Nestled in the mural-laden Belt in Downtown, Standby is a speakeasy and lounge that caters to imbibers who desire craft cocktails using local or unique ingredients. The laid back atmosphere is enhanced by the friendly and knowledgeable staff, with DJs spinning cool tunes several nights a week.

Standby, a trendy cocktail bar in downtown Detroit, is celebrated for its creative approach to mixology and its welcoming ambiance. Among their impressive lineup of beverages, the N/A version of Tommy’s Margarita stands out as a refreshing option for those who enjoy the classic flavors of a margarita without the alcohol. This mocktail is crafted with a carefully selected nonalcoholic spirit, which adds depth and complexity, making it more than just a simple “virgin margarita.” It’s a flavorful alternative for margarita lovers looking to enjoy the same tangy, refreshing taste with a sophisticated twist, ensuring a delightful experience for anyone who steps through the doors of Standby.

Standby is a hip speakeasy-style restaurant in Detroit that was nominated as a James Beard Award semifinalist in 1991. The restaurant, which opens nightly at 5:00pm for dinner and late-night service, is known for its high-tech cocktail lab, which boasts a centrifuge and liquid nitrogen infusion technology. Clever cocktail favorites include the whiskey-based Jules Verne, infused with ras el hanout, mint, and orange bitters, or the Silk Road, which blends gin, sake, and simple syrup with matcha-infused whipped cream and lemon.

Standby’s speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar is the epitome of craft and innovation. Using carbonation, infusion, and pure ingenuity, Standby has cemented itself as a must-visit and must-taste location in Detroit. We highly suggest making reservations to save yourself a seat at this bar; it’s well-known for its stellar cocktails (Check Your Baggage, High Five, Creole Sazerac) and priceless food items (fried deviled eggs, coconut calamari, and BBQ short rib) so you may be waiting for a seat on a Saturday night.

Located directly off “The Skip - The Belt,” an alley surrounded by other bars, lights, and murals, Standby is behind the Z-Lot Parking Garage in downtown Detroit. Walk-in through the black curtains and into a dark atmospheric experience, where you’ll find a small list of American food and an extensive eclectic drink menu with interesting combinations categorized by your choice of spirit. Be sure to make a reservation to avoid being on standby.

225 Gratiot Ave.; 313-241-5719; standbydetroit.com The creatively-named drinks at Standby are just one reason to visit this hidden gem. The cocktail lab is outfitted with a centrifuge, liquid nitrogen, and culinary tools to create drinks such as 10 Points for Gryffindor and Proceed to the Route. Standby also offers inventive snacks and plates including prawns and polenta, coconut purple yam ice cream, and mezcal smoked carrots.

Tucked away in an inconspicuous alleyway, Standby prides itself on serving up modern cocktails and locally-sourced dishes in an old-school setting. At this intimate speakeasy and James Beard semifinalist, a rotating cocktail menu changes with the seasons. Standby’s expansive selection features creations made out of brandy, vodka, agave, whiskey, rum, gin, and more, including a selection of delicious mocktails.

Standby: Cozy and modern, Standby’s cocktail menu doesn’t just describe the drinks' ingredients, but lets you know what kind of glass they’ll arrive in and if they’re shaken or stirred. They also have draft cocktails, shot-and-a-beer specials, wine and champagne. There’s a whole food menu, too, with a house burger, pork ragu gnocchi, coconut calamari, maple-roasted carrots and other sharables.

A bar dedicated to serving our community with thoughtful service, fine food, and good drink, their primary focus is on the principles of hospitality. Cool features include a cocktail lab equipped with a centrifuge, liquid nitrogen, and all manner of advanced culinary tools, Standby’s bar program produces drinks of both a highly complex, technical nature and beloved approachable classics.

Standby has only been on the Detroit bar scene for less than five years, but thanks to their tasty cocktails from contemporary bartending techniques, this modern bar is one of the city’s best. They have a selection of over 50 drinks, ensuring you will find something to your liking here. Try their Kimchi Old Fashioned, a fun, funky, and surprisingly refreshing cocktail.

Known as your “bartender’s favorite spot,” Standby is a cocktail bar and restaurant in the heart of Downtown Detroit. Standby’s beverage program uses innovative techniques to bring new flavors and experiences to the glass while paying homage to the classics. Standby’s highlights include Hot Honey Chicken Sliders, Coconut Shrimp with Jerk Mayo, and Spaghetti al Limone.

The inventive cocktails on the menu are concocted with help of a centrifuge and liquid nitrogen — technology that pairs nicely with the bar’s industrial feel. The extensive menu includes various drinks made with a range of spirits. Scotch lovers can experience the refreshing taste of the Samosa while those who favor gin might enjoy a Lemon Bar.

Notable if only for the gorgeous urban artwork at its entrance, the aptly named Standby has become just that—a reliable destination for phenomenal drinks, handily characterized on the cocktail menu (like the "medicinal, funky, bittersweet" Apartment Bartender, with Plantation pineapple rum, Carpano Bianco vermouth and Cappelletti).

Enter through an alley for this boozehound’s cocktail bar, where Joe Robinson, co-owner and bartender of. , turns sherbets, house bitters, tonics, and a wide variety of labels into 42 winning combos. The up-tempo bar food menu is plenty good, and the banquettes are comfy, but this a place to sit at the bar and drink.

With a dimly lit, laid-back atmosphere and a high quality, new-American menu, The Standby is the perfect place for late-night drinks and eats. This spot can be a little hard to find for newcomers, but we guarantee you’ll enjoy the array of cocktails and intimate vibe.

Standby is a Detroit favorite focused on creating incredible drinks in their cocktail lab that are paired with excellent service and fine food. The James Beard Foundation took note of this and Standby was a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program in 2018 and 2017.

- Rating: 4.4/5 (692 reviews)- Price level: $$- Address: 225 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, Michigan - Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars- Read more on Yelp

225 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48226Phone: 313-241-5719 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Standby (@standbydetroit)