Detroit Nightlife
Casinos
AAA
Feeling lucky? Three casino hotels offer unique gambling experiences as well as various dining and entertainment options, all within luxurious AAA Four Diamond hotels in the downtown area. Hollywood Casino at Greektown (555 E. Lafayette Ave.) has some 3,000 slot machines in its recently renovated casino. Upscale shopping and dining venues greet you as you enter the casino at the MGM Grand Detroit (1777 3rd Ave.). MotorCity Casino (2901 Grand River Ave.) is designed to reflect Detroit’s automotive history.
Cocktails
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If you geek out over a great cocktail, head to Standby (225 Gratiot Ave.), where libations are created in a "lab" complete with a centrifuge and liquid nitrogen. A snack and dinner menu contains locally sourced fare. The Sugar House (2130 Michigan Ave.) has an extensive list of spirits and a seasonal menu of original craft cocktails along with all of the classics. Small plates and snacks are served, as well as alcohol-infused ice cream and chocolates.
Comedy
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If you're looking for places to go for laughs, get to Go Comedy! Improv Theater (261 E. 9 Mile Rd., Ferndale) for improvisational comedy by professional and amateur performers. Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle (310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak) was reputedly the first comedy club in Michigan when it opened in 1979 and showcases up-and-coming and established comedians, as well as occasional surprise guest appearances by well-known names in the business. Willis Show Bar (4156 3rd Ave.) opened in 1949 and was a popular jazz club until closing in 1978. Reopened in 2018, it retains unique details such as an Art Moderne ceiling and a main stage behind the bar featuring burlesque, cabaret and comedy shows.
Dance
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DJs spin Top 40 dance music at Delux Bar & Lounge (350 Monroe St.), a lounge with a menu of specialty martinis and cocktails. Detroit is the birthplace of techno music, and TV Lounge (2548 Grand River Ave.) serves it up in style, along with house, hip-hop, R&B and a great selection of libations.
Live Jazz
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Purportedly Detroit's oldest jazz club, Baker's Keyboard Lounge (20510 Livernois) has presented major and local jazz acts since the 1930s in an intimate, Art Deco-style venue with excellent acoustics. A lunch and dinner menu includes soul food favorites such as fried chicken, catfish and barbecue ribs. Opened in 1935, Cliff Bell's (2030 Park Ave.) is another of Detroit's oldest jazz clubs, renovated and reopened after being closed for many years. Enjoy live jazz performances in a lavish Art Deco venue with a dinner menu of creative New American fare.