Things To Do
Belle Isle
Great for kids and adults alike, Belle Isle is our favorite summer destination in the city. It's got a beautiful conservatory, aquarium, and most recently a 3-seasons flower garden. There's also a beach (where Fiona struggled through a triathlon) and an infamous giant slide that you can ride down in a potato sack.
Detroit Riverwalk
The Detroit riverfront is one of our favorite parts of Detroit. Right across the river, you can see Windsor, Canada - the only place that Canada is south of the continental United States. We love to walk, bike and run this riverfront and love that it keeps expanding, just this year reaching all the way to Belle Isle. For those that make it to Mount Elliott Park, see if you can find David and Fiona's brick in the walkway.
Motown Museum
This museum is an incredible piece of Detroit's history and it's actually inside the Hitsville USA studio that produced all the famous Motown artists, from the Supremes and the Temptations to Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. Book your tickets in advance because it tends to fill up fast on weekends, but you definitely want to see this!
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Check out this museum to find out why Detroit is truly the Motor City and learn about the transformation of the area and American innovations from past to present. From the presidential car that Kennedy was assassinated in to a lunar lander to an Oscar Meyer Weiner car, they really have everything here.
Baobab Fare
We used to live a couple blocks from here during the pandemic until mid-2022. When it first opened in early 2021, it quickly became our favorite restaurant in Detroit. It has a great selection of East African food and the coffee is a must-try. It was even recently featured in the New York Times.
Green Dot Stables
We love this place for its huge diversity of sliders and cheap craft beer. It's a great affordable date night, or a fun place to grab lunch or an afternoon snack. If you're also into horse racing, it really is the perfect trifecta.
Pie Sci Pizza | Detroit
We sometimes joke that this pizza place is 50% of the reason we ended up moving to the neighborhood we bought our house in - Woodbridge. It's just that incredible. Go here to experience what all the hype is about with Detroit-style pizza with some very unique and interesting seasonal pizzas for our adventurous guests.
Rocco's Italian Deli
This place played a starring role in our lives when we got our first apartment together in Detroit a few blocks away on Woodward and Mack, especially since they did takeout throughout the pandemic. We always get the "Il Rocco" here and it never disappoints, and the pasta salads are also great.
Mudgie's Deli and Wine Shop
We'd be remiss to include a list of recommendations without mentioning Mudgie's, which has been a staple of Detroit for over a decade. There are way too many sandwiches for any one person to try on their menu, so there should be something for everyone.
Lafayette & American Coney Islands
These two Coney Islands are likely the most controversial restaurants in Detroit and have a long and drawn-out rivalry as neighboring restaurants. People go here for the coney dog - a Detroit staple which is basically a hotdog with chili on top of it. Several Detroiters don't even consider them Coney Islands because they only serve coney dogs and chili fries, but it's pretty much a rite of passage to have a favorite between the two. Be warned that Lafayette Coney Island is cash-only.
Ladder 4 Wine Bar
A bit off the beaten track, this hidden gem is in an old fire station and has a great patio with wine and light bites. We love riding our bikes over here for an apertif.
MotorCity Wine
Close to our wedding hotel, this wine bar has several live music nights and a great selection of wine to choose from. When the weather is nice, they also have a cosy patio to relax on.
The Sugar House
Be sure to make a reservation if you're trying to visit at a popular time - this cocktail bar is often considered the best cocktail selection in Detroit and the bartenders regularly update the menu with seasonal or themed creations so that you can avoid ever having to try the same drink twice.
Detroit City Distillery
We have had many date nights here and it's high on our list of favorite cocktail bars in Detroit. Coupled with some great food truck options outside, this place is a regular hangout for us in the summer.
Kiesling
Kiesling may be a bit out of the way for most guests visiting, but it is our favorite drinks haunt in Detroit. With great ambience and drink selections, it's a fun option to check out, especially if you're dining at the Oak & Reel or Freya nearby.
Kamper's Rooftop Bar
Kamper's just opened up in the beginning of 2024, and it's an incredible space. We love it for the rooftop bar with a great view of the Detroit skyline from right in the middle of it.
The Monarch Club
We have had some pretty overpriced and not tasty cocktails here before, but if you stick to the basics, this place is worth it alone for the 360 degree view of Detroit's downtown.