Ladder 4 Wine

Ladder 4 is one of those places that makes Detroit feel interesting in the best way.

A wine bar and restaurant built inside a completely remodeled old fire department building. You walk in, see the fire pole still there, and immediately think, “Good. They kept it.” Because you have to keep that, right?

The location feels a little unexpected at first. Maybe even a little rough around the edges. But that’s also part of the charm. Detroit has a way of putting some of its best spots in places where you might second-guess yourself for half a second before realizing you’re exactly where you need to be.

This feels like a place made for a nice summer day. Grab some friends, sit out back, maybe sneak upstairs to the little rooftop, and let the day turn into something slower and better than you planned.

Now, the one thing that stood out right away: the pricing.

The food and wine here are definitely on the higher end. Maybe some of the highest I’ve seen in the city outside of the Prime + Proper world. I’m all for paying for a good bottle, but when you see something that feels like it might be half the price somewhere else, it gives you a little pause.

But then, thankfully, the luck of the Irish came through.

I spotted Guinness on draft at the end of the bar. Proper Guinness glasses too. So naturally, I locked in.

Proper pour. Proper glass. Proper pint.

Still not quite touching my boys over at Cannons, but good enough that I’d come back for another without hesitation.

Now, for the restrooms.

I only saw the two on the main floor, both unisex, though they may have more upstairs. Either way, the ones I saw were strong.

Clean, great decor, feminine products available, nice TP, and relatively accessible. ♿️✨

That’s the kind of detail that gets noticed on Shooki.