Albena
Permanently Closed
Intimate chef's counter with rotating tasting menus
Intimate chef's counter with rotating tasting menus
"Tucked back inside the Siren Hotel, Albena provides diners with an intimate experience that includes lots of face time with folks behind the eight-seat chef’s counter. The sparse atmosphere leaves plenty of space for chef Garrett Lipar’s plates to shine. The tasting menu changes regularly but past dishes have included courses such as shrimp with sweet chili, seasonal citrus dressed up with honey, and venison with sweet potato." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Tucked back inside the Siren Hotel, Albena provides diners with an intimate experience that includes lots of face time with folks behind the eight-seat chef’s counter. The sparse atmosphere leaves plenty of space for chef Garrett Lipar’s plates to shine. The tasting menu changes regularly but past dishes have included courses such as shrimp with sweet chili, seasonal citrus dressed up with honey, and venison with sweet potato." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Nestled in the back corner of the Siren Hotel is one of Detroit’s best-kept secrets for an intimate chef’s counter experience. The six-seat counter allows diners to enjoy a multicourse tasting menu that changes every other month, without the busyness of many traditional restaurants. While caviar makes regular appearances on the menu, its presentation and usage is always different. Albena’s December menu, for example, started off with a honey-poached seaweed tartlet filled with milk gel, almond oil, and osetra caviar — all topped with a cluster of seagrass. This complex, umami yet subtly sweet course is the ideal start to this one-of-a-kind dining experience. With seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, prepaid reservations can be made for $250 a person, with an optional wine pairing for $110. (Disclosure: The author of this piece is a former Albena employee)." - Will Reaume
"The Detroit Free Press concluded its countdown today of metro Detroit’s best restaurants for 2019. Chef Garrett Lipar’s Albena took the top spot for Best New Restaurant." - Brenna Houck
"Albena is the forthcoming chef's table associated with Garrett Lipar, a past local Eater Young Gun." - Brenna Houck