MDRD
MDRD is a modern Spanish tapas restaurant located on the 27th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Perched above the skyline with sweeping views of the Grand River, it's one of AHC Hospitality's flagship dining concepts, developed in partnership with Gensler and recognized as a AAA Four-Diamond restaurant.
Why Madrid
MDRD began with a love for Madrid — a city AHC Hospitality saw as an ideal creative anchor for a restaurant unlike anything else in the market. Perched on the 27th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza's Glass Tower, the concept was built to feel like a genuine departure: an energetic, artful space that borrows the sensibility of a major international city while staying approachable and unstuffy enough for a Tuesday night out. It's a restaurant designed to hold its own as a destination, independent of the hotel below it.
"MDRD delivers... sophisticated but welcoming."
–Michigan Family Travel
Built to Live in It
AHC partnered with Gensler on a full reimagining of the space, translating Madrid's culture into physical detail rather than surface theme. A custom tile installation runs through the dining and bar areas, referencing the confetti and costumes of Spain's Carnival celebrations. Overhead, custom lighting reworks the hoops and batons of street performers into fixtures. The layout is terraced along the building's glass façade so that every seat — not just the ones against the window — has a real sightline to the Grand River and the skyline beyond. The renovation also expanded private dining from three rooms to five, each themed around a distinct piece of Spanish history or culture, giving the venue range from an intimate dinner to a full buyout.
What's on the Table
The culinary program leans into modern Spanish cuisine built around shareability — expressive entrées and tapas designed to move around the table, alongside a dessert and cocktail program built for a slower, later-in-the-evening pace. The wine list draws particular attention from guests and press alike, deep enough to support both a quick glass at the social lounge near the entrance and a full pairing menu in the dining room. The result is a food and beverage program calibrated for range: a couple sharing plates before a show, or a table settling in for a full four-course evening.
Accolades
America's 2nd best new restaurant of 2022 by USA Today
AAA Four-Diamond Restaurant
Featured on OpenTable's Michigan's Top Romantic Restaurants
MDRD
187 Monroe Ave. Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.776.6425