What’s new? There’s always something new! Celebrate small plates in Detroit and more top local restaurants to know about. The city’s restaurant scene gives longtime Detroiters a sense of newness while getting to explore the globe through authentic cuisine. Detroit expands each year and it knows how to work with the community to consistently bring in new developments that become classic favorites. Share the love and laughs with small plates/tapas. Tapas stem from the Spanish cuisine and concept of small dishes or appetizers intended for sharing. Ordering multiple appetizer-sized dishes has become a common way to enjoy a meal. Smaller portions allow you to still try several menu items that you’re in the mood for or have never eaten.
Detroit bars/cocktail bars, lounges, older/traditional downtown restaurants, and others help create more of what the city likes to see & eat. Whether it’s trending or not, take yourself out with the crew and cherish the moment. Be as playful and as bold as the endless small plate selections surrounding you. Expect hand-crafted excellence, warm service, and chill vibes.
Fill up on your favorites! Detroitisit rounded up a list that primarily focuses on the best new and classic small plates in Detroit to take note of. These spots and other highly favored restaurants should be a great mixture of places to count on. Check hours and be on your way.
BALKAN HOUSE
This first spot is an example of how it’s inevitable that some restaurant businesses will close in one location within the area while keeping their other creations still intact and/or opening another in time. This list mostly focuses on great Detroit appetizer spots, but it also highlights the several new areas to grab food. Celebrate the small, big, and new with this list of small plates in Detroit. According to Axios, this local favorite for European-style döner kebabs is expected to have a first Detroit location in a new food hall development from the Detroit Shipping Co. team at 3700 Third Ave. Balkan House first opened in Hamtramck in 2019 and closed its doors in 2025. However, there’s still a Ferndale location and a food truck. Click HERE for more information.
CORK & GABEL
Celebrate scrumptious small plates in Detroit with Cork & Gabel. Try their finely tuned appetizer combinations. Since opening in 2018, the restaurant has been known to mix modern & traditional techniques to serve up a fusion of Irish, Italian, and German cuisine in Detroit’s Corktown district. Try the best of sweet and savory choices. Their flavorful charcuterie board may satisfy you to the fullest or even their truffle fries! Click HERE to view the website for more information.
Location: 2415 Michigan Ave., Detroit
CENTRAL KITCHEN + BAR
Explore small plates in Detroit with Central Kitchen + Bar. Your dining experience should be nothing, but exceptional. The energetic atmosphere is the perfect place to share bites. Try something new and up your appetizer game with these zesty, high quality selections. Click HERE to view the website for more information.
Location: 600 Woodward Avenue Detroit
HAMLIN PUB
This list of small plates in Detroit include the opening, closing, and reopening of restaurants. Metro Detroit’s most recognized neighborhood sports bar brand is expanding downtown. Expected to open on April 3, Tigers Opening Day, be on the lookout for the complete remodeling of the Hamlin Pub chain at the former Statler space near Grand Circus Park. A 2025 closure and rebranding is now seeing its other end. Joe Vicari and Hamlin Pub co-owner John DeAngelis have partnered together to bring this project to life. Founded in 1992, the first Hamlin Pub opened in Rochester Hills at Hamlin and Rochester roads. Visit for pub grub, live entertainment, and sports on view across all walls. The downtown menu will mirror the suburban locations with American pub fare and a full bar. Click HERE to view the website for more information.
Location: 313 Park Ave., Downtown Detroit
SMALL PLATES DETROIT
This list of small plates in Detroit wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Small Plates Detroit, a restaurant & bar that’s the place to be in the heart of the theater/stadium district. Take your time choosing from American style tapas options, hand-crafted cocktails and more. The Opera House is directly across the street and Comerica Park. With Fox Town and Ford Field are only two blocks away, you’ll wine & dine while flowing with ease with the rest of your plans. Valet parking is available. Click HERE to view the Facebook page for more information.
Location: Inside the Eureka Building at 1521 Broadway Detroit
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