Hot new restaurants to check out in the Detroit area

The Fourth Wall
15421 Mack Ave., Unit C, Detroit; 313-720-0673; instagram.com/fourthwalldetroit

We lost Lost River tiki-bar this year, but this unique film-focused wine bar recently opened in its former space. The new spot screens movies in the bar and hopes to expand with a separate mini theater. Plus, Gajiza Dumplings is popping up to give customers the same food they got when Lost River was open.

Read more here.

Le Suprême
1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-597-7734; lesupremedetroit.com

Detroit’s recently restored Book Tower has multiple new restaurants on the way. This Paris-inspired eatery was the first to open, featuring dishes like steak au poivre and fruits de mer seafood platters.

Read more here.

Whatcha Wanna Eat Food Hall
10635 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; whatchawannaeatfoodhall.com

Filled with nine restaurants that are mostly run by first-time business owners, Detroit’s first inner city food hall opened in September on the west side. The building, owned by Bobby and Gena Bailey, includes Heavenly Chicken and Waffles, Delectabowl, Your Perfect Blend, Wing Fellas, Crazy Burgers, Poon’s Hibachi Grill, Borderline Tacos, Detroit Wild Pit, and Life is Sweetz.

Read more here.

Gladys Nite at Spot Lite
2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; spotlitedetroit.com

Hot Detroit nightclub, coffee shop, and record store Spot Lite now has a food option. The truck serves up sandwiches, fries, wings, and more Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

Read more here.

Cafe Sous Terre
445 W. Forest Ave., Detroit; 313-228-2880; instagram.com/cafe_sous_terre

While it’s not so easy to spot from the road since stairs lead down to its basement-level entrance, this new French-style coffee and cocktail bar opened in Midtown on July 27. The cafe operates as a coffee shop during the day and a chill bar at night.

Read more here.

Detroit Institute of Bagels
4884 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-512-8292; detroitinstituteofbagels.com

DIB is a local comeback story. The beloved bagel and coffee spot closed in 2020, but soon announced its return, moving into the Core City space formerly occupied by Ochre Bakery and Astro Coffee. Opened in February, its menu includes bagels, breakfast sandwiches, Challah loaves, and coffee.

Read more here.

Karl's Cabin
6005 Gotfredson Rd., Plymouth; 734-455-8450; karlscabin.com

This longstanding restaurant just reopened after a fire forced a shut-down for most of 2023.

Basan
2703 Park Ave, Detroit; 313-481-2703; basandetroit.com

The menu is divided into five categories, buns, skewers, small plates, large plates, and sweets. Read more here.

Vigilante Kitchen
644 Selden St., Detroit; 313-638-1695; vigilantekitchen.com

In early June, Detroit’s Smith & Co. closed, reopening as Vigilante Kitchen. The new concept restaurant serves elevated Midwestern food with Asian and French influence. While the spot does offer a bar, owner Aaron Cozadd wants it to also be sober-friendly, offering employees meditation sessions, gym memberships, and recovery meetings.

Read more here.

Alpino
1426 Bagley St., Detroit; alpinodetroit.com

Opened on May 1, Alpino has lots of cured meats,  cheese, fresh vegetables, pasta, grains, and wine.

Hamilton’s
1401 Michigan Ave., Detroit; godfreyhoteldetroit.com

The boutique Godfrey Hotel chain opened its latest location in Corktown earlier this year, recently opening the doors to its full-service restaurant Hamilton’s, which is now open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

Read more here.

Pizza Cat Oak Park
25298 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-850-8472; pizzacat.com

The growing chain known for its unconventional pizza creations added a fourth metro Detroit location in September.

Read more here.

Cafe Prince
4884 Grand River Ave., Detroit; thecafeprince.com

Cafe Prince has a simple menu featuring items like grapefruit, figs, diced mango, kefir, and its signature “nude raw carrot,” which it sells for $1.80. Read more here.

Bandit Tavern & Hideaway
419 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6250; bandittavern.com

After five years, Royal Oak’s Jolly Pumpkin is no more. The space has been rebranded to this sit-down comfort cuisine restaurant with a downstairs bar.

Read more here.

Bunny Bunny
1454 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-974-6122; bunny-bunny.square.site

This one’s not so much a new opening as an about-face. In 2022, fusion restaurant Bunny Bunny announced it was closing its Eastern Market location, but in February the owners announced they had a change of heart and decided to give it another go. The restaurant serves dishes inspired by the cuisine of India, South Africa, and the U.S. South.

Encarnacion
8016 Kercheval St., Detroit; encarnacion.us

After years of planning, this Latin coffee shop, which has some breakfast options and will later expand to a full street-food menu, opened in West Village in November.

Read more here.

The Hudson Cafe 17101 Haggerty Rd., Northville; 248-308-3793; hudson-cafe.com

Named due to its proximity to Detroit’s former J.L. Hudson Department Store, the beloved brunch spot opened a second location in a former Applebee’s in Northville. Like the original Detroit location, its menu includes pancakes, waffles, omelets, and more.

The Eagle Food and Beer Hall
3461 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 331-334-4530; eaglerestaurant.com

Opening on Sept. 8, this new fried chicken spot focuses on Southern comfort food and craft beer.

Read more here.

Kimchi Box Plus
18875 Traditions Dr., Northville; 248-773-7048; kimchiboxusa.com

This local fast-casual Korean fried chicken chain opened its latest location in February, adding Korean barbecue to its menu. Other items include Korean-fusion tacos, bibimbap, dumplings, and more.

California Burgerz
28508 Dequindre Rd., Warren; 586-345-6000; californiaburgerz.com

California Burgerz opened its first location in 2017 in Hamtramck, inspired by California’s famous In-N-Out Burgers. It expanded to Warren on New Year’s Day, with a menu including burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries.