Parc — Restaurant in Detroit

(READ THE WHOLE REVIEW) I want to start this review by thanking our waitress, Taylor, for asking and listening to our concerns, and the manager Gabriel for taking heed to what we said, explaining his high expectations of his restaurant, and trying to make sure we left with a good experience! I really commend you two for wanting to set the bar high! I was very hesitant on making this review because of them, and actually waited a few days to write it. I typically write my reviews right away. I decided to go ahead with it because it wouldn't be fair to all of the other places who received an honest review from me. When we first entered I asked the greeter to be seated on the opposite side of the establishment, where one other party was seated, because where we were assigned had two other parties on both sides, in close proximity. One group having like 5 guests, and the other 2. We had 5 people in our party. I was told that they seated groups based which server they were given, which was alternating. Understandable in a pre-covid environment. Yea, we could have left right then & there, but we dragged my hungry parent and grand parent down there after a long morning of house hunting. On the whim of having a decent previous experience last summer, and a tasty looking brunch menu (which is apparently only served on Saturday & Sunday: our fault for over looking the days). Although distancing did not take place, all waiters and waitresses wore masks and gloves. The bathrooms were clean, as well! The menu was very limited, and I would not recommend bringing young kids here UNLESS they have a large palate of foods they'll eat or try. Outside of water, our drinks were a diet coke and a lemonade. They were both good. For our appetizers, we ordered the sweet chili chicken wings. They weren't spicy at all, which was a huge plus with our group, as 3 out 5 did not eat spicy foods. Everyone enjoyed the wings! For the meals, my parent and my boo bear both ordered the Parc Burger with a side of fries, one well done the other medium well. Both came out medium. Both said their burgers had no flavor at all. The toasted brioche bun crumbled as if it was old (NOT SAYING THAT IT WAS), and surprisingly it didn't have a sweet taste. They both liked the bacon that was added, and the fries!! I ordered the shrimp tacos and fries. To me, I did not like the sauce that was drizzled on top, as it tasted like liquidy sour cream, the tortilla tasted old (again, not saying that it was), and the shrimps tasted really fishy. I also enjoyed the fries!! For my kid, I ordered the grilled chicken wrap that came with a yogurt ranch sauce on it (we added bacon on it, and took the red cabbage off), and fries. She loved the fries! I thought she would have liked the wrap because she's practically addicted to ranch, but she didn't. I'm guessing it had cilantro somewhere in it, as that's what I tasted. The "ranch" did not taste like ranch. If you order the wrap, I would suggest using honey mustard, or that sweet chili marinade as the sauce. As a back up dish for the kid, I ordered the beef tip tenderloin (strogonaff style), which is what my grand ordered as well. It had a sour cream based gravy, which we agreed, washed out the flavor that may or may not have been put in the dish. My grand said the beef was really tender and had a nice taste to it! I thought the egg noodles were cooked perfectly! Overall, the fries and the chicken wings won our taste buds. Although we repeatedly told him not to comp our bill, Gabriel took off a few of the uneaten items because he really wanted to make sure we were happy. We were happy, not because of the adjustment of the bill (because we really did not want that, as we ordered a lot of food; although we didn't eat it, and we spend good money wherever we go), but because Taylor asked, and she and Gabriel took the time to actually listen to our concerns. They both established that they wanted better for their restaurant and notified the cooks. Mostly for them, and the fries of course, I'm giving...

On July Fourth, while fireworks prep buzzed across Campus Martius, Parc restaurant hummed with the quiet confidence of a business model that works: premium location, solid execution, zero pretense about being anything more. The kale Caesar with steak tips ($29.68 before tip) arrived in eight minutes flat—a minor miracle in downtown dining that speaks to kitchen systems honed for the lunch-rush reality of Detroit's financial district. The steak tips, properly medium with fatty char marks that photograph well against Parc's signature teal branding, deliver exactly what the Instagram-conscious downtown professional ordered: photogenic protein with enough salt to power through a summer afternoon.

Parc's genius lies in its atmospheric flexibility. The floor-to-ceiling windows dissolve boundaries between inside and out, creating what amounts to climate-controlled people-watching with Downtown Detroit as your entertainment. Whether you're channeling your inner hunter-gatherer at the rustic wooden tables or embracing full urbanite mode in the polished dining room, the space adapts. City breezes flow through opened glass panels while string lights create Instagram-worthy ambiance that works equally well for power lunches and anniversary dinners.

Parc occupies prime real estate at Detroit's literal point of origin, where Judge Woodward's 1805 street grid emanates outward like spokes from a wheel. This isn't coincidence—it's calculated positioning by Elia Group, which transformed the space from failed café to bustling bistro by understanding a simple truth: location can forgive mediocrity, but excellence with location creates something untouchable. The portion-to-price ratio won't win awards, but that misses the point. Parc's customers aren't comparison shopping—they're buying proximity to the Compuware Building, the Renaissance Center, and Michigan's legal epicenter. When parking is free (holiday luck) and seating immediate (holiday timing), the math works.

Credit where earned: watching Parc's team maintain genuine warmth while working a holiday shift borders on theatrical. The bartender's smile never wavered despite the visible exhaustion of serving Caesar salads to tourists who'd rather be at Belle Isle. This is front-of-house excellence disguised as Midwestern nice—a competitive advantage in a city rebuilding its service reputation one interaction at a time. The kale itself deserves mention. Crisp, substantial, holding its Caesar dressing like a proper supporting actor. No wilted lettuce masquerading as health food here—Parc understands that downtown diners want their vegetables to feel like a choice, not a compromise.

Parc succeeds precisely because it doesn't overreach. While Detroit's restaurant scene swings between aggressive innovation and nostalgic comfort, Parc plants itself firmly in profitable middle ground: competent American bistro food, premium location, predictable quality. Is it destination dining? Absolutely not. Will it anchor your downtown Detroit experience without disappointment? Completely. In a city where restaurant failures litter the landscape like abandoned lots, Parc's steady profitability reads less like settling than like smart business. For the downtown worker grabbing lunch between depositions, the tourist checking boxes before heading to the DIA, or the business dinner that needs to impress without inspiring, Parc delivers exactly what its Campus Martius location promises: Detroit dining that works, no...

Being extremely bias of Detroit especially in the winter. I must say my arrival at the downtown center circle was full of skepticism . With no valet and only street parking the lake effect was more than enough of a deterrent not to proceed with my brunch plans but after bravely baring the cold and stopping my eyes from watering after entering the restaurant I realized how welcoming the small quaint restaurant vibes were. After being seated I immediately notice a large glass OJ jar surrounded with a variety of fruits on the table next to where we were sitting and had to fight the urge to immediately follow our neighbors selection. I was given an suggest to try a bourbon I had seen but never tried before. The Basil Hayden Toast was very smooth and light and set the mood for us to attempt to create a "French Connection" by adding bourbon to the mimosa I was finally able to order. The more time I spent inside Parc the less I begin to feel that I was in Detroit. The atmosphere transformed the city into a feeling as if I were back in Paris. All the people gliding over the ice skating ring also added to the transformation. The only draw back to our experience was the fake wanna be Gordon Ramsey cook's unwillingness to provide me with a Connecticut style hot lobster roll over the boring cold New England style lobster roll. Just for the sake of argument and information. This is truly a difference of cultures as most blacks in our community do not prefer any cold sandwich especially any seafood. Feeling slighted at the unwillingness of the cook to accommodate a guest by simply changing the temperature of a dish, I almost allowed this to change my attitude during brunch but my company was so pleasant I would not allow the arrogance of the cook to effect my enjoyment. I simply ordered the avocado toast and added many additional request to compensate for having to settle for a second option over the lobster roll. All in all the servers and staff were amazing. The atmosphere was great. However I would not return due to the cook. A Chef makes creations and is always willing to accommodate any guest as long as it is within their means. When you have experienced some of the most amazing restaurants all over the world you learn that food and its creation is a art form, thus a culinary art experience. Just as painters are commissioned to produce artworks for clients. Chefs understand they too are commissioned to produce culinary forms of art in the form of foods for their guest. In this regard the cook, whatever his name failed the Parc and was the only sub par element present in the restaurant. It is a shame that with all the stellar aspects of the restaurant it would be the head guy in the kitchen to fumble the ball. In most cases you can have a amazing restaurant with amazing ambience and staff but if the chef is not great it devalues the entire establishment. In the Parc's case it is the opposite. The cook devalued the restaurant not for a lack of skill but due to a lack of understanding that without customers he would only be cooking for himself. With a sub $300 brunch bill for two you would image I would have departed completely satisfied. Please inform the cook, privileged individuals are not use to...