Downtown News
Downtown Dallas bar reopens in vintage building even cooler than the last
One of the most venerable bars in downtown Dallas is back in business after relocating to a cool old building that beats the one it was in.
City Tavern, known for its chill personality, lived-in-vibe, live music, and lineup of great beers, is now open at 1514 Elm St. It's in a former Lane Bryant store, whose roots date back to the olden times when downtown Dallas had lots of retail shops.
It's on the ground floor of a vintage building that's being redeveloped into a residential multi-unit residence called Mid Elm Lofts.
"City Tavern 2.0," as owner Josh Florence calls it, opened on February 1, and will celebrate a grand opening on February 23.
The bar was an early pioneer when it opened in 2004 at 1402 Main St. But after 14 years, Florence, who also owns three bars in Deep Ellum — Club Dada, Independent Bar & Kitchen, and Club Dada — was nudged out when the landlord decided to open something in its place.
"Our landlord, Adam Salazar, owner of On Premise and The Mitchell next door to the Main Street location, wanted to take the space for his own concept," Florence tells the Dallas Observer, calling it "bittersweet," while acknowledging that the space was old and dilapidated.
The new location recreates the original layout with the bar on the right, the signature red booths to the left, wood cladding, and brick walls.
As Florence says to Eater, "When you walk in, it still feels like City Tavern."
