So far, 2025 has been a banner year for new restaurants, cafés and sweet spots. From restaurateurs reimagining the supper club era to bold newcomers putting their own unique spins on flavors, Birmingham and the surrounding area has many exciting places to book tables.
Couples seeking an upscale date night can reserve seats at Wilder’s (458 N. Old Woodward Ave.), which channels the swinging supper clubs and the golden age of East Coast steakhouses, or Big Rock Italian Chop House (245 S. Eton St.), which serves seafood towers, handmade pastas, cocktails and USDA prime steaks in the historic Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot. Big Rock also offers a private cigar club and lounge.
Another anticipated arrival is the rooftop restaurant at the RH Gallery (100 S. Old Woodward Ave.). Scheduled to open in October, the rooftop restaurant joins a portfolio of RH restaurants nationwide that offer carefully curated menus of timeless classics.
Invite friends to join you for unique takes on American classics and new tastes at Bell Bistro, which partners with local farmers and purveyors to supply the freshest produce, meats and seafood available. Signature dishes include the grass-fed beef Bell Bistro Burger and Langos, a Romanian favorite featuring light and crispy fried dough topped with seasoned sour cream, crumbled feta and garlic oil. It also offers a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Want international flavors?At Cafe Origins (163 W. Maple Rd.), Alexander Young, a James Beard award–winning chef, creates dishes that pay homage to many cultures that are inspired from his global travels.
This year also welcomed additions to breakfast, lunch and casual fare. Family-owned and operated Teuta (168 W. Maple Rd.) is a cozy breakfast and lunch spot populated with cheerful fresh flowers. La Pecora Nera (135 Pierce St.) creates hand-crafted traditional and unique Italian sandwiches, fresh salads and flavorful café offerings. Marrow (283 Hamilton Row) — known for its high-quality meats, cheeses and locally sourced goods and popular at farmers markets — now has a brick-and-mortar shop where you can pick up charcuterie or specialty goods to take home or enjoy robust sandwiches and burgers on-site. And customers rave online that the House of Birmingham (653 S. Adams Rd.), has the “perfect vibe” for brunch and lunch.
In Franklin, Polly’s Café (32750 Franklin Rd.), adjacent to The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery, shares an outdoor patio and offers a café experience — think: pastries, sandwiches, salads, coffee and ice cream — as a casual complement to its elegant neighbor, which was also launched by Thyme and Place Hospitality this year (see “The Village Pearl” in this issue).
Home cooks, take note: The upscale Eton Market (221 N. Eton St.) offers thoughtfully curated fine wines, delicate cheeses, healthy snacks, craft beer, artisan coffee and gourmet deli provisions presented in a beautifully designed, welcoming space.
Got a sweet tooth? Bon Bon Bon (217 S. Old Woodward Ave.) opened a whimsical chocolate shop inspired by the Birmingham 8 Theatre. Known for its artful bonbons — both classic and experimental in flavors — the shop notes it blends the French technique with “Detroit ingenuity.”
The Argentinian company Shock Artisanal Gelato (335 E. Maple Rd.) has chosen Birmingham for its U.S. expansion. Owner Ignacio Gerson, who also runs Detroit’s BARDA, makes every flavor in-house with no fillers or artificial colors. The name comes from the rapid “shock” deep-freeze process — “as soon as our gelato leaves the batch freezer, we rush it from +5°C to -40°C in under 10 minutes,” Gerson says — locking in flavor and creaminess. It offers more than 30 flavors, including vegan and dairy-free options.
Need more sweetness? This year also welcomed Yumii’s (205 E. Maple Rd.), which tempts mercilessly with its Instagram-ready menu of ice cream, matcha and donuts.
Stay fueled at DayCap Coffee Bar + Eatery (930 E. Maple Rd.) — they’ll hook you up with a coffee, tea or signature latte to enjoy there or take on the run.
While not “new,” we would be remiss if we did not note that Wine Spectator named Streetside Seafood (273 Pierce St.) and Eddie Merlot’s (37000 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills) winners of its 2025 Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine. Want another reason to book a table? Eddie Merlot’s Steaks Around the World menu, which explores the rich, regional flavors from France, Argentina, Italy and the U.S. with perfect wine pairings, is available through Nov. 3.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
The following restaurants are on the horizon:
Street Beet (233 N. Old Woodward Ave.). This fall, Detroit’s cult-favorite vegan spot will be serving its plant-based takes on nostalgic fast-food favorites in Birmingham. Crunchywraps with walnut chorizo and crispy tofu. Plant-based smash burgers. Dairy-free milkshakes. Yes, please!
Supino Pizzeria will be dishing out Detroit’s favorite East Coast thin-crust artisan slices on Southfield Road at 13 Mile Road in Beverly Hills in early 2026.
At St Roger Abbey (215 N. Old Woodward Ave.), nuns make organic French pastries by hand.