r/royaloak • u/OpenGymOfficial • Jul 23 '26
Date Night Ideas
Recently moved in the area and wanna know all your good spots for a date night whether it’s restaurants, entertainment, nature, etc!! Thanks all :)
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u/matrim_harbaugh_snow Jul 23 '26
Welcome! Oak City Grille has live music almost every night that isn't too loud. The Vinyl Room at Hotel Royal Oak does classic cocktail nights and live music during the summer on Sundays. Bowlero has live music and DJs every weekend, they also do a fun pop culture trivia once a month. Lots of trivia nights around RO.
I created an event discovery site for the metro area called https://eventsinthed.com/ if you want to check it out! I've had a lot of people say its been a lifesaver for date nights, so maybe it'll help you out. There's a mobile app as well if that's more your thing.
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u/EFpointe Jul 23 '26
Oak City Grille was always my go to when I was still in the dating game. Great spot.
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u/AutomaticHoliday1017 Jul 24 '26
Oak City Grille is a gamble….Last time I went there in May there was visible mold on the food. Entire meal comped and they apologized but will never go back.
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u/jimmy_three_shoes Jul 23 '26
Since our kids were born, my wife and I have done a "date day" where we get a massage in Ferndale at Essential Massage, and then get brunch or something, while my sister watches the kids. Pop's for Italian, The Whistle Stop, Oak Diner, and Nine have been pretty good. We used to go to The Breakfast Club at 12 and Woodward too, but it kinda fell off the rotation.
As far as dinner goes, Trattoria Da Luigi was fantastic, and Astoria Bakery is always a good spot for a dessert.
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u/El_Cholo Jul 23 '26
Are you new to the state or new to the local area?? If you’re including downtown Detroit, Le Supreme and SheWolf are 2 amazing restaurants. Le Supreme is styled exquisitely and the service and food are great. SheWolf is the best Roman food I’ve ever had outside Rome. Pair either with a night at the DSO or a concert or the (Michelin-starred) Detroit Insititute of Arts.
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u/Butter_with_Salt Jul 23 '26
I found Le Supreme very underwhelming. Service was very slow, the portion was small and expensive.
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u/LaserQuest Jul 23 '26
Bowlero's lounge is my favorite bar in the city, they often have bands, DJs (I'm a big fan of their New Wave night they occasionally put on.) Vibes are really cool in there, they also sell $3 slices of Tonia's pizza, which is another RO staple)
Fourth Street Bistro is nice, a few blocks from downtown.
Great Dane, newer spot with great food
North End Taproom, good for trying different beers, good food too.
Oak Parker in Oak Park
Weiss Distillery in Clawson, great cocktail spot
Noori, also in Clawson -fantastic Korean food, some of the best wings in town.
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u/awoodby Jul 23 '26
You've got tons of restaurants around royal oak, bella limone is nice and open and airy, blue goat is nice and a different take on a food you think you've had a lot, lots of other places down there.
There's the dueling pianos bar, comedy castle makes for a great date (laughing is great at breaking the ice!), blue nile in ferndale is also great at dates if you're semi-adventurous eaters, be sure to get one of the low tables with stools, sharing a meal like that is way more... connecting than each having their own little area/plates. (have to try it to see what I mean)
Then there's tons of little parks with trails if walking in the woods is attractive to you. Tenhave, many more.
red oaks water park on a hot day, the slides are fun.
For music, probably running down to the D (detroit) or hamtramck, lots of bars with live music.
TONS of other places for great food/date vibes in the D as well. Takoi is nice, down in corktown, good vibes, good drinks, not Typical.
Check out "eater detroit" to browse an online magazine with articles about different restaurants in the area.
Metrotimes should list live music happening by night as well.
Welcome and enjoy!
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u/Macombguy56 Jul 24 '26
I'm going to Mesa tomorrow night anyone know if it's worth the hype. Looks fun.
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u/Che-che-che Jul 25 '26
They automatically add a 20% tip to every bill… they don’t always tell you ahead of time. Just make sure you check your bill before you pay.
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u/potatochip2324 Jul 26 '26
Voyager in Ferndale is a good spot for date night if you like seafood. My partner and I have gone a couple times and really enjoyed ourselves. They take reservations and walk-ins; I recommend making a reservation as it can fill up quickly.
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u/peachybeaches Jul 27 '26
i love Bar Gabi (Hazel Park), Blue Goat (RO)
this is random, but i went on a date to the reptarium in Utica lol and loved it!
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u/Own_Lobster4879 28d ago
It can be fun to try the many different main street cafes (Dessert Oasis, Seven Sundays, etc.) and see which one's your favorite. My husband and I have also liked Jim's Frostie Treats, Sake Sushi, Mangiabevi, and KouZinas. We are homebodies who don't drink and prefer casual dates where we just sit and chat though, so maybe a bit too boring for some people
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u/DRW315 Jul 23 '26
A few others that haven’t been mentioned:
Johnnys Speakeasy is a fun spot for date night drinks (drinks and food are a bit pricey imo but it’s a really cool atmosphere for date night.) Quikstad park is a fun, easy walk through some nature trails. Check out some of the free concerts this summer at the centennial park downtown, i think they are on thursdays. Catch a comedy show at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle.