center Floor 71, Detroit, MI 48243
8. Albena
The extremely intimate dining space at Albena with limited space is Chef Garrett Lipar’s take on minimalist progressive dining. Each plate of the chef’s tasting menu is an incredibly unique journey into the chef’s mind complete with incredible visuals in the plating to an incredible understanding of how to thoughtfully use fresh seasonal ingredients. While the tasting menu experience isn’t quite cheap, at around $225 per seat, the unique experience is worth it for those who appreciate the creative side of cooking and worth experiencing at least once!
Location: 1509 Broadway St, Detroit, MI 48226
9. Symposia
Snuggled right into Greektown’s hotel Atheneum is Symposia, which has a Mediterranean-inspired menu filled with delicious recipes using ingredients and flavors from Greece, Spain, and Italy. This restaurant’s fantastic menu and well-rounded wine list are a perfect date night spot, and if the evening is going well, you won’t have to venture far for something exciting to do next! Simply head on over to the Hollywood Casino at Greektown to try your luck at gambling, or grab a suite at the hotel itself and call it a night for a little stay-cation.
Location: 1000 Brush St, Detroit, MI 48226
10. Experience Zuzu
Right in the heart of Downtown Detroit, just a few blocks from the Downtown Holiday Markets and Cadillac Lodge is Experience Zuzu, a restaurant that offers one of the most intimate and upscale dining experiences in the city. While the sushi steals that show at Experience Zuzu, there are plenty of phenomenal options for those who aren’t interested in raw fish, including some incredible grilled dishes like a Wagyu tomahawk steak or wood-fired chicken.
While this place does run on the pricier side in terms of its menu prices, the quality of the food and the intimacy of the atmosphere make this restaurant, in our opinion, one of the most romantic spots in Downtown Detroit.
Location: 511 Woodward, Suite 100, Detroit, MI 48226