Detroit Top 10 Restaurants Revealed
The Detroit Free Press/Chevy Detroit revealed its Top 10 New Restaurants list, with critics highlighting standout dishes that exemplify the city's culinary renaissance. The awards recognize establishments that have elevated Detroit's dining scene over the past year.
- The primary critic behind the annual list is Lyndsay C. Green, who has been the restaurant critic at the Detroit Free Press since 2021. Green was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2023 and has won a James Beard Award. - Separate from the Top 10 list, a single establishment is named Restaurant of the Year. For 2026, that honor went to Roses Fine Food on East Jefferson Avenue. - The 2026 winner, Roses Fine Food, is a comeback story; the restaurant closed in 2023 after a nine-year run and reopened in the summer of 2025 as a "dinner diner" with a new menu inspired by the chef's Polish heritage. - In addition to honoring new restaurants, the awards also feature a "Restaurant of the Year Classic" category, which recognizes a restaurant with at least 10 years of continuous local ownership. - The 2024 awards marked the 10th anniversary of the Free Press celebrating the metro area's best new restaurants. - The list is known for its culinary diversity. The 2024 Top 10, for example, included fine dining establishments, a taco food truck, and the first bakery ever to receive the designation. - Following the announcements, the newspaper and its sponsor host a "Top 10 Takeover Dining Series," a ticketed event where each winning restaurant offers a curated multi-course menu for the public.
