Atlas Global Bistro

Its spring and besides snow falling in Detroit its restaurant week! Love this event and what a great reason to go to the city and enjoy what our local restaurants have to offer. My friends and I chose to go to Atlas global bistro… been wanting to go and this time was the time. I went with some friends and I would say over all its really good. Food was beautifully presented and delicious. I had the bistro salad, braised short rib and smoked crème brûlée, my friends had the scallop and salad, another short rib and pork tenderloin and desserts were smoked crème brûlée.
Atlas was very accommodating to us and service was unobtrusive. There were unfortunately some negatives. First the server struck me as though she really didnt know the menu and she didnt look put together. She looked a bit frazzled and the place really wasnt busy. Additionally her uniform was sloppy looking, but she was freindly and didnt really hover over us which was nice. One of my guests dinner was not properly cooked (pork tenderloin) and it had a big line of sinew running through the meat. I know today chefs are preparing pork with some pink in it and it doesnt bother me however the meat was more like medium which in my book is a little underdone. My friend just ate around it but we did point it out to our server and that is as far as it went. As for the rest of the meals everything was simply delicious and based on food presentation and taste I will definitely go back.
The place is located in Midtown and when you go use the valet unless you know the area. We thought we could just park ourselves and we drove a very short distance and we saw a sign that said“Do not leave anything in your vehicle” not to mention parking is sparce so save your self the headache and just valet.

Came to Atlas Bistro for Detroit restaurant week and had a good time. Started out with the scallop, then had the duck confit for the entrée, and finally, a smoked crème brûlée to finish. I enjoyed my dishes. The scallop was beautifully presented (still in the shell). The duck confit was a little saltier than I would like, but the skin was nice and crisp. The smoked crème brûlée was REALLY smoky! Caught me by surprise.
The boyfriend got the banh mi appetizer, the pork tenderloin, and the chocolate cake. The chocolate cake with strawberry pop rocks was literally AWESOME to eat. The sensation in your mouth was hilarious and the popping lingered, so you’d open your mouth to take the next bite of cake with little strawberry powder still igniting on your tongue. Whomever suggested this is genius!
We also ordered a basil spritzer cocktail, which was very good. It was SUPER basil-​y, very refreshing, and really unique.
Portion sizes seemed a little smaller at first, but we left the meal feeling comfortably full. I was very satisfied. We usually leave eateries (uncomfortably) STUFFED, muffin top, belt-​loosening, and all, so definitely take our standard of portion sizes with a grain of salt. (Note to self: stop being a pig)

Although we were a bit disappointed when we visited for restaurant week last year, we went back with another couple and had a much better experience ordering off the regular menu.
I had the ribs cooked in a Korean style and a nice salad. Both were excellent. Our friends selected the wine and that was great too. Everyone enjoyed their dishes and the portions were just right.
We will go back.

My Groupon here expired forever ago, so I was more or less stuck paying full price. No need to let that rain on my parade. This is the second time I found myself in Midtown and I must say that I like what I have seen so far. I sauntered in late on a Sunday evening and the place was more or less empty. Thus, I cozied up to the bar. I grabbed one of the bartender’s latest creations — Knickerbocker gin with cardamom syrup. That was rather tasty and refreshing — great for a guy getting over a hangover.
I just noticed on their website, that they have a Prix Fixe menu. I wish I knew this at the restaurant. C’est la vie. The menu is creative with a mix of various cuisines. Maybe it is an identity crisis — I do not think so, and it works. You know you got something good when the staff dismisses the lamb shanks and steak as boring.
The bartender suggested that I go with the bouillabaisse — this was another fantastic suggestion. The main fish (halibut?) was tender and pretty flaky. The jumbo prawn was definitely the largest I have seen in the US. There is no sophisticated way about the prawn — you have to tear it apart with your hands to make a mess of yourself. The mussels are also good, but the real star of the show is the broth — I ended up sopping it all up with bread.
I think I am going to continue my practice of going out when no one else does. I actually had a great time hanging out at the bar with the staff. Good times. .. .

My friend and I had brunch at Atlas before going to the DIA for the Faberge Exhibit. I love the big picture windows that allow for lots of natural light. Our server was very friendly and attentive. Food was great! We were there at 10am for brunch so the restaurant was not crowded at all. It started to fill up after 11am.
On a side note, the fact that I could make an
reservation directly from the Unilocal app was an added plus!

My darling hubster took me out for a day at the museum (DIA) followed by a dinner in Midtown, Atlas Global — highly recommended by my Detroit Guru. I knew if she recommended it, it would be good but it far exceeded that expectation.
First off, the dining room isn’t huge — it is quite intimate in fact. That said, make a reservation friends. You can do it right here on Unilocal via Open Table! Very convenient. We watched a few parties turned away because it was a full house that Saturday night. So sad for them.
Atmosphere — 5 stars. Just loud enough to be happily humming along but not overbearingly loud. I hate that but if it’s super quiet that’s a drag too.
The lighting, placement of tables, décor — looking out the big windows on a snowy night while being warm, cozy and well fed — loved it all. Can you tell?
Service was stellar. Attentive but not overbearing or intrusive. Friendly and professional. Knowledgable about the menu as well.
Food and drink — we had a before dinner drink. It WAS my birthday and all. All the standards were offered plus their own specialty drinks. I sure wish I could recal what I had as it was so good. My hubster had a cucumber martini that was perfect.
They have a pre fix menu which looked very good but I often feel stuffed after one of these so we ordered off the menu. Every single dish was great. Not a fail in sight.
We also noted that a large van was picking up and dropping off patrons and asked the wait staff about it. This wonderful place offers pick up and drop off at the Fisher, they symphony and other nearby venue’s events on weekends! Call ahead and find out if your event is one of them, make a reservation then valet park at Atlas Global. They will time your meal so that you can have dinner (before or after) your event and get a ride to/​from. Great option– they should advertise the heck out of this. Smart business planning.
Love this place and will be back.

I went to Atlas for restaurant week sept 2012 and I was very impressed by the choices on the menu. I ordered the Bohemian Scallop for my first course and my friend ordered the cheese plate. The bohemian scallop was big and beautiful, I was not that big of a fan of the flavors. My friend and I shared the cheese plate which was awesome. My entre was the lamb bourguignon it was so much better than the one i had at Roast. The flavors for this were perfectly paired. the paoched pear dessert was my last course the toucj of lavender yougurt made it taste amazing. I would never have though lavender would taste so good. I will be back for sure!

Slow.

When you’ve been living off burgers and fries for a few days, it’s easy to justify something else like dark chocolate and Belgian beer as essential elements of a well-​balanced diet. Despite accompanying my meal with a pint of Palm and finishing it with Ancho chile spiced chocolate custard, this was my first Detroit meal in a while that I didn’t leave feeling like I had just been punched in the gut.
I’d like to think the main course and I, a wild-​caught striped bass, were mutually attracted to each other. If you were a fish, wouldn’t you want to end your days by being consumed by someone who can love you for who you are? Someone who enjoys every bite of you? There must be some spiritual Eastern doctrine to back me up on that. Anyone?
My opening salad was the strongest part of my meal. The Fededro is a work of art visually resembling a deep-​sea crustacean, but also a complex and flavorful mix of feta, beet, pistachio, and red wine vinaigrette. Global fusion at its best.
So maybe upscale restaurants and I tend to be mutually awkward around each other. Sometimes I think staff are reserved, cautious about respecting privacy, and sometimes even mortally afraid of offending their discriminating customers. But I get it– Atlas is no neighborhood diner, it’s about the food first. And they seem to get this right on all counts. My server not only knew his stuff, but let me taste a few beers to save me from bringing a potential mistake to tragic 12 oz. scale. And it was endearing to me that the front-​line staff murmured their shared displeasure of the music, what felt like a sampler «Slick Jazz for Restaurant.» So many other details here are well-​attended… the broad sunbeams streaming in from Woodward Avenue across dark rich wood tones and the stainless steel bar-​top and modernist green orbs hanging from the ceiling.
I’m now a solid fan of not only Atlas, but of Detroit Restaurant Week and its very reasonable $ 28 three-​course meals. My waiter acknowledged that portion sizes are smaller (though less expensive) than usual, but that made it possible for me to chomp through three courses and leave room hours later for another global fusion experience back at hostel– sharing peanut butter sandwiches with some hungry Asian-​Canadian tourists.

Still one of my favorite eateries in Detroit and I’m totally bumping it up to 5 stars because they’ve been consistently amazing, the staff is awesome, and it’s never so crowded that I feel uncomfortable or rushed. The cocktails here are amazing, the appetizers here are so good that I usually just order a few of those instead of a main course (most recently I had the whitefish salad with a green apple gelée and it was phenomenal). The drink menu is superb. They were doing amazing craft cocktails in Detroit before it was the new thing to do (which I’m certainly not complaining about – just giving props where props are due). Also love that they’re open late which was a delight when I wrapped up celebrating Noël Night last Saturday and me and my fellow elves were still able to get a fab meal and some drinks. We sat and chatted long after our plates were cleared and no one rushed us or made us feel unwelcome.
I will concede that the serving sizes are on the smaller size but it tastes so darn good that I’m ok with it. BUT if you’re someone who wants a lot of portion be prepared when you come in here. My last visit I ordered two appetizers, a cocktail, and a dessert (a delicious pumpkin cheesecake) and I have to say I was adequately full but not everyone may feel that way.

I made a reservation at Atlas Global Bistro on a whim (and due to us going to a concert at Orchestra Hall right down the road) and was extremely pleased with both the service, ambiance, and food.
The interior is exposed brick, soft robins-​egg blue plaster, and cream… the bar is mostly screened from the main dining area, which is good as they had 3 flat-​screen TVs with sports on (not my idea of a nice evening out…) Tables and chairs are solid and padded and aren’t too close-​together for comfort.
The maître d took my coat, and graciously showed us to table. There were a few people casually dressed (business casual), but most men had on suit-​coat and tie — I think most diners would feel more comfortable in nicer dress clothing. Our server was a little formal/​stiff but warmed up after we talked to him (aka, babbled at him) a bit.
On to the food and drinks:
NOTE: the downloadable menu on the web site is NOT current… but does showcase the type of dishes served at Atlas.
I ordered a violet cocktail — a heady concoction of crème d’violette, absinthe, orange-​flower water, chambord, and vodka. Mmm! If you like violet pastilles, you’ll love this cocktail. Husband ordered absinthe with still water and sugar, and the preparation was correct *bravo!*
Appetizers:
Beet salad: beautiful presentation — thin slivers of golden beets, orange, radish sprouts, goat-​cheese/​cream, crushed pistachio and olive oil. I loved this dish, but there was a smoky flavor that my husband did not care for.
Pork Belly: A large portion of savory-​flavory tender pork and melting creamy fat with a caramelized glaze. Subtle fruity-​smokey «bbq» sauce, with buttery risotto. Was it GOOD. Mmm.
Salads are a la carte, and we both ordered a standard dinner-​salad: fresh croutons, pine nuts, well-​dressed greens.
Entrees:
I had a scallop dish, 5 huge sea scallops, very tender, perfectly cooked, sweet on the outside crust, soft within. with a buttery/​demi-​glacé-​type sauce and a quivering timbale of corn-​custard. Fantastic!
Husband had pistachio-​seasalt crusted rack-​of-​lamb, perfectly cooked to medium-​rare. Portion was very ample, with wild mushrooms, potato galette, and sauteed beans.
For dessert we split a small chocolate-​cherry cake — rich and without being heavy or bombastic — hint of cinnamon. Went very well with my decaf coffee and husband’s tea.
Our bill came to $ 150 (before tip) and worth every penny. We’ll be dining with AGB again~

Recently stopped here with my dad, mom, and little bro for a Sunday brunch… and I am so glad we did! I may be coming back as soon as possible.
We all shared the
Pain Pardu Upside-​Down French Toast —
Cinnamon Swirl Brioche Dipped in Custard Royale with Pecan
Sticky Caramel. Bacon.
It was ridiculous — like dessert, melt in your mouth sweet… ummm
And I had the
Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Omelet
Sweet Shrimp. Spicy Sausage. Cheddar.
Breakfast Potatoes.
Very — very — very good.
The restaurant space is done well too!
Very happy to have discovered this place!
Go Tigers.

Planning my dinner excursions for Detroit Restaurant Week (DRW), I chose to start off with Atlas Global Bistro. The restaurant offers an eclectic ‘global’ menu with influences from French, Indian, Asian and Middle-​Eastern cuisines, which ultimately translates into a flavorful meal!
Walking into Atlas we were promptly greeted and seated in their spacious dining area, where the surrounding windows offer natural lighting and great views of the surrounding midtown corridor. An ideal place for a casual business luncheon, or an intimate dinner with friends and loved ones.
Besides its charm, Atlas Global Bistro had a variety of unique dishes for their DRW menu. For those that may not be familiar with the Detroit Restaurant Week menu, you order three dishes (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) for $ 28 per person. Don’t flinch at the price, it’s actually a great deal considering you would probably spend about $ 50 — $ 60 per person at some of these dining establishments.
Now, moving onto the highlight of our meal — the food!
Decisions. Decisions. What to order? So many great selections. I decided to start with the House-​cured Salmon Gravlax, then for my entrée I ordered the Pan-​roasted Muscovy Duck Breast, and ended my meal with a slice of Sweet Potato Cake.
Let me start out by saying that each dish was beautifully presented, carefully crafted, and tasted wonderful!
Salmon Gravlax (Served with sweet corn cakes, red onion relish, apple-​celery root-​fennel salad and grainy mustard vinaigrette) — Great cured salmon, without being overly salty. The seasonal veggies (apple, celery, & fennel), onion relish, along with the delectable corn cakes paired nicely with the salmon. There was a great harmony of flavors in this dish!
Muscovy Duck Breast (Confit of leg ravioli, braised baby fennel and orange-​red peppercorn sabayon) — A smaller portion size than I was expecting, but it ended up being the ideal serving size. I left the meal full without feeling stuffed. The duck was perfectly cooked, the flavors from the sabayon were fantastic, and the fennel and carrots were perfect compliments to the pan-​roasted duck. Great balance of flavors!
Sweet Potato Cake — A perfect Fall dessert. Hints of cinnamon & nutmeg surrounded this lush sweet potato cake, and the cream cheese frosted outside had a nice contrasting texture and flavor.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Atlas Global Bistro DRW dining experience. The food was fab, the service was attentive without being overbearing or pretentious, and we were in and out within 45 minutes, awesome!

Atlas is a lovely restaurant for Sunday brunch in spring. There is great lighting and a wonderful view of the scenes on the street (however depressing they are). As for the food — our group enjoyed the pain perdu, the cubano omelet, and the mushroom omelet. There was a certain salty butteriness to the mushroom omelet which was glorious. But unfortunately this was only perceivable at the ends of the omelet, and the middle portion was not as tasty — it definitely had too much cheese.
The carrot cake is amazing, incidentally. With the ginger sauce and carrot-​chip garnish, you reflexively close your eyes and moan embarrassingly.

I really want to give this a better review but frankly, my experience didn’t blow me away. I too, nabbed the Groupon so off we went.
Atlas has a very nice atmosphere. I loved the color choices. A lovely dark aqua coupled with white linens and fixtures and dark wood. I looked around as we waited for a table and thought I was in a classy joint.
Unfortunately even with a reservation we waited, and waited, and waited for someone to look at us. I think a busboy eventually took pity on us and told a random server to bring us to a table.
Once we sat down, I felt as if I was surrounded by snobbery everywhere, and our waiter was the ring leader. I asked for a martini I heard they were showcasing and I was told «Clearly you must be thinking of a different establishment». Clearly.
We started with the veal pot stickers. I then ordered the pork tenderloin and hubs ordered the applewood chicken breast. The appetizer and both entrees were fabulous. Hats off to the chefs because you could completely taste the hard work they put into it. Both meats were perfectly cooked, and the presentation was like art. For dessert, I had the orange creamsicle martini and hubs had the champagne sorbet. Again, absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, with each phase of our meal, we felt as if we weren’t worthy to dine there. I really hated that so I was eager to leave. There seems to be more variety around town so I can’t guarantee I’ll be back.

I was extremely pleased with my first visit here and the quality of the vast variety during DRW. I came with three other people and we all had something completely different for each course, finding every item was very tasty. To me that says something. Of course some picks were better than others but I would not have walked away unhappy with any of our picks.
The atmosphere here is nice without pretentiousness. The service was great, drinks were lovely and the evening ran as smooth as silk. Refills given promptly and without asking on water, correct pacing for courses, they were friendly and welcoming yet unobtrusive. No missteps in sight. There was a menu full of creative variety that was appealing to us all, really extensive considering it was all at discount. We had a tough time making our selections so we decided to share what we did choose.
Warning, this is long winded…
The first course selections were: roasted beet & horseradish lollipop, vietnamese fried noodle & spicy sausage, Indiana duck leg confit and the vodka & oregano baked Bulgarian feta. I am a huge fan of beets so I was the lollipop orderer. I loved it. The duck confit was best received by the whole table and I will confess I agreed it was delicious but I’d still reorder the beet. The sausage balls were nice flavor but we all wanted more (mmmm good sausage) and we had expected a noodle dish instead so we were taken aback. The feta was delicious but totally overwhelming, it made a great share but after a bite or two I would have been done anyway, the roasted pepper flavor just could not break up the heavy salty creamy flavor enough to eat much more.
The second course orders were: The Malaysian braised pork with pineapple, an herb butter braised beef daube, honey poached Peking style duck breast and the blue apple chicken breast.
The grilled chicken breast was the weakest link (duh) but the apple blue cheese butter, hard cider demi-​glacé, warm potato cabbage salad and smoked bacon saved it from being too boring, we liked it but did not love it.
The pork was the star with its cinnamon, soy and star anise kick balanced with bright citrusy orange and pickled pineapple. It had that perfect balance of spicy, salty, sweet and sour I adore. I want more of this stat. I had to restrain myself from hogging it, it might have ended with me stabbed in the hand with a fork as it was clearly the most popular thing on the table.
The duck breast was perfectly cooked. The shitake mushrooms and fennel gave it an earthy and deep flavor but the grapefruit added a great twist. It was happy indeed. It was not as great a representation of duck as the confit app but honestly if it had not been eaten the same night I would have been into this so much more.
The beef daube was boneless rib with port wine and mushroom. potato pearls and ramps, spinach and parsley. Mmmmm. It was so incredibly tender and the flavor was deep and rich. Perfect fall dish. Not in your face glam but it had a upscale style homey feel. This was the closest runner up to the pork.
Deeserts were the mango tear drop, the tarfuto, the Italian almond cake and the chocolate fondant layer cake. The mango tear drop was my clear winner but citrus (particularly lime) and hazelnuts are my thing. I may have hogged this but no one seemed to mind too much. The tarfuto seemed quite popular with the others but I was lost to my own dessert. I quite liked the almond cake with blackberry but the chocolate layer cake did nada for me to be honest. I am no fan of fondant.
All in all it was just lovely. We all had a ball and agreed we needed to return. I highly recommend DRW with a bigger group, I enjoyed this more than just going with James solo. More to try and enjoy.

Our 2^nd DRW experience, and Atlas kicked Roast’s beast o’ the day butt. We loved it from start to finish.
Prompt valet ($ 5 is a steal for this perk), immediate seating at a comfy 4-​top (10 minutes before our reservation time), and all-​around excellent staff (from hostess to waitress to bussers). Nice atmosphere — low enough lighting to achieve ambience, relatively quiet but still lively. Good (not great) martini and not too expensive price for beer.
Apps were Beet Lollipop (4.5) and Duck Leg Confit (5). The duck literally melted in the mouth, and the espresso powder in the sauce added a nice bit of pungency.
Entrees were Truffled Potato Ravioli (4) and Beef Short Rib (5). Round 2 also went to Ken’s choice. Imagine the most tender, juicy, flavorful pot roast ever, amplify 50 times, and that’s the rib dish. (I was tempted by the duck breast and the pork chop, which I spied at a nearby table but I was seduced by the porcini mushrooms in the ravioli dish… which were the best part of my dish, btw).
Desserts were Mango Tear Drop (5++) and Tartufo (4.5). I’m usually a chocolate/​caramel/​nut dessert kind of chick, but the Tear Drop was, I swear, perfect. Light (cake, mango mousse, lime zested whipped cream), tart (lime segments), sweet (plate-​lick-​worthy sauce), crunchy (crushed hazelnuts). The tartufo was lighter than others I’ve had, and I think it could have rated a 5 with me if I hadn’t had the Drop.
Bottom Line: we’ll go back without DRW, coupons, etc. We’ll pay more, but it’ll be worth it.

This place has been on my hit list since I moved here. But the «global» bistro idea kind of turned me off — I tend to not enjoy fusion places. So it takes me 3 years to go less than a mile on a total impulsive last minute decision to try it for Detroit restaurant week.
I was threatening the impossible 0 star review when they were closed for a private party for Fancy Drink Monday Round 1. However, being open for Fancy Drink Round 2 and sampling LOTS of fancy drinks… I am now a fan.
Fancy drink wins:
Bohemian
Sencha
Purple drink (guh?)
A REAL daiquiri
Fancy drink loses:
Tequila jalapeño (ask Wally — tastes like burning going down, up AND out!)
Their mixologist is AMAZING. They do a lot of homemade infusions and have cool rare imports like this violet liqueur from Austria (in purple tini). Seriously, you can’t go wrong with whatever you order no matter how strange the drink — unless it’s as mentioned above.
During, Detroit Restaurant Week I accompanied Juston, his beau James, and the Vman for a last minute reservation. Conversation was great. We talked all about poop and nasty things we’ve all encountered in the hospital quite loudly — and too often (poor James!). Personally, the food was meh for me. I didn’t think it blew my mind, despite being torn over SO many amazing sounding choices. What I love about this place is they aren’t afraid to take RISK. They make their food INTERESTING. And they really are «global.»
Oh. And they have samosa. And they were pretty tasty. Vman, samosa expert, approved.
But the thing that I will come back for are the following:
1. 50% off martini Monday (and trust me – these martinis are good! and super interesting! It almost makes me NOT miss PROOF… sigh)
2. Tasty appetizers
3. Great service
4. Interesting ideas that they change up once in awhile
5. Won’t break the bank… unless you drink like a fish on a non-​50% martini Monday.

Utterly disappointing. Overpriced hauty food with valet pkg in the middle of a free pkg zone. Not a neighborhood fav. Only suburbanites patronize this gentrified corner, in the middle of a very cosmopolitan neighborhood.
this restaurant is like a second thumb — a useless waste of space. $ 20.00 for mac and cheese is not logical or reasonable.

Everything from the food, the presentation, the atmosphere to the service was top notch.
We started out by splitting the Horiatiki Salad: Feta, Cucumber cubes, Tomato, Sweet peppers, Red Onion and Red Wine Oregano Vinagarette. It was fresh and just enough sweet notes and tangy from the vinagarette… just so refreshing. We fought over the last bites!
I ordered the Colorado Lamb. The lamb was topped with grilled artichoke hearts, a light sauce and a bit of steamed spinach. The dish was paired with a lemon garlic polenta, what a wonderful compliment to the lamb– which was fall of the bone — delicious!
My man got the New York strip steak, with bacon and green beans and tots. I tried his and the meat was flavored so nicely. Not too much marinade that it masks the wonderful juicy steak flavor and the tots were pretty great– just a tad too salty for my taste. All I could think of was «Napolean, give me some of your tots!»
For dessert, I ordered a spanish dry sherry to go along with the Orange Blossom Crème Brulee. It was by FAR the highlight of the meal. There is something so satisfying about breaking that sugar top layer with your spoon… crack! Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s crack in there. It’s that good.
I’ve been here several times in the past as well. I can’t review those experiences since they’re too far back on the memory time line to do it justice. I’ve always been impressed by the execution and quality. I do recall having some of the best Huevos Rancheros I think I’ve ever eaten here too.
As I was walking out I noticed a sign that said half off of bottles of wine on Tuesday nights. Winos UNITE!