Peridot is a Vietnamese-inspired fusion restaurant and cocktail bar located in downtown Ann Arbor. It offers a unique dining experience with shareable small and large plates, inventive cocktails, and a romantic, dimly lit ambiance. The restaurant also provides options for private dining events.
Customer Perception
Customer perception is overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the delicious and flavorful food, excellent and creative cocktails, and attentive service. Diners frequently highlight dishes like the spicy crushed cucumber salad, crab and pineapple fried rice, and various desserts. The ambiance is often described as dark, romantic, and having a unique 'gemstone vibe,' though some note it can be a bit too dark for reading menus. Portions are considered satisfying despite sometimes appearing small.
Peridot is known for its 'Southeast Asian fever dream' aesthetic, combining unique lighting and decor with its culinary offerings. It aims to provide a sophisticated yet approachable dining experience in Ann Arbor.
Evenings are likely the best time to visit, given its focus on dinner, cocktails, and a romantic ambiance. Reservations are available via Tock, suggesting it can be busy.
5
After a long while, we found satisfaction in the taste of food and drinks at an A2 eatery. Jack was a wonderful host, drinks were customized for us, dishes prepared with care and served hot.
We had the fried chicken wings and beef skewers to accompany the Viper and a Margarita, followed by a main course of TomYum curry Shrimp. All were absolutely amazing. The portions look small but we were stuffed in 3 dishes.
All in all, a great dining experience and look forward to returning to try the pork pho and some dessert.
The food and service was excellent! The cucumber salad was the favorite - we finished off two plates! The tartar was delicious, the crab and pineapple fried rice was filling and so good. It had a great crunch to it. Gotta have the dessert - the coconut milk Panna cota was light and so good! The banana bread was warm and comforting! There was nothing that didn't taste delicious! Definitely want to come back and try more!
Peridot is what happens when a Southeast Asian fever dream gets a Michigan zip code and decides to lean into the lighting from a Lana Del Rey music video. We came hungry, left happy, and somehow took 47 photos that all look like they were shot through a smudged Ray-Ban.
Started with cocktails (mine had mint and a vibe I couldn’t quite place, somewhere between “tiki bar” and “a friend’s kitchen at 1am”) and ordered like we had something to prove. The spicy crushed cucumber salad earned its name and then some. The green papaya salad with house-made beef jerky and crispy shallots was the sleeper hit of the night. The hamachi crudo, swimming in a radioactive-green coconut leche de tigre, tasted way better than it photographed, which is genuinely saying something.
Steak frites, except the frites are thick-cut yuca, which I support as a personal philosophy. The steak was cooked correctly, sauced confidently, and disappeared faster than I’ll admit. Dessert was a chocolate hazelnut situation piped with cream and dusted with the kind of decadence you fight a sibling over. We did not fight. We are adults. We did, however, hover.
Service was easy and unfussy. The bar seats have a great view of the action. The room is dark in the romantic way and also in the “where is my fork” way. Bring your readers if you’re over forty.
Four stars instead of five only because I want to leave Peridot room to surprise me again.
I love Peridot! I’ve tried a good bit of their menu and everything has been delicious. My favorites are the papaya & cucumber salads, chicken wings, pineapple/crab fried rice, green curry (great vegetarian option), and steak! As for desserts, the panna cotta is light/bright while the mousse is rich/salty/savory :)
The cocktails were excellent. I liked the variety of different types of ice in them too. Nice touch. Curried prawns were excellent, perfect amount of spice. Beef tartare was great, and crab fried rice was to die for. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more of their menu options!
