Red Haven Farm to Table Restaurant

One of the best dining experiences in the Greater Lansing area. Red Haven hosts themed dinners that you can reserve attendance to from their website. I've been to multiple now and it's fun to try new and impressive food. My favorite dinner was 'Pie Night', a four course meal based on pie. The pictures below are from 'Up North Night', a celebration of Northern Michigan favorites. Just phenomenal and creative. Do yourself a favor and save up for a fancy but relaxed dinner.

This restaurant has been on my bucket list for some time and I finally can check it off! We had a great date night on a Wednesday when they were offering a specialty 4-course mushroom dinner. The atmosphere, service, AND food were top-notch. The dishes were one of a kind, used stellar ingredients, and were presented beautifully. It was a unique yet delicious experience.

Prior to my elevated opinion, let me tell you a little bit about what qualifies me as Lansing’s Premier Food Palette Guide: I’ve eaten at unlimited, drive-ins, and dives locally and throughout the country. I’ve also eaten at Oteque (**) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Cocina Hermanos Torres (***) in Barcelona, Spain, and most recently, predicted Mixtli (*) in San Antonio, TX earning its 1st, and San Antonio’s ONLY Michelin Star. So if there’s one thing I know - it’s good food… Side Note: (*)(**)(***) <— those are Michelin Stars 😉…start again from the top of you need to. Now I’ll get to it! We ate at Red Haven for their ‘Valentine’s Day Tasting Menu’. I’d eaten here before so I knew it was adequate for the occasion. It was a compact menu with wine pairings (honestly I wasn’t feeling any of the pairings, def probably could have done without, but I’ll stick to talking food). Notably, in the past, I’ve never had a beet dish that was satisfying, but the Beet-Citrus Salad [beet, blood orange, walnut, feta, micros] was just that! Something about how the beet flavor mixed with the feta and citrus from the blood orange just worked for me. Additionally, the Baked Camebert en Croute [camebert, pastry, raspberry, pistachio, brioche], and Braised Short Rib [short rib, truffle, brussels, red wine] did not disappoint. However, undoubtedly, the star of the show was the Seared Scallop [scallop, caviar, cream, pasta, fennel]. This plate was absolutely Michelin caliber!! After this experience, I can confidently say that Red Haven has quickly solidified itself as one of the top 3 fine dining restaurants in the Lansing area (and I don’t know what the other two are). Rating: 9/10 Highly recommended!

My spouse and I have been here three times now and the dishes NEVER disappoint (seriously, they're awesome)! The themed dinners are so fun and we love their effort of locally sourcing their ingredients when possible. If you're a foodie, looking for a fun date night or way to celebrate a special occasion, this is the place to go. We know we will be coming back!

Such a unique experience for the Lansing area! The customer service is top-notch and the food is delicious. We were there for the Pixar night last week and really loved it.

Red Haven has a modern feel and good quality cocktails and food. The duck stew was amazing! The tacos were a bit overcooked and extremely dry, but the waitress brought out some sauce that helped with that. Overall, it was a good meal and a nice place.

Beautiful food, great house wine—motivated service. Loved this place! They accommodated us to sneak in without a reservation and that was a gift in a very full dining room. Gorgeous presentation. We’ll be back!

Not only did we have amazing service but the food was phenomenal. We had the shrimp burger, walleye, pork belly and duck for main entrees. The duck melted like butter in your mouth and the shrink burger was fantastic. We had the bread, mushroom risotto and scallops for apps and the scallops were the best I've had. For dessert we had the roasted pear and meringue and both were delightful.

This was a go to place, love it. But now they're only open for pop-up dinners and special events. Bummer.

We were lucky enough to eat at one of the "Searching for Italy" nights. It was superb. Every course was unique and all were delicious. The atmosphere was very special also. People at different tables were talking to each other, two tables decided to combine as they were talking together. The service was perfect. All in all, it was one of those magical evenings where everything comes together at the right time, the right place, the right people, and the best food and drink.

Went here for our anniversary and it was a great time food was better than words could describe and service was a 10/10. We definitely plan on coming back, we really enjoy good food, good service, and good atmosphere and Red Haven really did it all for the two of us.

If you live in this area, you MUST go here. You are so blessed to have this restaurant near you! All the local produce goes into beautiful, creative, DELICIOUS meals and I already can't wait to make the trip back. I have been thinking about this meal since we went last weekend. Firstly, the service is truly top-notch. We go to nice dinners frequently, but only a few places in Detroit can compete with the service at Red Haven. It was literally perfect. Each course was right on time; not rushed or slow, and everything was hot and fresh when brought to the table. The cocktails are excellent as well. We had the Bake, the Carpaccio, and the Stack to begin. Don't skip the bake! It was just the most perfect, freshly baked soft bread with yummy herb butter spread and roasted tomatoes - simple perfection. The carpaccio was perfectly good, and nice to have a raw component to the meal - I love beets. This one is beets, apple, radishes and celery with a honey vinaigrette. Yum. The stack was something I actually hope to create at home with my green tomatoes - fried green tomatoes stacked with fresh creamy cheese and herbs in between and pickled ramps. So good. Lastly, we both had the shrimp burger and the most perfectly salty, crispy shoestring fries. You MUST get this burger, even if it's the only thing you go there for. It's amazing! I thought it would be made of ground shrimp, but it's like, large pieces of beautiful shrimp just barely held together. I don't know how, it's magic. There doesn't even appear to be any filler like breadcrumbs or anything, and the FLAVOR of the shrimp is really what you taste. So fresh and delicious. The soft bun was the perfect bread choice, the carrot/asparagus shaved salad was great, and the sauce was a memorable compliment. Creamy and savory. I wouldn't change a thing about this burger and I'd keep it on my menu forever if it was mine. For dessert, I had the vegan, gluten-free apple cake and ice cream which was not too sweet, flavorful and delicious - the cake even had nice crispy edges, and I'd never guess it was vegan or gluten free. Just tasty! Run, don't walk to here. And if you're coming from Detroit, it's worth the trip, I promise. Stay at the Wild Goose Inn or The Graduate on campus and make it a quick weekend getaway.

Food and service are excellent as is the concept. Love the themes and rotating menu. Prices however are a bit steep for most nights.

It took me a bit to write this review and here's why... This place was like a roller coaster ride for me. It was up and down the entire experience! The atmosphere and service were definitely an up! We are on the patio on a beautiful Michigan evening before a show at the Wharton. The focaccia bread and cheese plate were also ups. Delicious and filling! So the downs? The food was too salty...and I love salt! And each dish seemed as if it would be perfect with just one fewer ingredient... Lastly, the price was a definite down. I am willing to pay for an awesome meal but the portions were so small that we left the show pretty starving. Will I be back? Not sure. UPDATE: I went to another show at the Wharton tonight and decided to give Red Haven's new menu a try! I was especially impressed with the 5-7pm Happy Hour drink and tapas specials. I was in love with tonight's cheese- a ricotta and pear butter combo that I am still thinking about hours later! The delicata squash was awesome and so was the bread with butternut marmalade. For drinks? We went with the specials and ended with a Friendship shot- a cinnamon tequila with pickle juice chaser. Sound weird? It was! But also oddly good! Glad I came back for Round 2!

Terrible food. I had the worst food I've ever eaten here--inedible. The bread was burned, the short rib was 90% fat, and the mushroom were too chewy to swallow.

Best food I've EVER had. I have traveled around the world and eaten a lot of delishous food on my travels. I've eaten all kinds of great food locally. This, though, is the best meal I have ever had. I am not exaggerating. I've never had a meal that was so perfectly paired, that took me on such a journey, and that looks so beautiful. If you live in Mid-Michigan and you haven't been here, you are missing out.

There are two reasons why Red Haven tops my list of East Lansing establishments. First thing's first: they truly have the happiest of hours. Most of the regular menu items are outside of my normal budget for a sit-down dinner, but Happy Hour at the bar evens the playing field for all of us frugal diners. I believe it's 5pm-7pm, bar only, but this is the window of the $5 free for all. A select number of small plates and drinks are just $5 a pop! The shareability factor makes it such a great place to meet friends after work, because it can be just drinks, light snacks, or a whole meal for a reasonable amount of cash. The second wow factor for me, aside from the actual quality and thoughtfulness of the food, is the surprise! The menu gives you hints at main ingredients and flavor profiles, but often you don't know exactly what you're getting until the plate arrives - or unless you go there enough to have eaten through every season's Happy Hour menu (.....). Every meal here has been a treat! Great staff as well.

The food is delicious. The service is wonderful. 10/10 You can't go wrong with, "cure" - the pork belly is delicious!

Great resturant with a truly great atmosphere. We had several menu items that melted in our mouth and had us coming back for more! I highly suggest the vodka martini!

Red Haven? More like Red HEAVEN! One of the best Lansing gems that's hidden away near the MSU campus. I was planning a surprise birthday dinner and found RH highly rated on Yelp-- and I was immensely impressed beyond belief. I made reservations but honestly, it was not too necessary. Our birthday party came on a Saturday night and the restaurant was about 1/2 - 2/3rds full. We were warmly greeted and seated promptly in the middle of the restaurant. Ambiance and interior was alluring and intimate with a hint of earthy comfort. Dimmed light, wooden tables and chairs, rustic decorum-- it was a tasteful, blended design of California hipster and Michigan country home. Our female server was spunky, bright, and accommodating. She was all smiles and attentive to our needs. Surprisingly, the bday boy knew a male server from high school and hooked up up with bisque shooters! We started off with a few appetizers and a big entree: + CHEESE: honey, ricotta, squash, graham, pepita $16 Ricotta cheese was sweet and soft. This tasted more like a dessert to me, so skip this for appetizer if you wanted something more savory. Highly recommend for a sweet tooth. + MASH: sweet potato, feta, chorizo, coriander, lime $15 Pretty sweet sweet potato! It was apparently flash fried and crispy on the outside but soft, mushy, and warm on the inside. We were baffled by this dish but it was savory sweet and delicious. + BAKE: focaccia, rosemary, garlic, giardiniera, chili $7 Great bread appetizer! The dipping sauce was divine and sweet. Bread was crispy and freshly hot baked. +CRUST: venison, black garlic, pear, cranberry, parsnip $30 For two venison chops, we were a little disappointed the portion was smaller than we thought. I thought the glaze was umami but the way it was cooked wasn't what I was used to for venison. Overall, I appreciated the organic, farm-to-fresh aspect of this rustic restaurant. For the quantity, it was a bit pricey but the quality was divine. You can tell the dishes were carefully made and freshly prepped the day of. Red Haven is definitely an upscale-like restaurant with the prices and concept but with the service and ambiance of comfort and family. Big thumbs up to this place-- it's a must try!

Innovative food, always a fun experience, unique for this area. Definitely worth a try.

We stopped in for our anniversary and this cute restaurant did not disappoint! Alex, our server was attentive although he had a full section and knew the menu well. So glad we were finally able to check this off our bucket list! The food and drinks were excellent!

So disappointed that Red Haven discontinued daily dining. It was the ONLY creative restaurant in the East Lansing area. Now my daughter is back at MSU for grad school and we struggle to find anywhere decent to eat - you can only eat so much sushi! I know Red Haven has special dinners but please consider opening for dinner service a few nights of the week - perhaps a menu that covers your old approachable (and delicious) lunch menu with a few entrees. Closure of dining service at Red Haven leaves a gapping hole in the (mostly lame) dining options in EL.

Oh hey! Me again I finally found some free time to check out some of the locals favorite eateries and... ya'll didn't disappoint! I noticed a lot of you recommended Red Haven and B O Y did I love it! I'm located in DeWitt and definitely don't mind the drive, it took about 15 minutes with the way I drive Actually finding the restaurant from the road was a little interesting as I passed it my first time around, but i eventually got there and then was again confused about where the front door was, but I eventually found it! (I swear I need a map for every thing ‍) I decided to sit at the bar just because I was by myself and I was greeted by Sophia! She was very knowledgeable of the menu and did an excellent job on my non alcoholic drink! I asked her to make whatever she thought tasted good and it was a sweet but tart flavored lemonade. Just the way I like it! I then ordered the Mash, Bisque and Bake (Sophia's recommendation). All dishes you could tell were made with super fresh ingredients and filled with tons of flavor! But I have to say the Mash was superb finally Sophia asked me if I'd like dessert and I said what the heck, why not? lol I was having a hard time choosing because they all looked so good so again I asked Sophia what I should try and she suggested the zeppole and holy shit was that perfect! I love combining ice cold ice cream with steaming hot donuts. Two of my favorite things in one And the best part? I went during happy hour so my whole meal was under $30! Thank you foodies for the recommendations, as well! If you haven't been, please go! You won't be disappointed!

We dined here before going to the Wharton Center for "Hamilton",agree that it is a bit pricey, but I also think it is a fresh alternative to so many restaurants that are all the same. The cold asparagus soup was one of the best items I have had in a restaurant in a very long time! I like the small-plates, and the "sharing" concept better than my husband does, but we both enjoyed our first meal at Red Haven. I would definitely like to go back again. We are senior citizens, and I don't think that is their target clientele, but we were comfortable and enjoyed our meal. Just a bit rushed. I was told that 5:30 was enough time to be out by 7 PM, but I wish we had gone at 5:00 so we had had time for dessert.

My wife and I frequently seek out restaurants that specialize in tapas, from Chicago to New York City and have always had very positive experiences. So in reading the reviews, we had high hopes when we booked our reservation for 9 people for our son's 2019 graduation. Upon being seated, our waiter immediately rushed us as we familiarized ourselves with the menu, which we found to be both pretentious and purposely confusing. The names of entrees were exotic, having little or no relation with the ingredients listed on most of the dishes, creating a feeling of confusion. As portion size varies between dishes, it became difficult to gauge the appropriate number of items to order. Far from being much help, our waiter was condescending. We asked if we could order cold items as appetizers and then give him the order for the hot items once he brought our wine. He was not the least accommodative saying, "That's not how we do things." While we found some of the dishes to be appealing, others were a complete fail, and most not worth the price charged. If you look at other reviews I've left on Yelp in the past, you'll find I generally have written 5 star reviews on those restaurant experiences I considered truly exceptional. Red Haven stood out as exceptional but in a bad way--so much so that even nearly a year later I still feel compelled to write this review as a warning to parents who are on campus for similar events.

Beautiful entrees and drinks. Food was delicious and so were the drinks. Waitstaff was incredible!

Red Haven is my favorite farm-to-table restaurant in the Lansing area. I have never had a bad dish there. Their food pairings are very eclectic and work together perfectly. I recommend Red Haven to anyone who is an adventurous foodie person. You will not be disappointed. I have been during COVID and felt safe. The restaurant was clean and tables where adequately spaced apart.

6/12/21 - Our second time there within three years. Not terrible but real close. Although the waitress was polite and efficient, the place could use a good cleaning. I don't think the front sidewalk, viewable from our table through the large glass windows, looked as though it had never been swept. Apparently this is also the location of an electric smoker. There were several large dead plants right outside our windows and the overall look of the place was worn. The portions were small and came with NO sides. The specialty drink was fair and small (blackberry margarita). One of the four dinners we ordered smelled so bad that no one at the table would eat it. It was called an "Italian Stallion" but contained not meat of any kind associated with Italian food. It was served warm and had a strong vinegar smell and taste. All the vegetables inside the bun were brown!? Our total bill for 4 adults with one drink each was over $160! Will not go back and will not recommend to anyone.

Red Haven is the best. I'll be honest there aren't many good options for high end local farm to table type foods in Michigan. I've tried them all. Thanks Red Haven for holding down the quality and the consistency. Quality and creativity in one.

My wife and I had a lovely evening at Red Haven! We love tapas-style restaurants and I really wish there were more to choose from in the Lansing area. This place is doing it right! Excellent craft cocktails and lots of options for vegans too! Although I am not vegan, it's great to have a spot to enjoy with our friends who are with full knowledge that they won't be restricted to one or two offerings. You will absolutely enjoy your night out at Red Haven.

Hands down the best restaurant in town. They have innovative food that you don't find elsewhere. Rich and tasty with wonderful sauces. Been here at least 10 times. Highly recommend getting their meat dishes and soups,

This place is expensive, but good. The service is good, the food is innovative, and the environment is lovely. I'm excited to visit this place for lunch and during some other seasons. The only drawback is that I will agree with some oversalting on some other reviews. Not everything, but some of the appetizer dishes were a bit salty. Definitely a nice splurge meal for special occasions. If you like coffee, grab some with your dessert!

We so enjoyed the excellent selection of food and drink. indoor space is a little loud, fortunately the restaurant has a private dining space as well as outdoor seating. There's small plates, large ones, and burgers with different proteins. The vegetarian enjoyed the tofu curry and roast brussell sprouts. The trout papillote was amazing and the innovative shrimp burgers were a hit. Everyone loved the desserts! The service was excellent and timely. Thank you Red Haven, we love to see this level of innovative cuisine in EL!

Little bit overpriced. The steak and the smoked fish are worth trying, but the pork is too dry for me.

Small plates are a personal favorite so this place hit the spot! We tried almost all of them for dinner and it was such a fun experience of flavors and combinations. The cocktails were delicious and the meringue fluff of a dessert was so light and fabulous! Highly recommend! (It's a small place so err on the side of calling ahead to make a reservation.)

Don't reserve their patio- it may be fine in the summer, but at this time of year it is cold and dark. They don't have plans to support inclement conditions and the manager is rude and inflexible.

Don't go here if you are looking for an adult atmosphere. Happy hour was only served at the bar and since the bar was full of families with kids, they would not honor happy hour if you weren't able to sit there. It was first come first served and well, that just doesn't seem right. So we left.

I came here with Nate and had the halibutter squash and drank juice out of a mason jar because mason Michigan is close they must source their mason jars locally like the rest of the menus thank you for not using a QR code men u I do r like those and it makes it hard to read the q are code I have to input it by hand and by the.n dinner is Ofer and I haven't eaten

Forward thinking restaurant that was inconsistent. I went to Red Haven last year and since their menu rotates often many of the items I had aren't currently on the menu, so FYI. When I went to Red Haven I shared 4 plates with my wife. The better dishes included the cheese plate with brie, homemade graham cracker, honey and a compote, and the shrimp tacos with chili. The 2 dishes that were a little disappointing included the tempura ricotta with squash, and the poached walleye with asparagus and potato gel cubes. Red Haven brings forward-thinking dining to a small metro area like Lansing, but overall it was a little inconsistent. At times there were moments of inventiveness like the cheese dish and the tacos, but at other times things fell flat like the squash dish and the potato gel cubes with the walleye. I admittedly prefer constructed food rather than deconstructed food, so I might have some bias from the get-go. But for 2 people sharing 4 plates and having 1 drink each, the bill was pushing $100 and for $50 per person -- big city or small -- the flavors need to be more memorable and consistent. I am willing to give Red Haven another shot, but I might go during lunch where the dishes are more 'traditional' and cheaper. Maybe if that provides a better meal I might go back for dinner to give it another shot.

Two words- inflexible abe poorly appointed dining conditiins. We were intrigued by the menu and made a reservation for 5 on the patio. Sadly there was no light or heat on the patio. The manager would not approve pulling a table for 4 and a table for 2 together inside. She refused even when resy let us reserve a table 3 and one for 2. She said they needed to leave their open their tables inside. The hostess apologized as we left, but we won't return. I shared that we were a family and the 5th was our mom (86 years old) who recently lost her husband. They need to fix the patio or allow for accommodation. Interestingly, we called another high end local restaurant and they adjusted their tables to accommodate. Red Haven has lost our business and advocacy.

Happy Hour is the best time to explore their food and drink menu. The pros- Great customer service, Great food (so great it sells out quick) that's how you know its fresh and REAL. Gluten free option as well even dessert options are gluten free and dairy free. Farm to table is the only option in my opinion to eat out and still eating REAL FOOD! The staff is Awesome always smiling. Even if they have an upset customer they don't carry that bad energy around to other table. Very accommodating for parties, gatherings and anniversaries. All around just a great business staffed with beautiful people. The Cons- Pricy, Can sell out for the night do to "Farm to Table", The only Red Haven around. Local shrimp are not 100% Non-Gmo I research the farmer in the area. Some times Snobby, Entitled customers (we all are Humans SO act like it.) Food and drinks are meant to bring joy, love and each other together to share common Humanity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Farm To Table" Means fresh and only what's in season hints why they have rotating menu. FYI Just like how the Kings & Queens and Nobles ate and still eat and have great healthy bodies. You pay for your health at the table or @ the doctors office your choice. Just don't take my word for it go and form your own opinion. Every one has one Now a days!! Lol. I will Keep going here until I Can't anymore this I guarantee!

Excellent food flavor, quality, presentation, and service. It can be hard, in normal times, to get into this place. Reservations strongly recommended. Winter is not the best time to look for vegetarian selections, given the nature of their farm-to-table approach; but there will be something you'll like. I had the tempeh tacos, which were delicious. A better selection for vegetarians is usually on menu at other times of the year. The menu changes fairly often.

Great service and atmosphere. This place was not a disappointment. My boyfriend and I decided to try the eight-course Valentine's Day special for $85. It was a great deal and opportunity to try a variety of the dishes. I enjoyed every course that I ordered. My favorite plates were [STIR] (risotto) and [BRAISE] (mussel).

Interesting veggie options, especially harvest and saute. The bread pudding was amazing too.

Me and my boyfriend came here for valentine's day and I must say that the aesthetic and atmosphere is really quite nice!!! And it is quite a nice concept of farm to table. But the food was absolutely atrocious. I mean EVERYTHING we ordered was way too salty. I thought I was eating a pile of salt. We got the Bisque shooter, a cheese platter, wings, scallops, and lamb chops and everything was consistently SO salty it made me lose my appetite. Granted, I know restaurants tend to make their foods a tad saltier, but this was too much. Also, it is pretty pricey so we basically ate a $100+ dollar bag of salt. Would never come here again!

Red Haven is a refreshing change of pace for the typically low-brow options for food in the greater Lansing area. Yes, there are plenty of expensive restaurants, but none that quite live up to the price they charge, in my humble opinion. Having dined here on Sunday at 5pm in their first/opening week, I wanted to go at a time where I could experience my first meal here without the pressures of a busy evening on the staff. Keep also in mind that I literally just returned from Chicago after a weekend of quality dining. The atmosphere was surprisingly fresh and nicely done. The restaurant does not feel stuffy and you can come somewhat casual, despite the elegant fare. The restaurant is somewhat small, so it can definitely have a wait, I expect in the future. And despite the location being in a primarily student residential apartment complex, I do not see many student regulars, unless they have a sophisticated appetite with cash to burn. The menu is creative, yet is not completely intuitive. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however it may help to ask your server what each dish really is. The selections are tapas style and their dishes are relatively small, prices being between $4-$16 per dish. As you can imagine, depending on what is ordered, this can get pricey. The notion that you get what you pay for is evident here, because all of the food is locally sourced, even the beer, wine and sodas. That being said, the price to quality ratio is much higher at Red Haven than I have felt spent on many other experiences at restaurants such as Dusty's, Gilbert & Blakes and others. I started off with the Northwood root beer, which is apparently the signature flavor of this Michigan soda company. It was delicious. For dinner, I ordered three dishes: [Fry], [Grind] and [Sear]. [Fry] potato, yolk, rosemary, lemon. Yes, it was french fries. But damn good fries, pardon my French. I have submitted pics of each of my three dishes, which had lovely presentation. [Grind] shrimp, potato, ginger, brioche. My least favorite dish, however very tasty. It was essentially a shrimp patty sandwich on brioche. It was somewhat difficult to maneuver, as the brioche was thick and I cut the sandwich in half. Attempting to eat the sandwich in such a way was not working, so I ended up eating it with a knife and fork, which was also awkward. Given its size, I only ended up eating half. [Sear] ribe "eye", mushroom, onion, marrow, was the highlight of the meal. It was perfectly executed and rivaled if not bested the $50 22oz steak I just had at Gibson's in Chicago the night before. The flavor was wonderful, the meat juicy at a med-rare. The only problem with the dish was that I wanted it to be bigger. But for $16, you would not expect to get a delicious 16oz steak. So, this review is just of my first and certainly not last experience at Red Haven. Kudos to those that are seeking to raise the public culinary options here in our quaint town.

Delicious food. Quick lunch service and totally worth stopping in. Farm to table menu.

Went here for a friends birthday. Drinks were really good. We shared 3 entrees for 3 people. Food was good. Steak was delicious. I did feel things were just a bit pricey. Normally I wouldn't say this.. but I just wasnt wow'd for some reason. But there weren't any issues and it was all satisfactory.

This higher-end farm-to-table restaurant is very unique to the Lansing area, but this place has me 'on the fence' a bit, and not because of the price. Over the past year I've had the opportunity to dine in some great degustation restaurants in major cities and while Red Haven has some qualities that allow comparisons to be made, there are a few areas that warrant improvement. Here are my observations based on a recent dinner with three, during which we thoroughly sampled the menu through consumption of 8 courses, dessert, and some cocktails and wine: First, while the food is generally of great quality and beautifully presented and the kitchen puts up some great flavor combinations, a couple of the components were not too good. The kale 'garnish' in particular (part of two of our dishes -in identical form) was way too salty. If I pay 'top-dollar' I would like everything to be excellent, without exceptions. (Additionally, I thought the dishes were generally a bit on the sweet side. This is of course entirely personal, but I would have enjoyed some more light / delicate courses.) Second, the speed with which courses were brought out generally worked fine. We received two courses at a time twice, but then all of a sudden four at once (2+2+4). This seemed to have been intent, but it resulted in us eating a couple slightly colder dishes. Thus, bad course management by the kitchen ... Finally, I think the menu is a bit presumptuous and unclear (as others have said too): - I don't mind asking a thousand questions, but it's a bit frustrating that this is in fact required to get an understanding of what the different options entail. - I disliked the need to order everything at once. If you claim to be a tapas-style restaurant then this makes no sense. - Here's just a suggestion, but a true degustation or tasting menu (with paired wine option?) would be great. It would totally fit with this style of restaurant. Now, the price we paid for the food (all including 20% tip): $130 for the 8 courses ($43pp) $160 for the 8 courses plus 3 desserts ($53pp) This is probably high by Midwest (and, judging from some reviews, astronomical by EL) standards, but based on the restaurant type, ambiance, and especially food quality, I'd say this is par for the course, if not better. For us, the eight courses + 3 desserts was a bit overkill. 6+2 or 7+1 would have been fine too, so it wouldn't be hard to go a bit cheaper and leave satisfied. (Our bill of course ramped up pretty steeply by adding some cocktails and wine -and yours will too-, but the prices for just the food are totally acceptable.) There were also some definite highlights: The waitress that served us was beyond excellent. Knowledgeable, personal, and relaxed. She gave great advice, answered all questions patiently, and was fun. (When our four main dishes were brought out all at once, we had a different server and he gave -in hindsight- the wrong advice for which dish to finish with, so possibly not all wait staff is just as good.) Most of the food was really quite excellent. Here's a rundown of our dishes: - Bake: fresh bread with beet jam, and a delicious butter w honey & salt - Dip: burnt rye worked remarkably well with the fresh dip. - Press: goat tacos were ok. Not really memorable. - Mash: potato w cream & butter deep fried. beef cheek garnish. Bay leaf 'pesto'. The mashed potato 'block' was really delicious, but the beef cheeks were not as tender and juicy as expected. - Duck: breast over leg. Great waffle syrup sauce, a bit peanutty. Nice dish, but the kale was way too sweet and salty. - Crust: Pork brined. Sweet caramelized onions w a small 'kick'. Very nice and beautifully presented. - Grill: trout a bit cold. Great parsnip vanilla purée. - Broil: squash broiled, but quite 'al dente'. Kale again; Too salty again. Appel was nice n fresh. Pawpaw soymilk sauce (mango-banana like; vanilla-ish) was great. Wine: 2012 sexual chocolate. Sirah/Petite-sirah/Zinfandel blend. A bit tight. Not very complex but nice. Desserts: - Birthday [cake]: nice sweet potato cake with great frosting. Root beer liquor drizzle very unique and delicious. - Chocolate [beets]: flourless cake. Very nice taste but a bit dry texture. Pumpkin sauce yum. - Pawpaw [split]: nice n light. So, in summary of this loooooong review. Definitely a very interesting place to eat and clearly unique to the area. Improvements are possible, but overall I thought the food was great (although not universally so) and beautifully presented, and serving excellent. In comparison with big-city quality dining, this place would get stuck in 3-star range. However, in the mitten-state this is worth 4 stars for me.

I've been here several times over the past year for lunch and dinner. Overall, I'm glad Red Haven is here. But, let me start with the things that need to be improved. First, the noise level can be very high, especially at dinner, and so it's difficult to have a conversation. Second, some of the dishes can be too salty, and I like salt! In particular, the soups have tended to be a bit too salty and heavy. Some of the dishes are terrific--well-balanced, flavorful, complex, and fresh! And some of the dishes are a definite miss. I think their vegetarian dishes tend to be better than their meat dishes. Prices are mostly reasonable... but $5 for tea? That's a bit much. Service has always been super friendly and genuine. Cocktails are also very good, and I think Tuesday might be half-off wine night. I really like the concept of this place, but if I have to be honest, I'd say that the kitchen is too inconsistent for the prices that they charge.

I'm not sure how ANYONE could rate this under 5 stars. Seriously. There is no way an establishment with this much creativity and just a generally positive vibe should get anything less than 5. I went in here with my mom. It's her "go-to" restaurant. I can see why. The one word menu leaves a lot to be interpreted, although the servers will tell you exactly what it is that you're going to end up with. The drinks here were not exactly MARVELOUS, but I wasn't really there to drink, I was there to eat. The drinks are all more than 3 ingredients and pretty complex, and I'm usually a one or two ingredient kind of guy (spoken: uncultured lol). They were still GOOD though! The real story here is the small plates. Ohhhh the small plates. I'll see if I can upload a picture of the menu, which as I'm told changes pretty regularly because of the whole farm-to-table thing. We ordered four, two of which were GOOD, and two of which were AMAZING. I don't like going places and ordering things I could make myself. It bothers me. The amazing dishes I'm very convinced I would never be able to make, and the thought of combining those particular ingredients together is something that would have never occurred to me. Anyway, so the amazing dishes.... STEAM. Man... dude... this thing was a tamale filled with black beans, and then a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and some kind of sauce. Seriously. This thing was quite possibly the best thing I've ever eaten. It was just kind of spicy, and kind of sweet. Just sofa king good! All the menu said was "black bean, masa, pomegranate, feta, blis blast". I mean, that sounds just kind of so-so, like a black bean salad. I couldn't have been more mistaken, or more happy with my choice there. The other one that particularly got me was the ROAST. I've never eaten beets. Not once in my life. Why would I? They are gross, slimy, and purple. Except here. The menu said beet, apple , spinach, walnut, cider vinegar. It was just... perfect. I don't know what else to say about it. We got CRUST (crusted halibut) and FORM (some kind of turnip/beet/lentil salad), which were both GOOD, but nothing to write home about.... And to top it all off... was the candy bar dessert. WOW. It was like the perfect type of chocolate mousse (kind of thick... not really moussy, but I don't know how else to describe it). This was layered on top of a thin layer of a dark chocolate mousse that was way thicker, with chestnuts (or maybe hazelnuts). All of this was dusted with what I think was cocoa powder, and a drizzle of some sort of port sauce. Oh my God. I would go back just for this! All-in-all, I think this is a great place: the vibe is good. Sharing is a great idea, so the more people you have, obviously the better to try everything on the menu. My only real regret is that I didn't get to try more of what was on the menu. Like I said, I would have never ordered beets and the beets were amazeballs, so I'm curious as to what would have happened if I would have continued outside my comfort zone.

Prior to my week-long stint in East Lansing, I sent messages to my friends who were MSU alumni and posted on the MSU subreddit looking for advice on where to eat. I did manage to find a few gems, but I wasn't really looking for great happy hours or long islands...I just wanted some good food indicative of the area. Luckily, I had some friends who actually live in the area, so they knew places that: A) weren't right on campus and B) had opened recently I met them up at Red Haven, which is just outside of the main campus area-located in what looks like an apartment complex; it's easy to miss. It opened within the past year. Also, they specialize in farm to table, which pretty much fulfills my local requirement as well. Red Haven changes their menu monthly, so you may not be able to get what I list here: Radish, turnip, and apple [CARPACCIO]: Very refreshing and sweet, not much bitterness despite the main ingredients Goat taco [PRESS]: Small, but packed with flavor Kashkaven [CHEESE] with honey: A general salty cheese, a bit creamy Rabbit loin [BRINE], liver, and bacon: I think the star. At first bite it comes off super-salty, but finishes with just a bit of bitterness Sausage [GRIND] with egg and hollandaise: Basically a scotch egg but with a great eggy hollandaise The thing that just jumped out at me so much was that everything tasted so fresh. In pretty much every dish all the flavors came together to create things that I definitely didn't expect out of the middle of Michigan. More so, each dish was unique and had a distinct profile that pretty much mandated sharing among our small group so we could try as much as possible. I'm not surprised no one really mentioned this place-it's not really somewhere you'd see a college student going due to it not being open past midnight and the fact that it costs a little more than your average college joint. But this isn't your average college joint, it's a nice little gem in East Lansing.

Very good service, super cute spot, but I had higher expectations for the food. Everything was sooo sweet, from the soups to the burgers to the salad, with no other flavors other than sweet. Odd chef? I'm not sure. I probably wouldn't go back, even though I loved the vibes.

Positives: Perfectly cooked walleye. Generous bread serving with both savory and sweet dips. Inviting atmosphere. Lots of enthusiasm for great flavor -- foodies will be happy here. We sat at the bar because tables were booked but the atmosphere was still clean and bright. Negatives: portion (but not flavor) of ravioli was small for those stretching a dollar or on a budget. dessert descriptions could be slightly more specific about the form of each dessert. The restaurant is somewhat difficult to find from the road (next to Spartan-Net, in the first floor of an apartment complex. We circled once looking for it because it doesn't have a lit sign facing the parking lot). Overall: a wonderful, new EL restaurant. Farm-to-table format with food to match Grove and some of the better Grand Rapids restaurants. I will be back!

I thought most of the food at this high-end, farm to table restaurant was pretty great. Even the food that wasn't exactly my cup of tea was an adventure! Fun, creative food! Some portions are quite small, especially when your plan is to eat tapas style, but still worth the cost for the clear effort and care that the chefs seem to put in. The service was not great, out waitress seemed disinterested and in a hurry. This is only based on one experience, and everyone has a bad night. If the service had been on par with the food experience, I would have given 5 stars for sure!

I've been to Red Haven three times now and I must say it is starting to disappoint... Reasons to go: Cappadoccio salad - the best salad I've ever had!! Pickled Ramps!!! Low-key ambiance (you can dress as casual as you like) Interesting menu items (it's an adventure) Support farm-to-table/local food sources! Reasons to not go: Inconsistent menu - some dishes are so good! Others need a lot of work The menu is confusing (always ask your server if you are unsure about what the item is - I ordered an item that I thought had pork in it, when it apparently didn't) If you don't have a lot of money - it's super expensive for what you get Bad food preparation - they didn't clean their morel mushrooms properly. I had dirt/grit in my mouth from one bite If you want to hear the people you are dining with - it is super loud