For the better part of the past 48 years, the top two floors of Michigan’s tallest building have been a place to eat, drink, and celebrate special occasions. But depending on the Renaissance Center’s fate, it could all be reduced to a memory.
When chef Shawn McClain opened Highlands in 2019, it was the third eatery to occupy the RenCen’s 71st and 72nd floors. While McClain had already earned a James Beard Award and opened a successful string of restaurants in Chicago and Las Vegas, he moved to the Detroit area as hungry as ever. He envisioned a first-rate culinary destination worthy of its real estate.
“We just never wanted to be ‘Oh, it’s a great view,’” McClain says. “We wanted it to be like ‘That was an amazing dinner. Oh, by the way, it was an amazing view.’”
I have to say, the view is still pretty amazing when I join Kate Walsh, Hour Detroit’s editor-in-chief, for dinner at Highlands in early January. In contrast to the eerily quiet first floor, the dining room is lively. Through the wide windows, we see bright flames guzzling out of the Zug Island smokestack, as well as the purple orb atop the Penobscot as it glows and blinks. Here, guests can regularly be seen out of their seat and by a window, gazing through their phone camera at the expansive cityscape. But indeed, the meal is full of high notes that sometimes make me forget about the view altogether.
We try the foie gras brûlée. Dotted with tart Michigan cherry preserves, the luxurious snack achieves the improbable by substituting traditional custard with a mixture of reduced alcohol, foie gras, cream, and egg yolk — but keeping the caramelized sugar topping. With buttery brioche toast points for spreading, it reminds me a bit of a Brie, though it’s undoubtedly richer.
Although the pricier steaks are tempting, we opt for the tasting menu, which lets the customer pick each of the three courses. I like that while the dishes are agreeable to most palates, each still manages to have a little fun.
One we particularly enjoy is the roasted sweet potato, prepared with salty sprinkles of jamón Ibérico and a tangy spread of fromage blanc with melted white chocolate. From there, it’s seasoned with a robust blend of French curry, paprika, and much more — as in, “if it’s a spice, it’s probably in there,” notes Executive Chef Kyle Spina. No kidding. Each bite is bold, with the warm familiarity of a holiday meal.
Another equally impressive offering is the venison roast. On the side: pumpkin pie-flavored pumpkin puree with a little maple syrup; sautéed chanterelle mushrooms and cipollini onion; and a savory venison jus finish that makes the tender cut that much more irresistible.
For dessert, we enjoy the cardamom ice cream, which the sommelier, Kevin Williams, sells us on by comparing its flavor to that of chamomile tea and edible Fruit Loops straws. He’s spot on. I later learn that this is the place where his exquisite palate and passion for wines was fully realized.
In late 2021, Williams was hired on as a server’s assistant. The next year, he completed his Level 1 sommelier certification, and soon after, management offered to promote him. Suddenly, his confidence waned: He told them, “I’m not ready for this,” but they assured him, “You’ve got this.” Today, he curates the wine pairings, which rotate monthly, for the tasting menu. In April, he plans to take his Level 2 exam.
The original restaurant, The Summit, opened in 1977, the same year architect John Portman’s center tower was completed. In those days, it used to rotate, but it stopped permanently due to a mechanical issue that would have required a multimillion-dollar fix. It would close in 2000, four years after General Motors bought the building from Ford Motor Co.
Following a $500 million renovation to the RenCen, a wine-forward steakhouse called Coach Insignia opened on the top floors in 2004. Its name was inspired by the logo for Fisher Body Co., a defunct GM division. The restaurant closed in 2017 after it was unable to reach a lease agreement.
Since last year, the RenCen and its landlord have been the talk of the town. GM, which owns this building, along with four other towers in the complex, announced April 15 that it was moving its headquarters to the Hudson’s Detroit development.
On Nov. 25, GM and Bedrock announced a $1.6 billion redevelopment plan for the soon-to-be vacant RenCen, in which towers 300 and 400 would be replaced by 6 acres of park space and the center tower, where Highlands is located, would remain. However, the plan called for $250 million in state funds and $100 million from Detroit’s Downtown Development Authority, which drew criticism from numerous legislators. A week later, GM said if it can’t secure the public funding, it will simply tear down all five of its buildings, in what the Detroit Free Press reported would likely be “the largest voluntary skyscraper demolition in world history.” (As we went to press in early March, GM and Bedrock said they were seeking a tax incentive between $150 million and $175 million, which would reduce their initial ask by $75 million to $100 million, Crain’s Detroit reported.)
I ask the staff about the headlines. They seem to have mixed views, some framing their answers positively around the prospect of renovations to the complex. Williams speaks candidly.
“It’s definitely something that’s unsettling and something that I think about quite often,” he says. “It’s a great team here, a great historic space, and that’s something that fuels me and ties me to this place. There are so many of my peers in the wine world that had their start here. I don’t want to see it go.”
Dining room service director Byron Coleman — who was just 4 when his mom took him on his first unforgettable elevator ride to The Summit — shares a bit of the concern. He thinks the news may explain a recent uptick in visitors.
Highlands is currently on year five of a 10-year lease. It weathered a pandemic just three months after opening. Most of its current staff has been along for most of the ride, and the restaurant has managed to maintain a solid reputation.
“When we opened, I looked at it as a 20-year project,” McClain says. “We’re heading through it, and until somebody says something different, we’re going to just keep doing it every day.”
McClain says he’s still not sure whether, under GM and Bedrock’s proposed plan, he’d still be able to keep Highlands’ current space. However, he’d want “nothing more than to be part of it,” he says.
“I would hope that [a full demolition] is the nuclear option. But I think people, at the end of the day, realize the importance of the location and the building. The city and the state, I believe that they’ll ultimately support the 2.0 version,” he says, adding, “I know that it’s always a touchy subject with funding, especially when it comes to public money, but that’s way above my pay grade.”
After leaving the photo shoot at the restaurant in February, I step off the elevator and try to remember the way to the parking lot. It’s so confusing on those lower levels. The riverfront is just steps away.
That’s where, in the summer, Williams takes his laptop down to the Riverwalk while he’s doing inventory and lets the breeze wash over him. Even on a stressful day, the view keeps him grounded.
“Seeing the sunsets and the water is peaceful to me,” he says. “It never gets old.”
At a Glance
- Price: $$$$
- Vibes: Special occasion
- Service: Warm, knowledgeable
- Sound level: Quiet to moderate
- Dress code: None
- Open: Mon.-Thurs., 5-9:15 p.m.; Fri & Sat, 4:30-10:15 p.m.
- Reservations: Recommended (not needed for High Bar)
- Parking: Beaubien Place Garage, 238 Beaubien Blvd., Detroit (first three hours complimentary with validation)
- Valet: Available at the Marriott Porte on Renaissance Drive West ($10 during lunch weekdays, $15 during dinner daily with validation)
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Highlands Detroit is located at 400 Renaissance Center, Floor 71, 72, Detroit. Call 313-877-9090 or visit highlandsdetroit.com for more information.
This story originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on April 7.
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