Nightlife in Dearborn

Fun and flavor go hand-in-hand at Electric Stick, a bar that’s one part casual pool hall and one part restaurant. A fireplace warms the restaurant section, where servers deliver Italian and American fare such as burgers, pizzas, and pasta. Nearby, six pool tables host games of billiards, 17 televisions broadcast sports, and video games host rounds of virtual golf or darts. In addition, regular charity poker games let patrons showcase their Texas hold'em skills and collection of intimidating sunglasses while raising money for a worthy cause. :m]]

The clink of whiskey glasses, the upbeat strains of fiddles, and the mouthwatering aroma of braised lamb shank: these are the sights, sounds, and smells that envelop the senses at Claddagh Irish Pub. The lively eatery sates stomachs with a menu of traditional dishes, such as shepherd’s pie, and those with modern twists, such as the fish accompanied by fresh mango salsa or cilantro-lime rice. The chefs try to use seasonal ingredients and keep tongues from getting bored by changing their offerings twice a year and hiding firecrackers in the desserts.

Diners swig a variety of Irish beer and whiskey and sip more than a dozen wines surrounded by dark wood accents and stone walls that evoke the Emerald Isle. A slew of events entertain ears, including traditional Irish music jams on Sunday evenings and trivia on Wednesday nights.

At Centaur, the martini is monarch. The menu of seasonally changing cocktails ($9 each, $5 during happy hour) leaves no taste unexplored. The toasted-almond martini swizzles together vanilla, almonds, cocoa, and cinnamon, while the Detroiter uses hometown-hero Vernors ginger ale with splashes of vanilla vodka and spiced rum. Secret agents on the lam after a botched attempt to blow up a supervillain's volcano lair can unwind with the .007 martini's mix of vodka, gin, strawberry, and basil while awaiting further instructions from contacts "Hansel and Gretel," who are enjoying a gingerbread-flavored martini at the other end of the bar. In addition to an extensive selection of beers and wines, Centaur also offers a menu of gourmet small plates for stomachs not quite satisfied by toothpicked olives. Try an ounce of Sevruga caviar ($50), Maryland crab cakes with lobster cream sauce ($10), or three gourmet mini-burgers ($6).

Since it first threw open its Tudor-style doors in 1878, Windsor's oldest tavern has kept whistles wet and toes tapping with beers, live music, and a full menu of sandwiches and pub-style entrees such as fish 'n' chips and shepherd's pie. A dozen different brews flood from the tap, slaking the thirsts of guests plugging away at open mic and trivia nights. Beyond the main dining room’s checkered floors, long communal-style tables, and crimson walls, private rooms host parties of up to 100 merrymakers or several million thimbles.

Brothers Sean, Ryan, and Bobby "Roberts" McShane wanted to create an Irish-American pub that felt like home. At McShane's Irish Pub & Whiskey Bar, the brothers offer a warm setting where diners can enjoy a menu packed with Irish-American dishes, a lengthy whiskey list, and pregame parties hosted on a huge outdoor patio. More than just a happy-hour pit stop, McShane’s capitalizes on its location near the old Tigers stadium with live entertainment, drink specials, and barbecue cookouts before all Tigers games and other Detroit sporting events. They even organize shuttles to take guests to the games or to international space stations, as long as fans are willing to tear themselves away from Bobby McShane's brisket melt, shepherd's pie, and Guinness and local craft brews on tap.

As the doors of Skybar Lounge’s wood-paneled elevator slide open, customers are immersed in a sleek atmosphere enlivened by driving bass beats and the icy rattle of the bartenders' shakers as they prepare 25 signature martinis. Moroccan-style lamps cast a warm glow over patrons sharing tapas plates of prime beef sky sliders and calamari with house sweet chili sauce in between enjoying panoramic views of the city skyline, flickering streetlights, and nannies flying back to England.