Speakeasy News

Downtown Dallas boutique hotel reveals speakeasy bar with secret entry

You need to know the 411 to get into this space.

Sova Hotel

Pssst, a downtown Dallas hotel has a secret. Sova, a boutique hotel with mini-rooms that opened in 2021, has debuted a new bar that embraces one of the buzziest trends in bars right now: the speakeasy.

Called Room 520, it's a secret bar tucked between hotel rooms, open limited hours with a small menu of specialty cocktails boasting Japanese flavors.

Not unlike the hotel rooms, Room 520 is small, with a capacity of about 25 guests, which creates a total "party with your friends" vibe.

And being a speakeasy, it has the essential element every speakeasy needs: A secret procedure to enter. Speakeasies can't just be available to anyone who walks in off the street. You need to be in the know regarding the particulars of how to find it and how to get in. (You'll have to keep reading this story to find out how. In that regard, this story is identical to a speakeasy in that it's making you jump through hoops to get what you want.)

Speakeasy bars have been the buzz in Dallas-Fort Worth, with at least a dozen speakeasies emerging in the past couple years, especially post-pandemic, with operators seeking creative ways to do business and keep patrons on premise. If your location has an extra room, you can designate it as a speakeasy and give restless customers two experiences in one.

The concept at the Sova was devised by Morgan Shirk, sister to Brandon and Blake Shirk, who founded the hotel after being inspired by their international travels to create a sophisticated yet inexpensive-by-conventional-standards place to stay. Sova features "micro-rooms" from 120 to 220 square feet, whose petite size is compensated for with luxe elements such as Japanese robotic toilets with wash-and-dry options.

Room 520 follows that model, both in size and theme. It's a small bar, with Japanese inspiration for both decor and cocktails, created by in-house mixologist Andres Martinez, including one with matcha green tea, another with ginger liqueur, and another called a Cherry Blossom.

"It's modeled after a hotel room experience, with an entry that relies on a room key card," Shirk says. "This was a room we weren't using and wanted to add another offering."

Shield your screen right now because we're about to reveal the super-secret procedure to get in:

You must "check in" to Room 520 at the front desk, where you are given a room key card with a code that grants you entry. The bar is on the third floor — but unless you're in the know, you'd just pass it by, since it has ordinary room signage on the door.

"We think it is super fun and unique since guests have to use an actual pin pad for the room after following 'room' signs to the third floor," Shirk says.

The bar is open limited hours — Thursday-Friday-Saturday from 6-10 pm — although it can be rented for private parties at other times. And since it's small, there's a chance that not everyone can get in, which surely makes it yet more alluring.

For those unable to gain entrance, there's a bar in the lobby serving cocktails from 11 am-2 am, and that one is open to everyone.

hotels trends downtown

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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