SYMPOSIA is a diamond hidden in an upscale Detroit hotel that should be at the top of your list to visit!

Imagine a restaurant that is exquisitely and comfortably decorated, with amazing food, a great drink menu, upbeat relaxing mediterranean music and in the heart of Detroit…that is Symposia. This hidden diamond may be a restaurant that you might not have discovered yet, but it surely will not disappoint. It will provide you with an upscale dining experience with food that you will not forget. Just around the corner from Greektown, right next to Fishbones in Detroit, Symposia is tucked away in the Atheneum Suite Hotel.

Symposia is owned by the Papas family who are not new to Greektown. They have made their mark there for over 40 years, owning the Antheneum Suite Hotel, A Bar, Pegasus Taverna, Mosaic, and Santorini Estiatorio. Their experience shows in this dining establishment. Parking in Detroit can be difficult, however, Symposia offers free valet parking. Not only that, the manager, Reza Ansari, informed us that if you have tickets to an event, concert, or sporting event, they will provide you with free parking and a shuttle to and from the event, if you choose to have dinner with them first. That is an amazing convenient deal!! - Dan.

From the moment we walked into the restaurant, and were immediately greeted by the manager, we felt the warmth of the atmosphere. The vibe was classy, cozy, elegance.

It was artfully decorated, by the St. Clair Shores based Olson Interior, with pops of soft white and mediterranean blue, intermixed with a variety of materials such as stacked stone walls, backlit wood trees, tile and wood flooring, aesthetic wood slats on the ceiling, and upbeat relaxing Mediterranean music playing in the background.

This created a dining atmosphere that gave you a completely relaxed feel. It was a place that you were not in a hurry to leave. It felt like you could be sitting in a fancy bistro in a Mediterranean port, but then you would see the people mover just outside the window pass by and remind you that this great restaurant is in Detroit.

Symposia’s menu has a Mediterranean influence with dishes inspired by regions such as Greece, Italy, and Spain.

We were escorted to a table with a cozy velvet blue couch right in the center of the restaurant. The server was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. We decided to start with the Spanish Octopus. How they knew it spoke Spanish, I have no idea - Dan. This dish was the most perfectly prepared, tender, delight with a hint of smokey charred essence served on top of confit Yukon potato, with bits of chorizo iberico (pork from the Iberian peninsula), and dollops of romesco (which is traditionally a sauce made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, nuts, and seasonings), and alioli (which is a Spanish aioli or garlic mayonnaise sauce) with a ring of parsley and seasonings decorating the dish.

From the first bite you knew you were eating something different, and special. This dish was shockingly good! It wrapped all eight arms around your tastebuds - Dan. I have had octopus before and thought it to be tough, chewy, and not all that great. This dish was none of that. The octopus was tender, soft, and flavorful! You tasted hints of the charred smokey preparation which it made all that more noteworthy. This is a dish you would tell your friends about. It was as delicious as it was exotic - Dan.

We also ordered the roasted tomato bisque and the shaved brussels as accompaniments to the octopus.

The tomato bisque was thick, creamy, and savory. It called your spoon back into the bowl for seconds, thirds, fourths…until it was gone - Dan. This was a perfect bowl of flavor that you would definitely order again. The brussels where everything you expect them to be. Prepared with golden raisins, and a maple cherry reduction. This would be a nice side to a main course.

And now on to the main course…We decided to order two dishes. First we ordered the scallops. They were seared, placed atop a celery root purée, topped with a thyme buerre blanc sauce, served around an arugula, pear, ricotta salata (Spanish for salad), with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.

Is you mouth watering yet? It should be. They tasted as good as they look. There were five large scallops, with a perfect sear on the outside, and a buttery consistency in every delectable bite. They melted in your mouth. They were more tender than an Elvis love song - Dan. The buttery flavor of the scallops stood out even with the accompaniments. The celery root puree under the scallop was creamy and added nice touch, with a delicious thyme buerre blanc sauce drizzled on the top. The pomegranate seeds gave a crisp sweet crunch and contributed to become a perfectly paired bite. The arugula, pear, ricotta salad was a fresh, tangy clean shift that cleansed the pallet for better enjoyment of the buttery scallop. A nice marriage on a plate. MMMmmm, need I say more - Dan.

The second main course we ordered was the braised short-rib. This was served on top of whipped garlic potatoes, a few sprigs of asparagus, with a red wine demi-glaze drizzled around the plate, topped with crispy onion and fresh parsley.

This dish was amazing and stood tall next to the scallops. Like Superman on the Empire State Building, cape blowing in the wind - Dan. The braised short-rib was flawlessly prepared. Every bite was a tender, scrumptious, gourmet delight. The potatoes were velvety and the perfect sidekick. Like Tonto was to the Lone Ranger - Dan. The demi-glaze rounded out the flavors to become a mouth-watering dish.

At this point, we were stuffed. So, on to dessert…

We ordered the almond loaf cake and the crème brûlée. Both desserts were scrumptious! We ate every last bite, even though we were more than full. The almond loaf cake was topped with caramel and a walnut bouquet, served with a side of strawberries on top of fresh cream. The cake was moist, and the toppings gave it a surprisingly flavorful punch. The crème brûlée was the perfect amount of creaminess with that expected delicately crispy sugary crust on top. Accompanied with a blueberry sauce with a hint of rosemary. All in all the perfect ending to an amazing meal!!

The food was so good it was hard not to look around and admire the dishes being served to other customers. Out of the kitchen we saw lamb chops, large lobster tails, generously portioned fillet, whole branzino, to name a few of the mouth-watering entrees that captured our attention. I over-heard a customer talking to another table bragging about the branzino. The appetizers and sides were generously portioned and shareable.

If you haven’t read why we started blogging, Then you may not know that we are foodies from the suburbs who have been to a ton of restaurants, and decided to share our experiences with others to help you discover and enjoy amazing dishes and restaurants. We try to focus on promoting our favorites. This restaurant is worthy of being in the top to 2% of the restaurants we have tried. And believe me, we are picky eaters. (Several restaurants will not even make the blog). There was not a thing that we could find wrong with this meal, the atmosphere, or the service. We are already talking about who to bring there next. (And the convenience of having to and from transportation to a Detroit event is the cherry on top). This whole experience made us feel like we could be on vacation, at a great restaurant in a mediterranean port. But you can get it here, in Detroit! This vibe made me want to hit the beach in my speedo under a striped umbrella - Dan.

Please share this with your friends, and join us on our next adventure…let us help you live your best life one bite at a time. We may not have been everywhere, but it is on our list!!

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