Vertical Detroit

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Wine-First Restaurant in the Heart of Detroit

Vertical Detroit, on Centre Street in Detroit, has built a clear identity: a wine-centric American steakhouse where the bottle is as carefully considered as anything on the plate. Owner Rémy Lutfy drives that philosophy personally, writing tasting notes for featured selections and sourcing bottles from producers as far-ranging as Napa Valley's Matthiasson Wines and Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. That kind of range — and the conviction behind it — earned Vertical Detroit the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2018, a recognition reserved for restaurants with lists that go well beyond the expected.

The Wine List as a Destination in Itself

Wine Spectator has specifically called out Vertical Detroit's California Cabernet selections as standout, featuring the restaurant among its restaurants celebrating the state's renowned red. Wine Enthusiast went further, naming it one of America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants and later highlighting it among the best bars and restaurants in Motor City. Hour Detroit Magazine named it Detroit's best wine list outright. These aren't incidental accolades — they reflect a program that Lutfy tends with the focus of a collector: rotating weekly features, vertical tastings of single producers across multiple vintages, and occasional rare touches like air-shipped Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Napa estates offered alongside their wines on the list.

Food and the Broader Experience

Chef Alex Knezevic brings the same thoughtfulness to the kitchen. The American steakhouse menu is built to pair, giving wine selections a proper anchor rather than an afterthought. At the Detroit Free Press Wine & Food Experience, the Vertical Detroit team drew crowds with a grape appetizer rolled in Brie and pistachio — an indication of the kitchen's ability to produce food that is both approachable and memorable.

Beyond dinner, Vertical Detroit accommodates private parties, offers outdoor seating, and runs a catering operation. The restaurant also connects to a sister retail wine shop in Livonia, extending the same curatorial approach to bottles guests can take home.