Prime + Proper

Prime + Proper is Detroit's premier steakhouse, occupying a magnificently restored historic building on Griswold Street in the heart of the city's financial district. The restaurant opened in 2017 as part of Detroit's downtown reinvestment era and has established itself not merely as the finest steakhouse in Michigan but as one of the most accomplished steakhouses in the American Midwest, drawing comparison with the country's great urban steak destinations.

The kitchen's beef programme is exceptional by any standard. The 45-day dry-aged ribeye is the house centrepiece — a cut that develops extraordinary depth of flavour through an extended ageing process managed with precision in the restaurant's on-site ageing programme. Japanese A5 Wagyu is offered as a premium upgrade, served in smaller portions at a price that reflects the considerable rarity of the product. The shellfish tower — a multi-tiered cold presentation of oysters, crab, and shrimp — serves as the restaurant's most celebrated starting point, and bone marrow preparations demonstrate the kitchen's commitment to the full expression of the butcher's tradition.

The dining room is among the most beautiful in Detroit: the historic building's soaring ceilings, ornate architectural plasterwork, and warm lighting create a setting of rare distinction that makes an evening at Prime + Proper feel genuinely ceremonial. The wine programme is extensive and particularly strong in California Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux, with a list depth commensurate with the kitchen's ambitions. Service is formal but not stiff — the team is expert and attentive in a way that enhances rather than interrupts the evening.

The surrounding Griswold Street block in downtown Detroit is within walking distance of Campus Martius Park, the Guardian Building, and other landmarks of the city's renaissance. An evening at Prime + Proper anchors effortlessly to broader downtown Detroit cultural itineraries.