Restaurants in Southfield

Steeped in tradition, Mario’s Restaurant has served up old-school Italian cuisine since 1948, when it opened as a casual but luxurious supper club. The crystal chandeliers cast warm light on tables covered in white linens, which attentive servers top with a vegetable and relish tray the moment diners are seated. As chefs prepare house specialties tableside, the dining room fills with the rich aromas of buttery broiled lobster tails, veal piccante, and fresh pasta sauce. Guests can also take a whirl on the dance floor during ballroom-dancing sessions on weekends.

Mazaar's decor blends urban chic with traditional design details. Sleek, shiny tables line up beneath rough-hewn stone archways, and white tassels create silhouettes of iwan arches against textured crimson walls. And though it tends further toward tradition, the eatery's Lebanese cuisine gets equal consideration and care. Chefs mix fresh lemon and cracked wheat into tabbouleh, grill up tender shish kebabs and shawarma, and flavor pan-seared seafood fillets with pepper- and lemon-based sauces. Complimentary, made-to-order pitas accompany every entree to the table, much like government chaperones accompany every MP to the House of Commons annual mixer. Located blocks from the Caesars Windsor casino, Mazaar cultivates a party-friendly atmosphere through flowing libations and live entertainment. Recessed lighting glows beneath the sleek bar where mixologists shake cocktails and pour wines and beer. On select nights, belly dancers weave between tables, mesmerizing diners with their fluid dance moves and slowly swaying pocket watches.

Mosaic's ceiling looks like a sculpture from Poseidon's undersea art gallery. Hand-blown blue glass and a droplet-shaped light fixture make it resemble the ocean. Waterfalls plummet to granite floors, binding the earth and heavens with more grace and ferocity than a saber-toothed ballerina. This dramatic scene is a fitting prelude to the restaurant's menu, which spans several oceans to incorporate fare from Greece, France, and Japan. Japanese ingredients pepper several seafood dishes, which range from tuna tataki sushi to chilean sea bass steeped in a sake lee marinade. The Greek influences stem from owners Athina, Maria, and Stella Papas, who cut their teeth at Pegasus, their father's iconic Greektown restaurant, and the French element emanates from Executive Chef Mark Kelly, who studied Gallic cuisine in culinary school. Together, these inspirations flavor fruit-studded goat-cheese salads and lamb chops brushed with olive oil and lemon juice. A sprawling list of wines and martinis pairs nicely with fare from all three countries and encourages patrons to mingle in the lounge area where DJs perform each weekend.

The framed photos that line the wall are a daily reminder for owner David Lum of the inspiration behind Eurasian Grill—Lum’s nieces and nephews. As an ode to their European and Asian heritage, Lum crafted a menu of dishes using Eastern and Western techniques. Veal parmesan sits near orange beef on the page, and Michigan lake perch shares menu space with Hawaiian yellow-fin ahi tuna with wasabi soy sauce. To further blend cultures, waiters sing the "Star Spangled Banner" while toting sichuan chicken and mu shu pork to linen-topped tables.

The only Detroit eatery named to OpenTable's 2011 list of top 50 scenic-view restaurants, Coach Insignia lets diners soak in views of the city from the 71st and 72nd floors of the GM Renaissance Center. In the sky-high kitchen, executive chef Frank Turner gives traditional dishes a modern twist—for instance, a corn-dog appetizer comes stuffed with fried lobster, and standards like veal Oscar share menu space with Asian-fusion pan-seared tofu. Turner and his staff also grill USDA prime and certified Angus beef steaks and source fresh local ingredients from Michigan farmers and markets whenever possible. Additionally, the 720-bottle wine list earned Wine Spectator's "Best Of" Award of Excellence in 2011.

Awarded the Best Casual Entree people's-choice title during PNC Bank's Taste of Troy in 2011, Slab 'N Slice keeps ovens occupied with house-marinated wings, fresh deep-dish pizza, and steaming pastas in made-from-scratch alfredo and marinara sauces. To view the entire menu, click here.