Barú

Barú is different.

You can feel it.

The bones are there. The room has energy, the bar has a pulse, and the whole place feels like it knows summer is its season. Doors open, people moving in and out, drinks in hand, outside seating doing what outside seating is supposed to do when Detroit finally gives us weather worth bragging about.

The bar itself is cool. No doubt.

Maybe not the easiest to approach when it’s packed, though. You get that awkward moment where you’re standing there, trying to figure out where you fit in, who’s waiting, who’s ordering, and whether the bartender has even seen you yet. Not a dealbreaker. Just part of the dance when a place is busy.

I didn’t spend much time in the restaurant side, but I did make my way downstairs — where things got more interesting.

Down below, they’ve got a speakeasy setup with low lighting, vinyl playing, and a sweet glowing bar that gives off a little LA energy in the middle of Detroit. That was a nice surprise.

Now, the restrooms.

They’re located downstairs, but Barú does have an elevator, so accessibility is covered. That said, it’s still a tight squeeze getting there, so it’s not perfect. ♿️

They have two restrooms — male and female. I reviewed the men’s.

The men’s restroom was spacious, but only had one stall and one urinal, which could become a capacity issue when the place gets busy.

That said, the amenities were strong. Lotion, mouthwash, nice soap, paper towels, and a big mirror for the selfie crowd. Respect where respect is due. 💅🏻

Barú is hitting close on a lot of things — vibe, design, summer energy, speakeasy bonus, and restroom amenities.

But with the tight access and potential capacity issue, it lands at a 7/10.