Blu

We always have incredible meals here. Very professional staff and an amazing view. If you want fine dining in Glen Arbor this place is a must.

Came for the early bird special, 3 course prix fixe menu with 2 choices for each course. There was also a vegetarian option available. The dining room was empty except for us on a blustery evening, and the service was impeccable. No competing for staff attention, but they made us feel welcome. The ginger and lemon cocktail was refreshing. An amuse bouche of beet flavored cheese on toast began the meal. Both the squash bisque garnished with pistachio and the mixed salad were lovely.
The pano crusted sole was wonderful, as was the duck confit. And the accompanying vegetables were amazing! There were small portions of 3 – 5 separate but wonderful morsels. Dessert was a bread pudding or an orange curd, which were fine. Great dining room to sit in before sunset, with the view of Lake Michigan. We hope to return on our next visit north.

After reading reviews and listening to locals, the decision to have a dinner at Blu far exceeded our expectations. We were happy to get reservations for a patio table. Our order of scallop appetizer, mixed green salad, and entrée of halibut had been placed and greatly anticipated when an amazing storm began to form over the waters and move in our direction. Blu is a small restaurant and unfortunately had no table inside to seat us. The thought of getting our food in a «to go» box was not what we had planned. The chef came out and offered to literally move our patio table inside the dining room! The staff were so accommodating. First class service. And the food was among our favorite meals ever! The scallops were perfectly cooked and the halibut had a crispy crust like none we had ever tasted. Treat yourself to a dining experience as it should be if you are in this area. The over the top hospitality went even more over the top when an unexpected dessert arrived, on the house. THANK YOU for your generous spirit!

Had dinner here a week or so ago while on vacation in Michigan. Excellent food and service. Really enjoyed their escargot. A great dinning experience if you are in the area.

We heard about Blu through the many Glen Arbor townspeople who had nothing but good things to say about the head chef, who donated food after the August 2^nd storm. We decided to give it a try, even though it was a little pricey. We took full advantage of the early bird special for $ 28 per person. It was great! We could choose from a soup/​salad, one of three entrees, and one of two desserts. The food was cooked to perfection. We tried the crab puff and they were excellent. The waitress was attentive and constantly filled our water glasses — a huge plus. We ate outside. The only negative was that if it rained they wouldn’t have anything to shield us, but we were warned on the phone about that possibility. Would go again!

Terrible service!!! We made reservations and said that we had a baby in our party, we got there and there was no seat for the child. They were Very unfriendly and unapologetic. Will NEVER go there again!

My husband flew back up to Glen Arbor after a week at home during our month-​long family vacation, and we wanted a special date night dinner to wrap up our summer up north. I hadn’t been to this restaurant location since it was called Le Bear, and Unilocal raves about Blue, so these two foodies simply had to try it, once we secured a sitter.
The spot is tiny, and I think there is almost as much seating on the patio as there is indoors. That said, in the summers, a patio diner would have a glaring yellow sun in their faces until 9:30pm, or heat directly on their back, and a squinting date. We sat indoors near a window, and our server was Kevin. The amuse buche was a beet cream cheese with cherry segment and mint leaf on a tiny toast. Lovely to see, beautiful color.
We had the escargot (better seasoned than La Becasse, don’t tell them that), the sweetbreads, and then the delicious wine kicked in. I had a not-​that-​memorable trout with tomato jam and a gorgeous crust on it (at any other restaurant, this would be fantastic, but I’d just had such incredible hors d’oeuvres). My husband has a «beer test», where he requests that the server or chef recommend the best beer to go with his meal, and they had the CUTEST beer bottle with a gnome on it, and the flavor truly was perfect with his dinner. I don’t know how Kevin did it! The desserts were things like flourless cake, coffee gelato, etc. We would have been better off just not having dessert and getting coffee, but we wanted the evening to last longer. Our bill with a couple of drinks each, 2 starters, 2 dinners, and 2 desserts, was around $ 180, and over $ 200 with tip. Again, a «good» date night, but well worth it.
After dinner, we thanked Kevin and went outside for some sunset photos and to chat with other patrons and hotel guests. I hope we continue to have this babysitter so we can make an annual date night to Blu!

We wanted to have a nice dinner to wrap up our stay in Glen Arbor. This seemed to be the best place in town and the views looked amazing, so we gave it a try… and it did not disappoint.
We hoped to eat on the patio, but it was kind of chilly so they weren’t serving out there that night. Instead, we got a great seat by the window with an amazing view of the lake.
Our server was friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived. We started our meal with the crab puff and duck pâté appetizers. Both were excellent! I’m not usually one to eat duck but the pâté (which came in a form different than what I would have expected) was quite good. We also both decided to go for the Wagyu steak… since the waitress said it would be the best steak we would ever it. It was also quite delicious! We wrapped things up with the flourless chocolate cake — a great way to wrap up the meal! The chef also came out to greet us and every other table, which was a nice touch.
We would definitely recommend Blu for a high quality, adult dinner with views that can’t be beat!

Very nice food but over priced and very little portion. We were a bit embarrassed that we were under dressed.

The best restaurant I have EVER been too. Great food, let me rephrase that, WONDERFUL food. Great menu, awesome service, and a perfect view. This is definitely a must when you are in GA!

Fish was fresh and seasoned well. I have to say the dessert was top notch as we got the sorbet and crème brûlée. Also, the view of the lake from your seats at sunset is hard to beat

I can’t speak highly enough of the amazing staff, the relaxing ambiance, the delectable food and of course, the breathtaking views! Dining at Blu is truly an exceptional dining experience from start to finish.

«The» excellence of the fine cuisine. Professional hospitality beyond any kind of expectation. Truly heartfelt marvelous dinner. Our lifetime memory. Thank you.

Not sure why I have to drive over 4 hours for the best meal we’ve had in at least three years but this place is not to be missed! Here’s a roadmap for an exceptional dining experience:
1. fabulous table along the wall looking out to Lake Michigan (this is a small place so most tables have a view. If you want outdoor seating, which is very limited, make sure to request it when you make your reservation).
2. Coho Pinot Noir — never had it before, recommended by the owner — DElicious!
3. Fried green tomatoes appetizer with tomato and goat cheese sauces. The tomatoes came out hot and crunchy, perfectly prepared.
4. Duck Confit entrée — rich and flavorful like others but super crispy and superb.
5. Seared scallop special with black truffles and creamy mushroom risotto
6. Share, share, share!
7. Ask to be seated in the empty two-​top on the patio to watch the sunset up close (check out sunset times before you make reservations)
8. Can’t remember my husband’s desert (he liked it) since I was absorbed in my yummy glass of Caymus 40^th Anniversary Cabernet reasonably priced at $ 19.
Oh, and service was excellent!

Unbelievable. This was our best meal and dining experience to date in Northern Michigan. I had the signature Duck Confit which was cooked to perfection and my boyfriend had the Bronzini. I am not a big fish eater so I was a little apprehensive in trying the Bronzini but I am so glad I did. The taste and textures were great and balanced, the scallop was such a nice addition to the meal as well. We sat on the patio as the sun was setting, stunning views combined with the top notch service and dishes made this spot for us, second to none. I would highly recommend Blu to anyone visiting the area.

Amazing discovery. Blu was recommended by two friends, one a professional chef. It is beautifully situated in the corner of the Le Bear Resort, right on the beach in Glen Arbor. Small, intimate dining room with rich finishes. They currently have a fabulous Friday night promotion that we took advantage of — salad, entrée and a bottle of wine for two people — only $ 59. Everything was beautifully prepared and very tasty. Got to meet Chef Randy and his lovely wife. The dessert was to die for — marscarpone donuts (mini), with hazelnut brittle, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Only wish we could have enjoyed the sunset, but it was blowing sideways and snowing. Atmosphere inside was nice and warm! We’ll be back.

Great place in Glen Arbor. When we head up north from Chicago, it’s the one place we go without the kids! Food is great. The couple who owns the joint are friendly and provide great service. Definitely a treat!

Spectacular Duck Confit ! Exquisite culinary excellence. Patio right next to the surfs of Lake Michigan. Basking under soft warm, late summer sunshine. Perfect !

Blu was a wonderful dining experience and was a great place for our group to celebrate a birthday.
The restaurant on the the side of the Le Bear resort with large windows that provides a view of Lake Michigan. It was smaller than expected inside, though they also have an outdoor patio. The restaurant is lovely, simple and allows the view to be the focus. The service was excellent, very attentive. They have a good wine list that includes local wines (including some we had sampled earlier that day on our wine tour that were considerably marked up).
To begin the meal you are served an amuse bouche. At our visit this was a salmon mousse. The idea of fish whipped is strange but this was surprisingly light and made a nice start to the meal. I had the crab puffs as an appetizer, which were as good as the other recommendations suggest. A friend had the fried green tomatoes. I would not have thought to order this and it was another pleasant surprise. Our group primary ordered fish items, the salmon and the sea bass. They also had a asparagus risotto. This is not the easiest to make and this was perfect and creamy. The salmon was very good, but the sea bass was amazing. I am not sure how often the menu changes or what items are seasonal but this fish option seems to be a good choice.
Expect that any meal you have here is going to be pricey. We came to celebrate a friend’s birthday, had a wonderful experience and felt that it was worth the price. If you are just looking for somewhere to eat or do not have much time, this is not going to be a good choice.
As I noted, Blu is small, and I would recommend making reservation, especially during the busy part of the year.

We had our wedding reception on a Sunday afternoon — so that may bias my review. Along with the great weather and family and friends. The best part is the glorious view of the blue water and sky and the sun pouring in (no, it was not over heated, either).
We never got a hint of the menu until the Thursday before, which they said would be the case, as they want to check the market for what was best and freshest available. Randy emailed us a suggestion of two fish dishes and two fowl dishes. We replied, maybe we could add a red meat dish for the more conservative in the crowd. We never saw the complete menu until we arrived, but what a meal!
They surprised us with a litte «amuse-​bouche» of a single bite of toast with a pâté, herb leaf and single berry on top. Pretty and tasty! There was a choice of Swiss onion soup (done in a cream finish) and a goat cheese/​beet and greens salad — both were decent sized and very tasty.
Four entrees: Rainbow Trout on a bed of chopped beets and a delicate sauce, Tilapia, locally raised of chicken thigh and leg confit on rillette of goose, and Chateaubriand. I had the trout — good sized piece that was perfectly cooked, the sweet flavor went well with the slightly sweet beet flavors and delicate sauce.
We had all Michigan wines, the Riesling from Brys was excellent. Also had an unoaked Chardonnay and a Cab Franc/​Merlot blend that was great. Short’s beer seemed to be popular, too.
Then the desserts — OMG! Randy outdid himself here! A dark chocolate pudding-​like scoop with a stunning triangular cookie sail, a slice of white chocolate mousse laid on a bed of liquid dark chocolate — we liked them so much, we sampled each others! Outstanding!
Wonderful experience! Mary was the a great host, and never rushed us, allowing us to visit with our guests. I only wish I had a chance to delve more deeply into her audacious wine selection — there were some unusual selections available!
Couldn’t have asked for a better experience — highly recommended. We didn’t spend anywhere near $ 100 pp either. Very reasonable! Can’t wait to return for the anniversary!