James Beard Award–nominated chef Javier Bardauil moved to Detroit in 2019 from his hometown of Buenos Aires to launch his restaurant Barda. Today, the city’s vibrant diversity of restaurants, cafés, and patisseries continues to inspire him.
After starting Barda, which has a menu that draws on his Argentine roots—defined by traditional open-fire cooking known as asado—as well as Italian and French cuisines, the chef went on to play a vital role in shaping the Motor City’s rapidly growing restaurant scene. He opened Puma in 2024, bringing South American flavor to Detroit’s culinary offerings. The city’s enticing neighborhoods, each different from the last, brim with local staples and under-the-radar gems that every foodie should visit. Here are Bardauil’s favorites in and around Detroit.
Get coffee, wine, and oysters in Corktown
Oysters at Mink Detroit
Photo by Sylvia Jarrus
Bardauil starts many mornings at James Oliver Coffee Co. in Corktown, a cozy café serving signature Central and South American coffee blends that remind him of home. “It’s a really nice place to crash and get a coffee and a bagel,” he says. Yet, these aren’t just your everyday bagels. In addition to classics such as plain and asiago, options include Mediterranean, black sesame garlic, and rosemary sea salt bagels.
Caviar service at Mink Detroit
Photo by Sylvia Jarrus
In nearby Corktown, Bardauil enjoys sampling fresh oysters sourced from Maine to Washington state at the seafood restaurant Mink Detroit. Cap off a day exploring the neighborhood (also home to the historic and recently renovated Michigan Central Station) at MotorCity Wine, where Bardauil often sips a glass of wine. It hosts house music late into the night and has one of Detroit’s best patios, plus curated international wines from around the world.
Eat at Lady of the House and Cafe Prince in Core City
Cocktails at Lady of the House’s bar
Photo by Sylvia Jarrus
Barda and Puma call the growing neighborhood of Core City home, and Bardauil is close friends with fellow culinary neighbors. He often visits Cafe Prince for toast with creative toppings (like heirloom tomatoes, spiced chickpeas, and tahini) made using bread from the Mother Loaf, where Bardauil is also a regular. The bakery supplies made-from-scratch sourdough bread for his restaurants, too. “They make what I consider to be the best baguette in Detroit,” he says. Dine at another Bardauil recommendation, Lady of the House, a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist, for an elegant, Irish-inspired experience.
Try craft cocktails, rooftop bars, and French pastries downtown
In downtown Detroit, the French bakery Cannelle crafts all pastries in-house.
Photo by Sylvia Jarrus
Detroit’s vibrant downtown bustles with a variety of restaurants, cafés, and patisseries. When in the mood for something sweet, Bardauil heads to Cannelle for artisanal French pastries and baked goods, like strawberry tarts or plateau chocolats. The café also serves tasty lunch options, including fresh caprese sandwiches and tuna salad with a house-made croissant.
Of the many intimate bars in downtown Detroit, Bardauil suggests the Evening Bar in the boutique Shinola Hotel (which he also recommends for accommodations) and its seasonal craft cocktails. “It’s beautiful and has an exquisite speakeasy vibe,” he says. The chef vouches for the Monarch Club rooftop bar for a sweeping view of Detroit’s iconic skyline with a more lively atmosphere.
Enjoy Mexican, East African, and Vietnamese food in New Center and Southwest
Husband-and-wife team Hamissi Mamba (L) and Nadia Nijimbere (R), refugees from Burundi, opened Baobab Fare in 2021.
Photos by Sylvia Jarrus
You can regularly find Bardauil eating lunch in the New Center neighborhood at one of his favorites in the city: the East African–inspired and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist Baobab Fare. He likes to order mbuzi, a stew that he says is “a very succulent goat shank with rice and plantains perfect for winter months.”
The chef also enjoys exploring the bustling Southwest neighborhood known as Mexicantown. Flavorful Mexican food found abounds at places like Xochimilco Restaurant, but his go-to local spot is Flowers of Vietnam, featuring elegant Vietnamese food (think pork belly with young coconut, quail egg, and coconut caramel) and cocktails including a honeydew–quince–green tea margarita.
Dine at restaurants in Milwaukee Junction, Midtown, and Boston-Edison
The Congregation is a community gathering space, café, bar, and event venue.
Photos by Sylvia Jarrus
Barda and Puma aren’t the only restaurants in Detroit that celebrate open-fire cooking. Oak & Reel serves fresh Italian-style seafood cooked over an oak-burning hearth in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. “I’m very passionate about fire,” Bardauil says. “Anytime I find a place with open-fire cooking, I’m going to pay a visit to them.”
Selden Standard in Midtown, a James Beard Award semifinalist and another one of his top picks, uses a wood fire to craft delicate small plates. Dishes inspired by Spanish flavors include grilled octopus with sofrito, chickpeas, and marinated peppers.
Nearby in the Boston-Edison Historic District, a quiet neighborhood in Detroit renowned for its colonial architecture and stunning homes, the Congregation is a peaceful and inviting coffee shop where Bardauil heads for some downtime. Try the carrot cake chai or orange spice espresso tonic and a delectable, sharable plate such as burrata served with warm crostini.
No matter where you go in the Motor City, its eclectic array of neighborhoods offers a palate-pleasing assortment of food choices that spotlight its many cultures and cuisines. That energy, which helped draw Bardauil here, is also part of the same local spirit that makes Detroit such a rewarding place to visit.
