Where to Drink

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 6 best bars for fall cocktails

It's time to fall for new cocktails.

Photo courtesy of ZaZa

What a glorious day it was more than a decade ago when Dallas bartenders started raiding the kitchen for their drinks. Cocktails have never been better, more creative — and in this case, seasonal. Just as Dallas restaurants roll out seasonal menus, so do Dallas bars, introducing drinks that call on the flavors and ingredients of the season.

These 6 establishments have all introduced special, limited-edition cocktail drinks that are perfect for fall sipping and holiday toasting.

Here's where to drink in Dallas right now:

Cool River Cafe
Las Colinas hangout rings in the holidays with three contemporary takes on classic cocktails, available through December 31. Figgy Sidecar has Remy Martin VSOP Cognac, fresh sour mix, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, and fresh fig. Doctor’s Orders combines Russell’s Reserve Bourbon, lemon juice, Monin honey syrup, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, and orange bitters. Pumpkin spiced delight is made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, pumpkin ginger syrup, lime juice, and club soda. $9-$12. 972-871-8881.

Dragonfly
Restaurant at Hotel ZaZa Dallas has a new "Fall Flavors" menu of cocktails that give patrons plenty of reasons to raise a glass during the holidays. They include the "Smooth Talker," with Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky with maple syrup, walnut bitters, and a Luxardo cherry. Pumpkin spices latte martini has Grey Goose Vanilla, Bailey's Pumpkin Spice, Patron XO Cafe, and horchata. Vanilla cranberry gin spritz has Hendrick’s Gin, orange bitters, bourbon vanilla syrup, OJ, cranberries, and Topo Chico. 214-550-9500.

Eureka
Uptown Dallas hotspot has a line of new craft concoctions by beverage director Trevor Tyler that come with a little something extra. The tiki-inspired "Atta Boy" bourbon cocktail has cold-brew coffee, pineapple, cinnamon, lemon, and mint. For guests in the mood for a bubbly pick me up, The Healer has vodka, Trilogy kombucha, Grand Poppy Amaro, and yuzu. A refreshing non-alcoholic option is lavender iced tea, made from scratch with rosemary syrup, lavender, butterfly pea tea, mint, earl grey tea, and lemon juice. 972-993-2222.

Jettison
Sylvan Thirty lounge has cocktails for fall that get into some innovative flavors. "Nice to Mead You Honey" has mead, lemon, sparkling wine, hibiscus rooibos syrup, and Amaro. Rye & Rose has rye whiskey, with lemon, Grenadine, hopped apple cider, and cinnamon. Concrete Jungle combines Balcones rye with Benedictine, orgeat, lemon, black sesame, egg whites, and toasted sesame. Fog Cutter is a tiki spin with rum, gin, pisco, lemon, orange, orgeat, and an Amontillado sherry float. Earth, Wind & Fire is wild, with potato shochu, green Chartreuse, mezcal, and yuzu bitters. Sleepy Coyote is luscious wih coffee-infused Oaxacan rum, Ancho Reyes, horchata, and nutmeg. 214-238-2643.

Paul Martin's
Clubby restaurant bar digs into history with its new line of classic cocktails that go back in time. "Ward 8" has its roots in 19th century Boston with Templeton Rye Whiskey, Monin Grenadine, lemon juice, and Peychaud's Bitters. The "Gold Rush" summons 2000s-era New York City with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse Rose Liqueur, honey, lemon juice, and mint. "El Diablo" goes Cali-style circa 1946 with Patron Silver Tequila, Bols Crème de Cassis, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, lime juice, and Q Club Soda. "Hemingway Daiquiri" takes you to 1921 Cuba with Bacardi Superior Rum, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. 214-521-0116.

III Forks
Steakhouse is offering "Sommelier Selections," wines by the glass that you rarely find in a by-the-glass option. They're cast with the festive, toast-making holiday season in mind. There's Veuve Clicquot Brut for $40, Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for $58, Duckhorn Napa Merlot for $20, and Justin Isosceles Red for $30. Available through December 31. 972-267-1776.

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Bakery news

Paris Baguette bakes up bread and croissants for new Dallas suburb

Photo courtesy of Paris Baguette

Croissants, breads, fruit-filled pastries, cream tarts.

International bakery-café Paris Baguette is bringing sweet things to Richardson, with the recent opening of a new location at 7615 Campbell Rd., Suite 106.

The Richardson restaurant (which technically comes up as North Dallas in the locations list, but is being called "Richardson") is headed by franchisees Sweta Goyal, Puneet Mittal, Mamta Singhal, and Rajneesh Singhal, two Dallas-based couples who grew up in India and turned their shared love for Paris Baguette into a five-unit development agreement, according to a release. The Richardson-area café is their first, with four more locations on the way.

“Paris Baguette was always a place our families loved to visit — it felt like a true neighborhood café,” Goyal says in the release. “Our goal is to bring that same warmth and sense of connection to the Richardson community and create a space where people can gather, relax, and enjoy fresh, high-quality baked goods every day.”

The Richardson café is the fast-growing brand’s 25th Texas. The first Dallas-Fort Worth location opened in Lewisville in 2019. They're quickly conquering every city in North Texas, from Mansfield to The Colony, from Rockwall to Flower Mound. Welcome to the fold, Richardson.

Paris Baguette is a chain known for its cakes, pastries, croissants, and breads, founded in Korea. The brand was founded in 1988 by Korean businessman Hur Young-in, and has locations in South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, and China.

Their lineup includes classic French-style goods that sometimes incorporate Asian ingredients, such as buns stuffed with red-bean filling.

Many of their items are croissant-based, and more than a few are savory, filled with ingredients like sausage and crab croquettes. They also have doughnuts, cronuts, cream puffs, and cream-filled pastries of all kinds. People also rave about their cakes.

As is the case with this style of bakery, most of the pastries are self-serve; you load them onto a tray and head for the cashier.

“We’re on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community and we’re excited to see Sweta, Puneet, Mamta, and Rajneesh bring this to life in their local trade area,” says Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette, in the release. “In our cafés, we like to say, ‘Happy to see you. Happier to serve you.’ And we know the Richardson team will wholeheartedly embrace this approach in their neighborhood.”

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