Detroit's Most Romantic Restaurants With A View
Detroit has some of the most fantastic restaurants in the country, and the best way to take a romantic dinner up a notch is to enjoy a meal for two while looking out over a spectacular view. Call and make reservations at one of the following restaurants for an evening guaranteed to be filled with romance, great food and delicious wine. Enjoy the spectacular view after dark at some of these lovely Detroit area-dining options to end (or begin) a romantic Valentine's Day this year.
Hours: Mon & Tues—Closed, Wed, Thurs, Sunday—5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri to Sat—5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Winner of numerous awards including Hour Detroit's 2011 Restaurant of the Year and Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence many times over, Iridescence offers stunning views of the city of Detroit from atop the Motor City Casino and Hotel. The two-story dining room is encased in floor to ceiling windows, allowing diners to take in an almost panoramic view of the skyline. This fine dining restaurant provides delicious entrees inspired by French and Asian cuisine, but the wine list is what comes in second to the view. With a list that seems never ending, Iridescence offers old and new world wines, dessert wines and an impressive array of whites and reds from all over the world.
Hours: Sun to Thurs—7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri to Sat—7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Breakfast Buffet: Mon to Fri—7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Sat to Sun—7 a.m. to Noon
Bistro 555 is located on the third floor of the Greektown Casino and offers a spectacular view of downtown Detroit's Greektown District. The restaurant specializes in seafood, steaks and pasta, and also has a breakfast buffet that begins at 7 a.m. daily for $11.99 per person. Bistro 555 provides a cozy yet modern atmosphere, which creates the perfect setting for a romantic evening. You and your date can even catch a live show if you're at the casino on a Friday or Saturday. The bar makes wonderful drinks and serves specialty wines. Be sure to order the Dutch apple pie or strawberry cheesecake martini for a delicious liquid dessert.
Hours: Mon to Wed—4 p.m. to Noon, Thurs to Fri—4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday is "Limited Menu" night
Signature Grill offers riverfront scenery in downtown Detroit and delicious meals and libations served by welcoming staff. The menu lists unique appetizers and small plates like rolled lumpia, a Filipino dish of mini egg rolls and plum dipping sauce, crispy chicken skewers in an orange sesame glaze, and lump meat crab cakes. If you're looking for a quiet, romantic meal for two, be cognizant of sporting events—the restaurant is a favorite among hockey fans, so be sure your date doesn't conflict with a Red Wings game or Thursday's karaoke night. Unless, of course, you're hoping to impress your date with melodic rendition of an Aretha Franklin love song.
Lunch Hours: Tues to Fri—11:30 a.m.
Dinner Hours: Tues to Sat—5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Located right on the Detroit River, Rattlesnake Club offers amazing scenery both inside and out on the patio. The menu boasts of dishes made of high quality ingredients and local and sustainable foods, including prime Angus beef, apple cider cured free-range duck, roasted rack of Michigan lamb and Lake Ontario perch filets. Vegetarians will appreciate the roasted veggie pot pie, ruby beat salad and Michigan two-apple platter, which consists of apples two ways with goat cheese croutons and arugula.
Related: Best Vegetarian Restaurants In Detroit
Hours: Mon to Thurs—11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri—11 a.m. to Midnight, Sat—Noon to Midnight/Bar open until 2 a.m., Sun—4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Howe's Bayou is a popular Cajun restaurant with a great view of vibrant Ferndale, especially in the spring and summer months when diners can eat out on the street-side patio to people watch. The restaurant has a full, 20-seat bar area that serves up time-honored New Orleans cocktails including mint juleps, hurricanes and bourbon whiskey. In true bayou fashion, diners will find many fish plates on the menu including popcorn crawdads, smoked whitefish and voodoo barbecue shrimp. True southerners will love the menu's sautéed alligator, catfish, collard greens and red beans and rice options.
Related: Best Seafood In The Detroit Area
Yvette Collins is a freelancer in the Detroit area, writing about sports, food, health and traveling. You can read her work on Examiner.com.
