Last week, we counted down the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list.
The list includes traditional restaurants as well as a pop-up, a pair of bakeries and a breakfast diner.
The full list is below, for quick reference.
Want to dig deeper? Check out our all-time list here.
No. 10: Lincoln Yard, Birmingham
From Union Joints, the hospitality group behind eateries, such as Vinsetta Garage, Union Assembly and Mom’s Spaghetti, Lincoln Yard joins the roster with its little sister, Little Yard. The side-by-side establishments come as a twofer: Little Yard, with an all-day breakfast menu, soups and coffee; and Lincoln Yard, offering brunch, lunch, dinner and spirited beverages.
Full review here.
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No. 9: Savoy, Detroit
For many years, the east side of Detroit’s culinary scene has been driven by fast food and fast-casual restaurants. When it opened last summer, Savoy offered an upscale dining experience for the Cornerstone Village neighborhood. Led by chef Melba Dearing, the restaurant delivers an amalgam of Southern dishes and Creole flavors, plus a few fun riffs in between.
Full review here.
No. 8: JP’s Makes and Bakes, Detroit
JP Makes and Bakes might be new to the New Center neighborhood, but the bakery’s breads, cakes and cookies are well established among the Detroit dining scene. Pastry chef Jonathan Peregrino first introduced the bakery as a pop-up concept back in 2021 and quickly wielded his Filipino foodways as his superpower.
Full review here.
No. 7: Vesper Books and Wine, Detroit
One of the most highly anticipated openings of 2024, Vesper made a splash with its collection of wines by the bottle or glass. The new wine bar is operated by Rob Wilson, an alum of Kiesling in Detroit’s North End, and partner Symantha Duggan. The duo has established a space that defies the traditional expectations of a stuffy wine bar.
Full review here.
No. 6: Forest Bakery, Oak Park
On a frigid Saturday morning just after 10 a.m., when the bakery opens, a line snakes around Forest Bakery, the 488-square-foot shop in Oak Park. Guests, largely families with friendly dogs on leashes and small children in tow, are there to nab the bakery’s selection of sweet and savory pastries before they’re gone.
Full review here.
No. 5: Ayiti Spaghetti, Detroit pop-up
The finishing touch on each plate created by Franchesca Lamarre is a toothpick flying the Haitian flag. As if the dishes themselves aren’t indication enough, the garnish reaffirms the Haitian American chef’s cultural pride.
Full review here.
No. 4: La Fonda, Detroit
The coffees at sister shop Encarnación Café remind me of the cups I sipped at my Puerto Rican grandmother’s house when I was well below the standard drinking age for caffeine.
The food at La Fonda is equally nostalgic. I’ve long lamented the lack of Latin American cuisine beyond Mexican in the Detroit area. La Fonda Street has managed to bring many of the classics under one roof.
Full review here.
No. 3: Norm’s Diner, Detroit
There’s something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe it’s the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods — thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe it’s the old-fashioned décor — the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era you’d give anything to relive.
Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norm’s has all the makings of a great one.
Full review here.
No. 2: Leña, Detroit
When a restaurant draws inspiration from a particular country or region, it can be difficult not to veer into kitschy territory. Leña, the new Brush Park neighborhood restaurant with Spanish influence, strikes a beautiful balance.
Full review here.
No. 1: Puma, Detroit
It is not hyperbolic to say that you can feel the heat at Puma, Detroit’s Argentine street food newcomer.
At the request of chef-owner Javier Bardauil, contractors carved a gaping hole into the façade of the former Core City neighborhood auto garage for a live fire that would burn during service. The heat from the flames toasts your ankles as you approach the front door.
Full review here.
Save the Date: On Tuesday, May 27, Puma, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Full Top 10 schedule and ticket information at Freep.com/top10.
For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: These are metro Detroit’s Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences for 2025
Reporting by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
