Dema Restaurant and Bar

Good location and nice atmosphere.
Waitress «didn’t need» to write our order down, then got it wrong. Fries were piping hot. Hamburgers tepid to cold. Most expensive drinks I’ve ever bought.
Two burgers, three drinks each. $ 130.
But it’s pretty much the only game in town if you’re staying in the hotel.

Great food, excellent service. We had breakfast before our flight. It was a bit on the pricy side, so if you’re not in the mood to splurge, you might want to wait until you get through security to find a cheaper place. And don’t go if you’re in a hurry.

Dinner was great. Breakfast was awful. That’s my review in brief. Now for the specifics: my flatbread pepperoni pizza was one of the best I’ve had. I ate half of it (easily large enough for two people) and had to stop — and with no fridge or microwave in my room, I opted not to take it with me. The server volunteered to give me a soda in a to-​go cup, which I appreciated since there are no vending machines in the hotel.
The next morning I was the first person at a table on opening (6:30 a.m.) and ordered a standard ham/​egg/​hashbrowns/​toast breakfast for the whopping price of $ 17. To call it horrible is an understatement. The hashbrowns were so dry and crusty and cold that I couldn’t choke down more than one bite. The pile of scrambled eggs obviously had come from a box or a dry mix, not fresh eggs. They weren’t hot, just lukewarm. Three of the four half-​pieces of toast had been burned on one side and scraped, and they were barely warm. The slice of ham was edible, but I had to spit out several pieces of gristle, and again, it wasn’t hot. I saw my plate sitting under the warming light for several minutes — I suppose while my travel companion’s yogurt was being dished up.
When the server came back to check on me nearly ten minutes after my meal had been served, I told her very politely how disappointed I was. She was quite apologetic and had the hashbrowns and toast remade (I opted out of more eggs), and the potatoes were better — I’d even call them good, though not great. The toast was more like warmed-​up bread, barely toasted at all. I gave up and pulled up Unilocal on my phone, and like magic, the manager appeared at my table. He bent over backward to make things right, apologizing and comping my meal (and my companion’s). I made sure to let him know that the previous night’s meal was very good, but something definitely went wrong with the breakfast.
Lucky for me I had time before my flight for the breakfast re-​do before I got in line for the Westin’s private TSA line to open at 7:30 a.m. With my flight leaving at 8:25, I didn’t have the option of going out into the terminal to try to find another breakfast option.

I like this place. It’s literally right within DTW airport, but it’s really quiet, nice calm, relaxing ambient. Quiet, beautiful little oasis. Location doesnt get any more convenient. It’s on the pricier side, but I think it’s well worth it, food and service is good. I would return here. Good place for meetings.

My server, Karen, was great. Karen, the great bread basket, and the beautiful, serene aesthetics of the atrium restaurant are really what brings Dema from a 2 to a 3 in my book. I know I’m in the Westin and prices are going to be higher than most places, but I expect the food quality to be at least somewhat commensurate with the prices, within an order of magnitude or so. Overall my meal was pretty disappointing though, and for being an airport-​adjacent restaurant where customers might have a plane to catch, they need speedier food preparation.
My coworker and I came for dinner when he had a flight out in a couple hours and I was staying over for a first-​thing-​in-​the-​morning flight. He ordered his meal right away, I asked Karen to come back for mine, because I didn’t want coworker to have to wait on me. Coworker ordered a pizza, I ended up ordering the mixed grill and a caesar salad about 10 minutes later. The breadbasket was brought quickly and I enjoyed it, especially the fluffy whipped butter that came with it. However, it took a loooong time for the entrees. My coworker eventually told the server to pack his to go, as he really needed to get going, and Karen said there was a backlog in the kitchen and it would still be at least 10 minutes. (Was closer to 20 more for a total of about an hour, and both our meals came simultaneously despite my having ordered 10 minutes before he did). I told Karen I’d pick up his tab so he could get going for his plane (which he ended up nearly missing because the in-​hotel security gate closes at 7, and it was now 7:15.) He took off with his box of pizza and I stayed for a leisurely meal.
The caesar salad was pretty good, pretty standard. Unless caesar dressing is rancid, it’s hard to go totally wrong here. Croutons were fresh and there were large shavings of parmesan so that was good.
The mixed grill was described as wild boar sausage, a skewer of grilled shrimp, roasted root veggie medley and cheddar grit cake. All sounded great, but most didn’t really deliver.
The cheddar grit cake was terrible. I expected something similar to the grits that come with shrimp & grits that is one of my favorite delicacies. The cheese in this grit cake could be seen but not tasted. The cake just tasted bitter with no discernable cheese flavor at all, so I don’t know what kind of rubber cheese they used, but this was the worst grit cake I’ve ever had. I ate about 4 bites each time hoping to hit some cheese flavor and just gave up.
The root vegetables (which are normally some of my favorite vegetables) were cut very small and overcooked. When they’re cut large, a little bit of char serves as a flavor enhancement. When they’re cut tiny, and over-​cooked, you’re just eating char and there’s no moisture left. Disappointing. I ate about half of these mainly because I was hungry.
The wild boar sausage wasn’t bad. Probably not the best sausage I’ve ever had but by far not the worst either. Slightly overpowering flavor but not enough to be a problem.
The shrimp skewer was the best part of the entrée, by far, as the shrimp were properly cooked. They were lightly seasoned but not bland.
Always the optimist, I ordered some chocolate lava cake to take to my room. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t out of the ordinary either.
When Karen apologized profusely for the wait for my coworker’s food, she explained that their kitchen serves the restaurant, the adjacent bar, and room service. Clearly, it’s understaffed to serve this purpose, which is already a problem at any hotel but at an airport-​terminal adjacent hotel is not really excusable.
The total bill came to about $ 64 plus tip. I’m glad I was on expense account because I would have felt a little more disgruntled paying a lot for a dinner that just wasn’t the greatest. I read this evening when I got to my room that you can actually go to airport terminal restaurants if you’re a guest of the hotel. I probably could have gotten a cheaper, simpler but equally satisfying meal at one of those.
But Karen was great, I don’t blame her for the understaffed kitchen or the mediocre food!

This is a beautiful oasis in the airport. The menu has been changed since we last went there. We really wanted the fried squash blossom appetizer but they were sold out at 6pm on a Saturday. The food was good but needed more seasoning. I had the halibut which was supposed to come with mashed cauliflower but it was either omitted or there was so little of it I didn’t notice it. The service was also a bit slow. That being said it is probably the best option at the airport.

The Zen-​like setting of this lobby restaurant makes it a welcome retreat from the hustle of the Detroit airport, and it’s literally feet away from the gates, with a private TSA entry from the lobby to terminal A.
Service is friendly and there is an extensive selection of wines by the glass. The pepperoni and bacon pizza and the hummus and tapenade appetizer were both good.
Note that the TSA portal closes in the evening and you have to go back around through the terminal, but it’s still not that far.

Ate at the bar here last night while waiting for a late flight back to LA. Service was efficient and VERY friendly. My food was delicious, the atmosphere was upscale and lively and my wine pour was generous. Happy camper. See you in October.

I ate dinner here while overnighting at the Westin before a flight early the next morning. I experienced the same hit and miss food and service other reviewers have mentioned. Here’s my take: yes, I was disappointed given the restaurant’s high potential and high prices. But at Dema, when you pay $ 32 for a salmon filet, you are not paying for superb food and excellent service, as you would at a restaurant in the suburbs or in the city. You are paying to sit in a nice setting next to a large pond and a grove of bamboo trees, yet only steps from the gates of Detroit Airport. It’s an added bonus if you happen to be there when they’re having an on day. If it’s an off day, at least you understand why – they don’t have to be «on» all the time to attract customers. They’re always passing through. And at least you’re not far from your gate
In my case, it started off well enough when the server promptly took my order and the salad arrived after a brief 5 minute wait. Things slowed down after that: after finishing the salad, I waited for the salmon main course for 20 minutes while my empty plate sat in front of me. After finishing the salmon, I waited 10 minutes for the server to reappear so that I could ask for the check. After I asked for the check, instead of taking the empty plates away, the server simply stacked them on the far corner of the table. Apparently bussing is someone else’s job but that person never appeared. And there was an error on the check that took another 10 minutes to correct. All in all, it was exactly an hour from the time I sat down to the time I departed, which is fine if you’re enjoying a meal with a friend but too long if you’re eating by yourself.
The food itself was fine but not the wait.
As they say, it’s all about location, location, location. Adjust your expectations before you sit down here and you’ll be less disappointed.

This is my third dining experience at Dema in three years. I have not submitted a review for Dema on Unilocal previously, but after tonight’s meal, I am submitting an objective review based on three consistent dining experiences over three years.
The entire menu is overpriced relative to the quality of the food and the quality of service rendered. That is to say, this is the Westin Hotel; the prices for their signature restaurant are to be expected. My family fully understands I do not complain about the cost of an exceptional meal and I am willing to tip generously for good service. At Dema, the quality of food is «hit or miss» and the quality of service is consistently poor (unacceptable for this caliber of hotel).
For three different meals, either the appetizer or entrée was very good, but not both. If you are hungry for a reasonable portion of food, understand the more expensive the meal here, the smaller the portion of food (and less flavorful regardless of whether it is healthy or not). Tonight my wife had the Lobster Risotto and there was no flavor. I enjoyed the Halibut and it was very good. The tortilla soup had no flavor whatsoever.
Hit or miss.
Relevant to the quality of service, when seated at our table each time, we waited a minimum of 15 minutes before we were initially greeted by our waiter, our glasses remained empty of water, and drink orders were not taken. During the course of the meal, the periods between offers to refresh our glasses and determine if we needed anything was far too long. Additionally, we waited much too long for appetizers to arrive and then our meals were delivered within just a few minutes of the appetizers being placed on the table. My impression is that there are too few waiters based on the number of guests at any given time.
Last year, I responded to a survey emailed to me by Westin Hotels and submitted similar comments. The manager Doug Rouleau sent me a personal email and offered to treat my wife and I to our next meal at Dema. That was very generous of him and Westin. I did not take him up on it. A free meal consolation was not my objective. I was simply responding honestly to the Westin survey in the hopes that improvements would be made. Clearly, there have been no improvements to date. Business as usual. The most recent reviews here on Unilocal are reflective of such.
My wife and I will continue to patronize Dema because we stay at this Westin often; whether we are connecting on a Delta flight overnight or driving through Detroit on our way to Northern Michigan. Dema is convenient and the food is not horrible (I gave it an average rating). I do hope these comments will be evaluated constructively and at some point in time, improvements will be realized. If you are cost-​conscious and convenience is not important, this is not the restaurant for you.

Absolutely the worst value of any restaurant I can recall visiting in my adult life. $ 18 rye manhattan…$ 18 shot of Bailey’s/coffee…and those were the highlights.
My advice if you face the displeasure of dining here: do not order the lobster risotto… DO NOT DO IT!!! Unquestionably the single most disappointing food item in North America that I have encountered. The sole positive is it was a hobbit size «entrée» so the suffering was short lived. No way would I have taken more than a test hit if I had a bit of time prior to my flight.
This is the type of experience that makes me so happy not to be a Starwoods hostage. Horrendous.

After 20 hrs+ plus on the plane without eating much I did not find the food palatable. The short ribs tastes awful. The texture is too soft and the taste is bland.
The decorations are excellent so you would expect something as least tastes okay.
The server seems nice but overall the service is extremely slow.

Beautiful location and setting. You have such high expectations when you walk into this place, because it feels like a Westin. However, the food is extremely bad here (salad, appetizer, pizza). The waitress was ok – not good, but passable.
But I still can’t get over how bad the food was, especially if you consider how pricey the items were. Definitely pass on this place if you can help it.

The rudest hotel staff who I have ever dealt within the Starwood Hotels & Resorts chain.

We enjoyed friendly service, relaxing surroundings and good food at Dema during our stay at the Westin. The dining area is situated in the atrium of the hotel, next to a grove of bamboo (faux, I’m sure) and a nice reflecting pool. You can also eat in the bar if you want to watch sports.
Yeah, the food is a little expensive, but it’s the price you pay for not having to venture out for dinner on a snowy January night in Michigan. Dema has local craft draft beers for $ 7, which I didn’t think too unreasonable for a hotel bar. The wine looked pricey, though. The strawberry and apricot salad was light and flavorful — although if you’re a dressing lover you might want to ask for extra. The tomato caprese salad was also good, although again a bit too stingy on the balsamic dressing. Fantastic bowl of lobster bisque, if you’re willing to splurge for $ 12. Our server Karen was outstanding — when the restaurant ran out of wheat dinner rolls (it was around 10pm), she offered to bake us some fresh ones, even though I’m sure she was at the end of her shift.
Also ordered room service pizza, which was solid — crust was a little soft, but the toppings were generous and tasty.
Overall, very nice for a hotel restaurant.

Had dinner here while staying at the hotel. I thought twice before I ordered my entire meal at once and wish I would have thought once more. I was enjoying a fantastic Caprese salad for about 60 seconds when my good but underwhelming burger came out (learn from my mistake and delay your entrée order). For an up-​charge, I substituted my fries for some delicious lobster mashed potatoes. Prices are in-​line with any other nice hotel in an airport. Very nice wine selection.

Way better than typical airport food for the price of airport food. My fiancé and I ate here while on a three hour layover in Detroit and we were so happy we did. The atmosphere is a five and the food is solidly tasty, while not the best thing you’ll ever eat. There were lots of veggies and everything tasted fresh. We were very happy.

Eating my words about airport food although this restaurant is technically in a hotel that is located in an airport
The food was not out of this world, mind blowing good BUT it was better than the cardboard tasting food options most other airport eating establishments have. I had the fettuccine dish which was alright. Could have used some more flavor. The drink I got was definitely watered down. It came with a pretty expensive price tag too.
However, the view was lovely. The restaurant is located in the courtyard of the hotel and is really beautiful. The atmosphere was very relaxing and calming. Service was also good. Because of my (unreasonable?) dedication to Delta Airlines, it looks like I will be flying through Detroit a lot from Knoxville. I will definitely be eating here again if I have the unfortunate need to eat at an airport.

Overpriced but good food. Don’t buy the drinks, they are super expensive and watered down. Expect to pay $ 100 for lunch or dinner for two if you get drinks.
Really it’s the atmosphere that you’re going for here. You’re in the atrium of the Hilton, it’s beautiful, The planes are taking off outside. You’re all cozy and comfortable and have your own direct entrance to DTW. That’s the reason to come here.

What an atmosphere, you are in the Atrium on the Hilton. This res truant is connected to the airport. We walked through a door and down the hall and here we were.
Not for the timid pocket book, we had a Metropolitan Pizza and a Quesadilla, 2 drinks each for $ 93.00.
The service was excellent and attentive. If your ride is late eat here, have them come in and get the parking ticket checked here.