Our favorite Detroit rooftop bars with views and booze
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The view from the Monarch Club. Photo: Samuel Robinson/Axios
Enjoying a cold drink in the summer is a lot better with a good view.
The intrigue: Detroit has a number of rooftop bars and restaurants that offer a range of dining experiences, from casual to upscale.
- Here are our favorites:
🍺 Collect: This beer bar's rooftop, 1454 Gratiot Ave., is ideal for a breezy refreshment break if you're strolling around Eastern Market or the Dequindre Cut. The rooftop seats about 50 and the bar has beer, wine, cider and a nice selection of bourbon.
- A minor demerit for an obstructed view of the skyline.
🍸 Monarch Club: Come for the incredible downtown views, stay for the charcuterie board and signature cocktails.
- Make a birthday or anniversary reservation at the fireplace for an upscale retreat.
🛸 UFO Factory: The Corktown bar that hosts local DJs on the weekends is proud of its Cloud Deck — an upstairs patio with seating and a view across Michigan Avenue of the Corner Ballpark.
🪩 Apartment Disco: Above the now-closed Lost River tiki bar in the east-side Morningside neighborhood is a disco bar with TVs as part of the decor and Italian Amaro liqueur.
- Walk up a slightly rickety set of stairs to a third-floor rooftop where you can gaze across neighborhood lots or peer down through a skylight onto the shimmering dance floor illuminated by a disco ball.
🍜 Johnny Noodle King: The restaurant's roof hosts live music and events like whiskey and cigar night with a good view of the Ambassador Bridge.
- Try a frozen sake to go with an order of bao buns at this Corktown gem.
🚦 Good Times on the Ave: A second-floor rooftop patio offers a sweeping view along the Livernois Avenue of Fashion with drinks and a menu of seafood entrees, burgers and a range of appetizers.
- There's patio furniture as well as some lounge couches in a covered area.
🌇 The Highlands: "What's the best view from any place in Detroit?" Possibly the steakhouse and cocktail bar on the 71st and 72nd floors of the Ren Cen.
- It technically isn't a "rooftop" but offers unmatched 360-degree views of downtown and has a surprisingly open reservation schedule.
📬 Any good spots we missed? Email us at [email protected] and let us know.