I visited Opus One for the very first time for Detroit Restaurant Week. I have to say I really enjoyed my dining experience. I was there with two of my girlfriends. I do agree that the atmosphere was fairly traditional, especially with the piano playing in background. Yet I enjoyed the change of pace from the typical trendier restaurants. I'm very particular about customer service and from the host, to the bartender (Eric), then the waiter (Barack), everyone was very professional and attentive. I ordered the spicy shrimp cocktail, which was ok. I wish it had more of a kick to it, not very spicy at all. For my second course I had the petite filet mignon with shrimp helene, served with potatoes and spinach. I thought the portions appeared small, but I found that I was quite full at the end of the meal. I enjoyed this course the best and the passionfruit creme brulee was a perfect conclusion to the meal. My friends ordered the stuffed salmon, and they also remarked on how much they enjoyed their meals. We had a great evening there and would return again.
(4)
Rick M.
Decided to give this place a try during restaurant week. We had a reservation and got a table right away. The interior was decorated nicely and wasn't a copy and paste atmosphere that many restaurants seem to have taken up, plus the piano player was a nice touch. The waitress was friendly and quick. Perhaps too quick. We had our three course meal and a couple drinks and were in and out of there in less than an hour. The first course was very good. I had the lobster bisque which was very, very good. My wife had a spicy shrimp cocktail which were basically taco flavored shrimp. No complaints there but there were two shrimp. This would not have been an issue if her main course would've had a little more to it. She had the scallops and that's what it was. Scallops with a sauce. Nothing else. I had the petite fillet with the shrimp helene. The steak was cooked great, just small. The shrimp was okay, nothing special. My wife said her dessert made up for everything else. She had the chocolate cookie sundae. It was very tasty and actually a pretty good size dessert. I had the creme brulee which I like well enough. Overall I don't think we will be coming back soon. There wasn't anything wrong with the place other than perhaps the tiny portions but there also wasn't anything that grabbed us and made us think that it would be worth it to go when they weren't offering their restaurant week menu. For a place with prices like this I need more of a "wow" factor.
(3)
F T.
Having wanted to try it for years, I was very disappointed. While the food was decent, it was definitely not worth the money. The maitre'd was less pleasant than I would have liked, and the wine list is surprisingly limited. Our service got off to an awkward start as we were asked if we knew what we wanted to order having never seen a menu. The chef made a vegetarian special dish for me upon request since the menu is 99.9% meat-based. It was a worthy effort, but overall it was somehow bland. The salads are especially unremarkable. For these prices, I expect taste and originality. It was worth the experience if you have a great coupon or some discount, but I will not be returning.
(2)
Henry B.
Here's the rundown -They didn't take my Groupon for their prix fixe menu -The restaurant was 90% empty on a Tuesday -Tiny tiny tiny portions -Lamb shanks were meh. My mistake for ordering a tender meat rare. -The hallways smelled like cigarette -Cookies were delicious -Wait staff and host were really nice Probably won't go here again. I think Cafe Cortina and Forest Grill are tops for premium dining.
Opus One actually has a nice Happy Hour. Food is good, although not entirely consistent. I do love their steak & chevre risotto cakes.
(4)
Brian B.
Came here the other night hoping for a nice meal. It was not to be here. I had relatively high hopes for this establishment, but it failed. As Dave S. mentioned, the Philly Beef Ragoons were pretty decent, however, for $12, I was expecting a few more of the glorified pizza rolls. The sauce was not needed and was very bland. My girlfriend started with a Tomato/Mozzarella Salad. This was the highlight of the meal. The ingredients were all fresh. It was topped with basil, olive oil, and balasamic. I ordered the Rack of Lamb served with a potato gratin and spinach. Overall the lamb was decent. It was served a "natural" sauce which wasn't too flavorful. Some of the ribs were cooked well even though I ordered medium rare. Most were right though. The sides were pretty good. My girlfriend ordered the Saute of Chicken Breast, which on paper sounded really good. Grilled chicken, mozzarella, spinach, panceta, served with a basil sauce. She side is was not flavorful and needed some salt. The potato cake was not good. I'm beginning to realize there may be reasons certain restaurants that have 50% deals on various websites.
(2)
Dan K.
This is probably one of the better restaurants in Detroit. I've been there many many times while I was working in Detroit. To be honest, the first time I went (like Dane) I wasn't very impressed. But, because of its proximity to our hotel and work, we went there pretty often and became regulars at the bar as well. First off, great service. If you go there a few times, the staff starts recognizing you. I recommend the salmon or ahi tuna, but if you don't like seafood, the crepes are pretty good. The soups are usually pretty tasty and they have decent salads (mixed greens). And the bread! Usually they give you two types, a poppy bread and a raisin nut bread, both are excellent. The presentation of the food is good, makes you think you are at a very classy place, but the prices are not all that bad (maybe cause it's Detroit). There is an Opus One card which gives you a $10 gift certificate for every $50 you spend. Also, this card gives you half priced happy hours during certain months out of the year. Happy hour is 4:00 to 7:30 if I remember correctly. They also usually have some kinda free app like hummus and pita during this time. They make a kickass Spanish coffee, and something called a Hummer, which is a box made out of chocolate, filled with an alcoholic ice cream concoction. And they will gladly mix you any drinks.. the bartenders are very friendly. One time we went after work, and one of my co workers forgot his ID. There was a new girl working at the bar, and she wouldn't serve him. So he ran back to work to get his ID, and meanwhile our regular bartender came out and said hi to us. Then he told the new girl that we were regulars and told us we should have just asked for him. I don't think I can count the number of times the girl apologized to us. It was pretty funny, and we got a few free drinks out of the fiasco. Btw, it's not necessarily a formal place, business casual is just fine.
(4)
Sarah M. B.
It was ok.........based on the menu online, I was expecting more, not going to lie....service was excellent and efficient....but... Ugh, I dunno...something about a place having 5 other tables of diners on a Friday nite sketches me out a bit-maybe it was the Kid Rock concert downtown or maybe Opus One is the 'power lunch' place I have heard it is, but for a nicely decorated place, it was a little depressing for a summer Friday. Food: Apps....my father in law said the Lobster egg rolls were 'bullshit' ok....moving on....I got the 'smoked salmon lollipops' which were good, but for 10 bucks I would like more than 3 small pieces of smoked salmon wrapped around a lot of cheve cheese... Entrees: For 55 dollars, a serving of Dover Sole can be yours, folks...now Dover sole isn't something you can get everywhere, and it really was quite good from what I tried of my husbands plate...but it very easily could have been regular sole and you probably wouldn't realize....of course, I do not think that was the case! My mother in law had the seafood trio, which again seemed much more luscious on the menu....it came with a small lobster tail, a small 'jumbo scallop' and 2 shrimp Helene, but not a horrid price at $35 bucks. One thing I did like was they offered 'petite entrees' because I often like to get an appetizer as well and it was the perfect serving size...the spinach risotto was good, and the 3 jumbo shrimp Helene's were ok-the shrimp was big and wrapped in filo dough, but nothing extra to make it really special... Desserts: All looked AMAZING...the ice cream hummer drinks were fantastic as was their special Opus One cookie brownie sundae-homemade cookie with ice cream and fudge...fabulous. Overall...would I go back? Yes, if people wanted to go there...would my hubby and I go alone? Probably not, there are too many other places I haven't tried and would rather go back to....if I were to make a special trip perhaps for drinks and dessert.
(3)
Kristine Z.
My review is going to be short but sweet. Everything was great. The service, the food. Yes it is pricey but you get what you pay for and I was very pleased and will be will coming back again.
(5)
Bengt A.
The short: Mediocre in almost every way. Would never pay full price for what they're offering. The long: We decided to base our decision of where to go for Detroit Restaurant Week solely on the fixed menus. Admittedly, Opus One's menu seemed to have the most appetizing variety, so we booked a reservation for a Friday night. The first letdown of the night came as soon as we pulled up; they have a horrible valet service. The attendant was mute and neglected to open both the car and restaurant doors. I've worked valet for restaurants much less ostentatious than this, and we prided ourselves on customer service -- especially when you have women in the car who are dressed up. Granted, Opus One may have little to do with the valet company's policies, but their management should certainly be more involved... after all, that's a customer's first impression of the restaurant. The first thing you notice when walking in is how awful the acoustics are. The live piano entertainment requires you to speak very loudly, and overall the noise is too much. There were two hosts at the stand, and when both finally got off their respective phone calls, they could not find our reservation... you know, the one you receive an email confirmation for? We eventually were sat in a booth that gave us a nice view of the dining room. The decor could have been any bland country club dining room. While the tables were full when we got there at 7, there didn't seem to be anyone under the age of 50. Our server was very pleasant, but a little too casual. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but when you're going to a "fancy" restaurant, you expect a level of formality higher than that you'd get at, say, Applebee's. We had a party of four, so we had at least one of everything on the DRW fixed menu. Here's a little summary: --- Appetizers Ahi Tuna - it was okay, but it tasted overdone for being served "rare." The wasabi aioli was a nice touch. Spring rolls - again, okay, but nothing remarkable. You can get these anywhere. Lobster bisque - gross. The oily texture overpowered the creaminess, and made the already rich taste of lobster unappetizing. Entrees: Arctic Char - we were all really excited to try this one, and maybe our expectations were too high. While it was cooked fine, it tasted really "fishy" and like a poor version of salmon. The vegetable couscous was good. Grilled lamb - the worst of all entrees. The inescapable dijon mustard sauce paired horribly and completely ruined the taste of the meat. The portion was miniscule, which might have been it's saving grace. I felt bad that my dad had to choke it down. New York Strip - this was my entree, and I will say that I really enjoyed it. It was a bit on the bad-fatty-side, but spiced perfectly, and the onion rings and potato & mushroom hash was a delicious garnish. Everyone agreed that it was the best choice of the night. Dessert: Creme brulee - the creme was good, but there was far too much brulee. The fruit looked and tasted old. Trio Chocolate Mousse - they need to change the name of this dessert. The poor pyramid of mousse was sadly drowned in an overpowering and unappetizing raspberry sauce. (I had this same dessert at Roast the next night, and they nailed it perfectly, with just a drizzle of sauce). Banana Split Flan - this was delicious, and easily the best dessert. It literally tasted like a banana split in a tart shell -- a nice touch. --- As if on cue, the final disappointing touch came after our meal while we sat having coffee. We were perfectly enjoying our coffee and conversation, it was nowhere near closing time, and there were plenty of open tables when our server committed what I consider to be the biggest faux pas in the waiting profession: she came and took her tip while we were still sitting there. I don't care what anyone says, that is completely tactless. It just goes to show that this classy restaurant is anything but. Overall, a disappointment for what we expected to be a special occasion. The food was average and the restaurant sub-par. We all agreed that we would not return, especially if that meant paying full price.
(2)
CrazyforMakeup M.
Yeah, it is Okay ... would I go back? Nope. I think everybody seems to be expecting more because of all the "fine dining" advertisement and the tradition of this place. But I think is overly talked about it, because, how can I say... the decor is OK, cordial staff, good food but it is just not as memorable as you'd expect from what you hear...I certainly expected more and left thinking about the whole in the wallet rather than wow! what a great place! If you're just looking for a new restaurant, give it a try, but if this is a very special occasion, go for another place.
(3)
Dane K.
I had high expectations after being told this was one of the best restaurants in downtown Detroit. It sucked. What more can I say? The food seemed like it was out of the 80s. So did the decor and the people. I had beef shortribs and some sort of potato and vegetables. It was borderline bland, and presentation was very boring. You can sit at the bar area and it's more casual and you don't have to dress up... They had a free shuttle to/from the hockey game, which was nice.
(2)
C T.
My hands down favorite restaurant for dinner before a show at the Fox. I have never been disappointed.
(5)
N V.
I dined here on New Year's Eve hoping for an exceptional meal...did not happen. The food was forgettable. I started with the smoked salmon lollipops, good enough, the only inventiveness was placing the salmon rolls and chevre on a skewer. My entree was a seafood trio which included shrimp wrapped in phyllo which was slightly overcooked with nothing fresh in the flavor. The shrimp (for me at least) mimicked koong hoom pa that I've had at some Thai restaurants, so perhaps it was more disappointing when the buttery phyllo wrapped shrimp were served with a heavy bearnaise rather than a light sauce the way I've had it at Thai restaurants. The worst part about it was that the shrimp was overcooked and overcooked shrimp is unforgivable! The other components of the entree were quite forgettable (I'd say more, but I can't remember anything about them!) though perhaps adequately prepared. The server was not at all pretentious, and very attentive except that he brought me the wrong dessert. This restaurant, overall, is not worth the price. As for the ambience, it did not make up for anything. The layout is awkward in an un-charming sort of way, I had to pass through what seemed like a service area to make my way towards my seat next to an inappropriately loud lounge singer.
I've only been at the restaurant once and enjoyed it very much. Wish I could remember the name of the dessert I had because it was amazing. They also catered my wedding reception. I HIGHLY recommend them for any catering also. They were absolutely fantastic. Everyone's food was served still warm (weddings being notorious for cold food). They were extremely flexible with everything and paid close attention to all the details. Great experiences all around
(5)
Ashley M.
I just wanted to say that aside from the delicious food.. Karen and Dawn are great!! We love this restaurant and will be returning!! p.s.. thanks for the cookies!! :)
(5)
Lisa Y.
Had dinner with my family here.The food was ok. I wouldn't compare this to Roast, Joe, or Iridescience just because the food is not a 5 star. The host came out and greet which was nice. Maybe if they upgrade their food, they might get more stars???
(3)
Nikki C.
My mom & I had a night out to Opus One, $50 Groupon in tow. Reservations were made via Open Table and we were set to go. It was a Saturday evening, so it got pretty busy as the night went on. We were seated by one of the windows (Brrr!) and serviced very quickly. Our waitress & server assistant took care of us well, supplying us with bread, butter & water. My mom initially sat by the window (I sat opposite the window) and the host took up the place settings at the seats that were open (there were 2 of us seated at a 4 top). After a couple minutes, my mom decided it was too chilly by the window, so she moved one place setting over. During this transition, a manager came by, greeted us and we mentioned how cold it was at that seat, explaining why my mom moved seats. I assumed the manager would help move the place setting over, but surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she told us how Opus One used to be an old taxi central depot. Interesting bit of history, but, try assisting in moving the table setting, instead. Anyway, I ordered the Michigan Riesling and my mom had a Moscato. We both ordered the Michigan Lake Perch filets -- she got hers "blackened" and I didn't. Mine were good, but I wished I had mine blackened, as it added more flavor to each bite. The potatoes were tasty and the green beans were nice. We both enjoyed our meals and the serving sizes were appropriate & satisfying. We were shown the dessert cart with a mindset of NOT ordering dessert. Well, how could we pass up the warm banana bread pudding?? We decided to share it and it was brought out to us in separate dishes, already split. Nice! I enjoyed coffee with dessert. Overall, we had a nice time.
(4)
Sarah C.
I was so happy my friends invited me to join them here for restaurant week! My first restaurant week! I have heard of it but sadly San Francisco only has Dine About Town which isn't all fine dinning. As a party of 14 well dressed people we were only seated after the entire party arrived which was 10 minutes pass our 5.30pm. We were give two round tables next to each other in a middle of one of the dinning rooms. The Restaurant Week menu was amazing. I had a hard time deciding but ended up with Maryland Crab and Red Pepper Bisque (Garnished with lobster ravioli, crème fraîche and fresh chives) - This was very savory just the way I like it. Flavor explosion! Maine Lobster Tail with Grilled Shrimp and Sea Scallop (Served with angel hair pasta and haricot verts, finished with lobster Champagne sauce) - I had to go with some seafood. I used to have fresh seafood all the time at home so naturally I miss my seafood. The shrimp and sea scallop was cooked to perfection. I though the lobster was alright. The haricots added a much needed green to the dish. The sauce went well with the angel hair pasta. Did I mention that I love angel hair pasta?! Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Prepared with fresh strawberries and rhubarb tossed with brown sugar and spices with a crisp topping and served with vanilla ice cream) - Reminded me of apple pie but strawberry pie. Warm and comforting. I was only able to finish half. The complementary bread we received at the beginning of our meal looked very regular but was surprisingly good. I had to go for seconds! The staff here was very friendly and didn't frown upon us since we were the youngest people dining here. A table of two ladies did give us the glare which I didn't like. Bathrooms are by the hall as you enter. Clean and nice. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back!
(4)
Christina K.
I was really excited to come here since we rarely ever come downtown thanks to Detroit Restaurant Week! The restaurant was pretty full but the service was interesting. We ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter actually sniffed it before he served it to us...is that normal?! I've ordered plenty of bottles in my day and that was a first. And then he did it again after he decantured it! Weird! I ordered the lobster bisque which was super salty and my hubby ordered the shrimp w/ guacamole which you could've gotten at your neighbor hood Mexican joint. From there the main entrees came out, I got the scallops which was again salty and unevenly cooked. Scallops should be served with a sear on top, these were not, they kinda looked almost steamed and my hubby got the filet w/ shrimp which was wrapped in phyllo dough or something like that...it reminded us of wedding food! The dessert was the best part of the meal...chocolate chip cookie sundae! Overall it was a bit of a let down! The service was great except for the wine sniffing part but probably won't be back here :(
(3)
Audrey W.
I rarely find a place I don't like - this one of them. We had a horrible first experience at Opus One from the minute we walked in the door. We were there on a very slow weeknight, and were sat in the bar with a bunch of rowdy folks while the whole restaurant sat empty. We then sat at our table for 15 minutes without being greeted while the bartenders and servers passing by watched on. After a trip back to the host stand, we finally were able to flag down a server who obviously had too many tables. We asked her our standard question "what's your favorite thing on the menu?" To which she responded that the owners/management do not allow the employees to eat there or try any of the food. She didn't seem very knowledgeable at all about the restaurant, and didn't give good service. The food was mediocre at best. So not worth the huge price tags. Let's just say we won't be going back to Opus One.
(1)
Erin K.
Went to Opus One for DRW last night and it was just OK - the food, the service, the menu. A couple people in our party had the heirloom tomato salad and they were not impressed. The rest had the lobster spring rolls and they were either 'pretty good' or 'not impressive'. For the entrees the braised beef was good, but nothing special, same thing with the filet. The whipped mashed potatoes (both kinds) were good. I was also told the ahi tuna with mangos was good and so was the shrimp, but once again, nothing impressive. For dessert (chocolate mousse, lemon tart with berries and warm apple & cherry crisp), they were all good. The restaurant was very beautiful on the inside and I am glad I went, but I do not think I will be coming back.
(3)
Jessica M.
Husband and I tried Opus One for restaurant week. We frequent Detroit and have been to several high-end restaurants when it is NOT restaurant week. I chose the Lobster Bisque, Crab stuffed Salmon and the Lemon Tart. I also decided to go with the wine pairing for additional $20. The food was all excellent and I would have had no problems even if they weren't part of the special Restaurant Week pricing. The thing I did not care for was the way I felt rushed. It seemed like every 2 minutes someone was walking by my table to see if I was done yet. I am not exaggerating. Maybe because they want to have tables open quickly so they can accommodate the RW crowd, but I was there on a rainy, cold Wednesday and there was not a back-up of people waiting for tables. Especially since I ordered the wine pairing, I thought I would be encouraged to actually enjoy my meal rather than feel like I had to scarf down the food and swig my wine like water after a work-out. Another thing that put a damper on my meal was this group of 12 women that got seated about 20 minutes after we did. They were right next to us, being very loud. I discerned from their conversations that they already were drunk. They were swearing and laughing so loud. I would not expect a restaurant like this would cater to such a rowdy bunch, but it is what it is. I was on my best behavior and used all my lady-like-nice-restaurant manners, but after they arrived I let loose. The wine was getting to me too I guess. It was so bad I had to practically shout for my husband to hear me across the table. I wonder if they felt rushed as I did? I think the servers were afraid of them. Anyway, I would try this restaurant again when it is not RW. Food was good, loved the wine, ambiance and decor. This time they get a 3 star, if they had a half star option, I would have gave 3.5. I will update this review once I try again.
(3)
Steve T.
Birthday dinner excitement out on the town! Got a Groupon deal and an American Express Foursquare check-in deal to knock $30 off the bill, which didn't hurt any Sat down at 5:30pm on a Monday and the place was fairly empty, which was fine for our group. The staff were all very nice and attentive. Had oysters on the half shelf for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised by very large sized and tasty mollusks. Had the panko breaded walleye with mashed potatoes and roasted corn with green beans. Large sized portion of fish, breading was light and crisp, very nice texture and flavor. A glass of Michigan sourced reisling accompanied the meal nicely. Kind of pricey (before the Groupon and Foursquare deal), but was worth it. Would like to return again in the future, but don't think it would ever be a regular stop on our families means.
(3)
Allen L.
Went downtown for lunch with a buddy of mine. We were on the way to Los Altos when I suggested Opus One for something completely different. The restaurant and bar are very nice. The service was truly professional, practiced and polished. They understand the profession. The owner(s?) were there as well, always a good sign. Please keep in mind that three stars *** is "A-OK" on the Yelp scale. My lunch was A-OK. I had a burger. Maybe I should have had the short-ribs, but I expected they should have a knock-out burger. Here's an odd tale of two burgers: - my friend orders his medium rare. It had a nice bit of char and is perfectly cooked. - I ordered mine medium. It came out lacking any browning and appeared more gray. It was undercooked. The french fries were undercooked and (to me) should not have been served. The clam chowder was great. The salad was not memorable. The desert choices numerous. We split the apple bavarian cheesecake was good, but had the strange feeling that the cheesecake part had been held in a cooler for a bit too long. So... it wasn't the knockout that I had hoped for. Would I try it again? Definitely. I'll try something other than a burger for lunch and I'll go for dinner as well. With a couple of bourbons, it is not inexpensive but it's also a decent value frankly.
(3)
Tony W.
I am surprised that I do not see more positive reviews here. I ate at Opus One for the first time was night, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We had had to wait a brief moment for them to get our table together, but they have my girlfriend and I a good table next to the piano. Our service was impeccable the entire time we were there. Our waitress was attentive and very nice. The owner came over and greeted us. He gave us a brief history of the restaurant per our request. The manager and hostess also came by to see how were were enjoying our dining experience. Our water an wine glasses were always full. We ordered the lobster rolls as an appetizer. That was the one aspect of the meal that was less than stellar. They were kind of bland, and a tad overpriced at $12 for two of them. They did taste fresh though, and the dipping sauces were good. I ordered the tenderloin medallions with a crab cake and chive whipped potatoes. Excellent!! The beef was flavorful and cooked just right. The potatoes were great. The crab cake, while good, was almost overshadowed by everything else. I didn't eat it until the end of the meal. So good though. A $38 meal should be better than good in my opinion, and this one was well worth the price. My girlfriend had the chicken breast with mozz, spinach, and bacon. She loved it and said she would get it again. I tried it, liked it, but would probably opt for one of the beef or seafood options myself. The decor was nice to me. I wasn't trendy or pretentious at all. It was old school Detroit in its feel. It reminded me of a NYC steakhouse. Very straightforward, elegant place. It suited my tastes at least. We were way too full for dessert, but as we were leaving the manager gave us a couple of their specialty cookies on the house to take with us. It was a nice gesture indeed. Overall I would happily recommend Opus One to anyone who is willing to invest some money into a great dining experience. The are a classy establishment. We will be going back soon.
(4)
Steve W.
We had a reservation for 7:00 P.M. We were seated just at 7:15 P.M. There were several events happening in downtown D this night, including a Wings game and some shows. The restaurant was pretty much empty by 8:00 P.M. In the future, I would consider what else is going on and adjust my reservation accordingly. The food and service were excellent! I had a ribeye steak and my wife had the Opus One All Day Beef with Blueberry Barbecue. Both were delish. We will definitely be back again!
(4)
Emma C.
I was very excited to finally go to Opus One after hearing so much about this place, but it was a HUGE disapointment. Best I can compare it to was Denny's but with ridiculous prices. Just to be clear, Denny's sucks too.
(1)
Nicole I.
We went here for Detroit Restaurant week, and it was very UNDERWHELMING. The menu sounded great, but did not impress. First off, the portions were tiny. The shrimp helene that came with the filet mignon was extremely bland. The crab stuffed salmon was nicely presented, but did not please or satisfy. For dessert, he lemon tart way wayyy too lemony and creme brulee was just okay. Service was disappointing as well, nobody came to check on us after each course. During dessert they did not offer coffee or tea. It seemed like they wanted us out of there as soon as possible. Overall, the experience was not pleasant. After speaking to the manager about our blah experience, he rebuttled with "our restaurant doesn't have the chance to shine during DRW." If anything they should shine the BEST during DRW so customers come back for the regular priced meals. He gave us a gift certificate of $25 and told us to come back in a couple of weeks. Will we? Absolutely not.
(2)
Audrey W.
I rarely find a place I don't like - this one of them. We had a horrible first experience at Opus One from the minute we walked in the door. We were there on a very slow weeknight, and were sat in the bar with a bunch of rowdy folks while the whole restaurant sat empty. We then sat at our table for 15 minutes without being greeted while the bartenders and servers passing by watched on. After a trip back to the host stand, we finally were able to flag down a server who obviously had too many tables. We asked her our standard question "what's your favorite thing on the menu?" To which she responded that the owners/management do not allow the employees to eat there or try any of the food. She didn't seem very knowledgeable at all about the restaurant, and didn't give good service. The food was mediocre at best. So not worth the huge price tags. Let's just say we won't be going back to Opus One.
(1)
Susan K.
We went for 2012 Restaurant week...it was busy and the first day of the program for 2012... Food was pretty good. The bisque was amazing as was the fresh bread they served with it. I ordered the lobster tail and shrimp main course...it was supposed to come with a a scallop, but I am allergic. The flavors were good, but the seafood was a little over cooked and somewhat chewy. Dessert was the chocolate cheesecake and it went very well with my decaf coffee winding up the meal. I tasted my other dining partners creme brulee which was really really good. The staff was brisk and competent - no frills or personal attention (at least not on day 1 of restaurant week!). I'd be tempted to check it out on a not-so-televised day of the week! FYI - Hubby is a beer guy and the beer selection was ZERO. No Michigan craft beers. On tap they offered just 2 different beers, not even sure what they were. Don't go here at all if you have a guy who is a beer guy. Disappointing.
(3)
Allen L.
Went downtown for lunch with a buddy of mine. We were on the way to Los Altos when I suggested Opus One for something completely different. The restaurant and bar are very nice. The service was truly professional, practiced and polished. They understand the profession. The owner(s?) were there as well, always a good sign. Please keep in mind that three stars *** is "A-OK" on the Yelp scale. My lunch was A-OK. I had a burger. Maybe I should have had the short-ribs, but I expected they should have a knock-out burger. Here's an odd tale of two burgers: - my friend orders his medium rare. It had a nice bit of char and is perfectly cooked. - I ordered mine medium. It came out lacking any browning and appeared more gray. It was undercooked. The french fries were undercooked and (to me) should not have been served. The clam chowder was great. The salad was not memorable. The desert choices numerous. We split the apple bavarian cheesecake was good, but had the strange feeling that the cheesecake part had been held in a cooler for a bit too long. So... it wasn't the knockout that I had hoped for. Would I try it again? Definitely. I'll try something other than a burger for lunch and I'll go for dinner as well. With a couple of bourbons, it is not inexpensive but it's also a decent value frankly.
(3)
Dave S.
Bland (adj.) - lacking strong features and therefore uninteresting; (of food or drink) mild or insipid. Had a $30/$60 Groupon that was expiring soon for Opus One so dropped in to unload it. As I felt after my recent brunch at the Whitney, our thoughts were, "what do people think who have to pay full price think?" We essentially had $30 of house money to spend which could cover an entree or a an appetizer/salad/dessert, or any number of items. We started with the "Philly" Beef Tenderloin Ragoons. I thought these were decent. Somewhat reminding me of a Totino's Pizza Roll and as keeping with my opening theme, the provolone dipping sauce was a bit bland. Opting to not go beef/beef with my appetizer entree combo I ordered the Seafood Trio. This consists of a broiled lobster tail, a scallop, two shrimp Helene (filo pastry), carrots and spinach risotto. Sooo disappointed with this meal, especially after the waiter remarked about how great it was. The lobster tail was small and not properly de-veined. Who serves "a" scallop? I figured it either must be enormous or phenomenal, it was neither. The mango salsa just appeared to be some chopped red and yellow peppers. The Shrimp Helene was extremely bland. I somewhat blame myself for not realizing what this was before ordering. The full description was given for the appetizer portion which I overlooked. Looking back at the online menu I would strongly urge folks to not waste $11 on this dish as an app or order it an as entree. I guess I will have to try not to converse with my party as much and be a little more astute. Lastly, I'm not risotto expert, but I will just go ahead an assume this was sub-par. It was just one big clump and the spinach looked like a swamp weed (probably canned). I searched for redemption in my dessert but wouldn't find it. It was the first time I literally had to force down cheesecake. I was totally fooled because the presentation was great. The drizzled chocolate tasted a bit funky and I'm not sure how to articulate my thoughts on the cheesecake itself, it just wasn't good. In closing, the service and bread were good, the rest was bland. I think the rest of my party shared my disappointment..
(2)
Ginger C.
Expensive fine dining by Detroit standards. The coffee rubbed bone-in rib eye is flavorful and enough for two people (but only one Michigander). If I had to spend my money on an expensive meal, though, I would probably head over to one of Michael Mina's restaurants at the MGM.
(3)
Sarah C.
I was so happy my friends invited me to join them here for restaurant week! My first restaurant week! I have heard of it but sadly San Francisco only has Dine About Town which isn't all fine dinning. As a party of 14 well dressed people we were only seated after the entire party arrived which was 10 minutes pass our 5.30pm. We were give two round tables next to each other in a middle of one of the dinning rooms. The Restaurant Week menu was amazing. I had a hard time deciding but ended up with Maryland Crab and Red Pepper Bisque (Garnished with lobster ravioli, crème fraîche and fresh chives) - This was very savory just the way I like it. Flavor explosion! Maine Lobster Tail with Grilled Shrimp and Sea Scallop (Served with angel hair pasta and haricot verts, finished with lobster Champagne sauce) - I had to go with some seafood. I used to have fresh seafood all the time at home so naturally I miss my seafood. The shrimp and sea scallop was cooked to perfection. I though the lobster was alright. The haricots added a much needed green to the dish. The sauce went well with the angel hair pasta. Did I mention that I love angel hair pasta?! Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Prepared with fresh strawberries and rhubarb tossed with brown sugar and spices with a crisp topping and served with vanilla ice cream) - Reminded me of apple pie but strawberry pie. Warm and comforting. I was only able to finish half. The complementary bread we received at the beginning of our meal looked very regular but was surprisingly good. I had to go for seconds! The staff here was very friendly and didn't frown upon us since we were the youngest people dining here. A table of two ladies did give us the glare which I didn't like. Bathrooms are by the hall as you enter. Clean and nice. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back!
(4)
Lisa Y.
Had dinner with my family here.The food was ok. I wouldn't compare this to Roast, Joe, or Iridescience just because the food is not a 5 star. The host came out and greet which was nice. Maybe if they upgrade their food, they might get more stars???
(3)
Christina K.
I was really excited to come here since we rarely ever come downtown thanks to Detroit Restaurant Week! The restaurant was pretty full but the service was interesting. We ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter actually sniffed it before he served it to us...is that normal?! I've ordered plenty of bottles in my day and that was a first. And then he did it again after he decantured it! Weird! I ordered the lobster bisque which was super salty and my hubby ordered the shrimp w/ guacamole which you could've gotten at your neighbor hood Mexican joint. From there the main entrees came out, I got the scallops which was again salty and unevenly cooked. Scallops should be served with a sear on top, these were not, they kinda looked almost steamed and my hubby got the filet w/ shrimp which was wrapped in phyllo dough or something like that...it reminded us of wedding food! The dessert was the best part of the meal...chocolate chip cookie sundae! Overall it was a bit of a let down! The service was great except for the wine sniffing part but probably won't be back here :(
I've only been at the restaurant once and enjoyed it very much. Wish I could remember the name of the dessert I had because it was amazing. They also catered my wedding reception. I HIGHLY recommend them for any catering also. They were absolutely fantastic. Everyone's food was served still warm (weddings being notorious for cold food). They were extremely flexible with everything and paid close attention to all the details. Great experiences all around
(5)
Ashley M.
I just wanted to say that aside from the delicious food.. Karen and Dawn are great!! We love this restaurant and will be returning!! p.s.. thanks for the cookies!! :)
(5)
Nikki C.
My mom & I had a night out to Opus One, $50 Groupon in tow. Reservations were made via Open Table and we were set to go. It was a Saturday evening, so it got pretty busy as the night went on. We were seated by one of the windows (Brrr!) and serviced very quickly. Our waitress & server assistant took care of us well, supplying us with bread, butter & water. My mom initially sat by the window (I sat opposite the window) and the host took up the place settings at the seats that were open (there were 2 of us seated at a 4 top). After a couple minutes, my mom decided it was too chilly by the window, so she moved one place setting over. During this transition, a manager came by, greeted us and we mentioned how cold it was at that seat, explaining why my mom moved seats. I assumed the manager would help move the place setting over, but surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she told us how Opus One used to be an old taxi central depot. Interesting bit of history, but, try assisting in moving the table setting, instead. Anyway, I ordered the Michigan Riesling and my mom had a Moscato. We both ordered the Michigan Lake Perch filets -- she got hers "blackened" and I didn't. Mine were good, but I wished I had mine blackened, as it added more flavor to each bite. The potatoes were tasty and the green beans were nice. We both enjoyed our meals and the serving sizes were appropriate & satisfying. We were shown the dessert cart with a mindset of NOT ordering dessert. Well, how could we pass up the warm banana bread pudding?? We decided to share it and it was brought out to us in separate dishes, already split. Nice! I enjoyed coffee with dessert. Overall, we had a nice time.
(4)
Shanda S.
This place is a strange puppy. It clearly used to be very upscale, but not so much anymore. Yet it still retains the trappings of a fine dining restaurant . . . but at bargain basement prices. So you can get a full three-course lunch (soup, entree, dessert) for about $20, but the soup comes out in a tureen and is poured into fine chinaware. Plates are placed on top of plates. Guests are presented with a three tiered rolling dessert cart. White tablecloths, stained glass, ambient music, uniformed waiters. And then when the check comes, you've laid down about as much as you would have at Potbelly's. Weird. This is not to say that I want things to cost more. Just to mention the completely twilight-zoney aspect of it all. Aside from that, the food is neutral-pleasant. Not somewhere I would go out of my way to patronize (and it is out of the way), but someplace that I don't mind going when compelled by a business lunch.
(3)
Nicole I.
We went here for Detroit Restaurant week, and it was very UNDERWHELMING. The menu sounded great, but did not impress. First off, the portions were tiny. The shrimp helene that came with the filet mignon was extremely bland. The crab stuffed salmon was nicely presented, but did not please or satisfy. For dessert, he lemon tart way wayyy too lemony and creme brulee was just okay. Service was disappointing as well, nobody came to check on us after each course. During dessert they did not offer coffee or tea. It seemed like they wanted us out of there as soon as possible. Overall, the experience was not pleasant. After speaking to the manager about our blah experience, he rebuttled with "our restaurant doesn't have the chance to shine during DRW." If anything they should shine the BEST during DRW so customers come back for the regular priced meals. He gave us a gift certificate of $25 and told us to come back in a couple of weeks. Will we? Absolutely not.
Went to Opus One for DRW last night and it was just OK - the food, the service, the menu. A couple people in our party had the heirloom tomato salad and they were not impressed. The rest had the lobster spring rolls and they were either 'pretty good' or 'not impressive'. For the entrees the braised beef was good, but nothing special, same thing with the filet. The whipped mashed potatoes (both kinds) were good. I was also told the ahi tuna with mangos was good and so was the shrimp, but once again, nothing impressive. For dessert (chocolate mousse, lemon tart with berries and warm apple & cherry crisp), they were all good. The restaurant was very beautiful on the inside and I am glad I went, but I do not think I will be coming back.
(3)
Jessica M.
Husband and I tried Opus One for restaurant week. We frequent Detroit and have been to several high-end restaurants when it is NOT restaurant week. I chose the Lobster Bisque, Crab stuffed Salmon and the Lemon Tart. I also decided to go with the wine pairing for additional $20. The food was all excellent and I would have had no problems even if they weren't part of the special Restaurant Week pricing. The thing I did not care for was the way I felt rushed. It seemed like every 2 minutes someone was walking by my table to see if I was done yet. I am not exaggerating. Maybe because they want to have tables open quickly so they can accommodate the RW crowd, but I was there on a rainy, cold Wednesday and there was not a back-up of people waiting for tables. Especially since I ordered the wine pairing, I thought I would be encouraged to actually enjoy my meal rather than feel like I had to scarf down the food and swig my wine like water after a work-out. Another thing that put a damper on my meal was this group of 12 women that got seated about 20 minutes after we did. They were right next to us, being very loud. I discerned from their conversations that they already were drunk. They were swearing and laughing so loud. I would not expect a restaurant like this would cater to such a rowdy bunch, but it is what it is. I was on my best behavior and used all my lady-like-nice-restaurant manners, but after they arrived I let loose. The wine was getting to me too I guess. It was so bad I had to practically shout for my husband to hear me across the table. I wonder if they felt rushed as I did? I think the servers were afraid of them. Anyway, I would try this restaurant again when it is not RW. Food was good, loved the wine, ambiance and decor. This time they get a 3 star, if they had a half star option, I would have gave 3.5. I will update this review once I try again.
(3)
Steve T.
Birthday dinner excitement out on the town! Got a Groupon deal and an American Express Foursquare check-in deal to knock $30 off the bill, which didn't hurt any Sat down at 5:30pm on a Monday and the place was fairly empty, which was fine for our group. The staff were all very nice and attentive. Had oysters on the half shelf for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised by very large sized and tasty mollusks. Had the panko breaded walleye with mashed potatoes and roasted corn with green beans. Large sized portion of fish, breading was light and crisp, very nice texture and flavor. A glass of Michigan sourced reisling accompanied the meal nicely. Kind of pricey (before the Groupon and Foursquare deal), but was worth it. Would like to return again in the future, but don't think it would ever be a regular stop on our families means.
(3)
Tony W.
I am surprised that I do not see more positive reviews here. I ate at Opus One for the first time was night, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We had had to wait a brief moment for them to get our table together, but they have my girlfriend and I a good table next to the piano. Our service was impeccable the entire time we were there. Our waitress was attentive and very nice. The owner came over and greeted us. He gave us a brief history of the restaurant per our request. The manager and hostess also came by to see how were were enjoying our dining experience. Our water an wine glasses were always full. We ordered the lobster rolls as an appetizer. That was the one aspect of the meal that was less than stellar. They were kind of bland, and a tad overpriced at $12 for two of them. They did taste fresh though, and the dipping sauces were good. I ordered the tenderloin medallions with a crab cake and chive whipped potatoes. Excellent!! The beef was flavorful and cooked just right. The potatoes were great. The crab cake, while good, was almost overshadowed by everything else. I didn't eat it until the end of the meal. So good though. A $38 meal should be better than good in my opinion, and this one was well worth the price. My girlfriend had the chicken breast with mozz, spinach, and bacon. She loved it and said she would get it again. I tried it, liked it, but would probably opt for one of the beef or seafood options myself. The decor was nice to me. I wasn't trendy or pretentious at all. It was old school Detroit in its feel. It reminded me of a NYC steakhouse. Very straightforward, elegant place. It suited my tastes at least. We were way too full for dessert, but as we were leaving the manager gave us a couple of their specialty cookies on the house to take with us. It was a nice gesture indeed. Overall I would happily recommend Opus One to anyone who is willing to invest some money into a great dining experience. The are a classy establishment. We will be going back soon.
(4)
Steve W.
We had a reservation for 7:00 P.M. We were seated just at 7:15 P.M. There were several events happening in downtown D this night, including a Wings game and some shows. The restaurant was pretty much empty by 8:00 P.M. In the future, I would consider what else is going on and adjust my reservation accordingly. The food and service were excellent! I had a ribeye steak and my wife had the Opus One All Day Beef with Blueberry Barbecue. Both were delish. We will definitely be back again!
(4)
Emma C.
I was very excited to finally go to Opus One after hearing so much about this place, but it was a HUGE disapointment. Best I can compare it to was Denny's but with ridiculous prices. Just to be clear, Denny's sucks too.
(1)
David S.
Nice formal restaurant in downtown district of Detroit. Tomato and mozzarella salad was good. The Shrimp Helene was excellent. Broiled lake perch was good but not memorable. The flour-less chocolate cake and the apple flan were an nice finish to meal. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful, but she seemed to be covering too many tables and had some delays in service. I know, for a $$$ place this sounds like a three star review, but really it was an enjoyable meal, and we would come back. Ambiance is good, professional service without taking themselves too seriously.
(4)
Adrianne H.
I visited Opus One for the very first time for Detroit Restaurant Week. I have to say I really enjoyed my dining experience. I was there with two of my girlfriends. I do agree that the atmosphere was fairly traditional, especially with the piano playing in background. Yet I enjoyed the change of pace from the typical trendier restaurants. I'm very particular about customer service and from the host, to the bartender (Eric), then the waiter (Barack), everyone was very professional and attentive. I ordered the spicy shrimp cocktail, which was ok. I wish it had more of a kick to it, not very spicy at all. For my second course I had the petite filet mignon with shrimp helene, served with potatoes and spinach. I thought the portions appeared small, but I found that I was quite full at the end of the meal. I enjoyed this course the best and the passionfruit creme brulee was a perfect conclusion to the meal. My friends ordered the stuffed salmon, and they also remarked on how much they enjoyed their meals. We had a great evening there and would return again.
(4)
Matt K.
Do your online reservations for one of Detroit's nicer restaurants. When coming to Opus One don't have your expectations too high. While the staff is very professional and very friendly, prices are not too bad for what you would expect. As with a lot of reviews I will have to agree that the decorating could use some updating. But dinner for two can easily be $50 or under depending on what you get. I would recommend the Hummus and Tabbouleh along with an Opus Caesar salad. While the dress code is 'dressy' you do not have to come in your best dress or best suite in order to fit in. Business casual or nice dress pants and a nice shirt will do.
(4)
Jean K.
Chose Opus One for our Valentine dinner largely in part because of its overall rating. Valet was swift in escorting us out of our car into the restaurant with its whimsical decor - glass trees with wine bottles & grape vines as branches. Diners wear anything from jeans & button downs to semi-formal. I recommend a jacket for men to avoid feeling under-dressed - nice jeans will still be OK with that pairing. Ladies, dress pants are adequate with an appropriate top. Now for the experience: The pace is relaxed - no hurry to order quickly. We had 2 servers for the evening; one to handle appetizers & main course and the other to coordinate the remainder of our meal. There was a Valentine special on the menu which my husband selected - Chicken tarragon soup, prime rib with potato gratin & fresh asiago bread. I selected the Opus One Romaine salad, Shrimp Helene - shrimp wrapped in phylo with bearnaise sauce & potato gratin. The portion size of the salad was perfect - not too large - the romaine was fresh & torn to nice bite size pieces, but the croutons were surprisingly not homemade; the garlic dressing was milder than I was expecting - I hoped for a bit of bite. The tarragon soup my husband had was truly delicious though the tarragon flavor was very mild. My real issue with the meal was the main course. The shrimp was chemically processed - the bleach overwhelmed any flavor it may have had. Not at all the iodine taste associated with ocean shrimp, but like the preservation method often done with Texas shrimp. The prime rib was not juicy yet the center was perfectly pink. The bottom was seared which added a nice complexity and the flavor was nice, but the cut was rather chewy - not the melt-in-your mouth sensation you get with a perfectly prepared prime cut. The potato gratin was fabulous - a hint of fennel perfectly accented the potato with a lovely crisp top layer. The asiago bread my husband had was overcooked and dry. Dessert was divine - Banana white chocolate bread pudding for me and a raspberry chocolate torte for my husband. We could have kept spooning them up all night long! The bread pudding was perfectly moist and gooey with a caramel drizzle and the chocolate torte with ganache elegant and beautifully presented. I hoped for an explosion in my mouth from Opus One and finally got it with the chocolate! One experience at Opus One is enough for us. Price: $140, including a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape.(The wine list is an easy-to-navigate one page, great for those who tend to get lost with too many selections.)
(3)
Tim E.
It was generally ok, yes just ok. It had a "going back in time to the 80's feel to it. I would say the menu and the decor need some updating. For the price the food was passable the wines were impressive I must give them that. I had the aforementioned venison which left quite a bit to be desired, perhaps the spicing was off... not bad but not delightful...just 'ok."
(2)
Susan K.
We went for 2012 Restaurant week...it was busy and the first day of the program for 2012... Food was pretty good. The bisque was amazing as was the fresh bread they served with it. I ordered the lobster tail and shrimp main course...it was supposed to come with a a scallop, but I am allergic. The flavors were good, but the seafood was a little over cooked and somewhat chewy. Dessert was the chocolate cheesecake and it went very well with my decaf coffee winding up the meal. I tasted my other dining partners creme brulee which was really really good. The staff was brisk and competent - no frills or personal attention (at least not on day 1 of restaurant week!). I'd be tempted to check it out on a not-so-televised day of the week! FYI - Hubby is a beer guy and the beer selection was ZERO. No Michigan craft beers. On tap they offered just 2 different beers, not even sure what they were. Don't go here at all if you have a guy who is a beer guy. Disappointing.
(3)
David S.
Nice formal restaurant in downtown district of Detroit. Tomato and mozzarella salad was good. The Shrimp Helene was excellent. Broiled lake perch was good but not memorable. The flour-less chocolate cake and the apple flan were an nice finish to meal. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful, but she seemed to be covering too many tables and had some delays in service. I know, for a $$$ place this sounds like a three star review, but really it was an enjoyable meal, and we would come back. Ambiance is good, professional service without taking themselves too seriously.
(4)
Shanda S.
This place is a strange puppy. It clearly used to be very upscale, but not so much anymore. Yet it still retains the trappings of a fine dining restaurant . . . but at bargain basement prices. So you can get a full three-course lunch (soup, entree, dessert) for about $20, but the soup comes out in a tureen and is poured into fine chinaware. Plates are placed on top of plates. Guests are presented with a three tiered rolling dessert cart. White tablecloths, stained glass, ambient music, uniformed waiters. And then when the check comes, you've laid down about as much as you would have at Potbelly's. Weird. This is not to say that I want things to cost more. Just to mention the completely twilight-zoney aspect of it all. Aside from that, the food is neutral-pleasant. Not somewhere I would go out of my way to patronize (and it is out of the way), but someplace that I don't mind going when compelled by a business lunch.
Opus One actually has a nice Happy Hour. Food is good, although not entirely consistent. I do love their steak & chevre risotto cakes.
(4)
Brian B.
Came here the other night hoping for a nice meal. It was not to be here. I had relatively high hopes for this establishment, but it failed. As Dave S. mentioned, the Philly Beef Ragoons were pretty decent, however, for $12, I was expecting a few more of the glorified pizza rolls. The sauce was not needed and was very bland. My girlfriend started with a Tomato/Mozzarella Salad. This was the highlight of the meal. The ingredients were all fresh. It was topped with basil, olive oil, and balasamic. I ordered the Rack of Lamb served with a potato gratin and spinach. Overall the lamb was decent. It was served a "natural" sauce which wasn't too flavorful. Some of the ribs were cooked well even though I ordered medium rare. Most were right though. The sides were pretty good. My girlfriend ordered the Saute of Chicken Breast, which on paper sounded really good. Grilled chicken, mozzarella, spinach, panceta, served with a basil sauce. She side is was not flavorful and needed some salt. The potato cake was not good. I'm beginning to realize there may be reasons certain restaurants that have 50% deals on various websites.
(2)
Kristine Z.
My review is going to be short but sweet. Everything was great. The service, the food. Yes it is pricey but you get what you pay for and I was very pleased and will be will coming back again.
(5)
Bengt A.
The short: Mediocre in almost every way. Would never pay full price for what they're offering. The long: We decided to base our decision of where to go for Detroit Restaurant Week solely on the fixed menus. Admittedly, Opus One's menu seemed to have the most appetizing variety, so we booked a reservation for a Friday night. The first letdown of the night came as soon as we pulled up; they have a horrible valet service. The attendant was mute and neglected to open both the car and restaurant doors. I've worked valet for restaurants much less ostentatious than this, and we prided ourselves on customer service -- especially when you have women in the car who are dressed up. Granted, Opus One may have little to do with the valet company's policies, but their management should certainly be more involved... after all, that's a customer's first impression of the restaurant. The first thing you notice when walking in is how awful the acoustics are. The live piano entertainment requires you to speak very loudly, and overall the noise is too much. There were two hosts at the stand, and when both finally got off their respective phone calls, they could not find our reservation... you know, the one you receive an email confirmation for? We eventually were sat in a booth that gave us a nice view of the dining room. The decor could have been any bland country club dining room. While the tables were full when we got there at 7, there didn't seem to be anyone under the age of 50. Our server was very pleasant, but a little too casual. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but when you're going to a "fancy" restaurant, you expect a level of formality higher than that you'd get at, say, Applebee's. We had a party of four, so we had at least one of everything on the DRW fixed menu. Here's a little summary: --- Appetizers Ahi Tuna - it was okay, but it tasted overdone for being served "rare." The wasabi aioli was a nice touch. Spring rolls - again, okay, but nothing remarkable. You can get these anywhere. Lobster bisque - gross. The oily texture overpowered the creaminess, and made the already rich taste of lobster unappetizing. Entrees: Arctic Char - we were all really excited to try this one, and maybe our expectations were too high. While it was cooked fine, it tasted really "fishy" and like a poor version of salmon. The vegetable couscous was good. Grilled lamb - the worst of all entrees. The inescapable dijon mustard sauce paired horribly and completely ruined the taste of the meat. The portion was miniscule, which might have been it's saving grace. I felt bad that my dad had to choke it down. New York Strip - this was my entree, and I will say that I really enjoyed it. It was a bit on the bad-fatty-side, but spiced perfectly, and the onion rings and potato & mushroom hash was a delicious garnish. Everyone agreed that it was the best choice of the night. Dessert: Creme brulee - the creme was good, but there was far too much brulee. The fruit looked and tasted old. Trio Chocolate Mousse - they need to change the name of this dessert. The poor pyramid of mousse was sadly drowned in an overpowering and unappetizing raspberry sauce. (I had this same dessert at Roast the next night, and they nailed it perfectly, with just a drizzle of sauce). Banana Split Flan - this was delicious, and easily the best dessert. It literally tasted like a banana split in a tart shell -- a nice touch. --- As if on cue, the final disappointing touch came after our meal while we sat having coffee. We were perfectly enjoying our coffee and conversation, it was nowhere near closing time, and there were plenty of open tables when our server committed what I consider to be the biggest faux pas in the waiting profession: she came and took her tip while we were still sitting there. I don't care what anyone says, that is completely tactless. It just goes to show that this classy restaurant is anything but. Overall, a disappointment for what we expected to be a special occasion. The food was average and the restaurant sub-par. We all agreed that we would not return, especially if that meant paying full price.
(2)
Rick M.
Decided to give this place a try during restaurant week. We had a reservation and got a table right away. The interior was decorated nicely and wasn't a copy and paste atmosphere that many restaurants seem to have taken up, plus the piano player was a nice touch. The waitress was friendly and quick. Perhaps too quick. We had our three course meal and a couple drinks and were in and out of there in less than an hour. The first course was very good. I had the lobster bisque which was very, very good. My wife had a spicy shrimp cocktail which were basically taco flavored shrimp. No complaints there but there were two shrimp. This would not have been an issue if her main course would've had a little more to it. She had the scallops and that's what it was. Scallops with a sauce. Nothing else. I had the petite fillet with the shrimp helene. The steak was cooked great, just small. The shrimp was okay, nothing special. My wife said her dessert made up for everything else. She had the chocolate cookie sundae. It was very tasty and actually a pretty good size dessert. I had the creme brulee which I like well enough. Overall I don't think we will be coming back soon. There wasn't anything wrong with the place other than perhaps the tiny portions but there also wasn't anything that grabbed us and made us think that it would be worth it to go when they weren't offering their restaurant week menu. For a place with prices like this I need more of a "wow" factor.
(3)
F T.
Having wanted to try it for years, I was very disappointed. While the food was decent, it was definitely not worth the money. The maitre'd was less pleasant than I would have liked, and the wine list is surprisingly limited. Our service got off to an awkward start as we were asked if we knew what we wanted to order having never seen a menu. The chef made a vegetarian special dish for me upon request since the menu is 99.9% meat-based. It was a worthy effort, but overall it was somehow bland. The salads are especially unremarkable. For these prices, I expect taste and originality. It was worth the experience if you have a great coupon or some discount, but I will not be returning.
(2)
Henry B.
Here's the rundown -They didn't take my Groupon for their prix fixe menu -The restaurant was 90% empty on a Tuesday -Tiny tiny tiny portions -Lamb shanks were meh. My mistake for ordering a tender meat rare. -The hallways smelled like cigarette -Cookies were delicious -Wait staff and host were really nice Probably won't go here again. I think Cafe Cortina and Forest Grill are tops for premium dining.
(3)
Dave S.
Bland (adj.) - lacking strong features and therefore uninteresting; (of food or drink) mild or insipid. Had a $30/$60 Groupon that was expiring soon for Opus One so dropped in to unload it. As I felt after my recent brunch at the Whitney, our thoughts were, "what do people think who have to pay full price think?" We essentially had $30 of house money to spend which could cover an entree or a an appetizer/salad/dessert, or any number of items. We started with the "Philly" Beef Tenderloin Ragoons. I thought these were decent. Somewhat reminding me of a Totino's Pizza Roll and as keeping with my opening theme, the provolone dipping sauce was a bit bland. Opting to not go beef/beef with my appetizer entree combo I ordered the Seafood Trio. This consists of a broiled lobster tail, a scallop, two shrimp Helene (filo pastry), carrots and spinach risotto. Sooo disappointed with this meal, especially after the waiter remarked about how great it was. The lobster tail was small and not properly de-veined. Who serves "a" scallop? I figured it either must be enormous or phenomenal, it was neither. The mango salsa just appeared to be some chopped red and yellow peppers. The Shrimp Helene was extremely bland. I somewhat blame myself for not realizing what this was before ordering. The full description was given for the appetizer portion which I overlooked. Looking back at the online menu I would strongly urge folks to not waste $11 on this dish as an app or order it an as entree. I guess I will have to try not to converse with my party as much and be a little more astute. Lastly, I'm not risotto expert, but I will just go ahead an assume this was sub-par. It was just one big clump and the spinach looked like a swamp weed (probably canned). I searched for redemption in my dessert but wouldn't find it. It was the first time I literally had to force down cheesecake. I was totally fooled because the presentation was great. The drizzled chocolate tasted a bit funky and I'm not sure how to articulate my thoughts on the cheesecake itself, it just wasn't good. In closing, the service and bread were good, the rest was bland. I think the rest of my party shared my disappointment..
(2)
Dan K.
This is probably one of the better restaurants in Detroit. I've been there many many times while I was working in Detroit. To be honest, the first time I went (like Dane) I wasn't very impressed. But, because of its proximity to our hotel and work, we went there pretty often and became regulars at the bar as well. First off, great service. If you go there a few times, the staff starts recognizing you. I recommend the salmon or ahi tuna, but if you don't like seafood, the crepes are pretty good. The soups are usually pretty tasty and they have decent salads (mixed greens). And the bread! Usually they give you two types, a poppy bread and a raisin nut bread, both are excellent. The presentation of the food is good, makes you think you are at a very classy place, but the prices are not all that bad (maybe cause it's Detroit). There is an Opus One card which gives you a $10 gift certificate for every $50 you spend. Also, this card gives you half priced happy hours during certain months out of the year. Happy hour is 4:00 to 7:30 if I remember correctly. They also usually have some kinda free app like hummus and pita during this time. They make a kickass Spanish coffee, and something called a Hummer, which is a box made out of chocolate, filled with an alcoholic ice cream concoction. And they will gladly mix you any drinks.. the bartenders are very friendly. One time we went after work, and one of my co workers forgot his ID. There was a new girl working at the bar, and she wouldn't serve him. So he ran back to work to get his ID, and meanwhile our regular bartender came out and said hi to us. Then he told the new girl that we were regulars and told us we should have just asked for him. I don't think I can count the number of times the girl apologized to us. It was pretty funny, and we got a few free drinks out of the fiasco. Btw, it's not necessarily a formal place, business casual is just fine.
(4)
Ginger C.
Expensive fine dining by Detroit standards. The coffee rubbed bone-in rib eye is flavorful and enough for two people (but only one Michigander). If I had to spend my money on an expensive meal, though, I would probably head over to one of Michael Mina's restaurants at the MGM.
(3)
N V.
I dined here on New Year's Eve hoping for an exceptional meal...did not happen. The food was forgettable. I started with the smoked salmon lollipops, good enough, the only inventiveness was placing the salmon rolls and chevre on a skewer. My entree was a seafood trio which included shrimp wrapped in phyllo which was slightly overcooked with nothing fresh in the flavor. The shrimp (for me at least) mimicked koong hoom pa that I've had at some Thai restaurants, so perhaps it was more disappointing when the buttery phyllo wrapped shrimp were served with a heavy bearnaise rather than a light sauce the way I've had it at Thai restaurants. The worst part about it was that the shrimp was overcooked and overcooked shrimp is unforgivable! The other components of the entree were quite forgettable (I'd say more, but I can't remember anything about them!) though perhaps adequately prepared. The server was not at all pretentious, and very attentive except that he brought me the wrong dessert. This restaurant, overall, is not worth the price. As for the ambience, it did not make up for anything. The layout is awkward in an un-charming sort of way, I had to pass through what seemed like a service area to make my way towards my seat next to an inappropriately loud lounge singer.
(2)
Sarah M. B.
It was ok.........based on the menu online, I was expecting more, not going to lie....service was excellent and efficient....but... Ugh, I dunno...something about a place having 5 other tables of diners on a Friday nite sketches me out a bit-maybe it was the Kid Rock concert downtown or maybe Opus One is the 'power lunch' place I have heard it is, but for a nicely decorated place, it was a little depressing for a summer Friday. Food: Apps....my father in law said the Lobster egg rolls were 'bullshit' ok....moving on....I got the 'smoked salmon lollipops' which were good, but for 10 bucks I would like more than 3 small pieces of smoked salmon wrapped around a lot of cheve cheese... Entrees: For 55 dollars, a serving of Dover Sole can be yours, folks...now Dover sole isn't something you can get everywhere, and it really was quite good from what I tried of my husbands plate...but it very easily could have been regular sole and you probably wouldn't realize....of course, I do not think that was the case! My mother in law had the seafood trio, which again seemed much more luscious on the menu....it came with a small lobster tail, a small 'jumbo scallop' and 2 shrimp Helene, but not a horrid price at $35 bucks. One thing I did like was they offered 'petite entrees' because I often like to get an appetizer as well and it was the perfect serving size...the spinach risotto was good, and the 3 jumbo shrimp Helene's were ok-the shrimp was big and wrapped in filo dough, but nothing extra to make it really special... Desserts: All looked AMAZING...the ice cream hummer drinks were fantastic as was their special Opus One cookie brownie sundae-homemade cookie with ice cream and fudge...fabulous. Overall...would I go back? Yes, if people wanted to go there...would my hubby and I go alone? Probably not, there are too many other places I haven't tried and would rather go back to....if I were to make a special trip perhaps for drinks and dessert.
(3)
CrazyforMakeup M.
Yeah, it is Okay ... would I go back? Nope. I think everybody seems to be expecting more because of all the "fine dining" advertisement and the tradition of this place. But I think is overly talked about it, because, how can I say... the decor is OK, cordial staff, good food but it is just not as memorable as you'd expect from what you hear...I certainly expected more and left thinking about the whole in the wallet rather than wow! what a great place! If you're just looking for a new restaurant, give it a try, but if this is a very special occasion, go for another place.
(3)
Matt K.
Do your online reservations for one of Detroit's nicer restaurants. When coming to Opus One don't have your expectations too high. While the staff is very professional and very friendly, prices are not too bad for what you would expect. As with a lot of reviews I will have to agree that the decorating could use some updating. But dinner for two can easily be $50 or under depending on what you get. I would recommend the Hummus and Tabbouleh along with an Opus Caesar salad. While the dress code is 'dressy' you do not have to come in your best dress or best suite in order to fit in. Business casual or nice dress pants and a nice shirt will do.
(4)
Jean K.
Chose Opus One for our Valentine dinner largely in part because of its overall rating. Valet was swift in escorting us out of our car into the restaurant with its whimsical decor - glass trees with wine bottles & grape vines as branches. Diners wear anything from jeans & button downs to semi-formal. I recommend a jacket for men to avoid feeling under-dressed - nice jeans will still be OK with that pairing. Ladies, dress pants are adequate with an appropriate top. Now for the experience: The pace is relaxed - no hurry to order quickly. We had 2 servers for the evening; one to handle appetizers & main course and the other to coordinate the remainder of our meal. There was a Valentine special on the menu which my husband selected - Chicken tarragon soup, prime rib with potato gratin & fresh asiago bread. I selected the Opus One Romaine salad, Shrimp Helene - shrimp wrapped in phylo with bearnaise sauce & potato gratin. The portion size of the salad was perfect - not too large - the romaine was fresh & torn to nice bite size pieces, but the croutons were surprisingly not homemade; the garlic dressing was milder than I was expecting - I hoped for a bit of bite. The tarragon soup my husband had was truly delicious though the tarragon flavor was very mild. My real issue with the meal was the main course. The shrimp was chemically processed - the bleach overwhelmed any flavor it may have had. Not at all the iodine taste associated with ocean shrimp, but like the preservation method often done with Texas shrimp. The prime rib was not juicy yet the center was perfectly pink. The bottom was seared which added a nice complexity and the flavor was nice, but the cut was rather chewy - not the melt-in-your mouth sensation you get with a perfectly prepared prime cut. The potato gratin was fabulous - a hint of fennel perfectly accented the potato with a lovely crisp top layer. The asiago bread my husband had was overcooked and dry. Dessert was divine - Banana white chocolate bread pudding for me and a raspberry chocolate torte for my husband. We could have kept spooning them up all night long! The bread pudding was perfectly moist and gooey with a caramel drizzle and the chocolate torte with ganache elegant and beautifully presented. I hoped for an explosion in my mouth from Opus One and finally got it with the chocolate! One experience at Opus One is enough for us. Price: $140, including a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape.(The wine list is an easy-to-navigate one page, great for those who tend to get lost with too many selections.)
(3)
Tim E.
It was generally ok, yes just ok. It had a "going back in time to the 80's feel to it. I would say the menu and the decor need some updating. For the price the food was passable the wines were impressive I must give them that. I had the aforementioned venison which left quite a bit to be desired, perhaps the spicing was off... not bad but not delightful...just 'ok."
(2)
Dane K.
I had high expectations after being told this was one of the best restaurants in downtown Detroit. It sucked. What more can I say? The food seemed like it was out of the 80s. So did the decor and the people. I had beef shortribs and some sort of potato and vegetables. It was borderline bland, and presentation was very boring. You can sit at the bar area and it's more casual and you don't have to dress up... They had a free shuttle to/from the hockey game, which was nice.
(2)
C T.
My hands down favorite restaurant for dinner before a show at the Fox. I have never been disappointed.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy, Upscale Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Joshua B.
The food was spectacular as always. We visited for Detroit Restaurant Week ($28 prix fixe menus at Detroit's best restaurants) and the selections were outstanding. A couple pieces of constructive criticism: both the Restaurant Week menu as well as the regular menu each only had one vegetarian entree option. I'm not vegetarian but at fine restaurants often like to have the option when I'm feeling particularly healthy, and I'm sure actual vegetarians would appreciate more selections. Also, I recall the wine list having been much more extensive a few years ago. It's now just one large page of bottles and one large page of by-the-glass (the latter is impressive). My wife and I both had the Seafood Chowder as the appetizer, which was excellent. I had the Firecracker Shrimp with noodles; the shrimp were massive and wrapped in egg roll pastry, very spicy and tasty. My wife had the filet mignon, medium well, with cheddar mashed potatoes and crab cakes, all served with sauce béarnaise, which was very good and prepared just as ordered (although the crab cakes were quite ordinary). For dessert, my wife had the chocolate mousse and I had a lemon tart with fresh fruit. Both were excellent. As we were celebrating our 15th anniversary, they also brought us a 1lb oval of solid chocolate with a candle on the house! We took most of it home, and will likely use it to make dip for strawberries and pretzels. Two things caused them to lose a star in my rating. First, when we arrived there were two hosts and a hostess behind the stand. The two hosts were fussing with the reservation computer. No one even acknowledged us for several minutes until they resolved their computer issue. The least they could have done is greet us or notice we were standing right in front of them. Second, it took our team of two waitresses over 20 minutes and four trips to the cellar to get us a bottle of wine. The first selection was out of stock (which took two trips to determine), and they brought the wrong bottle on the third trip. For a restaurant named for the finest wine in The Americas, I would have expected better wine service, and at a minimum a visit from a sommelier. We will definitely be back, and hope these issues are not repeated.
(4)Adrianne H.
I visited Opus One for the very first time for Detroit Restaurant Week. I have to say I really enjoyed my dining experience. I was there with two of my girlfriends. I do agree that the atmosphere was fairly traditional, especially with the piano playing in background. Yet I enjoyed the change of pace from the typical trendier restaurants. I'm very particular about customer service and from the host, to the bartender (Eric), then the waiter (Barack), everyone was very professional and attentive. I ordered the spicy shrimp cocktail, which was ok. I wish it had more of a kick to it, not very spicy at all. For my second course I had the petite filet mignon with shrimp helene, served with potatoes and spinach. I thought the portions appeared small, but I found that I was quite full at the end of the meal. I enjoyed this course the best and the passionfruit creme brulee was a perfect conclusion to the meal. My friends ordered the stuffed salmon, and they also remarked on how much they enjoyed their meals. We had a great evening there and would return again.
(4)Rick M.
Decided to give this place a try during restaurant week. We had a reservation and got a table right away. The interior was decorated nicely and wasn't a copy and paste atmosphere that many restaurants seem to have taken up, plus the piano player was a nice touch. The waitress was friendly and quick. Perhaps too quick. We had our three course meal and a couple drinks and were in and out of there in less than an hour. The first course was very good. I had the lobster bisque which was very, very good. My wife had a spicy shrimp cocktail which were basically taco flavored shrimp. No complaints there but there were two shrimp. This would not have been an issue if her main course would've had a little more to it. She had the scallops and that's what it was. Scallops with a sauce. Nothing else. I had the petite fillet with the shrimp helene. The steak was cooked great, just small. The shrimp was okay, nothing special. My wife said her dessert made up for everything else. She had the chocolate cookie sundae. It was very tasty and actually a pretty good size dessert. I had the creme brulee which I like well enough. Overall I don't think we will be coming back soon. There wasn't anything wrong with the place other than perhaps the tiny portions but there also wasn't anything that grabbed us and made us think that it would be worth it to go when they weren't offering their restaurant week menu. For a place with prices like this I need more of a "wow" factor.
(3)F T.
Having wanted to try it for years, I was very disappointed. While the food was decent, it was definitely not worth the money. The maitre'd was less pleasant than I would have liked, and the wine list is surprisingly limited. Our service got off to an awkward start as we were asked if we knew what we wanted to order having never seen a menu. The chef made a vegetarian special dish for me upon request since the menu is 99.9% meat-based. It was a worthy effort, but overall it was somehow bland. The salads are especially unremarkable. For these prices, I expect taste and originality. It was worth the experience if you have a great coupon or some discount, but I will not be returning.
(2)Henry B.
Here's the rundown -They didn't take my Groupon for their prix fixe menu -The restaurant was 90% empty on a Tuesday -Tiny tiny tiny portions -Lamb shanks were meh. My mistake for ordering a tender meat rare. -The hallways smelled like cigarette -Cookies were delicious -Wait staff and host were really nice Probably won't go here again. I think Cafe Cortina and Forest Grill are tops for premium dining.
(3)Billy H.
It was our 20th anniversary, so we decided to make a special night of it at Opus One. I had the Shrimp Helene:A quintet of jumbo shrimp in a crisp filo pastry served with potato gratin and served with sauce béarnaise. The shrimp were huge and full of flavor. I love when shrimp are perfectly cooked and have the nice snap when you take bit. The filo was light, airy, and crusty. It added the a perfect touch to the shrimp. And if the filo wasn't enough yummy goodness, it was served with a wonderful Bearnaise sauce. The side was potatoes gratin stacked high -- a carbohydrate dream Scott had the Char-grilled Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye served with a fried baked potato, accompanied by steamed asparagus and finished with a duo of sauces; bordelaise and creamy horseradish. This was hands-down the best steak I've ever tasted. On our next visit, this is what I will order. To end the meal, Scott had the White Chocolate and Banana Bread Pudding topped with carmel sauce, whipped cream and toasted pecans and I had the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake A flourless chocolate cake served on a bed of raspberry sauce, topped with fresh whipped cream and an almond brittle --- absolutely excellent!! The service was excellent from the host seating us to the our dual server team. The decor is pleasant and comfortable. Opus One has frequent customer program that appears to have a lot of perks. Some Benefits of membership are: $10 of Opus Money is earned with every $50 spent with us during Feb 1 and Oct 30th and is able to be used Feb 1st thru Nov 30th, excluding Saturdays. Limit of $200 per redemption Free Valet Parking after 4 P.M. M-F 25% off the face value of gift certificates purchased 50% off cocktails from 4 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. in our bar M-F You will receive in the mail our newsletter containing information on upcoming events such as wine dinners and theatre packages as well as other promotions I highly recommend Opus One!
(4)Marie L.
Opus One actually has a nice Happy Hour. Food is good, although not entirely consistent. I do love their steak & chevre risotto cakes.
(4)Brian B.
Came here the other night hoping for a nice meal. It was not to be here. I had relatively high hopes for this establishment, but it failed. As Dave S. mentioned, the Philly Beef Ragoons were pretty decent, however, for $12, I was expecting a few more of the glorified pizza rolls. The sauce was not needed and was very bland. My girlfriend started with a Tomato/Mozzarella Salad. This was the highlight of the meal. The ingredients were all fresh. It was topped with basil, olive oil, and balasamic. I ordered the Rack of Lamb served with a potato gratin and spinach. Overall the lamb was decent. It was served a "natural" sauce which wasn't too flavorful. Some of the ribs were cooked well even though I ordered medium rare. Most were right though. The sides were pretty good. My girlfriend ordered the Saute of Chicken Breast, which on paper sounded really good. Grilled chicken, mozzarella, spinach, panceta, served with a basil sauce. She side is was not flavorful and needed some salt. The potato cake was not good. I'm beginning to realize there may be reasons certain restaurants that have 50% deals on various websites.
(2)Dan K.
This is probably one of the better restaurants in Detroit. I've been there many many times while I was working in Detroit. To be honest, the first time I went (like Dane) I wasn't very impressed. But, because of its proximity to our hotel and work, we went there pretty often and became regulars at the bar as well. First off, great service. If you go there a few times, the staff starts recognizing you. I recommend the salmon or ahi tuna, but if you don't like seafood, the crepes are pretty good. The soups are usually pretty tasty and they have decent salads (mixed greens). And the bread! Usually they give you two types, a poppy bread and a raisin nut bread, both are excellent. The presentation of the food is good, makes you think you are at a very classy place, but the prices are not all that bad (maybe cause it's Detroit). There is an Opus One card which gives you a $10 gift certificate for every $50 you spend. Also, this card gives you half priced happy hours during certain months out of the year. Happy hour is 4:00 to 7:30 if I remember correctly. They also usually have some kinda free app like hummus and pita during this time. They make a kickass Spanish coffee, and something called a Hummer, which is a box made out of chocolate, filled with an alcoholic ice cream concoction. And they will gladly mix you any drinks.. the bartenders are very friendly. One time we went after work, and one of my co workers forgot his ID. There was a new girl working at the bar, and she wouldn't serve him. So he ran back to work to get his ID, and meanwhile our regular bartender came out and said hi to us. Then he told the new girl that we were regulars and told us we should have just asked for him. I don't think I can count the number of times the girl apologized to us. It was pretty funny, and we got a few free drinks out of the fiasco. Btw, it's not necessarily a formal place, business casual is just fine.
(4)Sarah M. B.
It was ok.........based on the menu online, I was expecting more, not going to lie....service was excellent and efficient....but... Ugh, I dunno...something about a place having 5 other tables of diners on a Friday nite sketches me out a bit-maybe it was the Kid Rock concert downtown or maybe Opus One is the 'power lunch' place I have heard it is, but for a nicely decorated place, it was a little depressing for a summer Friday. Food: Apps....my father in law said the Lobster egg rolls were 'bullshit' ok....moving on....I got the 'smoked salmon lollipops' which were good, but for 10 bucks I would like more than 3 small pieces of smoked salmon wrapped around a lot of cheve cheese... Entrees: For 55 dollars, a serving of Dover Sole can be yours, folks...now Dover sole isn't something you can get everywhere, and it really was quite good from what I tried of my husbands plate...but it very easily could have been regular sole and you probably wouldn't realize....of course, I do not think that was the case! My mother in law had the seafood trio, which again seemed much more luscious on the menu....it came with a small lobster tail, a small 'jumbo scallop' and 2 shrimp Helene, but not a horrid price at $35 bucks. One thing I did like was they offered 'petite entrees' because I often like to get an appetizer as well and it was the perfect serving size...the spinach risotto was good, and the 3 jumbo shrimp Helene's were ok-the shrimp was big and wrapped in filo dough, but nothing extra to make it really special... Desserts: All looked AMAZING...the ice cream hummer drinks were fantastic as was their special Opus One cookie brownie sundae-homemade cookie with ice cream and fudge...fabulous. Overall...would I go back? Yes, if people wanted to go there...would my hubby and I go alone? Probably not, there are too many other places I haven't tried and would rather go back to....if I were to make a special trip perhaps for drinks and dessert.
(3)Kristine Z.
My review is going to be short but sweet. Everything was great. The service, the food. Yes it is pricey but you get what you pay for and I was very pleased and will be will coming back again.
(5)Bengt A.
The short: Mediocre in almost every way. Would never pay full price for what they're offering. The long: We decided to base our decision of where to go for Detroit Restaurant Week solely on the fixed menus. Admittedly, Opus One's menu seemed to have the most appetizing variety, so we booked a reservation for a Friday night. The first letdown of the night came as soon as we pulled up; they have a horrible valet service. The attendant was mute and neglected to open both the car and restaurant doors. I've worked valet for restaurants much less ostentatious than this, and we prided ourselves on customer service -- especially when you have women in the car who are dressed up. Granted, Opus One may have little to do with the valet company's policies, but their management should certainly be more involved... after all, that's a customer's first impression of the restaurant. The first thing you notice when walking in is how awful the acoustics are. The live piano entertainment requires you to speak very loudly, and overall the noise is too much. There were two hosts at the stand, and when both finally got off their respective phone calls, they could not find our reservation... you know, the one you receive an email confirmation for? We eventually were sat in a booth that gave us a nice view of the dining room. The decor could have been any bland country club dining room. While the tables were full when we got there at 7, there didn't seem to be anyone under the age of 50. Our server was very pleasant, but a little too casual. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but when you're going to a "fancy" restaurant, you expect a level of formality higher than that you'd get at, say, Applebee's. We had a party of four, so we had at least one of everything on the DRW fixed menu. Here's a little summary: --- Appetizers Ahi Tuna - it was okay, but it tasted overdone for being served "rare." The wasabi aioli was a nice touch. Spring rolls - again, okay, but nothing remarkable. You can get these anywhere. Lobster bisque - gross. The oily texture overpowered the creaminess, and made the already rich taste of lobster unappetizing. Entrees: Arctic Char - we were all really excited to try this one, and maybe our expectations were too high. While it was cooked fine, it tasted really "fishy" and like a poor version of salmon. The vegetable couscous was good. Grilled lamb - the worst of all entrees. The inescapable dijon mustard sauce paired horribly and completely ruined the taste of the meat. The portion was miniscule, which might have been it's saving grace. I felt bad that my dad had to choke it down. New York Strip - this was my entree, and I will say that I really enjoyed it. It was a bit on the bad-fatty-side, but spiced perfectly, and the onion rings and potato & mushroom hash was a delicious garnish. Everyone agreed that it was the best choice of the night. Dessert: Creme brulee - the creme was good, but there was far too much brulee. The fruit looked and tasted old. Trio Chocolate Mousse - they need to change the name of this dessert. The poor pyramid of mousse was sadly drowned in an overpowering and unappetizing raspberry sauce. (I had this same dessert at Roast the next night, and they nailed it perfectly, with just a drizzle of sauce). Banana Split Flan - this was delicious, and easily the best dessert. It literally tasted like a banana split in a tart shell -- a nice touch. --- As if on cue, the final disappointing touch came after our meal while we sat having coffee. We were perfectly enjoying our coffee and conversation, it was nowhere near closing time, and there were plenty of open tables when our server committed what I consider to be the biggest faux pas in the waiting profession: she came and took her tip while we were still sitting there. I don't care what anyone says, that is completely tactless. It just goes to show that this classy restaurant is anything but. Overall, a disappointment for what we expected to be a special occasion. The food was average and the restaurant sub-par. We all agreed that we would not return, especially if that meant paying full price.
(2)CrazyforMakeup M.
Yeah, it is Okay ... would I go back? Nope. I think everybody seems to be expecting more because of all the "fine dining" advertisement and the tradition of this place. But I think is overly talked about it, because, how can I say... the decor is OK, cordial staff, good food but it is just not as memorable as you'd expect from what you hear...I certainly expected more and left thinking about the whole in the wallet rather than wow! what a great place! If you're just looking for a new restaurant, give it a try, but if this is a very special occasion, go for another place.
(3)Dane K.
I had high expectations after being told this was one of the best restaurants in downtown Detroit. It sucked. What more can I say? The food seemed like it was out of the 80s. So did the decor and the people. I had beef shortribs and some sort of potato and vegetables. It was borderline bland, and presentation was very boring. You can sit at the bar area and it's more casual and you don't have to dress up... They had a free shuttle to/from the hockey game, which was nice.
(2)C T.
My hands down favorite restaurant for dinner before a show at the Fox. I have never been disappointed.
(5)N V.
I dined here on New Year's Eve hoping for an exceptional meal...did not happen. The food was forgettable. I started with the smoked salmon lollipops, good enough, the only inventiveness was placing the salmon rolls and chevre on a skewer. My entree was a seafood trio which included shrimp wrapped in phyllo which was slightly overcooked with nothing fresh in the flavor. The shrimp (for me at least) mimicked koong hoom pa that I've had at some Thai restaurants, so perhaps it was more disappointing when the buttery phyllo wrapped shrimp were served with a heavy bearnaise rather than a light sauce the way I've had it at Thai restaurants. The worst part about it was that the shrimp was overcooked and overcooked shrimp is unforgivable! The other components of the entree were quite forgettable (I'd say more, but I can't remember anything about them!) though perhaps adequately prepared. The server was not at all pretentious, and very attentive except that he brought me the wrong dessert. This restaurant, overall, is not worth the price. As for the ambience, it did not make up for anything. The layout is awkward in an un-charming sort of way, I had to pass through what seemed like a service area to make my way towards my seat next to an inappropriately loud lounge singer.
(2)Jason H.
I ate at Opus One on Friday, June 29th, the day before they closed for renovations. I am always happy with the food and service at Opus One, so I hope things continue when they re-open. I had the Broiled Medallions of Beef Tenderloin au Poivre with Blue Crab Cake, sauce béarnaise, grilled asparagus, and chive whipped potato. And the cheesecake for dessert. The crab cake was nothing special, but everything else was delicious and cooked perfectly. As I was dining alone, I really appreciated that my food was expedited, at least I assume it was because I did not have to wait long at all to be served even though the restaurant was full. Can't wait to go try Opus Next in the fall!
(4)Allison D.
I've only been at the restaurant once and enjoyed it very much. Wish I could remember the name of the dessert I had because it was amazing. They also catered my wedding reception. I HIGHLY recommend them for any catering also. They were absolutely fantastic. Everyone's food was served still warm (weddings being notorious for cold food). They were extremely flexible with everything and paid close attention to all the details. Great experiences all around
(5)Ashley M.
I just wanted to say that aside from the delicious food.. Karen and Dawn are great!! We love this restaurant and will be returning!! p.s.. thanks for the cookies!! :)
(5)Lisa Y.
Had dinner with my family here.The food was ok. I wouldn't compare this to Roast, Joe, or Iridescience just because the food is not a 5 star. The host came out and greet which was nice. Maybe if they upgrade their food, they might get more stars???
(3)Nikki C.
My mom & I had a night out to Opus One, $50 Groupon in tow. Reservations were made via Open Table and we were set to go. It was a Saturday evening, so it got pretty busy as the night went on. We were seated by one of the windows (Brrr!) and serviced very quickly. Our waitress & server assistant took care of us well, supplying us with bread, butter & water. My mom initially sat by the window (I sat opposite the window) and the host took up the place settings at the seats that were open (there were 2 of us seated at a 4 top). After a couple minutes, my mom decided it was too chilly by the window, so she moved one place setting over. During this transition, a manager came by, greeted us and we mentioned how cold it was at that seat, explaining why my mom moved seats. I assumed the manager would help move the place setting over, but surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she told us how Opus One used to be an old taxi central depot. Interesting bit of history, but, try assisting in moving the table setting, instead. Anyway, I ordered the Michigan Riesling and my mom had a Moscato. We both ordered the Michigan Lake Perch filets -- she got hers "blackened" and I didn't. Mine were good, but I wished I had mine blackened, as it added more flavor to each bite. The potatoes were tasty and the green beans were nice. We both enjoyed our meals and the serving sizes were appropriate & satisfying. We were shown the dessert cart with a mindset of NOT ordering dessert. Well, how could we pass up the warm banana bread pudding?? We decided to share it and it was brought out to us in separate dishes, already split. Nice! I enjoyed coffee with dessert. Overall, we had a nice time.
(4)Sarah C.
I was so happy my friends invited me to join them here for restaurant week! My first restaurant week! I have heard of it but sadly San Francisco only has Dine About Town which isn't all fine dinning. As a party of 14 well dressed people we were only seated after the entire party arrived which was 10 minutes pass our 5.30pm. We were give two round tables next to each other in a middle of one of the dinning rooms. The Restaurant Week menu was amazing. I had a hard time deciding but ended up with Maryland Crab and Red Pepper Bisque (Garnished with lobster ravioli, crème fraîche and fresh chives) - This was very savory just the way I like it. Flavor explosion! Maine Lobster Tail with Grilled Shrimp and Sea Scallop (Served with angel hair pasta and haricot verts, finished with lobster Champagne sauce) - I had to go with some seafood. I used to have fresh seafood all the time at home so naturally I miss my seafood. The shrimp and sea scallop was cooked to perfection. I though the lobster was alright. The haricots added a much needed green to the dish. The sauce went well with the angel hair pasta. Did I mention that I love angel hair pasta?! Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Prepared with fresh strawberries and rhubarb tossed with brown sugar and spices with a crisp topping and served with vanilla ice cream) - Reminded me of apple pie but strawberry pie. Warm and comforting. I was only able to finish half. The complementary bread we received at the beginning of our meal looked very regular but was surprisingly good. I had to go for seconds! The staff here was very friendly and didn't frown upon us since we were the youngest people dining here. A table of two ladies did give us the glare which I didn't like. Bathrooms are by the hall as you enter. Clean and nice. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back!
(4)Christina K.
I was really excited to come here since we rarely ever come downtown thanks to Detroit Restaurant Week! The restaurant was pretty full but the service was interesting. We ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter actually sniffed it before he served it to us...is that normal?! I've ordered plenty of bottles in my day and that was a first. And then he did it again after he decantured it! Weird! I ordered the lobster bisque which was super salty and my hubby ordered the shrimp w/ guacamole which you could've gotten at your neighbor hood Mexican joint. From there the main entrees came out, I got the scallops which was again salty and unevenly cooked. Scallops should be served with a sear on top, these were not, they kinda looked almost steamed and my hubby got the filet w/ shrimp which was wrapped in phyllo dough or something like that...it reminded us of wedding food! The dessert was the best part of the meal...chocolate chip cookie sundae! Overall it was a bit of a let down! The service was great except for the wine sniffing part but probably won't be back here :(
(3)Audrey W.
I rarely find a place I don't like - this one of them. We had a horrible first experience at Opus One from the minute we walked in the door. We were there on a very slow weeknight, and were sat in the bar with a bunch of rowdy folks while the whole restaurant sat empty. We then sat at our table for 15 minutes without being greeted while the bartenders and servers passing by watched on. After a trip back to the host stand, we finally were able to flag down a server who obviously had too many tables. We asked her our standard question "what's your favorite thing on the menu?" To which she responded that the owners/management do not allow the employees to eat there or try any of the food. She didn't seem very knowledgeable at all about the restaurant, and didn't give good service. The food was mediocre at best. So not worth the huge price tags. Let's just say we won't be going back to Opus One.
(1)Erin K.
Went to Opus One for DRW last night and it was just OK - the food, the service, the menu. A couple people in our party had the heirloom tomato salad and they were not impressed. The rest had the lobster spring rolls and they were either 'pretty good' or 'not impressive'. For the entrees the braised beef was good, but nothing special, same thing with the filet. The whipped mashed potatoes (both kinds) were good. I was also told the ahi tuna with mangos was good and so was the shrimp, but once again, nothing impressive. For dessert (chocolate mousse, lemon tart with berries and warm apple & cherry crisp), they were all good. The restaurant was very beautiful on the inside and I am glad I went, but I do not think I will be coming back.
(3)Jessica M.
Husband and I tried Opus One for restaurant week. We frequent Detroit and have been to several high-end restaurants when it is NOT restaurant week. I chose the Lobster Bisque, Crab stuffed Salmon and the Lemon Tart. I also decided to go with the wine pairing for additional $20. The food was all excellent and I would have had no problems even if they weren't part of the special Restaurant Week pricing. The thing I did not care for was the way I felt rushed. It seemed like every 2 minutes someone was walking by my table to see if I was done yet. I am not exaggerating. Maybe because they want to have tables open quickly so they can accommodate the RW crowd, but I was there on a rainy, cold Wednesday and there was not a back-up of people waiting for tables. Especially since I ordered the wine pairing, I thought I would be encouraged to actually enjoy my meal rather than feel like I had to scarf down the food and swig my wine like water after a work-out. Another thing that put a damper on my meal was this group of 12 women that got seated about 20 minutes after we did. They were right next to us, being very loud. I discerned from their conversations that they already were drunk. They were swearing and laughing so loud. I would not expect a restaurant like this would cater to such a rowdy bunch, but it is what it is. I was on my best behavior and used all my lady-like-nice-restaurant manners, but after they arrived I let loose. The wine was getting to me too I guess. It was so bad I had to practically shout for my husband to hear me across the table. I wonder if they felt rushed as I did? I think the servers were afraid of them. Anyway, I would try this restaurant again when it is not RW. Food was good, loved the wine, ambiance and decor. This time they get a 3 star, if they had a half star option, I would have gave 3.5. I will update this review once I try again.
(3)Steve T.
Birthday dinner excitement out on the town! Got a Groupon deal and an American Express Foursquare check-in deal to knock $30 off the bill, which didn't hurt any Sat down at 5:30pm on a Monday and the place was fairly empty, which was fine for our group. The staff were all very nice and attentive. Had oysters on the half shelf for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised by very large sized and tasty mollusks. Had the panko breaded walleye with mashed potatoes and roasted corn with green beans. Large sized portion of fish, breading was light and crisp, very nice texture and flavor. A glass of Michigan sourced reisling accompanied the meal nicely. Kind of pricey (before the Groupon and Foursquare deal), but was worth it. Would like to return again in the future, but don't think it would ever be a regular stop on our families means.
(3)Allen L.
Went downtown for lunch with a buddy of mine. We were on the way to Los Altos when I suggested Opus One for something completely different. The restaurant and bar are very nice. The service was truly professional, practiced and polished. They understand the profession. The owner(s?) were there as well, always a good sign. Please keep in mind that three stars *** is "A-OK" on the Yelp scale. My lunch was A-OK. I had a burger. Maybe I should have had the short-ribs, but I expected they should have a knock-out burger. Here's an odd tale of two burgers: - my friend orders his medium rare. It had a nice bit of char and is perfectly cooked. - I ordered mine medium. It came out lacking any browning and appeared more gray. It was undercooked. The french fries were undercooked and (to me) should not have been served. The clam chowder was great. The salad was not memorable. The desert choices numerous. We split the apple bavarian cheesecake was good, but had the strange feeling that the cheesecake part had been held in a cooler for a bit too long. So... it wasn't the knockout that I had hoped for. Would I try it again? Definitely. I'll try something other than a burger for lunch and I'll go for dinner as well. With a couple of bourbons, it is not inexpensive but it's also a decent value frankly.
(3)Tony W.
I am surprised that I do not see more positive reviews here. I ate at Opus One for the first time was night, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We had had to wait a brief moment for them to get our table together, but they have my girlfriend and I a good table next to the piano. Our service was impeccable the entire time we were there. Our waitress was attentive and very nice. The owner came over and greeted us. He gave us a brief history of the restaurant per our request. The manager and hostess also came by to see how were were enjoying our dining experience. Our water an wine glasses were always full. We ordered the lobster rolls as an appetizer. That was the one aspect of the meal that was less than stellar. They were kind of bland, and a tad overpriced at $12 for two of them. They did taste fresh though, and the dipping sauces were good. I ordered the tenderloin medallions with a crab cake and chive whipped potatoes. Excellent!! The beef was flavorful and cooked just right. The potatoes were great. The crab cake, while good, was almost overshadowed by everything else. I didn't eat it until the end of the meal. So good though. A $38 meal should be better than good in my opinion, and this one was well worth the price. My girlfriend had the chicken breast with mozz, spinach, and bacon. She loved it and said she would get it again. I tried it, liked it, but would probably opt for one of the beef or seafood options myself. The decor was nice to me. I wasn't trendy or pretentious at all. It was old school Detroit in its feel. It reminded me of a NYC steakhouse. Very straightforward, elegant place. It suited my tastes at least. We were way too full for dessert, but as we were leaving the manager gave us a couple of their specialty cookies on the house to take with us. It was a nice gesture indeed. Overall I would happily recommend Opus One to anyone who is willing to invest some money into a great dining experience. The are a classy establishment. We will be going back soon.
(4)Steve W.
We had a reservation for 7:00 P.M. We were seated just at 7:15 P.M. There were several events happening in downtown D this night, including a Wings game and some shows. The restaurant was pretty much empty by 8:00 P.M. In the future, I would consider what else is going on and adjust my reservation accordingly. The food and service were excellent! I had a ribeye steak and my wife had the Opus One All Day Beef with Blueberry Barbecue. Both were delish. We will definitely be back again!
(4)Emma C.
I was very excited to finally go to Opus One after hearing so much about this place, but it was a HUGE disapointment. Best I can compare it to was Denny's but with ridiculous prices. Just to be clear, Denny's sucks too.
(1)Nicole I.
We went here for Detroit Restaurant week, and it was very UNDERWHELMING. The menu sounded great, but did not impress. First off, the portions were tiny. The shrimp helene that came with the filet mignon was extremely bland. The crab stuffed salmon was nicely presented, but did not please or satisfy. For dessert, he lemon tart way wayyy too lemony and creme brulee was just okay. Service was disappointing as well, nobody came to check on us after each course. During dessert they did not offer coffee or tea. It seemed like they wanted us out of there as soon as possible. Overall, the experience was not pleasant. After speaking to the manager about our blah experience, he rebuttled with "our restaurant doesn't have the chance to shine during DRW." If anything they should shine the BEST during DRW so customers come back for the regular priced meals. He gave us a gift certificate of $25 and told us to come back in a couple of weeks. Will we? Absolutely not.
(2)Audrey W.
I rarely find a place I don't like - this one of them. We had a horrible first experience at Opus One from the minute we walked in the door. We were there on a very slow weeknight, and were sat in the bar with a bunch of rowdy folks while the whole restaurant sat empty. We then sat at our table for 15 minutes without being greeted while the bartenders and servers passing by watched on. After a trip back to the host stand, we finally were able to flag down a server who obviously had too many tables. We asked her our standard question "what's your favorite thing on the menu?" To which she responded that the owners/management do not allow the employees to eat there or try any of the food. She didn't seem very knowledgeable at all about the restaurant, and didn't give good service. The food was mediocre at best. So not worth the huge price tags. Let's just say we won't be going back to Opus One.
(1)Susan K.
We went for 2012 Restaurant week...it was busy and the first day of the program for 2012... Food was pretty good. The bisque was amazing as was the fresh bread they served with it. I ordered the lobster tail and shrimp main course...it was supposed to come with a a scallop, but I am allergic. The flavors were good, but the seafood was a little over cooked and somewhat chewy. Dessert was the chocolate cheesecake and it went very well with my decaf coffee winding up the meal. I tasted my other dining partners creme brulee which was really really good. The staff was brisk and competent - no frills or personal attention (at least not on day 1 of restaurant week!). I'd be tempted to check it out on a not-so-televised day of the week! FYI - Hubby is a beer guy and the beer selection was ZERO. No Michigan craft beers. On tap they offered just 2 different beers, not even sure what they were. Don't go here at all if you have a guy who is a beer guy. Disappointing.
(3)Allen L.
Went downtown for lunch with a buddy of mine. We were on the way to Los Altos when I suggested Opus One for something completely different. The restaurant and bar are very nice. The service was truly professional, practiced and polished. They understand the profession. The owner(s?) were there as well, always a good sign. Please keep in mind that three stars *** is "A-OK" on the Yelp scale. My lunch was A-OK. I had a burger. Maybe I should have had the short-ribs, but I expected they should have a knock-out burger. Here's an odd tale of two burgers: - my friend orders his medium rare. It had a nice bit of char and is perfectly cooked. - I ordered mine medium. It came out lacking any browning and appeared more gray. It was undercooked. The french fries were undercooked and (to me) should not have been served. The clam chowder was great. The salad was not memorable. The desert choices numerous. We split the apple bavarian cheesecake was good, but had the strange feeling that the cheesecake part had been held in a cooler for a bit too long. So... it wasn't the knockout that I had hoped for. Would I try it again? Definitely. I'll try something other than a burger for lunch and I'll go for dinner as well. With a couple of bourbons, it is not inexpensive but it's also a decent value frankly.
(3)Dave S.
Bland (adj.) - lacking strong features and therefore uninteresting; (of food or drink) mild or insipid. Had a $30/$60 Groupon that was expiring soon for Opus One so dropped in to unload it. As I felt after my recent brunch at the Whitney, our thoughts were, "what do people think who have to pay full price think?" We essentially had $30 of house money to spend which could cover an entree or a an appetizer/salad/dessert, or any number of items. We started with the "Philly" Beef Tenderloin Ragoons. I thought these were decent. Somewhat reminding me of a Totino's Pizza Roll and as keeping with my opening theme, the provolone dipping sauce was a bit bland. Opting to not go beef/beef with my appetizer entree combo I ordered the Seafood Trio. This consists of a broiled lobster tail, a scallop, two shrimp Helene (filo pastry), carrots and spinach risotto. Sooo disappointed with this meal, especially after the waiter remarked about how great it was. The lobster tail was small and not properly de-veined. Who serves "a" scallop? I figured it either must be enormous or phenomenal, it was neither. The mango salsa just appeared to be some chopped red and yellow peppers. The Shrimp Helene was extremely bland. I somewhat blame myself for not realizing what this was before ordering. The full description was given for the appetizer portion which I overlooked. Looking back at the online menu I would strongly urge folks to not waste $11 on this dish as an app or order it an as entree. I guess I will have to try not to converse with my party as much and be a little more astute. Lastly, I'm not risotto expert, but I will just go ahead an assume this was sub-par. It was just one big clump and the spinach looked like a swamp weed (probably canned). I searched for redemption in my dessert but wouldn't find it. It was the first time I literally had to force down cheesecake. I was totally fooled because the presentation was great. The drizzled chocolate tasted a bit funky and I'm not sure how to articulate my thoughts on the cheesecake itself, it just wasn't good. In closing, the service and bread were good, the rest was bland. I think the rest of my party shared my disappointment..
(2)Ginger C.
Expensive fine dining by Detroit standards. The coffee rubbed bone-in rib eye is flavorful and enough for two people (but only one Michigander). If I had to spend my money on an expensive meal, though, I would probably head over to one of Michael Mina's restaurants at the MGM.
(3)Sarah C.
I was so happy my friends invited me to join them here for restaurant week! My first restaurant week! I have heard of it but sadly San Francisco only has Dine About Town which isn't all fine dinning. As a party of 14 well dressed people we were only seated after the entire party arrived which was 10 minutes pass our 5.30pm. We were give two round tables next to each other in a middle of one of the dinning rooms. The Restaurant Week menu was amazing. I had a hard time deciding but ended up with Maryland Crab and Red Pepper Bisque (Garnished with lobster ravioli, crème fraîche and fresh chives) - This was very savory just the way I like it. Flavor explosion! Maine Lobster Tail with Grilled Shrimp and Sea Scallop (Served with angel hair pasta and haricot verts, finished with lobster Champagne sauce) - I had to go with some seafood. I used to have fresh seafood all the time at home so naturally I miss my seafood. The shrimp and sea scallop was cooked to perfection. I though the lobster was alright. The haricots added a much needed green to the dish. The sauce went well with the angel hair pasta. Did I mention that I love angel hair pasta?! Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Prepared with fresh strawberries and rhubarb tossed with brown sugar and spices with a crisp topping and served with vanilla ice cream) - Reminded me of apple pie but strawberry pie. Warm and comforting. I was only able to finish half. The complementary bread we received at the beginning of our meal looked very regular but was surprisingly good. I had to go for seconds! The staff here was very friendly and didn't frown upon us since we were the youngest people dining here. A table of two ladies did give us the glare which I didn't like. Bathrooms are by the hall as you enter. Clean and nice. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back!
(4)Lisa Y.
Had dinner with my family here.The food was ok. I wouldn't compare this to Roast, Joe, or Iridescience just because the food is not a 5 star. The host came out and greet which was nice. Maybe if they upgrade their food, they might get more stars???
(3)Christina K.
I was really excited to come here since we rarely ever come downtown thanks to Detroit Restaurant Week! The restaurant was pretty full but the service was interesting. We ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter actually sniffed it before he served it to us...is that normal?! I've ordered plenty of bottles in my day and that was a first. And then he did it again after he decantured it! Weird! I ordered the lobster bisque which was super salty and my hubby ordered the shrimp w/ guacamole which you could've gotten at your neighbor hood Mexican joint. From there the main entrees came out, I got the scallops which was again salty and unevenly cooked. Scallops should be served with a sear on top, these were not, they kinda looked almost steamed and my hubby got the filet w/ shrimp which was wrapped in phyllo dough or something like that...it reminded us of wedding food! The dessert was the best part of the meal...chocolate chip cookie sundae! Overall it was a bit of a let down! The service was great except for the wine sniffing part but probably won't be back here :(
(3)Jason H.
I ate at Opus One on Friday, June 29th, the day before they closed for renovations. I am always happy with the food and service at Opus One, so I hope things continue when they re-open. I had the Broiled Medallions of Beef Tenderloin au Poivre with Blue Crab Cake, sauce béarnaise, grilled asparagus, and chive whipped potato. And the cheesecake for dessert. The crab cake was nothing special, but everything else was delicious and cooked perfectly. As I was dining alone, I really appreciated that my food was expedited, at least I assume it was because I did not have to wait long at all to be served even though the restaurant was full. Can't wait to go try Opus Next in the fall!
(4)Allison D.
I've only been at the restaurant once and enjoyed it very much. Wish I could remember the name of the dessert I had because it was amazing. They also catered my wedding reception. I HIGHLY recommend them for any catering also. They were absolutely fantastic. Everyone's food was served still warm (weddings being notorious for cold food). They were extremely flexible with everything and paid close attention to all the details. Great experiences all around
(5)Ashley M.
I just wanted to say that aside from the delicious food.. Karen and Dawn are great!! We love this restaurant and will be returning!! p.s.. thanks for the cookies!! :)
(5)Nikki C.
My mom & I had a night out to Opus One, $50 Groupon in tow. Reservations were made via Open Table and we were set to go. It was a Saturday evening, so it got pretty busy as the night went on. We were seated by one of the windows (Brrr!) and serviced very quickly. Our waitress & server assistant took care of us well, supplying us with bread, butter & water. My mom initially sat by the window (I sat opposite the window) and the host took up the place settings at the seats that were open (there were 2 of us seated at a 4 top). After a couple minutes, my mom decided it was too chilly by the window, so she moved one place setting over. During this transition, a manager came by, greeted us and we mentioned how cold it was at that seat, explaining why my mom moved seats. I assumed the manager would help move the place setting over, but surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she told us how Opus One used to be an old taxi central depot. Interesting bit of history, but, try assisting in moving the table setting, instead. Anyway, I ordered the Michigan Riesling and my mom had a Moscato. We both ordered the Michigan Lake Perch filets -- she got hers "blackened" and I didn't. Mine were good, but I wished I had mine blackened, as it added more flavor to each bite. The potatoes were tasty and the green beans were nice. We both enjoyed our meals and the serving sizes were appropriate & satisfying. We were shown the dessert cart with a mindset of NOT ordering dessert. Well, how could we pass up the warm banana bread pudding?? We decided to share it and it was brought out to us in separate dishes, already split. Nice! I enjoyed coffee with dessert. Overall, we had a nice time.
(4)Shanda S.
This place is a strange puppy. It clearly used to be very upscale, but not so much anymore. Yet it still retains the trappings of a fine dining restaurant . . . but at bargain basement prices. So you can get a full three-course lunch (soup, entree, dessert) for about $20, but the soup comes out in a tureen and is poured into fine chinaware. Plates are placed on top of plates. Guests are presented with a three tiered rolling dessert cart. White tablecloths, stained glass, ambient music, uniformed waiters. And then when the check comes, you've laid down about as much as you would have at Potbelly's. Weird. This is not to say that I want things to cost more. Just to mention the completely twilight-zoney aspect of it all. Aside from that, the food is neutral-pleasant. Not somewhere I would go out of my way to patronize (and it is out of the way), but someplace that I don't mind going when compelled by a business lunch.
(3)Nicole I.
We went here for Detroit Restaurant week, and it was very UNDERWHELMING. The menu sounded great, but did not impress. First off, the portions were tiny. The shrimp helene that came with the filet mignon was extremely bland. The crab stuffed salmon was nicely presented, but did not please or satisfy. For dessert, he lemon tart way wayyy too lemony and creme brulee was just okay. Service was disappointing as well, nobody came to check on us after each course. During dessert they did not offer coffee or tea. It seemed like they wanted us out of there as soon as possible. Overall, the experience was not pleasant. After speaking to the manager about our blah experience, he rebuttled with "our restaurant doesn't have the chance to shine during DRW." If anything they should shine the BEST during DRW so customers come back for the regular priced meals. He gave us a gift certificate of $25 and told us to come back in a couple of weeks. Will we? Absolutely not.
(2)Joshua B.
The food was spectacular as always. We visited for Detroit Restaurant Week ($28 prix fixe menus at Detroit's best restaurants) and the selections were outstanding. A couple pieces of constructive criticism: both the Restaurant Week menu as well as the regular menu each only had one vegetarian entree option. I'm not vegetarian but at fine restaurants often like to have the option when I'm feeling particularly healthy, and I'm sure actual vegetarians would appreciate more selections. Also, I recall the wine list having been much more extensive a few years ago. It's now just one large page of bottles and one large page of by-the-glass (the latter is impressive). My wife and I both had the Seafood Chowder as the appetizer, which was excellent. I had the Firecracker Shrimp with noodles; the shrimp were massive and wrapped in egg roll pastry, very spicy and tasty. My wife had the filet mignon, medium well, with cheddar mashed potatoes and crab cakes, all served with sauce béarnaise, which was very good and prepared just as ordered (although the crab cakes were quite ordinary). For dessert, my wife had the chocolate mousse and I had a lemon tart with fresh fruit. Both were excellent. As we were celebrating our 15th anniversary, they also brought us a 1lb oval of solid chocolate with a candle on the house! We took most of it home, and will likely use it to make dip for strawberries and pretzels. Two things caused them to lose a star in my rating. First, when we arrived there were two hosts and a hostess behind the stand. The two hosts were fussing with the reservation computer. No one even acknowledged us for several minutes until they resolved their computer issue. The least they could have done is greet us or notice we were standing right in front of them. Second, it took our team of two waitresses over 20 minutes and four trips to the cellar to get us a bottle of wine. The first selection was out of stock (which took two trips to determine), and they brought the wrong bottle on the third trip. For a restaurant named for the finest wine in The Americas, I would have expected better wine service, and at a minimum a visit from a sommelier. We will definitely be back, and hope these issues are not repeated.
(4)Erin K.
Went to Opus One for DRW last night and it was just OK - the food, the service, the menu. A couple people in our party had the heirloom tomato salad and they were not impressed. The rest had the lobster spring rolls and they were either 'pretty good' or 'not impressive'. For the entrees the braised beef was good, but nothing special, same thing with the filet. The whipped mashed potatoes (both kinds) were good. I was also told the ahi tuna with mangos was good and so was the shrimp, but once again, nothing impressive. For dessert (chocolate mousse, lemon tart with berries and warm apple & cherry crisp), they were all good. The restaurant was very beautiful on the inside and I am glad I went, but I do not think I will be coming back.
(3)Jessica M.
Husband and I tried Opus One for restaurant week. We frequent Detroit and have been to several high-end restaurants when it is NOT restaurant week. I chose the Lobster Bisque, Crab stuffed Salmon and the Lemon Tart. I also decided to go with the wine pairing for additional $20. The food was all excellent and I would have had no problems even if they weren't part of the special Restaurant Week pricing. The thing I did not care for was the way I felt rushed. It seemed like every 2 minutes someone was walking by my table to see if I was done yet. I am not exaggerating. Maybe because they want to have tables open quickly so they can accommodate the RW crowd, but I was there on a rainy, cold Wednesday and there was not a back-up of people waiting for tables. Especially since I ordered the wine pairing, I thought I would be encouraged to actually enjoy my meal rather than feel like I had to scarf down the food and swig my wine like water after a work-out. Another thing that put a damper on my meal was this group of 12 women that got seated about 20 minutes after we did. They were right next to us, being very loud. I discerned from their conversations that they already were drunk. They were swearing and laughing so loud. I would not expect a restaurant like this would cater to such a rowdy bunch, but it is what it is. I was on my best behavior and used all my lady-like-nice-restaurant manners, but after they arrived I let loose. The wine was getting to me too I guess. It was so bad I had to practically shout for my husband to hear me across the table. I wonder if they felt rushed as I did? I think the servers were afraid of them. Anyway, I would try this restaurant again when it is not RW. Food was good, loved the wine, ambiance and decor. This time they get a 3 star, if they had a half star option, I would have gave 3.5. I will update this review once I try again.
(3)Steve T.
Birthday dinner excitement out on the town! Got a Groupon deal and an American Express Foursquare check-in deal to knock $30 off the bill, which didn't hurt any Sat down at 5:30pm on a Monday and the place was fairly empty, which was fine for our group. The staff were all very nice and attentive. Had oysters on the half shelf for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised by very large sized and tasty mollusks. Had the panko breaded walleye with mashed potatoes and roasted corn with green beans. Large sized portion of fish, breading was light and crisp, very nice texture and flavor. A glass of Michigan sourced reisling accompanied the meal nicely. Kind of pricey (before the Groupon and Foursquare deal), but was worth it. Would like to return again in the future, but don't think it would ever be a regular stop on our families means.
(3)Tony W.
I am surprised that I do not see more positive reviews here. I ate at Opus One for the first time was night, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We had had to wait a brief moment for them to get our table together, but they have my girlfriend and I a good table next to the piano. Our service was impeccable the entire time we were there. Our waitress was attentive and very nice. The owner came over and greeted us. He gave us a brief history of the restaurant per our request. The manager and hostess also came by to see how were were enjoying our dining experience. Our water an wine glasses were always full. We ordered the lobster rolls as an appetizer. That was the one aspect of the meal that was less than stellar. They were kind of bland, and a tad overpriced at $12 for two of them. They did taste fresh though, and the dipping sauces were good. I ordered the tenderloin medallions with a crab cake and chive whipped potatoes. Excellent!! The beef was flavorful and cooked just right. The potatoes were great. The crab cake, while good, was almost overshadowed by everything else. I didn't eat it until the end of the meal. So good though. A $38 meal should be better than good in my opinion, and this one was well worth the price. My girlfriend had the chicken breast with mozz, spinach, and bacon. She loved it and said she would get it again. I tried it, liked it, but would probably opt for one of the beef or seafood options myself. The decor was nice to me. I wasn't trendy or pretentious at all. It was old school Detroit in its feel. It reminded me of a NYC steakhouse. Very straightforward, elegant place. It suited my tastes at least. We were way too full for dessert, but as we were leaving the manager gave us a couple of their specialty cookies on the house to take with us. It was a nice gesture indeed. Overall I would happily recommend Opus One to anyone who is willing to invest some money into a great dining experience. The are a classy establishment. We will be going back soon.
(4)Steve W.
We had a reservation for 7:00 P.M. We were seated just at 7:15 P.M. There were several events happening in downtown D this night, including a Wings game and some shows. The restaurant was pretty much empty by 8:00 P.M. In the future, I would consider what else is going on and adjust my reservation accordingly. The food and service were excellent! I had a ribeye steak and my wife had the Opus One All Day Beef with Blueberry Barbecue. Both were delish. We will definitely be back again!
(4)Emma C.
I was very excited to finally go to Opus One after hearing so much about this place, but it was a HUGE disapointment. Best I can compare it to was Denny's but with ridiculous prices. Just to be clear, Denny's sucks too.
(1)David S.
Nice formal restaurant in downtown district of Detroit. Tomato and mozzarella salad was good. The Shrimp Helene was excellent. Broiled lake perch was good but not memorable. The flour-less chocolate cake and the apple flan were an nice finish to meal. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful, but she seemed to be covering too many tables and had some delays in service. I know, for a $$$ place this sounds like a three star review, but really it was an enjoyable meal, and we would come back. Ambiance is good, professional service without taking themselves too seriously.
(4)Adrianne H.
I visited Opus One for the very first time for Detroit Restaurant Week. I have to say I really enjoyed my dining experience. I was there with two of my girlfriends. I do agree that the atmosphere was fairly traditional, especially with the piano playing in background. Yet I enjoyed the change of pace from the typical trendier restaurants. I'm very particular about customer service and from the host, to the bartender (Eric), then the waiter (Barack), everyone was very professional and attentive. I ordered the spicy shrimp cocktail, which was ok. I wish it had more of a kick to it, not very spicy at all. For my second course I had the petite filet mignon with shrimp helene, served with potatoes and spinach. I thought the portions appeared small, but I found that I was quite full at the end of the meal. I enjoyed this course the best and the passionfruit creme brulee was a perfect conclusion to the meal. My friends ordered the stuffed salmon, and they also remarked on how much they enjoyed their meals. We had a great evening there and would return again.
(4)Matt K.
Do your online reservations for one of Detroit's nicer restaurants. When coming to Opus One don't have your expectations too high. While the staff is very professional and very friendly, prices are not too bad for what you would expect. As with a lot of reviews I will have to agree that the decorating could use some updating. But dinner for two can easily be $50 or under depending on what you get. I would recommend the Hummus and Tabbouleh along with an Opus Caesar salad. While the dress code is 'dressy' you do not have to come in your best dress or best suite in order to fit in. Business casual or nice dress pants and a nice shirt will do.
(4)Jean K.
Chose Opus One for our Valentine dinner largely in part because of its overall rating. Valet was swift in escorting us out of our car into the restaurant with its whimsical decor - glass trees with wine bottles & grape vines as branches. Diners wear anything from jeans & button downs to semi-formal. I recommend a jacket for men to avoid feeling under-dressed - nice jeans will still be OK with that pairing. Ladies, dress pants are adequate with an appropriate top. Now for the experience: The pace is relaxed - no hurry to order quickly. We had 2 servers for the evening; one to handle appetizers & main course and the other to coordinate the remainder of our meal. There was a Valentine special on the menu which my husband selected - Chicken tarragon soup, prime rib with potato gratin & fresh asiago bread. I selected the Opus One Romaine salad, Shrimp Helene - shrimp wrapped in phylo with bearnaise sauce & potato gratin. The portion size of the salad was perfect - not too large - the romaine was fresh & torn to nice bite size pieces, but the croutons were surprisingly not homemade; the garlic dressing was milder than I was expecting - I hoped for a bit of bite. The tarragon soup my husband had was truly delicious though the tarragon flavor was very mild. My real issue with the meal was the main course. The shrimp was chemically processed - the bleach overwhelmed any flavor it may have had. Not at all the iodine taste associated with ocean shrimp, but like the preservation method often done with Texas shrimp. The prime rib was not juicy yet the center was perfectly pink. The bottom was seared which added a nice complexity and the flavor was nice, but the cut was rather chewy - not the melt-in-your mouth sensation you get with a perfectly prepared prime cut. The potato gratin was fabulous - a hint of fennel perfectly accented the potato with a lovely crisp top layer. The asiago bread my husband had was overcooked and dry. Dessert was divine - Banana white chocolate bread pudding for me and a raspberry chocolate torte for my husband. We could have kept spooning them up all night long! The bread pudding was perfectly moist and gooey with a caramel drizzle and the chocolate torte with ganache elegant and beautifully presented. I hoped for an explosion in my mouth from Opus One and finally got it with the chocolate! One experience at Opus One is enough for us. Price: $140, including a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape.(The wine list is an easy-to-navigate one page, great for those who tend to get lost with too many selections.)
(3)Tim E.
It was generally ok, yes just ok. It had a "going back in time to the 80's feel to it. I would say the menu and the decor need some updating. For the price the food was passable the wines were impressive I must give them that. I had the aforementioned venison which left quite a bit to be desired, perhaps the spicing was off... not bad but not delightful...just 'ok."
(2)Susan K.
We went for 2012 Restaurant week...it was busy and the first day of the program for 2012... Food was pretty good. The bisque was amazing as was the fresh bread they served with it. I ordered the lobster tail and shrimp main course...it was supposed to come with a a scallop, but I am allergic. The flavors were good, but the seafood was a little over cooked and somewhat chewy. Dessert was the chocolate cheesecake and it went very well with my decaf coffee winding up the meal. I tasted my other dining partners creme brulee which was really really good. The staff was brisk and competent - no frills or personal attention (at least not on day 1 of restaurant week!). I'd be tempted to check it out on a not-so-televised day of the week! FYI - Hubby is a beer guy and the beer selection was ZERO. No Michigan craft beers. On tap they offered just 2 different beers, not even sure what they were. Don't go here at all if you have a guy who is a beer guy. Disappointing.
(3)David S.
Nice formal restaurant in downtown district of Detroit. Tomato and mozzarella salad was good. The Shrimp Helene was excellent. Broiled lake perch was good but not memorable. The flour-less chocolate cake and the apple flan were an nice finish to meal. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful, but she seemed to be covering too many tables and had some delays in service. I know, for a $$$ place this sounds like a three star review, but really it was an enjoyable meal, and we would come back. Ambiance is good, professional service without taking themselves too seriously.
(4)Shanda S.
This place is a strange puppy. It clearly used to be very upscale, but not so much anymore. Yet it still retains the trappings of a fine dining restaurant . . . but at bargain basement prices. So you can get a full three-course lunch (soup, entree, dessert) for about $20, but the soup comes out in a tureen and is poured into fine chinaware. Plates are placed on top of plates. Guests are presented with a three tiered rolling dessert cart. White tablecloths, stained glass, ambient music, uniformed waiters. And then when the check comes, you've laid down about as much as you would have at Potbelly's. Weird. This is not to say that I want things to cost more. Just to mention the completely twilight-zoney aspect of it all. Aside from that, the food is neutral-pleasant. Not somewhere I would go out of my way to patronize (and it is out of the way), but someplace that I don't mind going when compelled by a business lunch.
(3)Billy H.
It was our 20th anniversary, so we decided to make a special night of it at Opus One. I had the Shrimp Helene:A quintet of jumbo shrimp in a crisp filo pastry served with potato gratin and served with sauce béarnaise. The shrimp were huge and full of flavor. I love when shrimp are perfectly cooked and have the nice snap when you take bit. The filo was light, airy, and crusty. It added the a perfect touch to the shrimp. And if the filo wasn't enough yummy goodness, it was served with a wonderful Bearnaise sauce. The side was potatoes gratin stacked high -- a carbohydrate dream Scott had the Char-grilled Certified Angus Beef Rib-eye served with a fried baked potato, accompanied by steamed asparagus and finished with a duo of sauces; bordelaise and creamy horseradish. This was hands-down the best steak I've ever tasted. On our next visit, this is what I will order. To end the meal, Scott had the White Chocolate and Banana Bread Pudding topped with carmel sauce, whipped cream and toasted pecans and I had the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake A flourless chocolate cake served on a bed of raspberry sauce, topped with fresh whipped cream and an almond brittle --- absolutely excellent!! The service was excellent from the host seating us to the our dual server team. The decor is pleasant and comfortable. Opus One has frequent customer program that appears to have a lot of perks. Some Benefits of membership are: $10 of Opus Money is earned with every $50 spent with us during Feb 1 and Oct 30th and is able to be used Feb 1st thru Nov 30th, excluding Saturdays. Limit of $200 per redemption Free Valet Parking after 4 P.M. M-F 25% off the face value of gift certificates purchased 50% off cocktails from 4 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. in our bar M-F You will receive in the mail our newsletter containing information on upcoming events such as wine dinners and theatre packages as well as other promotions I highly recommend Opus One!
(4)Marie L.
Opus One actually has a nice Happy Hour. Food is good, although not entirely consistent. I do love their steak & chevre risotto cakes.
(4)Brian B.
Came here the other night hoping for a nice meal. It was not to be here. I had relatively high hopes for this establishment, but it failed. As Dave S. mentioned, the Philly Beef Ragoons were pretty decent, however, for $12, I was expecting a few more of the glorified pizza rolls. The sauce was not needed and was very bland. My girlfriend started with a Tomato/Mozzarella Salad. This was the highlight of the meal. The ingredients were all fresh. It was topped with basil, olive oil, and balasamic. I ordered the Rack of Lamb served with a potato gratin and spinach. Overall the lamb was decent. It was served a "natural" sauce which wasn't too flavorful. Some of the ribs were cooked well even though I ordered medium rare. Most were right though. The sides were pretty good. My girlfriend ordered the Saute of Chicken Breast, which on paper sounded really good. Grilled chicken, mozzarella, spinach, panceta, served with a basil sauce. She side is was not flavorful and needed some salt. The potato cake was not good. I'm beginning to realize there may be reasons certain restaurants that have 50% deals on various websites.
(2)Kristine Z.
My review is going to be short but sweet. Everything was great. The service, the food. Yes it is pricey but you get what you pay for and I was very pleased and will be will coming back again.
(5)Bengt A.
The short: Mediocre in almost every way. Would never pay full price for what they're offering. The long: We decided to base our decision of where to go for Detroit Restaurant Week solely on the fixed menus. Admittedly, Opus One's menu seemed to have the most appetizing variety, so we booked a reservation for a Friday night. The first letdown of the night came as soon as we pulled up; they have a horrible valet service. The attendant was mute and neglected to open both the car and restaurant doors. I've worked valet for restaurants much less ostentatious than this, and we prided ourselves on customer service -- especially when you have women in the car who are dressed up. Granted, Opus One may have little to do with the valet company's policies, but their management should certainly be more involved... after all, that's a customer's first impression of the restaurant. The first thing you notice when walking in is how awful the acoustics are. The live piano entertainment requires you to speak very loudly, and overall the noise is too much. There were two hosts at the stand, and when both finally got off their respective phone calls, they could not find our reservation... you know, the one you receive an email confirmation for? We eventually were sat in a booth that gave us a nice view of the dining room. The decor could have been any bland country club dining room. While the tables were full when we got there at 7, there didn't seem to be anyone under the age of 50. Our server was very pleasant, but a little too casual. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but when you're going to a "fancy" restaurant, you expect a level of formality higher than that you'd get at, say, Applebee's. We had a party of four, so we had at least one of everything on the DRW fixed menu. Here's a little summary: --- Appetizers Ahi Tuna - it was okay, but it tasted overdone for being served "rare." The wasabi aioli was a nice touch. Spring rolls - again, okay, but nothing remarkable. You can get these anywhere. Lobster bisque - gross. The oily texture overpowered the creaminess, and made the already rich taste of lobster unappetizing. Entrees: Arctic Char - we were all really excited to try this one, and maybe our expectations were too high. While it was cooked fine, it tasted really "fishy" and like a poor version of salmon. The vegetable couscous was good. Grilled lamb - the worst of all entrees. The inescapable dijon mustard sauce paired horribly and completely ruined the taste of the meat. The portion was miniscule, which might have been it's saving grace. I felt bad that my dad had to choke it down. New York Strip - this was my entree, and I will say that I really enjoyed it. It was a bit on the bad-fatty-side, but spiced perfectly, and the onion rings and potato & mushroom hash was a delicious garnish. Everyone agreed that it was the best choice of the night. Dessert: Creme brulee - the creme was good, but there was far too much brulee. The fruit looked and tasted old. Trio Chocolate Mousse - they need to change the name of this dessert. The poor pyramid of mousse was sadly drowned in an overpowering and unappetizing raspberry sauce. (I had this same dessert at Roast the next night, and they nailed it perfectly, with just a drizzle of sauce). Banana Split Flan - this was delicious, and easily the best dessert. It literally tasted like a banana split in a tart shell -- a nice touch. --- As if on cue, the final disappointing touch came after our meal while we sat having coffee. We were perfectly enjoying our coffee and conversation, it was nowhere near closing time, and there were plenty of open tables when our server committed what I consider to be the biggest faux pas in the waiting profession: she came and took her tip while we were still sitting there. I don't care what anyone says, that is completely tactless. It just goes to show that this classy restaurant is anything but. Overall, a disappointment for what we expected to be a special occasion. The food was average and the restaurant sub-par. We all agreed that we would not return, especially if that meant paying full price.
(2)Rick M.
Decided to give this place a try during restaurant week. We had a reservation and got a table right away. The interior was decorated nicely and wasn't a copy and paste atmosphere that many restaurants seem to have taken up, plus the piano player was a nice touch. The waitress was friendly and quick. Perhaps too quick. We had our three course meal and a couple drinks and were in and out of there in less than an hour. The first course was very good. I had the lobster bisque which was very, very good. My wife had a spicy shrimp cocktail which were basically taco flavored shrimp. No complaints there but there were two shrimp. This would not have been an issue if her main course would've had a little more to it. She had the scallops and that's what it was. Scallops with a sauce. Nothing else. I had the petite fillet with the shrimp helene. The steak was cooked great, just small. The shrimp was okay, nothing special. My wife said her dessert made up for everything else. She had the chocolate cookie sundae. It was very tasty and actually a pretty good size dessert. I had the creme brulee which I like well enough. Overall I don't think we will be coming back soon. There wasn't anything wrong with the place other than perhaps the tiny portions but there also wasn't anything that grabbed us and made us think that it would be worth it to go when they weren't offering their restaurant week menu. For a place with prices like this I need more of a "wow" factor.
(3)F T.
Having wanted to try it for years, I was very disappointed. While the food was decent, it was definitely not worth the money. The maitre'd was less pleasant than I would have liked, and the wine list is surprisingly limited. Our service got off to an awkward start as we were asked if we knew what we wanted to order having never seen a menu. The chef made a vegetarian special dish for me upon request since the menu is 99.9% meat-based. It was a worthy effort, but overall it was somehow bland. The salads are especially unremarkable. For these prices, I expect taste and originality. It was worth the experience if you have a great coupon or some discount, but I will not be returning.
(2)Henry B.
Here's the rundown -They didn't take my Groupon for their prix fixe menu -The restaurant was 90% empty on a Tuesday -Tiny tiny tiny portions -Lamb shanks were meh. My mistake for ordering a tender meat rare. -The hallways smelled like cigarette -Cookies were delicious -Wait staff and host were really nice Probably won't go here again. I think Cafe Cortina and Forest Grill are tops for premium dining.
(3)Dave S.
Bland (adj.) - lacking strong features and therefore uninteresting; (of food or drink) mild or insipid. Had a $30/$60 Groupon that was expiring soon for Opus One so dropped in to unload it. As I felt after my recent brunch at the Whitney, our thoughts were, "what do people think who have to pay full price think?" We essentially had $30 of house money to spend which could cover an entree or a an appetizer/salad/dessert, or any number of items. We started with the "Philly" Beef Tenderloin Ragoons. I thought these were decent. Somewhat reminding me of a Totino's Pizza Roll and as keeping with my opening theme, the provolone dipping sauce was a bit bland. Opting to not go beef/beef with my appetizer entree combo I ordered the Seafood Trio. This consists of a broiled lobster tail, a scallop, two shrimp Helene (filo pastry), carrots and spinach risotto. Sooo disappointed with this meal, especially after the waiter remarked about how great it was. The lobster tail was small and not properly de-veined. Who serves "a" scallop? I figured it either must be enormous or phenomenal, it was neither. The mango salsa just appeared to be some chopped red and yellow peppers. The Shrimp Helene was extremely bland. I somewhat blame myself for not realizing what this was before ordering. The full description was given for the appetizer portion which I overlooked. Looking back at the online menu I would strongly urge folks to not waste $11 on this dish as an app or order it an as entree. I guess I will have to try not to converse with my party as much and be a little more astute. Lastly, I'm not risotto expert, but I will just go ahead an assume this was sub-par. It was just one big clump and the spinach looked like a swamp weed (probably canned). I searched for redemption in my dessert but wouldn't find it. It was the first time I literally had to force down cheesecake. I was totally fooled because the presentation was great. The drizzled chocolate tasted a bit funky and I'm not sure how to articulate my thoughts on the cheesecake itself, it just wasn't good. In closing, the service and bread were good, the rest was bland. I think the rest of my party shared my disappointment..
(2)Dan K.
This is probably one of the better restaurants in Detroit. I've been there many many times while I was working in Detroit. To be honest, the first time I went (like Dane) I wasn't very impressed. But, because of its proximity to our hotel and work, we went there pretty often and became regulars at the bar as well. First off, great service. If you go there a few times, the staff starts recognizing you. I recommend the salmon or ahi tuna, but if you don't like seafood, the crepes are pretty good. The soups are usually pretty tasty and they have decent salads (mixed greens). And the bread! Usually they give you two types, a poppy bread and a raisin nut bread, both are excellent. The presentation of the food is good, makes you think you are at a very classy place, but the prices are not all that bad (maybe cause it's Detroit). There is an Opus One card which gives you a $10 gift certificate for every $50 you spend. Also, this card gives you half priced happy hours during certain months out of the year. Happy hour is 4:00 to 7:30 if I remember correctly. They also usually have some kinda free app like hummus and pita during this time. They make a kickass Spanish coffee, and something called a Hummer, which is a box made out of chocolate, filled with an alcoholic ice cream concoction. And they will gladly mix you any drinks.. the bartenders are very friendly. One time we went after work, and one of my co workers forgot his ID. There was a new girl working at the bar, and she wouldn't serve him. So he ran back to work to get his ID, and meanwhile our regular bartender came out and said hi to us. Then he told the new girl that we were regulars and told us we should have just asked for him. I don't think I can count the number of times the girl apologized to us. It was pretty funny, and we got a few free drinks out of the fiasco. Btw, it's not necessarily a formal place, business casual is just fine.
(4)Ginger C.
Expensive fine dining by Detroit standards. The coffee rubbed bone-in rib eye is flavorful and enough for two people (but only one Michigander). If I had to spend my money on an expensive meal, though, I would probably head over to one of Michael Mina's restaurants at the MGM.
(3)N V.
I dined here on New Year's Eve hoping for an exceptional meal...did not happen. The food was forgettable. I started with the smoked salmon lollipops, good enough, the only inventiveness was placing the salmon rolls and chevre on a skewer. My entree was a seafood trio which included shrimp wrapped in phyllo which was slightly overcooked with nothing fresh in the flavor. The shrimp (for me at least) mimicked koong hoom pa that I've had at some Thai restaurants, so perhaps it was more disappointing when the buttery phyllo wrapped shrimp were served with a heavy bearnaise rather than a light sauce the way I've had it at Thai restaurants. The worst part about it was that the shrimp was overcooked and overcooked shrimp is unforgivable! The other components of the entree were quite forgettable (I'd say more, but I can't remember anything about them!) though perhaps adequately prepared. The server was not at all pretentious, and very attentive except that he brought me the wrong dessert. This restaurant, overall, is not worth the price. As for the ambience, it did not make up for anything. The layout is awkward in an un-charming sort of way, I had to pass through what seemed like a service area to make my way towards my seat next to an inappropriately loud lounge singer.
(2)Sarah M. B.
It was ok.........based on the menu online, I was expecting more, not going to lie....service was excellent and efficient....but... Ugh, I dunno...something about a place having 5 other tables of diners on a Friday nite sketches me out a bit-maybe it was the Kid Rock concert downtown or maybe Opus One is the 'power lunch' place I have heard it is, but for a nicely decorated place, it was a little depressing for a summer Friday. Food: Apps....my father in law said the Lobster egg rolls were 'bullshit' ok....moving on....I got the 'smoked salmon lollipops' which were good, but for 10 bucks I would like more than 3 small pieces of smoked salmon wrapped around a lot of cheve cheese... Entrees: For 55 dollars, a serving of Dover Sole can be yours, folks...now Dover sole isn't something you can get everywhere, and it really was quite good from what I tried of my husbands plate...but it very easily could have been regular sole and you probably wouldn't realize....of course, I do not think that was the case! My mother in law had the seafood trio, which again seemed much more luscious on the menu....it came with a small lobster tail, a small 'jumbo scallop' and 2 shrimp Helene, but not a horrid price at $35 bucks. One thing I did like was they offered 'petite entrees' because I often like to get an appetizer as well and it was the perfect serving size...the spinach risotto was good, and the 3 jumbo shrimp Helene's were ok-the shrimp was big and wrapped in filo dough, but nothing extra to make it really special... Desserts: All looked AMAZING...the ice cream hummer drinks were fantastic as was their special Opus One cookie brownie sundae-homemade cookie with ice cream and fudge...fabulous. Overall...would I go back? Yes, if people wanted to go there...would my hubby and I go alone? Probably not, there are too many other places I haven't tried and would rather go back to....if I were to make a special trip perhaps for drinks and dessert.
(3)CrazyforMakeup M.
Yeah, it is Okay ... would I go back? Nope. I think everybody seems to be expecting more because of all the "fine dining" advertisement and the tradition of this place. But I think is overly talked about it, because, how can I say... the decor is OK, cordial staff, good food but it is just not as memorable as you'd expect from what you hear...I certainly expected more and left thinking about the whole in the wallet rather than wow! what a great place! If you're just looking for a new restaurant, give it a try, but if this is a very special occasion, go for another place.
(3)Matt K.
Do your online reservations for one of Detroit's nicer restaurants. When coming to Opus One don't have your expectations too high. While the staff is very professional and very friendly, prices are not too bad for what you would expect. As with a lot of reviews I will have to agree that the decorating could use some updating. But dinner for two can easily be $50 or under depending on what you get. I would recommend the Hummus and Tabbouleh along with an Opus Caesar salad. While the dress code is 'dressy' you do not have to come in your best dress or best suite in order to fit in. Business casual or nice dress pants and a nice shirt will do.
(4)Jean K.
Chose Opus One for our Valentine dinner largely in part because of its overall rating. Valet was swift in escorting us out of our car into the restaurant with its whimsical decor - glass trees with wine bottles & grape vines as branches. Diners wear anything from jeans & button downs to semi-formal. I recommend a jacket for men to avoid feeling under-dressed - nice jeans will still be OK with that pairing. Ladies, dress pants are adequate with an appropriate top. Now for the experience: The pace is relaxed - no hurry to order quickly. We had 2 servers for the evening; one to handle appetizers & main course and the other to coordinate the remainder of our meal. There was a Valentine special on the menu which my husband selected - Chicken tarragon soup, prime rib with potato gratin & fresh asiago bread. I selected the Opus One Romaine salad, Shrimp Helene - shrimp wrapped in phylo with bearnaise sauce & potato gratin. The portion size of the salad was perfect - not too large - the romaine was fresh & torn to nice bite size pieces, but the croutons were surprisingly not homemade; the garlic dressing was milder than I was expecting - I hoped for a bit of bite. The tarragon soup my husband had was truly delicious though the tarragon flavor was very mild. My real issue with the meal was the main course. The shrimp was chemically processed - the bleach overwhelmed any flavor it may have had. Not at all the iodine taste associated with ocean shrimp, but like the preservation method often done with Texas shrimp. The prime rib was not juicy yet the center was perfectly pink. The bottom was seared which added a nice complexity and the flavor was nice, but the cut was rather chewy - not the melt-in-your mouth sensation you get with a perfectly prepared prime cut. The potato gratin was fabulous - a hint of fennel perfectly accented the potato with a lovely crisp top layer. The asiago bread my husband had was overcooked and dry. Dessert was divine - Banana white chocolate bread pudding for me and a raspberry chocolate torte for my husband. We could have kept spooning them up all night long! The bread pudding was perfectly moist and gooey with a caramel drizzle and the chocolate torte with ganache elegant and beautifully presented. I hoped for an explosion in my mouth from Opus One and finally got it with the chocolate! One experience at Opus One is enough for us. Price: $140, including a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape.(The wine list is an easy-to-navigate one page, great for those who tend to get lost with too many selections.)
(3)Tim E.
It was generally ok, yes just ok. It had a "going back in time to the 80's feel to it. I would say the menu and the decor need some updating. For the price the food was passable the wines were impressive I must give them that. I had the aforementioned venison which left quite a bit to be desired, perhaps the spicing was off... not bad but not delightful...just 'ok."
(2)Dane K.
I had high expectations after being told this was one of the best restaurants in downtown Detroit. It sucked. What more can I say? The food seemed like it was out of the 80s. So did the decor and the people. I had beef shortribs and some sort of potato and vegetables. It was borderline bland, and presentation was very boring. You can sit at the bar area and it's more casual and you don't have to dress up... They had a free shuttle to/from the hockey game, which was nice.
(2)C T.
My hands down favorite restaurant for dinner before a show at the Fox. I have never been disappointed.
(5)