If you're anything like us, heading out to grab a bite in the middle of your workday looks different every day of the week, and these days, the definition of what qualifies as a business lunch is pretty broad.
Luckily, downtown Dallas is full of options for your midday meal in whatever form it takes. From two hours in an elegant dining room to a casual meal with coworkers or a quick bite for one, here are 12 top spots for lunch in the heart of downtown.
3Eleven Kitchen & Cocktails
This farm-to-market modern eatery is perfect for everything from a solo working lunch (they had us at “build-your-own bowl” options) to a company outing, with shared plates like steak and cheese flatbreads and carpaccio bites. The vision for the classic-meets-modern vibe came from RJ Mexican Cuisine owner Jay Khan, who opened 3Eleven in the former Hoffbrau Steaks space.
Bullion
With award-winning chef Bruno Davaillon at the helm serving contemporary French dishes like moules frites and croque monsieur, Bullion is the perfect place for an elegant business lunch or celebratory Friday afternoon — you know, the kind where you don’t go back to the office afterwards.
CBD Provisions
Right in the heart of downtown Dallas inside the Joule is CBD Provisions. A modern “Texas brasserie,” the interior sets the stage for the restaurant's artisan sensibility. Think brick walls and wood floors, leather banquettes, and a fully open kitchen. For lunch, items like grilled cheese (with gruyere) and tomato soup or beer-battered cod with kale-slaw offer comfort food with a modern twist.
City Hall Bistro
This all-day bistro, which opened a few years back as part of the Adolphus Hotel's renovation, has quickly become a go-to spot for all meals, but the lunch menu is extra exciting. It’s hard to go wrong with any dish from chef Jeramie Robison, but we’re especially partial to the burrata and market fish shakshuka.
Dakota’s Steakhouse
Lunch at Dakota’s Steakhouse — a downtown underground phenomenon since 1984 — is an experience. Take an elevator from the sidewalk, and descend into a world of marble floors, shrimp cocktails, wedge salads, and USDA Prime steaks.
Dallas Fish Market
This Main Street seafood destination is praised for its fresh catches and stellar hospitality. The lunch menu is full of oysters, poke bowls, and sashimi featuring fishes from all over the world, making it the perfect spot for an easy (but elegant) midday seafood meal.
Elm St. Cask & Kitchen
Located inside the Hilton Garden Inn, this restaurant has been reimagined from its former iteration as Grayson Social. Chef Benjamin Maulsby has put together a Southern-inspired menu featuring dishes like shrimp and blue corn grits and beer can chicken. And don’t worry, one Grayson Social relic still remains: the signature biscuits.
Fine China
Inside Statler Dallas is Fine China, where velvet banquettes and patterned wallpaper set the tone for elevated Chinese-American cuisine. Classics like Cantonese roasted duck exist alongside modern, American-rooted inventions like spicy chicken wings. For a celebration, the extensive Japanese Whiskey library, craft cocktails, and curated saké list have you covered.
Mirador
At Mirador, enjoy a tuna tartine, whipped ricotta toast, or escarole caesar salad alongside some of the best views in town. The trendy dining room features massive floor-to-ceiling windows and a wraparound terrace that looks right out onto Tony Tasset’s outdoor sculpture, Eye.
Musume
Named for the Japanese word for "daughter," Musume, in the Hall Arts complex, serves up contemporary Asian fusion cuisine from restaurateur Josh Babb. Menu highlights include inventive dishes like grilled lamb lollipops and five-spice duck leg confit, plus a full sushi and sashimi menu. Pro tip for your working lunches: You can order takeout, too.
Open Palette
The Sheraton, Downtown Dallas’s largest hotel, is in the midst of a massive renovation that's bringing in five new restaurant concepts, including Open Palette. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the modern American eatery offers a menu with bold, surprising spins on traditional flavors.
Tei An
This steamy and delicious spot is part Japanese restaurant, part noodle house, part sushi spot. You don’t want to miss the soba noodles from chef and James Beard semifinalist Teiichi Sakurai. The interior — full of rich wood, steel and glass — transports you from the middle of downtown Dallas straight to Tokyo, perfect for those weeks when you’re itching for a vacation.
Zodiac Room
Nothing says elegant like a meal at Neiman Marcus. Over the years, the Zodiac Room has seen its fair share of decor and menu upgrades, but some dishes — like the popovers with strawberry butter and the mandarin orange soufflé — have been there since the beginning. Another thing that hasn’t changed a bit? The exceedingly high level of service you'd expect from anything related to Neiman’s.
