Before the Show in Detroit, MI
Updated September 25, 2026
Detroit's venues are clustered tightly enough that dinner is a five-minute walk from almost any curtain. Pick by venue.
**Foxtown and the Fillmore Detroit.** You are on Woodward, so you have options. Mootz Pizzeria + Bar does thin-crust fast enough for an 8pm door, and Standby down in the Belt alley is the better call if the show is later and you want a cocktail first. The Detroiter Bar in Greektown is the honest pre-show pint. For something shorter, Basement Burger Bar Detroit on Brush is a block away.
**The Shelter and Saint Andrew's.** Same building, same block. Wright & Company on Woodward is the upstairs dinner; Cibo Detroit and Harry's Detroit Bar & Restaurant are the quicker ones. If the show is loud and you want quiet first, Side Hustle Lounge on Library St is a short walk.
**Orchestra Hall and the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.** Selden Standard and Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails are the two Midtown dinners worth booking, and SheWolf Pastificio & Bar is the pasta version. For a drink after, Wet Picnic on 2nd Ave is ten minutes on foot.
**The Majestic Theatre and Magic Stick.** They share an address on Woodward, so stay in Midtown. HopCat and Common Pub Detroit are directly across the street. Motor City Brewing Works-Midtown on Canfield is the better beer, and Third Man Records is open next door if you have half an hour to kill.
**Music Hall Center and the Fisher Theatre.** Downtown for Music Hall — Highlands Detroit or London Chop House if it's an occasion. New Center for the Fisher Theatre, where Supino Pizzeria New Center and Promenade Artisan Foods are the two easy pre-curtain choices, and Tenacity Craft on 2nd Ave has thirty taps for after.
**The Eastern and the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre.** Eastern Market and the riverfront respectively. Lagerhaus No. 5 before The Eastern; Andiamo Detroit Riverfront before an Aretha show.
Book anywhere sit-down for a 6pm table on show nights. Downtown parking fills earliest around Foxtown — the garages west of Woodward clear out faster afterwards.
Related lists
Frequently asked
- How early should I eat before a Detroit show?
- A 6pm table gives you time for an 8pm door at any of these venues, since none of the restaurants listed are more than a ten-minute walk from their venue.
- Which venues are within walking distance of each other?
- The Fillmore, The Shelter, Music Hall and the Detroit Opera House are all within a few blocks downtown. The Majestic, Magic Stick and Orchestra Hall sit along Woodward in Midtown and Brush Park.
