DAL Guide. Kevin Gray. Dating in Dallas requires some tricky navigation of the city's surprisingly big gap between high-end and too-casual. But do a little digging—or, rather, let us do it for you—and there's a restaurant for every kind of romantic outing. Or get to know each other over small plates and glasses of natural wine instead of witnessing a marriage proposal at the table next to you. Bishop Arts. Warm lighting, cozy two-tops, and friendly service are a strong foundation for just about any kind of night.
Share the house-smoked salumi board—including duck terrine and rich coppa—which is a better ice-breaker than any conversation starter you saw on Reddit. Then move onto the list of rotating pastas, like the rich and comforting rigatoni with wagyu beef shank ragu.
Pasta investments always have the best ROI. Lower Greenville. It helps if your date likes puns. East Dallas. We may even ask to join. But Gemma is a lot closer when you want a great neighborhood bistro, and no one will critique your French. The nice-but-still-casual setting works for just about anyone, so you can feel comfortable settling into a booth with a first date or a long-term partner. Ask those awkward first questions—or the same-old pleasant small talk—with whipped feta, seared branzino, and white-sauce bucatini amatriciana with a mild poblano kick.
This quaint, wood-frame residence was turned into a cocktail bar about years after it was built, with a handful of seats, a few tables, and a roaring fireplace. For a city that can only yearn for a coastline, Dallas has a lot of great sushi bars. Kaiyo is one of them, nailing the sushi and opting for bright colors, loud music, table seating, and a patio instead of a formal omakase counter.
Barcelona Wine Bar will keep you pleasantly occupied. Find a seat in the warm, brick-walled dining room and choose from a well-stocked wine list focused on Spanish and South American bottles. Some dates call for quiet corners. Green Point doesn't have any of those, with a high-energy hum perfect for knocking back drinks and laughing a little too hard at your own jokes.
