Best Piano Bars In Metro Detroit

The Dakota Inn Rathskeller is Detroit's only German bar, and has been open since August 1933. When it originally opened, it only had three stools. The restaurant has been in the same family through the generations, and third generation Karl Kurz currently runs it. The Dakota Inn Rathskeller hosts a German beer garden once a year, including "oompah bands" and a polka contest, and you can catch the end of Oktoberfest this month in the main hall of the restaurant. Its current piano is 80 years old and is a classic Grinnel piano that was rebuilt.

If you're in the mood for a nice dinner out with some light piano playing, check out the London Chop House. A piano player serenades you while you enjoy your dinner, and the restaurant was once known as one of the country's top 10 restaurants, receiving this distinction from James Beard. The Chop House was established in 1938 by the Gruber brothers, Lester and Sam, in which was Detroit's business district. The restaurant also has a weekday happy hour, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the bar only, that includes appetizers like its stacked fries, short rib sliders, shrimp cocktail and more.

La Bistecca, nominated for Detroit's A-List award under Best Steakhouse, features a piano bar located in its Martini Lounge, from Tuesdays through Saturdays. It has also won the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award of Excellence, as well as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and is helmed by Executive chef Stephen Yu. The restaurant uses only USDA-certified Piedmontese beef in its beef dishes to "promote the concept of healthy eating while not sacrificing taste." Other menu items include pollo alla piccata (Chicken Piccata), fresh fish of the day, chicken with ricotta gnocchi and more.

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Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe is the only restaurant on this list that features dueling pianos, as well as specific shows and jazz groups; check the Dirty Dog's website for its actual calendar. Space is limited during live performances, and reservations are strongly encouraged. However, for the 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. encore performances on Saturdays and Sundays, no reservations are needed. The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe opened in 2008, and "combines the charm of an English-style pub with intimacy and meticulous attention to detail and hospitality."

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