On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Loading...
You need to be very careful in here indeed. It is tasty food but can quickly snowball into a huge tab for you. The reason is it is all appetizer sort of items and it will lull you into getting more than perhaps you realized. Plates can range from four dollars all the way up to seventeen, it adds up.
Small Plates is a cute little cafe on Broadway right around the corner from just about everything, including my old place of work. It has quite a following and with good reason, the food for the most part is really great. The premise is fun as well, little plates of happy food to share. It's romantic. You can even dine al fresco and really feel the spirit.
A must get here is the Hand Cut Fries, served with homemade ketchup. I recommend you request the garlic aioli as well as it is absolutely delicious. I alternate dips myself. Not good for you but mmmmm. At four dollars a bargain for here.
The seafood here just all seems to be primo. The Garlic Shrimp comes with bread for dipping and is just so tasty. The Pan Seared Scallops have a heavenly brown butter sauce and are served over linguine. The Panko Shrimp are delicate with two delicious sauces. The Crispy Calamari are tender and are served with a perfect spicy aioli. You can even get a Garlic Shrimp Pizza or Fish Tacos, happiness indeed.
The other stuff seems a little more hit and miss. The Petite Tenderloin is spendy but quality with a rich sauce and crispy onions. I quite liked the Veggie Spring Rolls with three sauces, you have to love people who remember hot mustard. The Lettuce Wraps are not quite as good as PF Changs though, they need that great dipping mixed sauce to jazz them up. The Almond Chicken was also not impressive, good but not for that price.
The Broadway Baguette was crisp and sinful as were the Sherry Mushrooms in their cream sauce with baguette to dip. Way too much starch and fat but worth it. A bit spendy at eight dollars apiece.
The salads are quite nice and come in two sizes, great if you want to share. I like the Chop Chop but the Maurice is confusing as it has chicken instead of ham and adds tomato and olives. Any native Detroiter knows that a Maurice salad made the famous Hudson's way is shredded iceberg, ham, turkey, swiss, chopped gherkins and the creamy dressing, period. Just odd in a Detroit place where they should get it right. It's good but it is no Maurice.
Bottom line, Small Plates is tasty but spendy for what you get. Watch when ordering and if you are going to splurge do it on the seafood which is all good.
Mmmmm. My girlfriends and I were having a girls night out to watch the Phantom of the Opera (which was showing ACROSS the street), and stumbled upon this restaurant.
As you walk in, the decor is definitely modern, the lighting the right amount of light. It can be a date setting, a casual talk setting, a family setting, whatever you make it out to be. Although there wasn't a large enough table to sit our 10 people, we sat along the black booths on the wall.
Drinks:
- The drinks were good. I was saddened that they did not have their sangria that night, but I chose better.
- - Cucumber Gin Fizz- I was a little hesitant about the "cucumber" word in my gin, but as I am not a huge fan of gin or cucumber, the mixture of the two was surprisingly refreshing. Definitely an all time fave.
- Club Tropicana- Pretty good, if you like sweet drinks. The coconut rum was pretty strong in the flavor though.
- Pisco Sour- This was another one of my favorites. Usually the sour drinks aren't that great, but for some reason, this one was superb.
- Pimm's Cup- It was alright, it was just cool there was fruit.
- Cactus Blossom- My friend got this.. and it was way too thick. They didn't stir the honey up? So all the honey sank to the bottom. I mean, just the description of honey in your drink... ewww.
Food:
Being a bunch of girls who 1.) like to eat and 2.) like tapas, we had fun at this restaurant. As the prices are all reasonable, this restaurant was a great place to try most of the plates.
- BBQ ribs- my friend and I split this and it was DELICIOUS. It was MEATY (I was expecting just bone) and the sauce was so good. It was smoked just right, so it was slightly crispy. Not too messy to, as we were both dressed up. We were definitely eating it with our hands though.
- Crab cakes- this was pretty good. I'm not sure how to rate crab cakes.
- Olive and Cheese Plate- I didn't try the olives (I hate olives), but my friends said it was good
- Broadway Baguette: The Boursin cheese that came with this plate was SO good. I don't even like cheese, and I thought it was great
- Crispy Calamari- Probably the most tender calamari that I've ever had!! It was amazing. The spicy aioli sauce was really good as well. Not too spicy, but the flavor was great.
- Roasted Veggie Pizza: Eh, it was a thin pizza... not too impressive, but the veggies were all there.
We were so full afterwards.. definitely worth the trip. I would go back in an instant though! I wished I could have tried more of the drinks... and possibly the dessert. I think I would just go back for the calamari, bbq ribs, and cucumber gin fizz, all by myself...... :)
i was going back and forth between 2 and 3 stars, i would probably give 2.5 stars.
we were seeing Phantom at the Detroit Opera House right across the street and were planning on eating here. the inside was full so instead of waiting for a table we chose to sit on the patio. unfortunately it was pretty cold.
our table was wobbly which was annoying, we were told 'it will be fine' which it was not, our glasses were almost spilling any time we touched the table. so we asked for some napkins to fix it, we had to fix it ourselves.
my water glass had lipstick on it, a huge pet peeve of mine and you would think i place that is supposed to be semi-nice would pay closer attention to details.
we all order sangria. $8 i believe, they don't have carafe's. it tasted like vodka and the fruit didn't seem too fresh. i also found a fruit fly in mine and later on so did my husband. i never finished my drink. the straw i was given was very small and fruit kept getting stuck in it which was pretty annoying.
our waiter was pretty aloof and we had to flag him down multiple times for service. the food is a bit pricey for what it is, a few pieces of bruschetta should not be $8.
here's what we ordered:
chop chop salad $9 - this salad was huge and full of good stuff. 4 people ate it and there was still some left over.
garlic shrimp $9- the shrimp was pretty good and the sauce was good on bread too
scallops $17- pretty expensive but they were good.
broadway baguette (bruschetta) $8- it was ok, but my bruschetta is way better.
fish tacos $13- 3 tacos. they were just ok, way too expensive and i have had cheaper and better elsewhere
sherry mushrooms $8- meh, pretty bland but my mother-in-law liked them.
the food and service were pretty hit or miss. maybe it would have been better if there wasn't a show at the Opera House.
also, the table we were at was very small for so many plates.
i might try it again, but not for awhile. and i will want to sit inside next time as well.
My girls from out of state were visiting and we decided to go into downtown Detroit for dinner. Small Plates had been suggested to me months ago as a great place to eat so after reviewing the menu online we called for a Saturday night reservation for four. Reservation easily made and later we received a confirmation call from the restaurant. Nice touch. While on our way to the restaurant we called to ask about parking and were directed to the Opera House parking garage which is across the street about a half block. Very easy to reach the restaurant from the garage. Parking charge $20.
Our waitress Kelly was terrific making sure we had full drinks and anything else we needed. Cocktail service was quick to make a martini, sangria and two beers.
Our choices for dinner included 5 oz. tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce, almond chicken, panko shrimp (yum!), sauteed garlic shrimp and home fries. Halfway through dinner we decided to order another order of the panko and garlic shrimp. All dishes were perfectly cooked, hot when delivered and very tasty.
Only failure was the creme brulee dessert. Absolutely no taste whatsoever, even the caramelized sugar top. We were perplexed.
One attribute of the restaurant we noticed was the friendliness of everyone around us. The space is quite cozy so your neighboring table is close but everyone was happy, relaxed and enjoying themselves. Although we did not initiate, we had brief conversations with two separate parties seated at the table next to us, the hostess and bar patrons.
The dinner was a perfect start to a fun evening. I will be back!
I like small plates.
Don't get me wrong, but my relationship with the restaurant is a tasty, annoying, and sometimes an overbearing one. Food is great, when its made with care. The staff at small plates 2 years ago was much better than the current. Check the Opera House Schedule before you decide to go. They have no problem asking you to leave or refusing to seat you if there is a show that night. Love the sesame beef stir fry and their flat pizzas. I don't however, like going there for lunch because its always empty and the staff is too busy getting ready for dinner hours. Things seem to run a lot better when a manager is there on duty forcing the servers/hosts to hustle and pay attention to details.
The staff can range from someone who is professional and knowledgeable to trixy mcbimbo who has a hangover from last night.
I've had some great and exceptional food here and have had soggy, buttery food here. I just hope that next time I take someone there.... a good chef, server, and host will be working at the same time.
wow. demanding.
This is a cute place in a great location downtown. Great place to go with a date before going to the Opera House, bars/clubs on Woodward, or a Tigers/Wings game. I just wish there were more places like this downtown.
After hours of looking on line for a good restaurant to eat dinner at after the Red Wings game, i finally landed on Small Plates (thanks to fellow Yelpers)
I went a Sunday evening around 7pm and there was about a 20 Min wait. It was worth the wait for me. The place it self is small, but the quality and atmosphere make up for it. Now, getting to the food!! One thing I did not know before I went to Small Plates, was that if you have a ticket stub from the Red Wings game, you get a free personal sized brick oven Pizza!!! Perfect! just what i was gonna ordered anyway!! I was concerned on the size and that it wasn't gonna be big enough, but it was more than filling! I also Ordered the Hand Cut Fries with the Homemade Ketchup!!!(def. recommend) My Girlfriend also ordered her free pizza and ordered a Salad on the side. She ordered the half portion and that was more than enough for the both of us!!
Just as an FYI, our table was set at back of the restaurant with full view of the kitchen and the Brick Oven where they cooked my pizza ( I got to watch them prepare my pizza!!) Overall the food service was great. I was very impressed and would def. go back and recmmd to my friends and family!!!
I love small plates. They have wonderful food, a great wine/drink selection, and the service is always fabulous. The ribs and pork tenderloin are amazing.
A tip:
I don't suggest going to small plates during busy times (i.e. lunch rush, dinner rush, after ball games). My husband and I always make a point of going when we know it's going to be slow.
I've been to Small Plates a few times, most recently on Tigers Opening Day, which was a Friday. We hit up Small Plates after the game for dinner. Although they were out of several beers, every table was full, and the servers were super busy we had a great time.
We were lucky enough to sit in the back bar that is at the cook's prep station. So it's really hot sitting there because the open wood oven is right there but, it's great to be able to talk to the chefs. Although they were extremely busy they still took the time to interact with us.
The food was ok and the service was subpar. However, the previous visits had wonderful food and very attentive service. Truly delicious food, great selection and fun options.
I would say the lesson learned is to not go there during busy times in Detroit when they are clearly overwhelmed.
Was looking for somewhere to catch a bite to eat and a drink. Made reservations for 3, ended up being 15 minutes late and only 2 women strong! Seeing as how mapquest fails to mention that Park turns into Witherell, and that there is no street sign for Broadway at that intersection, hmm.......going in circles while trying to dial Small Plates and while passing a Detroit cop. Oh wait, it IS Detroit....they could care less.... so 15 minutes late, but they didn't seem too pressed when we showed. The ambience was nice....high back fabric booths, tables and dim lighting. A bar with two tv's, and they do have a small "patio" area, but it's in front of the restaurant facing the Detroit Opera House.
Had a waiter come and ask for our drink order, then a waitress stepped over and asked for our drinks.... then they had a spat in our vicinity over whose table it was. Kind of disappointed that she told me that they had Three olives vodka then returned to tell me they didn't have it. Still ordered a red bull and vodka. My signature.
I like the whole tapas idea. The dishes come out in a stagger. My friend got her chicken caesar wrap when my chicken skewers arrived. Then my Broadway Baguettes came, and finally our orders of their hand-cut fries and homemade ketchup. The chicken skewers with Brazilian Piri Piri sauce were yummy!! I wasn't sure what kind of sauce it would be, but when it came, it was great- a red pepper tomato almost salsa-y...with a lemony kick and herbs. The Broadway baguettes were a great addition. Could have used a lil more Boursin cheese spread, but I still cleaned the plate! The homemade fries were the shit! The housemade ketchup seemed like a heinz 57 + honey + bbq sauce....but it worked for me! Nothing like a ending of chocolate chip banana cake and a forkful, or three, of their homemade cheesecake! Delicioso!!!
Could have done without the man-group-date. Something just turns me off seeing out of the corner of my eye: 4 guys drinking fuzzy navels and all spooning the desserts.
Only paid $2 to park in the DOH parking structure and not a far walk at all! Would return if the opportunity presented itself =)
I've been to Small Plates a couple times before shows or events in downtown Detroit. First of all, it's a really great place for groups. I don't know how most people do it, but with my group of friends, everyone orders something different and then we eat off of everyone's plates like animals. Thankfully the waitstaff is good about splitting up checks - I've never had an issue with that here.
While the food has always been consistently pretty good, I think it's important to note I haven't been really blown away by a dish here yet. Don't get me wrong, I've never had a dish here I didn't want to eat, but there haven't been any home runs yet.
Small Plates seems to be more of a jack-of-all trades ethnically, which adds to its group appeal - there's something for everyone here. The dishes are usually a little bit on the pricey side. To most that goes without saying, as I've noticed there's always somewhat of a downtown premium. All in all though, it balances out. With a good atmosphere and a wide variety of simple (but tasty) dishes, Small Plates is a great place to get a group meal before a fun night out.
Every time I've eaten at Small Plates, it's been something of a disaster. And I mean what-the-hell-is-going-on-here kind of disaster. Let me explain. I mainly have two problems with Small Plates. 1.) The service is spotty. 2.) The food can be ehh.
Let's start with number one. The last few times I've dined at Small Plates, the service was hit or miss. One night out the service was great- servers paying attention, no hovering, (I can't stand hovering) etc etc. However, the next time, the service was horrible. I think it's a bit ridiculous if I have to ask four times for a water. Just sayin'.
Issue number two: The food. Just like the service the food is hit or miss. The last time I was at Small Plates I payed $12 for three pieces of stale bread, 2 strawberries, a handful of grapes and two wedges of cheese. However, the time before that, I ordered their Roasted Veggie Pizza and the Chop-Chop salad and both were ridiculously delicious.
What do I actually like about Small Plates? The portions are perfect and the location is great. Would I go back? Probably. Just not anytime soon.
I very much enjoy tapas and Small Plates makes me happy. I've yet to have a bad dish, service, or drink.
That said, we rarely eat here as my dining companion is big eater with an enormous appetite and we'd have to order too too many plates of slightly overpriced food to satisify him.
So, if tapas works for you, this is a great place. If however, your companions are large, hungry men, perhaps Slow's is the better option.
Coming here is a great, well-rounded experience. The atmosphere is warm, with deep hues of yellow to welcome you. The wine list is no joke, and the food menu is delicious. I try to order something different every time.
The fries here are hand cut and taste delicious with the garlic/vinegar dipping sauce. I'm also a fan of their ribs. I'm not so happy that their chop salad is made with iceberg, as are other salads on the list (but not all). I have no idea why a nice place would waste their time with iceberg -- ick city. Beer lovers may just have to roll with the wine or martinis if you're going this route. I know I did -- I love Guinness, but maybe not here.
Topping off the experience with dessert will not disappoint -- they have this cookie sandwich that's made with Guernsey ice cream and homemade cookie -- plus Sander's hot fudge! Can't beat that along with a black Russian drink.
Small plates was actually my first Tapas experience ever. I have to say that as a man who prides himself on being a member of the clean plate club since the age of 8 weeks old, the idea of small plates was one of the biggest turnoffs for me.
I couldnt understand the concept of someone bringing me 2 ribs as opposed to a slab, or the fact that I had to find a way to split those damn 2 ribs 2 or three different ways..which meant I had to get real creative or I had to buy more of these damn small azz plates.
Neither idea appealed to me. So I waited for the jizob to have a lunch and once the recommendation came that we should eat at Small Plates, I jumped all over it. I wasnt trying to experiment and have to eat this bill.
So a group of about 5 of us went from the office. Small Plates was definitely a good choice.
While it was a while ago, I can definitely remember the items that I sampled:
a) Pan Asian Lettuce wraps: These work for me, tasty light, and a good "sampling"
b) Garlic Shrimp: recommended by our server, definitely a good look. You have to order a few of these if you are with a group, nonetheless, they are well worth it.
c) Bbq ribs: what I thought was going to be two bones, actually turned into a half slab. Great flavor, definitely a pleasant surprise.
d) Handmade fries: These damn fries are off the chain. The highlight is the homemade Ketchup...mmmm, they work!
e) Chop Chop Salad: This salad was surprisingly big, and plenty to share with the group.
We didnt get desert, but surprisingly, I was so damn full that I didnt want to think about dessert.
Great service, great drinks, great food. Definitely a legit highlight of Detroit.
Hmmm *scratch head*... how do I write this without too much subjective... OK, I CANNOT! I drop no punches when talking from here on out! Truth first, always! Small Plate food good. I only have problem with appetizer price. I think... little too much for what you get. Right now I feel somewhere between 2/3 star. Technically, I give.. 2.5 star! $11 Appetizers should be no more than $8 in my opinion. We had tasty choices like veggie eggroll (interesting), fish taco, garlic shrimp pizza... all good, no negative thing to say about food choice.
*Observation* If any yelper sit at bar, next to wall, under flatscreen tv... look very carefully at mount bracket. Only 2 screw hold TV in wall... and top screw come out *yike* I was good customer and told waiter (but you never know... check tv before sit!) otherwise you might be in middle of lawsuit. Enjoy!
I have been coming to Small Plates since shortly after it opened in 2002. It is one of my must stop at places when I am back in Detroit.
For small plates, the portions are actually quite good sized and the prices are right on. My husband and I usually share the ceaser salad (huge, garlicy, and with big slices of parm - $5), the thin crust barbeque chicken pizza (best bbq sauce ever - $10) and the gorganzola filet ( oh my god that sauce! the filet is only 4 ounces so they tend to overcook it - order rare if you want it medium rare - $12). That will fill us up easily.
We have also deviated and ordered the chicken skewers (good, for meat on a stick), the four cheese pizza (excellent) the empanadas (very good) the scallops (yummy) and the beef stiry fry (the only thing I wasn't impressed by). The chocolate chunk cookie sandwich is sinfully delicious.
My sister also hosted a party for her husband's birhtday last year and they did an excellent job with the group of 20.
Service has always been good, especially at the bar. Kramer is a wonderful bartender - ask for a storm cloud martini and you won't be dissapointed. The wine list is excellent and now they have a cute outdoor patio.
Oh, now I am homesick!
- - -- - update 11/15
They have now opened a Small Plates in Royal Oak.
I've never had a bad experience here.
It's a great place for groups, everyone can just order a couple of everything and then pass everything around the table. It's the most fun and you get to taste mostly everything on the menu.
All of the pizza's are good, I especially love the 4 cheese one with the roasted garlic. They are wood oven fired, so they taste very rustic and full of flavor. I love the french fries too, with the garlic mayo for dipping. The empanadas, the tenderloin are also favorites that we get. Oh, and the desserts don't get much mention but - the Creme Brulee is ah-mazing. And it's not even that small.
My boyfriend and I went there before and after the Wicked musical showing at the DOH across the street and had a good time. Be sure to make reservations ahead of time. If that isn't possible use call ahead because the wait when we were there was well over an hour. The service was ok but the food was delicious. The grapefruit martini I had wasn't the best so I would avoid that but the cheese and mushroom pizza was amazing. We will be returning soon.
Over-rated! (clap clap, clap clap clap)
I'm sorry, but the whole tapas fad is lost on me. The food is fine but overpriced for what you get. Their pizzas are OK. If you're downtown for a show or whatever, my votes are for Detroit Beer Co. right next door or Vicente's, which is a couple blocks away.
I like Small Plates when I'm not looking to eat, but just to munch while having drinks with a few friends downtown. (I admit I'm partial to Sangria for tapas.) They have a good wine list, and the tapas make for good snacking. I like the ones with shrimp, and I also like the hand-cut fries, which are tasty and inexpensive.
It's also got a good ambiance. The inside of Small Plates is pretty cool to look at (it's a long and narrow space), and the staff is very accommodating. They also have some great desserts, which have nothing to do with the ambiance, but I love sweets :o)
The drawbacks are that this place is small, so it can easily get crowded. Further, the tapas (for the most part) don't come cheap. It's worth it if you are looking more to pay for the dining experience than if you are just paying for a good meal.
Theater~ Dinner/Drink Spot
I recently went on a week night before attending the Lion King at The Opera House (across the street). The crowd started in at around 5:30.
We made a Res but ended up sitting at the bar (smoking aloud there).
What did I want to drink???? Anthony asked. Wine??? Martini???? I decided to go for the (martini) hair of the dog I said. He asked me what that really meant and I proceeded to BS some reasoning. A few minutes Kramer came back with the Wikopedia explanation I was wrong.
We tried almost the whole menu. Although simple the Pizza's were by far the best. The Fillet topped with gorgonzola was fab. I would skip the fishy crab cakes.
Catch the people mover next door. We went to the Greek Town Casino where you are dropped off inside and then back for a buck round trip.
Small Plates is the definitive restaurant for small plates. The atmosphere is excellent, located in the Harmonie Park area, it's perfect for the hipster crowd needing something to do and munch on downtown in the D. The food is scrumptious, but I'll admit I am not a fan of the fish tacos. Everything else i ate here (beef and chicken dishes) were absolutely delicious. Seating is pretty ample and the waitstaff is really nice.
The only thing that kind of sucks is the parking, but parking always sucks in Downtown Detroit. Get over it.
Small Plates is great. New-American pseudo-asian bullsh-t tapas style small plates in the D, just a stone's throw from Harmonie Park.
Seating recommendation - at the prep counter in the back or by the front windows. Avoid the chicken and you're straight. Full bar.
Small Plates is a super narrow place downtown, but it is a nice environment. I just gave a surprise bday party for a friend there a few nights ago, and the customer service was really nice and patient with us...which is kind of rare on a Saturday night. My group pretty much ate everything on the menu. I had the BBQ Chicken Pizza, which was very good. It a good portion. My friends had the BBQ Ribs, Mussels, and Hummus. The prices are conservative, paying roughly $12 for a meal. They have a good wine list too. Because this place is small, I would suggest making reservations for sure!
Excellent food, atmosphere and staff. If you go, be sure to chat with the owner about his excellent knowledge of wines and if Ricao the bartender is working, copy down the ingredients for a Tea de Rico.
Small Plates is such a fun little place. they're prices are really reasonable. the food is phenomenal. and the service is usually spot on! i've been in here before a show, after a Tigers game, before boozin' it up on a Saturday night, and we came here with a small group of girls for a pre-dancing bachelorette party dinner. everytime everything was great. so get in there, order a bunch of different dishes, and share them amoung the table. you can't go wrong!!!
I love the vibe in the place - high end and comfy at the same time. A great locale in Detroit and perfect when eating with a group of adventurous eaters - always better to do tapas with people who will try everything. Everything we got here was tops. Check it out!
At Small Plates, you get to enjoy and share multiple tapa dishes with your friends. It makes you feel like you are sampling food at an Iron Shef shooting. Great ambience and superb service too.
Small Plates was one of the first to start the upswing in Downtown Detroit dining. We have always had the Rattlesnake as far as great modern food, but Detroit needed more cool restaurants. I knew Chef Arron True when he worked at Shiro in Novi (another stellar restaurant) He was always putting out amazing things from that kitchen. I think that is why the Panko Shrimp and other Asian influences are so prevalent. I personally like the tenderloin, but there are usually some don't miss specials. Small Plates was just what Detroit needed at the time. A hip but upscale place where you could eat amazing things and hang out -- the bartenders here always make you feel welcome.
While the atmosphere is pleasant, the service is mediocre and the food is horrible. The almond chicken was way too sweet, the lettuce wraps had absolutely no flavor, and the panko shrimp had been left in the deep fryer for too long (besides being topped with a mayo-something that was so heavy I had to scrape most of it off with my spoon). With just 3 small plates and 2 drinks our bill was over $60. And I left hungry! It was one of the most unenjoyable and overpriced meals I have had in a restaurant in a long time. I wish I had gone next door and had a burger at Detroit Beer Company. I suggest you do the same.
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Mexicantown
Neighborhood: Cultural Center
Category: Pubs
Here are some of my favorite hangouts in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
