Iridescence

Not sure about Motor City Casino’s Iridescence. I found it quite cold, not very intimate and not all tables are comfortable. The plates as they come in didn’t really fit on the table by the window. Food is average, complicated, overrated, overpriced and somewhat elitist in a ridiculous way. I have spent money on better and less pretentious food and drinks at a casino in France.

The décor and view were amazing. I took my dad with me and we went had dinner here. My dad had the New York strip steak and I had the Chilean Sea Bass which was also great. The waiter was also awesome and very nice. The service was really good. It’s a little pricey but worth a try.

Walking in, it is definitely an upscale restaurant. My boyfriend and I were there for our 2 year anniversary. We sat at a window seat. The view was decent, but I have had a better view in Detroit at restaurants. The menu is simple, which I usually like, but perhaps too simple. I ordered the New York Strip. I could not substitute a seafood side for another, instead, I paid for them to omit it off the plate (seafood allergies). My waiter did not have knowledge of the menu or the drinks and tried getting me to chose the more expensive champagne, and when I asked why, he had nothing to say about it. I will say that the steak was cooked to perfection, but some fat was still left on and I really wanted to spit it out (it was my last bite too). The slider appetizers were very good, if I would change something about it, I would have a mayo sauce on it.
If you want to know about the price, I expected it to be high. For two people: 1 bottle of champagne, one appetizer (small plate), 2 entrees, and dessert, the bill was $ 200 before tip.
Overall, I think this would have been 5 stars if we had a better waiter who understood the menu and helped me get a substitution for my side of seafood, instead of paying for nothing.

The food and ambience were excellent. The service overall left a bad taste in my mouth.
We went to celebrate my 40^th birthday. When we made reservations a week in advance we let the restaurant know that we wanted the kaiseki menu but one of us has a milk allergy. The day before my birthday my boyfriend called to confirm and was told at that time they could not accommodate his allergy. We double checked after we were seated and we’re told the same. And since the entire table orders kaiseki or no one can, I was not allowed to order it either. I am still very disappointed. The menu notes that you should notify your server of allergies and preferences and I was hopeful based on reviews here that indicated that they were accommodated. I guess that’s just not for everyone.
Our waiter was rather pushy and overbearing. He reached across me a number of times to touch my menu. I understand he was trying to show me things but it felt invasive. He wished my boyfriend happy birthday twice and presented me with the bill. He dropped off a plate with a lit candle and a strip of chocolate on it that said Happy Birthday after I had been eating my dessert for some time. He poured our champagne so it dripped down the side of the glad at every refill. He was very conscientious about my boyfriend’s milk allergy. He even reviewed the desert menu and informed him they had nothing they could serve him.
The ambience was lovely and the food we did get was really excellent. I somehow still can’t help feeling disappointed.
**Please note the tables by the window are high top tables. The view is great. They weren’t really very comfortable for a 2 hour dinner. We weren’t offered any other options.

This was the highlight of my weekend, I love this restaurant. I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful fine dining dinner. The food was delicious and the staff was incredible. Get a window seat! The view is beautiful.

Disclosure: I stayed at MotorCity last night as a blogger guest, and dinner was also comped.
I had heard great things about Iridescence, and it definitely did not disappoint. We had 6pm dinner reservations but showed up a little early, at 5:45pm, and were seated right away, by the window, with a view of the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit.
Our waitress was great, I told her we had never been to Iridescence before so we got her recommendations on some of the meal and appetizer options.
What we ordered:
1. Amuse bouche (didn’t technically order, it came with dinner) — gooseberry on some sort of orange sauce. Tiny and delicious.
2. Appetizers: he ordered the crab cake (I’m not a seafood person) and I got the short rib. I’m generally not a huge fan of short rib but this one was good, it had a dusting of peanuts on top. Also came with tiny pieces of scallops.
3. Main course: I had the filet mignon and he had a 24 oz. ribeye steak. I also ordered Robichon (sp?) potatoes on the side, which was a creamy and delicious mashed potato dish.
4. Dessert: we shared, but I ordered the Milky Way (think an upside-​down ice cream cone but with a cream filling and delicate chocolate tendrils for the outside) and he got the crème brûlée. The crème brûlée had chocolate on the bottom, which was unexpected, but very good.
5. Macaroons (again not ordered, but on the house). Also very good.
I LOVED this restaurant, from the food to the service to the atmosphere, and therefore it gets a 5-​star rating from me, which I don’t give out on Unilocal lightly. I would love to come back some day, most likely for a birthday or special occasion like an anniversary. The staff was impeccable, the food was delightful, and the atmosphere was incredible. Well done, Iridescence.

I seriously loved this restaurant! My husband and I went on a double date here with his aunt & uncle on friday night. The restaurant was busy, but not packed– that may have been due to it being the day after Thanksgiving, we had made reservations just incase.
When we received our cocktails and were reviewing the menu, our server brought us all out a fun little tasting appetizer as a gift from the chef that was quite tasty.
The tartar appetizer was amazing. It was a waygu tartar, lamb tartar and tuna tartar. all 3 came with different chips and sauces to accompany them and all 3 were delicious. We also had the mushroom toast, which was fantastic. It had several different kinds of mushrooms and a very robust flavor. His aunt & uncle split a dozen oysters on the half shell, which I didn’t try but heard were very clean and of a perfect brine. The oysters were small ocean oysters (which I greatly prefer), not big bay ones.
The couples each split caesar salads next, the kitchen was kind enough to give us each half on our own plates, which is always appreciated. The dressing tasted homemade, but not overly flavored with anchovies and the lettuce was crisp.
Before the entrees arrived, our server brought us out another gift from the chef. We each received a small raspberry sorbet as a pallet cleanser. It was delicious and a nice touch.
For entrees we all selected something different. My uncle had the steak and my aunt had the bento box, they both thoroughly enjoyed their entrees. I had the lobster pasta, which was delicious and had a generous serving of lobster with it. My husband had the duck duck goose and he loved it!
The wine selection both by the glass and bottle were very nice. Lots of choices throughout the flavor & prices spectrum’s. The specialty cocktail list also had a vast assortment. I had the habanero rum drink and loved it!
We were all so stuffed, we decided to forgo dessert, but our waiter brought us 4 little cookies with our bill, which was a perfect sweet ending to a fabulous meal.
It is so rare that 4 people go somewhere and everyone is happy with everything they receive. Combine that with the view from our table, perfect date night! Next time we’re visiting Detroit, I’d love to go back for the 8 course chef’s tasting, as I completely trust him to serve us up something wonderful!

Amazing staff, company, food, and ambience. I’m surprised I haven’t given this restaurant a try considering I’ve been living in Detroit for the past 5 years.
The menu is on an iPad which is helpful! At first I was a little turned off, but it was helpful in letting you see pictures, suggestions with wine pairings, etc.
No complaints about the food or staff. Can’t wait to come back! :)

There’s really nothing I can complain about this place. I only went once so this review is based on this experience. My friends and I made reservations for a Saturday at 5p (I believe this is when they open for dinner) and was seated right away. The food is very very good and ambiance of the restaurant is intimate and clean (plus you get a view of Detroit 16 floors up)! We ordered blackened shrimp (they’re ordered by the piece and blackened style is not on the menu, but highly recommend it!), crab cakes, braised ribs (I think everyone’s all-​time favorite) for appetizers. We also had a basket of some different types of crackers/​bread and butter. I loved them all, I seriously wish the ribs were available on the entrée menu! I ordered the Thai-​Style Cioppino which is like a seafood broth with risotto on the bottom. It’s one of the best seafood dishes I’ve had in a while. I highly recommend this one too! We ended the evening with the hazelnut mousse, which was just the right sweetness. I loved everything about this place and definitely plan to come back for a date night!

Iridescence is a great date night location. It is located in the top of Motor City Casino. It was a bit difficult to find but once we found it, we weren’t disappointed. They served bottled water at no cost. The décor was luxurious. The lighting was unique and tasteful. The waitress was incredibly nice but annoying. Every time she came over she said excuse me excuse me, thank you thank you, sorry sorry. I get it, you are taking our order, putting down a plate, etc. Enough of the pleasantries, just do your job and don’t apologize for it.
The menu itself is pretty concise. My boyfriend and I both decided to split a caesar salad, start with the crab cake appetizer, do the filet as the entrée and then finish it off with the bailey’s chocolate mousse.
The caesar salad was split for us on two plates, which was great. The crab cake was gluten free and a little more veggie-​ish than I was expecting. There was celery and corn at the bottom. The filet was pretty good. It came with a shallot potato cake and some tomato and cheese. I got mine without the cheese and I didn’t care for the tomato on top. I don’t think it added much to the steak. Also, they give you a mini plate to start off and this night, they had a tempura shrimp. It was a nice touch. The dessert came out looking like a piece of art and it was very tasty. I recommend you order dessert. Overall, I wouldn’t say this was the best restaurant in Detroit but I would probably come back here again.

Nutshell: An excellent experience!
We ordered the seven course, chef’s choice, tasting menu. Not included among the seven courses are the Amuse and dessert. Chef Andrew Alscid over-​achieved. He visited our table a few times himself, to introduce various courses. The ingredients were excellent. The tastes & aromas were devine. The preparation was spot-​on. The plating was exquisite.
Bao Ly was our primary server, assisted at various times by Brandi and Chelsea. All are attentive and knowledgeable professionals. La Ron did a good job in keeping water glasses full and empty plates cleared.
The restaurant is an imposing space — 3 (4?) story high ceilings? The dining room itself is not that large. We scored a 2-​top along the windows. Weather was moving thru the city so our view varied from inside-​a-​cloud to «Oh! Rainbow!»
Only two downsides experienced, neither were Iridescence’s fault. Almost all the surfaces are hard, so the noise level was a above average. I could not hear my wife, seated across from me, because of the foul-​mouthed, loud-​mouth seated directly behind me. The more he drank, the fouler and louder he got. Only two stalls in the Men’s room. Both were occupied for more than 10 mins. From one, I could hear chopping/​cutting and snorting sounds typically associated with (that other) Coke. I gave up and took the elevator to the Lobby (restrooms).
My descriptions cannot begin to do the various courses justice — see the food porn — the descriptions start with «Chef’s Choice.»
Cost? $ 248 for two, including two drinks each. (20% tip is incl in this amount)

One of my favorite spots in the city! Presentation of food here is amazing! Nice city view! The service is outstanding! Menu is unique and ever changing. I love the four salad selection! Tale of two chickens is a favorite! Steaks amazing! They also will make things not on the menu here if you ask.

Absolutely the best restaurant that I have been within the Midwest area so far! Food and Service were extraordinary! My colleagues had steaks– and they said that it was even better than at any of Chicago’s top steakhouses! Great views from 16^th floor and ambient atmosphere! …and the wine list was out of this world: «located at the top of the town, Modern American cuisine is complemented by breathtaking city views and a Wine Spectator Award-​winning wine list. As the only 4-​Diamond restaurant in the city of Detroit!» (motor city web)

Iridescence, located on the 16^th floor of MotorCity Casino, is a beautiful, beautiful restaurant. If you’re trying to impress someone and have the means to throw a couple hundred dollars around, I would definitely recommend this place. The view is ridiculously gorgeous, and if I come back here (maybe in 10+ years when I’m an «established professional») I would love to get seating by the window/​wall which overlooks the Detroit River! It’s really something else.
The menus are on iPads which is SUPER cool. Each item comes with a personal anecdote from the chef, which was a nice touch.
The food was good, as you would expect at such a ritzy restaurant, but not great. My boyfriend ordered «A Tale of Two Chickens» and thought it was just okay, nothing spectacular. However the bacon on it was SO thick and AMAZING, I wish you could just get a platter of that! I enjoyed my Thai-​style Cioppino but they forgot to add the mussels.
We sampled a couple of desserts and they were all yummy! Portions were on the smaller side, but we were pretty full at this point anyway.
I didn’t get drinks but the people at our table who did seemed pleased with their wine and the waiters’ helpful descriptions of the drink menu.
Our waitress was a sweetheart. Although we had some problems with the service in general, she was bubbly and attentive throughout our dinner.
The problems:
–we came here as a group for a birthday party. The birthday girl had balloons with her, which she was told were not allowed inside the restaurant. I get it– balloons, extremely high ceilings– not a good idea. But I don’t see why they couldn’t hold them behind the front desk in the hostess area or tie them to the chairs. We had to take the elevator to leave the balloons on a different floor and then return after dinner to grab them. Ridiculous.
–they wouldn’t seat us until everyone arrived, which is weird because we had a reservation, so why would that matter?
–Our waitress couldn’t split the bill. She informed us that we should have told her before the bill arrived. I understand that, and she was very apologetic and polite. But, I feel like the waiters should *ask* the table when taking the orders because isn’t it kind of weird to assume that one person would pay for a table of 8? That’s like an $ 1000 bill.
I would come back here and order a couple items off the dessert menu and some cappuccinos, if only for the beautiful view.

It amazes me that there are people in the world who go their whole lives without ever experiencing nights like this!
The BF and I get to have 4 – 6 of these types of really nice dinners a year. We use them for special occasions, reserve in plenty of time, and save money to go and not have to worry about what to order and not order. It’s been worth it every time but 1 so far.
This night was amazing! The only regret I have was picking a booth over a window seat. It’s a beautiful view of the city!
First of all, the place is GORGEOUS! Like OMG wow gorgeous! We were greeted and seated promptly. It was nice busy for a Sunday evening. Not too crowded. Our waiter was Moisi (yes, M-​O-​I-​S-​I) and he was very nice.
The menus are on tablets, and you can click on any food item to get a full description and picture of what it truly will look like when you receive it.
We had the Mother Sauce appetizer and it was so amazing!!! Please check out the pics for reference! Oh, oh, oh… seriously. Just amazing. Every bite.
I had the South by Southwest Salmon for my entrée and the BF had the filet. Both were just so delicious and thought out. Like you could tell! My salmon was perfectly cooked, and Moisi came over to make sure BF’s steak was done perfectly. It was.

We had the strawberry dessert which knocked it right out. It’s amazing dinners like this that make me realize we should start doing this more often! Maybe make 6 – 8 a year
We had a seriously awesome time! Thank you, Iridescence!
/​Excellence!

I’m an absolute fan of the food and the view, but the service knocked off the last star. Our waiter was extremely intrusive and kept pushing us to order the top three most expensive entrees. I mean this restaurant is already very fancy and costly, so I didn’t see any need to push us. He was also pushing the wine and cocktails and I was dining with my clearly pregnant friend who referenced her pregnancy — somewhat inappropriate in my opinion. Also, when she mentioned that she was pregnant, he did not respond — at all. It was awkward. Also, they have iPads for menus which I really appreciate because you can see photos of the food, but he kept leaning across my body to swipe the iPads and had his sleeves across my plate and silverware. It was just an odd experience. My friend and I both felt weird about our server.
Anyways, the view was beautiful and the restaurant had a nice ambiance to it.
For food, I ordered the beet salad with was huge and absolutely delicious. I also had the Filet Mignon which was cooked to order — and truly was what I wanted (medium). It came with creamed spinach and these fried potatoes which looked amazing, but I left them alone to avoid the «fried-​ness.»
I wish I would of had room for dessert. Overall, a really good experience — just would have preferred a different server.

Wow what an experience!
I can see why this restaurant is named Iridescence. We had a February 5 PM dinner reservation for my bachelorette party. This restaurant is beautiful! It was barely daylight when we were seated at our table. Everything in the restaurant is white and they have these beautiful dangling lights from the ceiling. You look through one wall of all class over the city. As the sun begins to set, tones of blue and violet begin to illuminate all of the white in the restaurant. Everything begins to glow. It’s really quite beautiful.
Our waiter was a true king at his craft. He used poetic language to describe the food in an authentic manner. He had the perfect amount of presence at our table. He remembered the little details of each thing that the ladies wanted. He made sure to doublecheck everything was perfect for us. He was also funny. We loved him.
The food was really delicious. I’m a sucker for beautiful plate presentation and you certainly receive that here. This is definitely five star worthy over many different criteria. If you’re looking to have a splurge are beautiful romantic date night definitely go here.

This place made me feel like I was going to what would have been a trendy restaurant circa 1998 (minus the use of iPads).
The place itself and the view is the best part.
But for starters, this has been the only time in my life I had to send a cocktail back. It was what our waitress called «the most popular one». Nothing about it tasted like it had fresh blueberries or that it was even mixed properly, or even close to the right ratio of ingredients. Terrible. And I wasn’t the only one who agreed.
The beet salad was good, and the entrees were as well. My side dishes were pretty much not edible. Worst mashed potatoes I may have ever had. So when you order a $ 90 lobster tail with crab and you can’t even eat your side dishes… A steak at our table that was supposed to be Rare came out medium well.
Oh and the menus are on iPads. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but it just felt obnoxious.
I feel like this place wants to be more than it is and act more pretentious than it is, but for the lackluster quality of the food, I don’t think you really get to charge $ 84 for a ribeye that you can’t even prepare correctly.
I of course didn’t want to stick around for dessert. Our waitress however was sweet, and none of the above should reflect on the staff who were constantly filling our glasses, clearing plates and being incredibly attentive.
Come here for the view and a cocktail– just not the specialty blueberry tequila one.

My friend and I came to try it out. I have been wanting to go for quite some time. Iridescence is on the top floor so the view is spectacular. We were seated right by the window and they have double paned glass as well as heater vents so it’s not cold even when it’s –4 out!
They have a great selection of wines and have one of my personal favorites, Caymus Cabernet. However, we decided to try an Argentinian Malbec which was wonderful. Our waitress was… interesting. She was very nice and attentive but she either has a super hyper personality or she had too many shots of espresso or something. I could have dealt with her taking it down a notch.
The amuse bouche was a great beginner, endive with roasted salmon and grapefruit with a blood orange crème fraîche. We split the beet salad. It was huge! The waitress did warn us of this and she split it into two plates which was nice. The dressing was very refreshing and the beets were cooked perfectly.
We had the Lent special which was a triple surf. It was a 10 oz lobster tail, 4 tiger shrimp and a crab cake. It was served with haricots verts and buttermilk whipped potatoes. I was worried it wouldn’t be enough food but I was definitely full at the end. The lobster tail and shrimp were cooked perfectly. Despite the cocktail sauce looking very «horseradishy», it wasn’t too spicy. I could have dealt with it being kicked up a notch (but I am Polish and we like our horseradish). The blood orange sauce was delicately flavored and very complimentary. The crab cake… wow, that was just on a whole other level. Literally zero filler, all crab and some peppers and corn in a creamy sauce. It was so delicious! I believe they have a crab cake appetizer so I would definitely get that the next time I come.
We were too stuffed for dessert which was sad but they did bring us complimentary macaroons. They were buttery and oh so crispy, the coconut was dense and flavorful. So I can only imagine how delicious the desserts are.
A few weeks back I had been in Vegas and none of the places I ate, including Michael Mina’s restaurant that supposedly has Michelin stars came anywhere close to Iridescence in terms of service or quality of food.

For me, this is the best restaurant in Detroit. I finally had dinner here and it was in the top handful of experiences I’ve had in any city.
I may be using a few too many superlatives, but they fit.
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The reception at the host stand with the hostess and maitre d’ was super pleasant. They asked what type of table we wanted since they have tables, banquettes and taller tables right up against the glass (with a great view).
The dining room has a beautiful ceiling and open kitchen.
Menus are on tablets which I usually don’t like but it works here. It’s really nice to be able to click on an item and then see the dish. It was super helpful. It also works for the wine list which lets you sort by appellation or type. The wine list is well chosen and pretty well priced.
It would be helpful for the maitre d’ to briefly explain some of the features of the tablet at the beginning.
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Three of us split a number of appetizers/​salad which was both good and bad. They are clearly plated and composed for individual service.
They were all fantastic. The grilled octopus was the best I’ve ever had. You could cut it with a fork.
The duck app was astounding. 3 different types of duck. Each wonderful.
The «mothersauce» app was PERFECT. One of the tastiest dishes I“ve ever had. Here’s the description from the menu.
Mother Sauce
Hollandaise — white asparagus, preserved lemon, lemon powder
Béarnaise — smoked salmon, fried capers, pickled red onion
Charon — imperial kobe beef tataki, micro shiso
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The entrees were fantastic. The sesame-​encrusted tuna was incredible. The pasta made in house.
They were all done on point. Every single dish has clear distinct flavors. Delightfully prepared with nothing overbearing. Every ingredient seems well chosen to play its part in the dish.
Pr
Desserts were a big surprise and this is where the the tablet menu was nice. You could see the deserts which are not done justice by the descriptions. The pastry chef has a deft hand. Very well balanced and super light deserts. The peanut butter based desert is a good example — you’d think it would be heavy and sweet but it is not.
Again, the written description does not do it justice.
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It’s clear that the chef and his team are gifted. It’s great food/​ingredients that are well executed.
Like restaurants of this caliber in NY, Las Vegas, etc. it is a well orchestrated team. The chef clearly knows where every table is at in their service. The maitre d’ (from the Rugby Grill) is present and helpful when needed.
The head chef, Ben Meyer, has been at some great restaurants in the Detroit area and he’s clearly at his best in this beautiful restaurant. He’s also surrounded himself with a great team all-​around — pastry chef and front of the house.
Pricing. It’s a special occasion place. But considerably less than the «big name» steakhouses in the suburbs and twice as good. Pricing would be 50% higher in Chicago or NY.
There were a couple of odd service blips that I wouldn’t have expected but didn’t detract from the experience.
There isn’t a restaurant in metro Detroit that is serving at this level.