Editor’s note: This is part of RB’s look at Detroit and its restaurants. Check out Market Watch: Detroit.
Detroit has been experiencing a restaurant renaissance over the past few years, with hometown chefs opening personality-driven spots and restaurateurs from other cities putting down stakes in the city. The Michelin Guide announced it will be publishing a Great Lakes Edition in 2027, with Detroit one of the six cities to be included. And the James Beard Foundation has recognized several restaurants and chefs with nominations and awards.
But the dining scene also reflects the diverse cultures in and around Detroit. There are restaurants specializing in Mexican, West African, Lebanese, and Eastern European food, as well as niches within each of those cuisines. Cafes and wine bars are also booming. Here’s a rundown of some of the new and notable places on our radar.
Sunda New Asian is a Chicago import, opened in March by restaurateur Billy Dec. The sprawling 200-seat restaurant is located in a walkable area near Detroit’s downtown entertainment hub. The pan-Asian menu includes sushi, dim sum, noodle and rice dishes, and Filipino preparations that reflect Dec’s heritage. The new restaurant is the fifth location of Sunda.
Bar Chenin was a 2026 James Beard Foundation nominee for Best New Bar. The 10-seat wine bar is located inside downtown Detroit’s Siren Hotel, a boutique property reconstructed in what was previously the Wurlitzer building. Bar Chenin specializes in natural wines paired with a well-curated food menu that includes Detroit-style pizzas, pastas, and house-made ice creams.
Medusa Cucina Siciliana is a new spot from the team behind SheWolf, led by Detroit favorite, Chef Anthony Lombardo. While SheWolf focuses on contemporary Roman cuisine, Medusa leans toward a Mediterranean and Sicilian menu. The restaurant honors the culinary heritage of Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, which has had many rulers and cultures within its borders, each leaving their own traditions. Signatures include bucatini with sardines, arancini, branzino, and a cannoli cart as well as Sicilian wines and other Mediterranean varietals.
Little Liberia brings West African cuisine to Detroit, with a menu highlighted by jollof rice, red snapper, roasted goat shank, groundnut stew, cassava leaves, and a number of vegan items. The restaurant started as a popup by chef-owner Ameneh Marhaba, and has been built on community support and storytelling.
Antidote is in the East Village neighborhood close to Detroit’s performing arts center. The chef-driven restaurant offers brunch and dinner with Spanish-inspired small and large plates. Elevated cocktails and a European-centric wine list distinguish the drinks side of the menu.
Saksey’s is billed as “Detroit’s Most Intimate Room” — an underground cocktail lounge that pays homage to the original tavern that occupied the space in the 1960s and ‘70s. The throwback menu includes classic cocktails and new takes, with food like lobster rolls to accompany the drinks.
Tacos Wuey is a new Tulum, Mexico-inspired taqueria in Detroit with Chef Eddie Vargas at the helm. He is known for his braised guajillo beef birria, which shows up in tacos, quesabirria, birria ramen, and even birria egg rolls, but there are also shrimp dishes, and guacamole with crispy chicken skin standing in for chips.
Ima is touted as having the best ramen in Detroit, with signatures such as Pork Tonkotsu — available spicy or not — made with a rich pork bone broth, and Spicy Shrimp & Kimchi Ramen with a kimchi broth base. There are also ramens based on dashi, chicken broth, and porcini broth. But the extensive menu has plenty of other highlights, including sushi, a robata grill, dumplings, and inventive Japanese entreés plus a full cocktail and sake list.
Oak & Reel focuses on seafood, combining local ingredients with fish and shellfish sourced from around the world. Antipasti, house-made pastas, steak, chicken, and a variety of seasonal vegetables round out the Italian-accented menu. A wood-burning hearth creates ambience and serves as a cooking medium. Happy hours include $2 oysters and martinis and glasses of wine for $8.
Leila is billed as a restaurant where “Modern Beirut Meets Downtown Detroit," and it's rooted in the Lebanese tradition of convivial Sunday dinners. But the menu and experience showcase next-gen Middle Eastern laced with traditional favorites. Guests can choose from a selection of hot and cold mezze, then move on to lamb, beef, chicken, and seafood entreés spiced with sumac, aleppo, toum, and other classic flavors. The Lebanese Sundae is a popular finish — a combo of ashta ice cream, fairy floss, and pistachio.
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