Detroit, MI

Detroit’s coolest new bars of 2025

Published

3 weeks ago

December 18, 2025

Orange wine, smoked old fashioned, freezer martinis, oysters, olives and more were covering bar tops across Motown over the past 12 months or so as Detroit welcomed the debut of many new splashy lounges and neighborhood watering holes.

From the east side to the west — and of course downtown as well — new places offered unique wine lists, mocktails, throwback drinks and other fun for adults, including books and games.

Read on for details on a dozen of the coolest new bars that opened in the city this year, in no particular order. For the sake of perimeters, I used the same criteria for the Best New Restaurants 2025 list, considering businesses that first opened between November of 2024 and October of this year. Hours listed are the regular business hours, which may be different this month due to the holidays.

The Dirty Shake — Midtown

Adding another cool and casual spot to the list of watering holes in the Cass Corridor, the Dirty Shake debuted in March in a brick building at Second and Forest. Like its elder statesman neighbor down the block the Bronx Bar, the drinks here are pretty cheap and the food is high quality and fun. That’s because it’s owned by the guys behind Chartreuse Kitchen + Cocktails and Freya, Sandy Levine and chef Doug Hewitt. You can have lunch or dinner here (cheeseburgers, smoked chicken wings, jerk chicken, vegan stuff) or just snack on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Reese’s Popcorn and other bagged treats. The fact that the Dirty Shake is open daily at 11:30 a.m. and has a big wrap-around porch for summertime makes it an instant classic.

Open 11:30 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs. and 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 4642 Second, Detroit. (313) 279-8500. dirtyshake.com.

Chenin — Downtown

Forget everything you think about wine bars because Chenin is totally different. I have never seen anyone older than 50 sitting at one of the few seats, standing around the slight drink rail or smoking a cigarette out the back door, which is one of the only three place you can really exist inside this teeny-tiny space without being in someone’s way (or lap). Formerly home to eight-seat tasting menu restaurant Albena, Chenin is attracting younger millennials and Gen Z Detroiters with their well-edited European wine menu (including skin-fermented wines), fluffy square pizza, gourmet ice cream and late-night burger grilling. They also serve a premade and pre-chilled martini and Budweiser. Go alone and make a new friend, or just eavesdrop on conversations you can’t help but overhear. Go with too many people and risk not being able to get everyone in the door.

Open 5 p.m.-midnight Sun.-Mon. and Thurs. and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 1509 Broadway, Suite A-1, Detroit. barchenin.com.

Roar Brewing Company — Midtown

Sip on one of Roar’s beers like the honey oat stout, raspberry wheat or amber lager. You can also order a mixed drink or choose one of the nonalcoholic beers and canned cocktails offered. Along with a full bar, this new spot with indoor and outdoor seating serves pub grub like burgers, veggie burgers, tots, wings and flavored popcorn. The community-driven space makes sure it’s open for Detroit Lions games, and in the warmer months offers outdoor lawn games and sometimes live music. Proudly promoting itself as the city’s first Black-owned brewery, Roar is a great addition to the dense area near Selden and Second where it’s easy to walk to many other of the city’s top bars and restaurants including SheWolf, Selden Standard, Honest John’s and Barcade.

Open 5-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., noon-midnight Fri.-Sat. and noon-11 p.m. Sun. 666 Selden, Suite B, Detroit. (313) 326-2680. www.roar.beer.

Me & You Kitchen and Cocktails — East English Village

This is the kind of laid-back hangout spot where you can really be yourself. Laugh out loud with friends, sing along to the R&B tunes and order an extra round of lemon drop shots, which are just $5 each during happy hour. Formerly Good Vibes Lounge, Me & You is owned by Courtney Sanders and Angela Wright. Wright is also the owner of Mix Bricktown, Lockeroom Sports Lounge and Sandbox Outdoor Bar & Lounge, so she knows what Detroiters want when it comes to mixed drinks and chill atmospheres. Specialties from the kitchen are the fried fish, bologna sandwich and the Big 3 burger. Brunch has its own drink menu with flavored mimosas and mimosa tower flights — not just mimosa towers, but mimosa tower flights — for $100. Brunch cuisine features grits, salmon croquettes, fried chicken and pancakes, T-bone steak and eggs and more. The inside seats 100 and there’s room for plenty more in the backyard during warmer weather. Like the fun sign on the wall says, this is a place for “me & you, yo momma and yo cousin, too.”

Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. 16801 Harper, Detroit. (313) 909-0809. Meandyoueast.com.

Paris Bar — McNichols and Jos Campau

Long live the dive bar. Paris Bar debuted this year with DJs, live bands and cocktails from the same folks behind Outer Limits Lounge, which sits just outside Hamtramck in Detroit. The space, lit mostly by the warm glow of vintage neon signage, was formerly Simpson’s Record Shop. Before that, though, it was also a local bar called Paris Beer Garden. (“Amateurs wanted. Cash prizes.” reads a classified advertisement from Paris Beer Garden in a 1935 issue of The Detroit News seeking musicians.) Paris Bar has a lot of room to hang out. Drinkers gather near the bar and when bands are booked they’re in a back room. There’s also a small, fenced-in yard out back with modest patio furniture. Expect anything here: rock and roll, punk, metal, the avant-garde, art shows, films and more.

Open 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Sat. and 6 p.m.-midnight Sun. 2961 E. McNichols, Detroit. instagram.com/parisbardetroit.

Father Forgive Me — English Village

One of the first buzzy openings of the summer was Father Forgive Me’s early June debut. Located on the grounds of the Shepherd — a former church that has been converted into a cultural center, part of an east side development — this hip, new and somewhat upscale indoor and outdoor bar has been a go-to spot since then. The menu has craft cocktails, wine by the glass or bottle and a few beers. There’s food, too, mostly small things and shareables like the very on-trend tinned fish, olives and a mortadella sandwich. They usually don’t take reservations here, but there’s an exception for the New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31. There will be two seatings for $130 per person that includes all food and drinks. The menu is expected to feature shrimp cocktail, beef tartare and tater tot waffles with caviar.

Open 4-11 p.m. Mon., Wed.-Thurs., 4 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat. and noon-11 p.m. Sun. Closed Tuesdays. 1265 Parkview, Detroit. fatherforgiveme.com.

Full Measure Brewing — Eastern Market

This is a great new hangout for craft beer lovers, of course, but the spacious and clean new Full Measure Brewing is an all-around great addition to Eastern Market. The food menu is no afterthought here, with many items that are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. There’s also food that’s none of those things, like the po’ boy with Creole remoulade and grilled jumbo shrimp or fried catfish (or fried green tomatoes to make it vegetarian). It comes with fries for just $15 and the menu recommends pairing it with a pint of their Bla Bla Ginger or Atmospherium Saison. The menu also does a good job at explaining the bitterness and alcohol content of all the beers. There’s a brunch menu, too, as Full Measure is an easygoing spot to fuel up before or after your weekend market shopping.

Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 2700 Orleans, Detroit. (313) 818-3977. fullmeasurebrewing.com.

Vesper Books & Wine — Core City

This new corner spot at Grand River an W. Warren is one of the most well-lit bars on this list because it’s also a bookstore. Vesper specializes in cookbooks and other food-adjacent literature, which are shelved around an interior that also features a mix of couches and tables that look thrifted right out of your cool aunt’s 1990s-era living room. They sell wines by the glass at the bar (or order at the counter and take a seat) and customers can also shop for a variety of interesting wines to take home. The menu has a few cocktails and beers (Budweiser, again). A short snack menu has wine-centric vittles like a cheese plate, olives or something more substantial like a beautiful soppressata sandwich or tinned fish served with bread, butter and pickled vegetables. This place has been abuzz since late 2022 and finally debuted in December 2024. Vesper is open early for a wine bar, so you can pop in and nurse your hangover after closing down Chenin the night before.

Open 2-11 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 2 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat. and noon-9 p.m. Sun. 5001 Grand River, Detroit. (313) 716-1708. vesperbooksandwine.com.

Arcenciel — Livernois and Fenkell

Named for the French word for “rainbow,” this new nightlife destination debuted in November 2024 as an LGBTQ+ dance club. Friday nights is geared toward women, and Saturday nights for men, but anyoe and everyone is welcome on either night at the 4,500-square-foot club with a state-of-the-art dance floor. A supper club-style Versailles Dining Room restaurant has been put on hold and is expected to reopen in Spring 2026.

Open 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 14925 Livernois, Detroit. (313) 635-5080. arcencieldetroit.com.

Cannons — Morningside

Brightening up the space where beloved and dimly-lit tiki bar Lost River was, Cannons debuted this fall with oysters, barrel batched cocktails and nods to the United Kingdom like a perfect pour of Guinness, Welsh rarebit and bread pudding. Upstairs is a cozy techno haven that has already hosted sets by some of the greats: Juan Adkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. This summer there is sure to be plenty more fun on the rooftop deck that overlooks Mack Avenue at the Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park border. Stop in for a pint and a football game (either kind), and soak in all the small details of the refurbished barroom.

Open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Fri. And 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 15421 Mack, Detroit. instagram.com/cannonsbar.

Sip N Read — Corktown

Another bar and bookstore in one! At Sip N Read, the name says it all. The 2,400-square-foot space is owned and operated by Tamela Todd, author of three nonfiction books and a winemaker. She proudly displayed her her Library of Rosé from the Sip-N-Read wine collection, which is available to enjoy in 5- or 8-ounce pours at the bar. All the wines here are Michigan-made. Sip-N-Read is a place to shop for books, visit with friends, sit and read, have a drink or a mix of all of these. Rather than store shelves, the displays are more like a living room, with cozy, plush chairs. The selection is a small, curated mix of current memoirs, nonfiction, novels and some classics. Todd and her team at Sip N Read are planning to lean into this year’s Dry January and offer guests a new menu of mocktails while they aim to create a space that makes alcohol-free socializing intentional and inviting.

Open 4-9 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. 1620 Michigan, Ste 122, Detroit. sipandread.net.

The Post Bar — Downtown

The sportiest watering hole on this list of new spots, the Post Bar turned on the old neon sign late last year. Longtime Detroiters will know the name, as there were once raucous Post Bar locations throughout the area, including on Congress by Joe Louis Arena and even one on Woodward in Ferndale (where Imperial is now). They’ve got every kind of beer, liquor and hard seltzer that’s currently trending, along with a hearty food menu. Choose from pub grub like a giant pretzel, turkey chili or Cajun chicken nachos, or try the more sophisticated prime rib French dip, strawberry salad or charcuterie board.

Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Daily. 1325 Broadway, Detroit. instagram.com/thepostbardetroit.

Melody Baetens is The Detroit News restaurant critic

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Lions score 4 players with AP All-Pro nods, including 2 first-timers

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Detroit Lions score 4 players with AP All-Pro nods, including 2 first-timers

ALLEN PARK — Jack Campbell and Penei Sewell were named to the AP All-Pro first-team for the Detroit Lions.

It’s the third consecutive first-team nod for Sewell, 25, who was also named Pro Football Focus’ protector of the year earlier this week. PFF graded Sewell as the top offensive lineman, and not just tackle, in the NFL this season. He allowed only two sacks and 19 pressures across 601 pass-blocking snaps as the top-ranked pass-blocking offensive lineman.

For all the focus on the offensive line and what needs to happen this offseason, Sewell’s presence gives them a cornerstone, blue-chip piece to build around.

Campbell earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod this season, putting the bows on a true breakout campaign for the former first-round pick. The 25-year-old joins Chris Spielman and Joe Schmidt as the only Lions linebackers ever to make the All-Pro first-team.

The linebacker finished the season by playing all 17 games for the third straight season, posting career highs in tackles (176), sacks (five), forced fumbles (three), fumble recoveries (two) and tackles for loss (nine). Campbell did all this while taking over the green dot for the first time, and playing more snaps than any other teammate — offense, defense or special teams.

The third-year linebacker finished the season as PFF’s second-best overall linebacker, trailing only Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers. Campbell’s 176 tackles were the second-most in the league in 2025.

“He’s extremely valuable,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of his linebacker last month. “He’s taken more reps than anybody on this team. He plays on kickoff for us, and he’s an asset on kickoff and then everything you see on defense. He doesn’t come off the field; he’s our bell-cow, green-dot. And he does –, and the guy is smart, and he’s instinctive, and he is snap-to-whistle all-out, all the time, in practice too. And he doesn’t take plays off, he doesn’t take days off, he goes after the football, he’s a ball guy.

“So, he’s invaluable.”

Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had made the first team in consecutive years, was named to the AP’s second team this time around. St. Brown finished the season fifth in receptions (117), fifth in yards (1,401), tied for second in touchdowns (11) and seventh in yards after the catch (570).

The star wideout became the first player in league history to have at least 90 catches through a player’s first five seasons. St. Brown has at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, and has caught double-digit touchdowns in the last three.

Aidan Hutchinson joined in on the fun this year, too. Hutchinson earns his first AP All-Pro team nod, landing a second-team spot this season. Not too shabby for someone returning from a season-ending leg injury, and his return served as quite the response.

Hutchinson, who got his big extension this year, played every game and set a new career-best mark with 14.5 sacks and 35 quarterback hits. He also scored his second Pro Bowl appearance this year, as well. Since PFF started tracking pressures, there have been six players to reach the 100-pressure mark. Hutchinson is the only one on that list to have done it twice.

The pass rusher led the NFL in pressures created, finishing the campaign with a clear 100. The next closest player was Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen, who had 95.

“The number of things that he’s able to do for us in the run and the pass game,” Dan Campbell said of Hutchinson earlier in the season. “Man, it takes up — he pulls a lot of slack, man. You talk about pulling your weight, he pulls his weight and then some. He requires a lot of resources offensively, which helps everybody else out. Guys like him, he’s in that rare world of man, you don’t get the easy way out. He’s got to beat the nudges, he’s got to beat the back chip, then the tackle’s on him. Or he’s got to beat the nudge, sometimes the back, the tackle, and the slide’s coming to him with the guard also.

“So, sometimes you may have to beat three, sometimes four. But if that’s the case, somebody else is winning. They’ve got to win. So, what he does is not easy, and I go back to this. He is a complete football player; he does it all. And he’s disruptive, he’s violent, he’s high motor, he’s crafty, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s competitive. And he does it all. He does it all.”

For a full look at the AP’s All-Pro voting results, click here. Of note, longtime former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford earned the first All-Pro first-team nod of his career this year. Stafford remains in the MVP hunt, and this honor usually leads to that.

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Detroit, MI

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week.

A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway.

As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.

Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.

The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.

Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.

This is a developing story.

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Detroit, MI

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

But we also can’t ignore the drastic fall-off from the Dolphins’ offense. Partially because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill over the past two seasons, the Dolphins have finished 22nd and 25th in scoring offense in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Injuries can be used as an excuse, but the greatest coordinators find a way through the adversity.

Beyond that, there are questions about his philosophical and schematic fit. While the Lions have built their offenses on grit and physicality, McDaniel seems to favor speed and finesse. But maybe that’s exactly what the Lions need. Detroit has two speedy players in Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, who could probably be utilized more creatively, and it’s hard to imagine anyone better than McDaniel to do so.

McDaniel also has a very long coaching history with a lot of different coaching influences and schemes—including his closest coaching guru: Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers head coach has a scheme that is both more congruent with what the Lions do and much more adaptable.

On this EMERGENCY PODCAST, our crew debates the fit of McDaniel in Detroit, along with our thoughts on the Lions’ other known candidate: Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough.

Before that, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, and I discuss our biggest takeaways from Lions general manager Brad Holmes’ end-of-season press conference, including the future of David Montgomery, whether Holmes really took accountability for his mistakes, and our confidence in him moving forward.

You can catch our discussion in the embedded podcast below or on any podcasting platform you’d prefer. Just search “Pride of Detroit.”

You can also catch video of the show over on our YouTube pages. Here are the links:

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