Monumental margarita showdown shakes up best food and drink events in Dallas

A cocktail lounge coming to Uptown Dallas this fall will give night owls a new place to hang. Called Marlowe, it will open in September at 2912 McKinney Ave., in a space that most recently housed Theory Nightclub Uptown (which closed in June 2025), and before that, Avenu Lounge and Aura Lounge / Club Babalu.

A release calls Marlowe an "a richly layered hospitality experience where design, food, cocktails, music and service have been conceived to work together as one."

It will be open just Wednesday through Saturday, from 5 pm-2 am.

The project is led by Dallas hospitality entrepreneur Alon Abramov, who has more than a decade of experience developing and operating hospitality concepts, the release says. Thomas Menaitreau is operating partner and general manager, while Kyle Buckelew serves as beverage director and Garrett Swain, also known as DJ Zillamatic, is music programming director.

Marlowe is designed as a place where guests can drop in for drinks and a bite, stay for dinner, or swing by after dinner for a late-night drink, the owners say.

While few menu details are available yet, the food will be prepared without seed oils, they say. Early menu items include charred Matagorda Pearl oysters with garlic-lemon butter and parsley, along with beef skewers served with sumac tahini yogurt.

Buckelew, who led the bar team at just-opened Delilah Dallas, is overseeing the cocktail program. One of the early offerings revealed is an espresso martini made with salted caramel vodka, dulce de leche, espresso, and Demerara syrup.

The interior is designed by Duncan Design Group and takes cues from Art Deco and cinematic design, they say. The space will feature wood-vaulted ceilings, curved architectural elements, tiered seating, antique-mirror and marble bars, brass details, velvet seating, and a central stage. There's also an enclosed glass-and-brass patio with a birdcage-inspired structure. Music will be another major component, with Swain overseeing the programming.

Abramov says the idea for Marlowe started with the guest experience.

“Marlowe started with one question I’ve carried throughout my career: how should a guest feel the moment they walk through the door?” says Abramov in the release. “We’ve approached every decision through that lens. The lighting, music, design, cocktails, service and energy of the room all have to work together. We’re not interested in creating the biggest room — we want to create one of the most memorable, and a place people feel connected to enough to return to again and again.”

Menaitreau, who was born and raised in Strasbourg, France, has worked at Michelin-recognized restaurants including Fiola and Bresca in Washington, D.C., and Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas.

“At Marlowe, every element should contribute to how a guest remembers the evening — not individually, but collectively,” Menaitreau says. “Our vision is to pair refinement with warmth and create an atmosphere where excellence feels natural, personal and never overly formal. Ultimately, we want every guest to leave feeling better than when they arrived.”

What is the significance of the name "Marlowe?" The release does not explain the name, and CultureMap has asked. Considering the logo is a penguin, it could possibly be a "Marlowe penguin," referring to the Penguin Classics editions of works by Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe. Stand by for an update on the intriguing name.

The exact opening date, full menu, cocktail list, reservations and entertainment programming will be announced in the coming weeks, the owners say say.