City Guide: Detroit

“​​Detroit is one of those places that you either get or you don’t,” says restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green. “My friend once said ‘Detroit has soul,’ and that’s always stuck with me.” Lyndsay’s husband grew up in Detroit, and she fell in love with Motor City while visiting his family. In 2017, the couple made Detroit home; she’s since written extensively about the city’s food scene. Here, Lyndsay talks about famous chili dogs, a bar where dancing spills into the street, and fun things to do even when it’s freezing…

Our guide, Lyndsay C. Green

WHERE TO EAT

Detroit-style pizza is square, and deep but not Chicago deep. The sauce is on top of the cheese, but the cheese also goes over the side, giving it this crispy, lacy edge. The popular spots are Jet’s and Buddy’s. Personally, I really like Grandma Bob’s. (For vegans, It’s Food does Detroit-style vegan pizza pop-ups.)

Detroit-style pizza at Grandma Bob’s

Every Detroiter has their favorite branch of Coney Island, but the two most famous — Lafayette and American — are both over 100 years old and right next to one another. Go for a Coney, which is a hot dog with chili, mustard and onions.

Baobab Fare is an East African restaurant with a small but really good menu. They’ve been nominated for multiple James Beard awards, but remain relatively affordable.

Some of my favorite desserts in Detroit are: the chocolate chip cookies at an underground speakeasy called The Upright (sometimes I just go there for the cookie and don’t even have a drink), the peach cobbler cookie at Good Cakes and Bakes, and The Red Hook’s oatmeal raisin cookie.

The peach cobbler cookie at Good Cakes and Bakes, one of Detroit’s most beloved bakeries

Every year, the Detroit Free Press names a restaurant of the year. Our 2024 pick was Alpino, which has delicious fondue, homemade pastas, and other dishes from the Alpine region. Even though it’s a higher end restaurant, it still feels relaxed and comfortable. Mexican restaurant Vecino was our pick for 2025, and in 2023 it was Ladder 4, a wine bar in a former firehouse. In the summer, the chef makes the best sliders, and it’s so nice to have one on the patio with a glass of wine.

Ladder 4

WHERE TO HANG

Paramita Sound is a tiny Black-owned bar and record shop, where DJs from Detroit and out of town perform regularly. You’ll find everybody in there with a drink doing the hustle. Dancing spills out into the street, and it’s just so special and fun.

A lot of the things people visit Detroit for — like the museums and restaurants — are still enjoyable when it’s really cold out. The Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) is a great — and huge — museum. One of their big pieces is Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s ‘Detroit Industry’ fresco, which covers four big walls. Nearby is the Charles H. Wright Museum, which focuses on African American history. It’s really cool that we have something like that in this city. And I’m waiting for my baby to be a bit older to take him to the Michigan Science Center, which is very popular with kids.

Diego Rivera’s murals at the DIA

Eastern Market is over 100 years old. I shop there for farmers’ produce and groceries, but it’s not just a market, it’s an experience. There’s a blueberry farmer that everyone knows, plus meats, cheeses, and prepared foods, like pierogis. There’s not necessarily a seating area, but there are a couple little areas where you could pop a squat. Also, Bert’s Market Place, across the street, grills out during the summer. So, you can visit the market, then go to Bert’s and have a hot sausage, while you listen to live music.

Definitely go to Belle Isle, which was initially designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame. It’s an island on the Detroit River, where you can rent bikes or boats. America’s oldest aquarium (free admission) is there, too, and offers free admission. Sometimes I love to just walk along the river. The views of the skyline are beautiful.

The Belle Isle Aquarium

WHERE TO SHOP

Janet Webster Jones, the octogenarian owner of Source Bookstores

Two bookstores I love: Source Booksellers and Next Chapter Books. If you want to relax, Vesper Books & Wine is also wonderful, and it’s very close to Periodicals, a cool spot for indie magazines.

Faircloth boutique is a good spot for colorful statement pieces, and nearby Eugenie curates sustainable apparel, shoes and jewelry. For vintage, I really like the stuff at Flamingo. Also, check out Boro or the Velvet Tower.

Eugenie

It’s always fun to pop into Shinola Detroit’s Canfield store. There’s a nice coffee shop at the entrance, so even if you don’t walk away with a new watch, you won’t leave empty handed. Across the street, City Bird has a cute selection of plants, children’s books, kitchenware and other knickknacks. I always find myself there during the holidays.

WHERE TO STAY

One style of room at the Siren hotel has bunkbeds for “friends on an adventure” or “kids with parents across the hall.”

Corktown is the oldest neighborhood in Detroit; it’s really charming. For hotels there, check out Trumbull & Porter or the Godfrey, which is where people ended up staying when I had my baby shower.

Detroit also has a number of cool hotels with great in-house restaurants or bars. The Shinola Hotel has San Morello, and the Detroit Foundation Hotel, in an old fire station, has The Apparatus Room. The Siren is so pretty I sometimes work in the lobby when I’m downtown, and they have Candy Bar, one of Detroit’s more famous cocktail bars.

Thank you so much for sharing your Detroit with us, Lyndsay. Detroiters out there, what else would you add to the list?

P.S. More Cup of Jo city guides, and the #1 trick to enjoying family travel.

(Top photo by Kahari King/Unsplash.)