By Alison McLean
Audio By Carbonatix
Dallas has no shortage of eye candy. We know how to gussy up a restaurant for a night out. However, throwing money at things doesn’t always result in a dining room where we feel transported to a romantic or festive getaway (but it usually doesn’t hurt either). Below is a list of some of Dallas’ most beautiful dining rooms for the holiday season or any special occasion.
Alison McLean
Quarter Acre
2023 Greenville Ave., Lower Greenville
We’ll always love Lower Greenville for its large trees that reach over the street and its pedestrian-friendly qualities. Along this strip, Michelin-recommended Quarter Acre is – physically and culinarily – an homage to chef Toby Archibald’s native New Zealand. The food is skillful fare with a side of whimsy. The space is casual and elegant: soft greens and blues with an oceanic touch. Service is excellent, and you’ll likely have a meal you’ll not soon forget. The relaxing and beautiful space is a frivolous bonus.
Chase Hall
EVELYN
1201 Turtle Creek Blvd., Design District
EVELYN’s Old Hollywood glamour fits right at home in the Design District. The swanky, dimly-lit restaurant has three distinct spaces, all of which ooze elegance and class: the intimate Piano Room, the Ruby Room bar and Room Seven, a high-energy lounge. It’s the kind of spot that makes you happily adhere to their strictly upheld dress code so that you can relish in the 60s and 70s glamour of it all.
Tango Room
1617 Hi Line Drive, Design District
At Tango Room, it’s what is on the inside that counts. (Read all about it’s new era.) The restaurant may be flanked on all sides by furniture showrooms, but walk past their black diamond-dusted Andy Warhol, velvet curtains, and you’re transported to a swanky space accented in burgundy, gold fixtures and the owner’s private art collection. They may pay for more in art insurance than rent, but their Fruits De Mer pasta is a work of art in and of itself.
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Dakota’s Steakhouse
600 N. Akard St., Downtown
Dakota’s Steakhouse has served subterranean romance in its dining room for over 40 years. Their canopied glass elevator takes you underground into their dimly lit dining space. If you’re lucky enough to get the best seat in the house, you’ll cut into fine cuts of steak against the backdrop of their courtyard, which features a five-tiered granite waterfall.=
Ayahuasca Cantina
334 Jefferson Blvd., Oak Cliff
Perhaps more sexy than romantic, this hidden gem behind Xaman Cafe in Oak Cliff is easily the moodiest addition to this list. Dimly lit and relying largely on candlelight (some of which offer an amazing scent), the atmosphere in Ayahuasca feels both not of this time and a little bit dangerous, almost like a setting in an old movie. All the black and white artwork is procured from Mexico. It’s obscure and elusive, sexy and relaxing.
Courtesy of Lombardi Family Concepts
Mar y Sol
4511 McKinney Ave., Uptown
Mar y Sol was the chief culprit of the great margarita shake fee scandal of last fall, which was coincidentally right after this Tulum-inspired restaurant opened on Knox Henderson. When we went in to do our sleuthing, how pretty this restaurant is was almost distracting enough to make us forget the whole reason why we went in. Many concepts say they “transport you”, but few actually do. Mar y Sol takes you right to the beachside restaurants of the Yucatan Peninsula. As long as you order one of their stock margaritas from the cocktail menu, you can avoid paying $74 for your first round and spend more time soaking up the ambiance.
Luis Martinez
Brass Ram
2130 Commerce St., Downtown
Our restaurant critic, Chris Wolfgang, had this to say after dining at Brass Ram: “Opulent doesn’t do the space justice. Every table is a leather-bound booth for six, and mid-century light fixtures with Edison-style bulbs provide just enough warm light over each table. (…) While taking in all of the eye candy, it’s fair to wonder if your credit score is good enough to partake in a meal.” Sure it is, we say. If you have a slew of Mad Men-esque cronies, pop for the private dining room bathed in Marilyn Monroe art. But make no mistake, there’s not an unrefined seat in the house.
The French Room
1321 Commerce St., Downtown
Inside the historic Adolphus Hotel, The French Room is the very image its name evokes: period European luxury fit for Versailles. Marble floors, gilded chairs and ornate details from the floor to the ceiling will make you feel like Marie Antoinette, a character from The Gilded Age or a little of both. For the full effect, we recommend making a reservation for afternoon tea.
Georgie
4514 Travis St., No. 132, Knox-Henderson
For anyone looking to live out their midcentury retro dreams, a reservation at Georgie is a must. The swooping architecture and warm tones feel straight out of an old movie or an episode of Mad Men. We would say they don’t make them like this anymore, except that Georgie clearly does.
Kayla Enright
Nuri Steakhouse
2401 Cedar Springs Road, Uptown
Every cent of Nuri’s $20 million budget was spent on making the dining room utterly beautiful. The walls are lined with $150,000 silk wallpaper and if you peek above the bar, you’ll spot a massive, $65,000 chandelier that was made from an old milk truck. While you don’t need to go $11 million over budget to make something pretty, owner Wan Kim certainly succeeded when he wanted to make a space that felt like the only place in the world.
Mister Charles
3219 Knox St., No. 170, Knox-Henderson
This new Highland Park favorite is dripping with luxury: marble checkerboard floors, ornate chandeliers and towering 40-foot ceilings. Mister Charles serves high-end French and Italian cuisine, but the restaurant is the kind of space where they could serve cafeteria-caliber hot dogs and milk cartons and you’d still feel like royalty.
El Carlos Elegante
1400 N. Riverfront Blvd.
This relative of Mister Charles (both a part of Duro Hospitality) serves authentic Mexican and South American fare in a polished setting. Come here for an elevated night out, perhaps dance a bit at Double D’s around the corner. It’s fun with a group, so you can try a variety of dishes because the hardest thing here is deciding what to get; or you could go for the $99 tasting menu they launched after being recommended in the 2024 and 2025 Michelin Guide.
