The Porch
The restaurant is a relaxed style bistro – it has a great chilled and authentic atmosphere. The cocktails are upscale and classic and the food is traditional and high quality and the service is helpful and friendly.
The staff are very knowledgeable about the menu and drinks service and add to the experience. The lunch menu is seasonal and uses fresh ingredients to create a great selection including Butter Milk Fried Chicken Cobb and Crab Cake Salad. For dinner, the selection is even wider but just as good with the Short Rib Stroganoff being one of the best around and they also feature daily ‘Big Board’ specials.
The Pannacotta is excellent for dessert – if you have any room left! All in all a great place to relax over a glass of wine and good food, and it is a place you could quite happily spend the night.
The Porch, 2912 North Henderson Avenue
The Screen Door
This restaurant is small but perfectly formed, and as the name might suggest it is in the perfect place to enjoy a pre-theatre dinner as it is located in close walking distance of the Arts District.
It is elegant and offers an excellent choice of wines and beers to accompany your meal. Open 7 days a week, they offer a pre-theatre menu which is $35 for 3 courses from 5 pm to 7 pm. They also offer a complimentary ‘Art Cart’ shuttle service to the theatres which is quirky, helpful, and a nice touch!
As for the food, for lunch, the chili fried catfish is unique and tasty and for dessert, you can go wrong with a banana cream pie with candied peanut caramel! If you are visiting for dinner, the sea scallops are excellent – perfectly cooked and served with roast turnip, apple, and parsley salad.
The Screen Door, 1722 Routh Street
The Iron Cactus
If you like your food Mexican, there are plenty of options in downtown Dallas but this is the place to come! The restaurant space is huge at over 14,000 ft and is three levels high.
Beautifully lit at night it’s a great place both for dinner or just to come for some awesome Mexican cocktails – they have over 100 flavors of tequila available! The rooftop patio is lovely for sunset (happy hour is between 4 pm and 7 pm) and to see the city lit up at night – there is a pretty view of the lights across Downtown.
Open 7 days a week, the staff are fun and friendly. They do a good gluten-free menu and the rest of it is equally as great! The crab cakes are succulent and full of flavor and the chicken chili poppers are spicy and delicious.
The Iron Cactus, 1520 Main Street, Dallas
Zodiac
Open for over 50 years, this elegant restaurant has earned its reputation as a great place for an upscale dinner. Located on Level Six inside the Neiman Marcus Downtown, it attracts business people and shoppers, although it is closed on Sundays.
The menu changes seasonally and has great contemporary and trendy offerings such as the Maine lobster sandwich and the famous mandarin orange soufflé with chicken salad. It is only open for lunch (from 11 am to 3 pm) however so it makes a great break from a shopping trip to rest your weary feet and head to a delicious meal to get the energy to carry on.
It is an idea to reserve a table though as it does get pretty busy. This is the place to go if you are having a classy, girly day and want to treat yourself to a gorgeous girly experience to go with an extravagant shopping trip!
Zodiac, 1618 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse
If you want a traditional, totally amazing, Texas barbeque, this is the place to come! Open since 1958, the original Sonny Bryan’s offers brilliant savory sauce which complements the rich and smoky flavor of the meats that are on offer.
The interior features vintage school desks dotted about and images of the famous patrons who have visited the restaurant since it has been open. The brisket is traditional but that’s not all there is, the pulled pork, chicken, ribs, sausage, hand AND turkey are all fantastic so you certainly won’t be short of choice.
They are closed on Sundays but open until late the rest of the week and prices are reasonable. The whole experience is informal and fun and service is friendly and knowledgeable, but if you prefer to take the food away there is a full take out service available.
Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse, 2202 Inwood Road
Mansion on Turtle Creek
This beautiful restaurant is located in the historic Sheppard King Mansion and consistently receives top-class reviews from restaurant critics and diners alike. Redesigned in 2007, the décor is refined and chilled and features soft leather chairs, wood paneling, and stunning commissioned artwork.
Dine in the new formal Chefs dining room for an extra special experience or enjoy the beautiful veranda with a glass of chilled wine. It’s not cheap with an average total dinner priced at around $88 per head, but it’s worth it for the sumptuous dining experience.
Try the excellent prime ribeye steak which is served with sage gnocchi, braised collards, and fantastic shallot marmalade and for a starter the lobster risotto is essential! A great place for a date if you really want to impress or an important occasion – or just treat yourself as part of the Dallas experience.
Mansion on Turtle Creek, 2821 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Abacus
This is known for being one of the best restaurants in Dallas, and it certainly does not disappoint. The cuisine is contemporary global at its best and features a variety of flavors from the Mediterranean, Creole, and Pacific Rim.
As the menu changes monthly it is a great excuse for repeat visits! It’s a real restaurant for foodies and as such does tend to get very busy, especially at the weekends so make sure you book a table or be prepared to wait! The open kitchen is great fun so you can watch the chefs prepare their creations in front of you.
The dining room is cool and elegant with beautiful woods and glass sculptures and it also features such fascinating works of art. Try the Duo of Pork with white cheddar polenta and fuji apple-vanilla puree – its amazing! They also do some great sushi and steak options so there is something for everyone.
Abacus, 4511 McKinney Avenue