Glitzy News
Glitzy Houston restaurant-club shimmies into old Circo space in Uptown Dallas
A high-energy restaurant and bar from Houston is coming to Dallas, fearlessly taking over an infamous Uptown Dallas address: Bisou, a concept from Houston nightclub kingpins the Clé Group, will open at 2619 McKinney Ave., in the One Uptown building.
This is the spot that was previously home to Circo, the glitzy-but-doomed Dallas offshoot of New York restaurant Le Cirque, which closed in 2019 after less than a year.
According to a spokesperson, Bisou Dallas is slated to open in spring, by late April or early May.
French for "kiss" and pronounced "bee-sue," Bisou is a French-inspired restaurant whose goal is to bring "an unparalleled combination of Continental cuisine and curated entertainment, with classic cocktails, an extensive wine list, and champagne magnums served up in a sleek contemporary interior."
Dubbed a "clubstaurant" by Houston CultureMap writer Eric Sandler, the restaurant has a lively scene that includes not only magnums of champagne but also the requisite Female Employees Walking Through The Club With Lit Sparklers.
The Clé Group opened the original location in Houston's River Oaks District in 2018 — their third concept in a portfolio that also includes popular Houston nightclubs Clé and Spire.
Clé Group partner Zach Truesdell says their goal is to be considered a restaurant, but also a place for birthdays and celebrations, with a club vibe on weekend nights and a festive Sunday brunch that Truesdell describes as "La Strada with bottle service."
But they also have a credentialed chef: Frédéric Perrier, a native of Lyon, France, and veteran on Houston's restaurant scene who holds the prestigious title of Maîtres des Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France).
His French-influenced menu includes
- truffle mushroom risotto
- roast chicken for two
- flounder with lobster risotto
- escargot with bone marrow
- pork belly with pork dumplings
Entrees range from $18 for a burger to $39 for Korean short ribs with house-made kimchi and baby bok choi.
In 2019, they also added sushi, blending French and Japanese techniques in a selection of creative maki and nigiri.
The spokesperson said that the Dallas menu, atmosphere, and mission would be similar to the original in Houston.
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Eric Sandler contributed to this story.