DBusiness: The Whitney earns national and international recognition from Michelin and Food & Wine
The Whitney, the fine dining restaurant on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, has received top grades by national and international publications.
Late last year, the first Michelin Green Guide for Detroit named the historic mansion-turned eatery as a “Top Pick” of places worth visiting in the city.
The “Top Pick” distinction is shared with attractions like the Detroit Riverwalk, the Fox and Fisher theaters, Eastern Market, and the city’s growing collection of artistic wall murals. The Michelin guide referred to the city as “a hidden gem booming with culture, art, and atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, in its recently released 2024 survey of “the best classic restaurants in every state,” Food & Wine magazine named The Whitney one of Michigan’s “most extravagant special occasion spots…with fantastic beef Wellington” and “one of Detroit’s deepest wine lists.”
“We treasure this beautiful place and are proud to keep it open to the public,” says Bud Liebler, a retired automotive communications executive and owner of the restaurant. “We love to see out of towners, but our primary goal has always been to keep the mansion open for metro Detroiters, kind of as a way to add to their civic pride.
“A hundred years ago Woodward Avenue was lined with homes like The Whitney but we’re one of the very few left, and the only one really open to the public. We’re proud to be part of Detroit’s heritage and we’re especially proud to be recognized by these major publications.”
Now celebrating its 39th year as a fine dining restaurant in an historic Woodward Avenue mansion, The Whitney offers dinner service each evening, afternoon tea service Friday and Saturday, an elegant buffet brunch Sunday, all accompanied by live piano music.
The Whitney also offers champagne tours of the mansion, monthly paranormal dinners, unique craft cocktails and assorted beverages in the GhostBar, summertime garden parties with live music, and more.