While attending the University of Michigan, navigating student life in Ann Arbor can be exciting—and maybe a little overwhelming for students new to the city. Between Ann Arbor’s unique restaurants, bars, events and venues, there is no shortage of entertainment and dining options.
In this article, we will highlight the top local options for exploring, going out, grabbing a bite to eat and just hanging out in the city.
Breakfast restaurants
Afternoon Delight
251 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor. 734-665-7513.
While serving breakfast until noon, Afternoon Delight offers a small-town aesthetic with sizable portions and a friendly atmosphere to start your day on the right note. Recognized as one of the hot spots for breakfast, lunch, and brunch, a quick meal of their biscuit breakfast sandwich or a sit-down experience to enjoy one of their giant omelets will bring about the start to a perfect day.
The Hen Ann Arbor
403 E Washington St, Ann Arbor. 734-929-2590.
A U-M favorite, The Hen offers the perfect blend of cozy café, college town energy and a meal to slow down the everyday hustle-and-bustle of University life. The Hen serves creative menu items such as a waffle flight, which comes with four different flavored mini waffles topped with items like strawberries and bananas. You can also order a breakfast burrito or their scrambler, which comes with eggs, toast, potatoes, or fruit.
Bodega Bros
715 N University Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-369-6495.
Offering the unique experience of an authentic bodega, this restaurant/convenience store provides more than 30 breakfast items, including favorites like their bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich or their Greek omelet.
aMa Bistro
215 S State St, Ann Arbor. 734-780-7202.
Offering a mix of home-style foods, with delicious international cuisine, aMa Bistro has exciting selections for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, to start your day with a spark, enjoy their house specialty breakfast egg bhurani, served on top of a sauté mixture of spinach, rice and scallions. This bistro will make the day a little better before your next class.
Local Pubs (21+)
The Blue Leprechaun
1220 S University Ave #109, Ann Arbor. 734-929-5944.
Between their custom cocktails, lengthy drink options, lively atmosphere and downstairs area, which doubles as a nightclub, The Blue Leprechaun is a great place to enjoy after a long week. One aspect of this bar that’s underrated, besides its impressive music selection, is the gameday atmosphere, where you can watch your favorite team pick up the win.
Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.
120 W Washington St, Ann Arbor. 734-741-7325
Located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, Grizzly Peak offers a more restaurant-like flair to its brewing experience. However, as a pub, the Grizzly Peak experience is nothing short of tasty, offering an assortment of IPAs, Lagers, Pale Ales and Red Ales. We can’t forget the action happening in the basement at their cellar wine bar, which features hundreds of world-class wines.
Brown Jug
1204 S University Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-761-3355.
Located just off campus, The Brown Jug is an Ann Arbor mainstay, featuring food items named after U-M legends like Devin Gardner’s Chicken Tenders or Charles Woodson’s Patty Melt. While the music is a non-stop dance fest, you will also enjoy their drink menu, which has daily specials, flavorful Long Islands and over thirty $7 drink options.
Night life
Necto Nightclub
516 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor. 734-994-5835.
Necto is often the party of Ann Arbor. After you put the books away, close your laptop and look to dance the night away, Necto will be the first to greet you at the door with iconic music, drinks and a good time for you and your friends. This dance club is one of the most popular spaces in Ann Arbor and certainly one to visit when the night begins.
RELATED: City Sips 2025: Ann Arbor Area Bartenders Share Their Secrets
Live Nightclub
102 S 1st St, Ann Arbor.
Known as the premier nightclub in Ann Arbor, Live features guest DJs on a near-nightly basis. Along with their rotating roster of DJs, the result you receive is unique music mash-ups that will have you dancing all night. Live offers everything you could want from your nightlife experience: fun atmospheres and great drink options.
Circ Bar
210 S 1st St, Ann Arbor. 734-277-3656.
The nightlife doesn’t always have to be music and dancing; it can also be a chill time, enjoying beverages with friends while playing a game of pool. The Circ Bar experience gives the Ann Arbor nightlife a unique flair. Take a moment to enjoy hearing someone sing your favorite tunes at the Karaoke bar or play a few rounds of pool with friends at the bar. You can also take a step outside to enjoy the views from their rooftop deck, which is a fantastic photo moment.
Live music
The Blind Pig
208 S 1st St, Ann Arbor. 734-996-8555.
It’s no hyperbole to say that any and every artist has performed at The Blind Pig over the past few decades. From bubbling stars on the rise like Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa in 2010, to new Ann Arbor favorites like Dani Darling and Chirp. The Blind Pig is one of the city’s longstanding music venues and a great spot to hear fantastic music on a near-nightly basis.
Blue LLama
314 S Main St, Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200.
Is there any better combination than food from an award-winning chef and live jazz music? The Blue LLama provides soulful sounds that cascade across the room while you enjoy meals like their 14-day Dry Aged NY Strip. The music featured in The Blue LLama is always a premier experience as it’s common to hear award-winning musicians take the stage on a nightly basis, playing tunes that will stay with you long into the night.
The Ark
316 S Main St, Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818.
Musically, The Ark offers a relaxing experience, as bands take the stage to play music ranging from R&B to folk tunes. Acoustically, this venue provides a rich sound that music enthusiasts will appreciate. Also, each month, The Ark offers a free artist spotlight series.
North Star Lounge
301 N 5th Ave, Ann Arbor.
The beauty of The North Star Lounge is its intimate setting. Highlighted by its vegan food menu and focus on community, this lounge offers nightly live entertainment, unique events and a relaxing place for you to enjoy after the school day ends.
Dinner
Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger
304 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor. 734-663-4590
You can not enjoy the Ann Arbor experience without tasting Blimpy Burger. This made-to-order burger joint makes every item fresh, and with their entertaining ordering system, you will have a good time from the moment you enter to the last bite. While each burger is custom-made, so no two bites are alike, the experience is always one of a kind.
Hola Seoul
715 N University Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-369-6418.
One of the most flavorful experiences in the Ann Arbor area, Hola Seoul combines the bursting tastes of South Korea and Mexico to create cuisines that will have you coming back for seconds. From the sizable portions of their C-2 Wings, served with soy garlic, hot & spicy, or original, to their giant dumplings, this restaurant is always a fantastic dining experience.
Fleetwood Diner
300 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor. 734-995-5502
Ann Arbor’s 24-hour restaurant, Fleetwood Diner, is a city legend, providing large portions with even better taste. Take a moment to stop here and enjoy a classic coney dog or The Fleetwood Club—served with Grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and onions on a pita. Whether it’s 8am before an early class or 3am after leaving a nightclub with your friends, Fleetwood is always open for you.
Shopping
Nickles Arcade
326-330 S State St, Ann Arbor.
While Briarwood Mall is too far out of the way for those traveling on foot, first-time students can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience by shopping at Nickles Arcade, a 260-foot-long corridor housing a host of stores dedicated to all your shopping needs, from coffee at Comet Coffee to clothing stores like Van Boven or One DNA, which provides a host of gender neutral clothing.
University Vintage LLC
324 S State St, Ann Arbor. 248-838-8538
If you are looking for unique University gear, then a trip to University Vintage is perfect for you. From snapback hats to Tom Brady jerseys, each item offers a tale of University lore that you can enjoy while looking stylish across campus.
Ferne Boutique
217 S 4th Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-369-2526
A boutique curated to provide the highest quality of apparel and accessories, creating a one-stop shop for the latest in trendy styles and fun fashion. At the same time, we can not forget the side of small items, ranging from candles to gift cards. Whether you are searching for a new dress for the night out or a cardigan to complete an outfit, Ferne Boutique provides value items that you can enjoy for every occasion.
Ragstock
337 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor. 734-997-0932
Fusing vintage clothing with trendy fashion, Ragstock is one of Ann Arbor’s longstanding businesses and for good reason. Between their wallet-saving sales and variety of options, you have a large variety to choose from at all times. We can’t forget to mention their lengthy selection of accessories, from creative sunglasses to eye-catching rings.
Exploring the city
Pinball Petes
1214 S University Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-213-2502
What better way to enjoy your time away from the classroom than going to the arcade to test your skills? Whether it’s skeeball, racing or fighting games, Pinball Pete’s has arcade games lined up from wall to wall. While also being a non-stop source of fun, this business is open late, operating daily until Midnight.
Ann Arbor Art Museum
525 S State St, Ann Arbor. 734-764-0395.
Take a break from the daily grind by enjoying historic art in the Ann Arbor area. With paintings and sculptures from every time period, this museum represents over 150 years of collections for you to browse and enjoy with every step.
Visit a Park
Ann Arbor is known as “The Tree City,” so with over 160 park properties in the area, enjoying the fresh air will feel relaxing and refreshing. From skate parks to the Nichols Arboretum with three miles of trails and an indoor conservatory, you can take a step away from campus life to enjoy the fresh Ann Arbor greens.
Ann Arbor Comedy Club
212 S 4th Ave, Ann Arbor. 734-996-9080.
Laughter is the best medicine, and no place offers more laughs than the Ann Arbor Comedy Club. Featuring new comedians every weekend, this club provides live entertainment that will have you doubling over with every joke. From the opener to the headliner, the standup material at this club is something you do not want to miss.
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
