Small Plates

Very nice place to sit and share with a date or with friends. Very flavorful, and creative dishes. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Tapas or small plates is a great way to try new things and address a variety of tastes. It’s fun to order new things for the table to try. Chicken and waffles were new for us and great. Unfortunately if this is the style of restaurant you choose to offer, make sure you’re always adding or rotating new things to the menu. My second and third time in I notice that there was less of the fun of variety, but still very good food, because I had seen the menu items before. Not style of place to offer stalwarts only. Variety is their lifeblood. So your first 2 – 3 times will be great. Next one not so much.

I live in Detroit and this is hands down my favorite restaurant. My favorite dish is the Lotus Flower Tuna. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy, and the tuna is so fresh. The crunchiness of the wonton really completes it. My other favorites include the Pan Seared Scallops, Chicken Tostadas, BLT Sliders and Fried Green Tomatoes. As far as drinks, I recommend the Detroit Martini, made with Valentine Vodka and Pickle juice. The only dish I tried that I wasn’t crazy about was the Blackened Lamb Chops as the chimichurri sauce was a bit overpowering just because I feel that lamb on its own has enough flavor for me. I once dined before an opera show (The Detroit Opera House is right across the street) and the place was packed and the food was a bit more salty and oily than usual. Every other time I’ve been there I have had nothing but good things to say about Small Plates.

Everything here was so awesome. We tried the lamb chops, signature Mac and cheese, fries with vinegar, chipotle aioli, and ketchup on the side, a few drinks and an amazing server! Brandon was so funny and the
! Haha. Thank you so much for making our night! We’ll definitely be coming here again.

Wow, so far my best tapas place. Cam here on a Saturday after all the other restaurants were packed, we came in and immediately got the bar table. The bar tender was very friendly and very attentive. The Ahi tuna, the lamb chops were just delicious. The star of the menu was the pork belly. Even the desserts and drinks were amazing. Even the parking structure is super close if you are afraid to walk in downtown. I am definitely adding this one to my regular list of restaurants.

The hostess was unfriendly and had a serious case of RBF. However, our hilarious server, Brandon, made up for it. He was very friendly and attentive. I read that the place was small so I made a reservation the day before for a Saturday lunch and we were seated right away. My friend and I ordered the portabella, eggplant & kale sliders, chicken tostadas, and sweet potato fries. Overall, our food was delicious but the honey thyme dip sauce that came with the sweet potato fries was the winner. We will be going back for Sunday brunch.
Tip #1: They are open on Sundays
Tip #2: The place is small so make a reservation

I came with a friend on a weekday for lunch. I think it could be better with a few tweaks, mostly in the food department. I came in and was seated immediately. I like the décor of the place, quite cozy but a bit dark. I’d probably avoid this place in the summer because of the overly dark feel.
Our waitress was really nice and attentive. My friend got the Asian chopped salad and I got the pretzel sliders with sweet potato fries. Most plates are quite affordable for the price. There are some small plates that are almost $ 20 a plate but I didn’t order those so I cannot comment.
I didn’t like the pacing of the meal, it was weird. The waitress brought out my fries and my friend’s salad. My sliders didn’t come out until my friend was already done with his salad. It was kind of awkward since we were talking and I felt like I was constantly trying to hurry up and chew. The salad could have waited until my sliders were done and the fries could have come out with the sliders too.
As for the food itself, my friend liked his salad. I tried it and I thought it was too salty. My sweet potato fries were yummy but the dipping sauce situation could be improved. The fries are shoestring so in the thick honey, they break apart. If they want to continue to serve them with honey, they should look into making the fries thicker. I ended up having honey all over me when I left. It was kind of gross. The sliders were tasty but the meat was overdone and the pickles on top were weird. Two pickles were served on top of the bun. It made it kind of soggy so I didn’t like that. Otherwise, the flavor was good. Would I come back? Yeah, probably

Ehhhhh I’ve eaten here twice and I always feel like other places are way better than this. The service is always good, but the food has something to be desired. Drinks on the other hand, good. This time around I had the duck and brie pizza and lamb. My husband had the chicken tostadas and my friend had the mussels and fries. Duck and brie pizza needs to be a flatbread. It is very interesting to have it Detroit style, but there needs to be more sauce and the pizza dough felt doughy still. Fries were standard, but the chipotle aioli always has me dipping away. Lamb felt overcooked and over-​charred for how little meat there was on that poor little frenched bone. I personally don’t like Mexican or Mexican-​like food so I didn’t try my husband’s tostada. He is a very simple guy and even he did not care for it. He said he wouldn’t order it again. The only saving grace at this table was the mussels. They were a little overcooked and small, but I can dealwith that no problem. The sauce they had for the mussels had me going back dipping my spoon in just to sip the sauce like I was eating soup. I probably won;t be eating here again. You’re better off going to Wright &Co. or Republic for small plates.

Very enjoyable meal. I came in on a Thursday night and it was pretty empty. The waiter told me that the area goes hot and cold based on the events – athletic games, concerts, etc. My favorite dish was the fried green tomatoes. I had the beef sliders, the mac and cheese, and the bread pudding for dessert. Friendly waiter too! I will be back!

5 * food, with beautiful presentation. Restrooms could use a complete remodeling. Wasn’t even clean is why I give 4*s parking sucks too!’ But A walk around the corner was wonderful.

Love this place and the whole theme of it. The plates are designed to be small so you can try several things instead of choosing one. I love the unique plating and small details they put into this restaurant. Sweet potato fries are definitely a must! I tried the Baja Style Fish Tacos and the Shrimp & Grits. Both were excellent and the portions were just the perfect amount. The fries were served in a bucket and the shrimp and grits were served in a small frying pan. I absolutely loved the presentation of the food. I will definitely be back to try more plates

This place is amazing. I visited Detroit this week expecting restaurants to be crowded due to the Auto Show. This place was not packed for lunch which concerned me. After meeting our server Lisa I was assured it would be a great experience. The food is absolutely delicious. If ever back in Detroit I will return here.
Try the chicken and waffles and tuna!

Why does this place only have 3.5 stars?! We tried 5 items off the menu and each were delicious! The service was great and our beers were wonderful. We tried the beef tenderloin bruschetta which was good not my favorite of the night but very good, magi mahi fish tacos Aaaaaaamazing (I’m not a big seafood person but decided to try these and they were so worth the risk!) calamari was good not the best I’ve ever had but again, great addition to our night, flash fried with aioli and ver tender. The chicken and waffles were great! One of our favorite items of the night, but not to be outdone by the special fried goat cheese balls. The fried goat cheese was my favorite of the night. We did not have room for dessert but they had a great Detroit inspired dessert menu. We will definitely be back, wonderful dining experience!

The food was ok. The service was horrible. We were a party of six 2 received their food while the others waited. Next 3 received theirs the last person in our party 13 mins after the last person. Wanted 2^nd drink waitress /​waiter never came. Had to beg then to come get my money while they stood around. Horrible. Never going back.

Spent a wonderful dinner here with Carey L Poole in 2012. It was a wonderful summer night in June and was the first Tapas place I have found in Detroit. I’ve been spoiled by San Chez in Grand Rapids, but this is a close second place (so far) in Michigan for tapas.
The food was delightful, the staff was friendly, and I could not have had a better dinner partner at the time. I will never forget the magic of that night, even despite what she did to me later on.
Whether you are visiting the Opera House, taking in the Casinos, or having a magical night; this is a good place to visit as you live the life that you always wanted.

This review is all about the service. I would give a one star but I must note: the food was good. Some dishes better than others. But the service was terrible. It’s all about management. Every employee we saw was on their phone. We sat at an empty bar but had to beg for service. I hope management will read this and read the riot act to staff. It is corrosive to the experience to allow your employees to retreat to their phones.

It was a very quiet Monday night when we trolled in and Heather welcomed us with a smile. She discussed all things beer, wine and food and we had a very enjoyable few hours. Poorest dish as we felt the batter was too heavy was the tempura shrimp, but the steak, calamari and caprese salad were delicious. Local draught ale also excellent.
We chatted with Heather as she went about her bar work and found her to be knowledgeable about Detroit as well as all things creative as one day she may be the star of the stage as she was a budding actress.
The place was quiet but we delighted in the fact that the two bar TV’s did NOT show sport (Yipeeeee!) which is so overrated… but the cooking channel, which is a stroke of excellence!

If you are looking to get a taste of everything you are able to do that here! The shrimp tempura is excellent and served on a stick to save you a mess. The fried green tomatoes are savory and flavorful. They offer many great cocktail options. The only downfall is it’s not that comfortable inside and a little dreary.

I have to disagree with Unilocal nation on Small Plates. This place deserves a much better review than what it has currently at 3.5 stars. I’ve been here 3 times now and have had fantastic food and service each time.
Parking trying to get here is going to cost you money. There is a lot right next door that you can park for a flat rate. The place itself is small, make a reservation if you’re trying to go on a weekend or when the opera house across the has an event. If you don’t, the wait can be greater than 1 hour.
The setup of the restaurant is a tapas restaurant that doesn’t serve tapas food. Food is prepared and brought out as it’s made, piping hot. I would recommend getting 2 plates per person if you all are hungry and sharing them. Most of the plates have 3 of whatever you are ordering.
Pretty much anything you get at this place is fantastic. My personal recommendations are the chicken tostadas, chicken and waffles, fish tacos, and the beef bruschetta. That should be more than enough for two. If your looking for dessert the cream puffs are huge and they give you two of them, with ice cream and chocolate sauce on top.
The one downside is the price of their draft beers. $ 7 for a pint is a bit steep at Detroit standards. But they usually have a decent selection of 5 different draft beers.
Overall: a great place to take a date downtown before an event, or for a dinner on a weeknight!

A group of 5 of us were going to an event downtown and decided to go here for dinner. We called the morning of and made a reservation without issues. When we arrived, our table was ready and most of the tables had reserved signs on them. The place wasn’t crazy busy though. They had both indoor and outdoor seating.
Some of us ordered 3 plates and some ordered 2. A couple people were super hungry. We were able to finish all the plates between the 5 of us and also had 2 desserts. I HIGHLY recommend the lotus flower tuna!!! We had 2 plates of that. It was so delicious! My second favorite thing was the eggplant/​portobello/​kale sliders. I don’t think we had anything we didn’t really like. Service was prompt and friendly. There was a nice atmosphere, low lighting, but not total fancy sit down dinner. We enjoyed ourselves. I think the prices are a little steep, but the quality was great so I don’t mind paying for it. We had 2 martinis, 3 craft beers, and 6 plates on our bill and it was $ 100. Martinis alone were $ 9 each and the beers were $ 6/​each. Had we not gotten drinks it wouldn’t have been so much.
I would definitely go here again when I am in the area!!!

Delicious. Came here to celebrate a friends birthday. There were about 10 of us. The décor is very cool and nice soft lighting. Tried A LOT of things from the menu all were very delicious. One item really stood out to me, the seared tuna. Wow, talk about melt in our mouth! Some of the best tuna I have ever had. Absolutely cooked perfectly.
I will be returning for another fabulous meal.
This is a must try if you’re in the area!

Had a very nice dinner, service was pretty good. Calamari, beef and potatoes, tuna nachos, pizza, and ice cream puff were all excellent.
On the pizza, we requested no onions, and the pizza had onions. I personally loved the pizza with onions but requested without because the person who actually ordered it hates onions. Not a super big deal but when we told the waiter there was a long pause before the waitress offered to make another one correctly.
On the crab cakes, don’t order them. I think they should be taken off the menu. I have ordered them 2x now as I love Crab Cakes and both experiences were bad. Lots of filler and fishy. Once may be bad luck 2x means they need to get a new source or take them off the menu.
Why 4 stars this review sounds terrible. Because everything else was excellent. And Small Plate’s service stands out for the area.
So I do recommend!

I came here for lunch and the service was good, although there was only one other table. The menu has so many options to choose from it was hard to pick.
Chicken and Waffles… order it!!!
The Calamari was delicious.
The Eggplant and Portabella sliders weren’t great. I don’t suggest them.
The Brownie dessert with Cinnamon ice cream was amazing.
I’ll be back!!!

My sister came into town to visit me and I wanted to take her to try tapas. We opted for something closer to downtown and chose this place. We got here around 2 on a Saturday and we had to wait 5 minutes to be great and seated. The hostesses/​manager? was not very friendly, but our waitress was a lot friendlier.
This place is more like 3.5 stars. I’m giving it a 4 because the calamari was that good. You must get the calamari strips which were breaded and fried with banana peppers, aioli and olive oil. It is so yummy. We also got the tuna which was okay. I wish they would have given more tuna pieces. Scallops were good, but 3 pieces for $ 19, not really a good value, but delicious. Fries were awesome. Cornbread was good, but I wouldn’t get it again. I would go back just to eat the calamari strips.

First impressions are everything to gastropubs like these. Its a chill spot… That’s real right from the start. Its one of those places that are nice, casual, and relaxing joint where you can have a drink, eat a little something and wait for the whole crew to arrive.
This is what this spot truly is. Its a base camp for your bar hooping fun filled evening of pure delight. I definitely had my eyeballs on this place ever since I heard about it. I wanted to walk in, have a drink and try out their tasty menu.
That night we went we had some drinks and I ordered the mussels… The food arrived, my boyfriends sister and I shared the dish and it was marvelous. It was cooked in garlicky white wine and it was mind blowingly intense! It was so good we even used the shells to scoop up some of the white wine sauce and slurp that slurpie slurp. Weeeeee!
We had a damn good time here and will definitely come back, cause those chicken and waffles look hella good and I can’t wait to bite the s**t out of it! The service here is great as well. It was a true pleasure to be in this establishment. Thank you!
The glass is always half full!

I’m giving small plates 4 stars, and this is for a mid-​day lunch review on a Saturday :)
It was NOT crowded, we had attentive service, and our food was all spot on!
The deconstructed caesar salad was quite good — even if my husband liked it a bit more than myself.
My chicken and waffles were *delicious*! I got the cheese on the side as I didnt want it melted on my waffle — and I dunked the sandwich into the syrup. Teh Yummers!
Also — the chicken alone had awesome spices on it that made it delicious in its own right. This was a great and super filling lunch.
My husband ordered off the brunch menu — two crispy chip shells filled with pulled pork, cheese, and topped with fried eggs, surrounded by pico de gallo.
He was in heaven!
I definitely recommend this place!
It may be called ‘small plates’ — but unlike most tapas-​style restaus, you get more than enough to share!
Total win in my book!:)
Thanks for being yummy!