Igloo News

Rooftop bubble bars with igloos return to Dallas for Christmas holiday

Cozy igloos let you imbibe under the winter sky.

Adolphus

Dallas' coolest holiday bar phenomenon is back: Rooftop "bubble bars" featuring cozy igloos are returning, with installations at three Dallas-area hotels.

Rooftop igloo bars are a trend that first bubbled up in Dallas in 2019, then surged in 2020 during the cautious pandemic days, when people were trying to find ways to be social during coronavirus times, before blossoming into their own full-blown sizzling-hot thing.

Also referred to as garden igloos, these "bubbles" are like plastic caves, like a geodesic dome, where you can hang out and imbibe under the winter sky, protected by your bubble from the elements.

Three locations have set the stage for bubble bars in 2021, including two in downtown Dallas and the other in Historic Downtown Grapevine, as follows:

Waterproof Lounge
Waterproof, the rooftop bar on the 19th floor of the Statler Dallas hotel in downtown Dallas, pioneered the rooftop igloo bar in Dallas in 2019, and brings it back for 2021 with a thematic twist.

Dubbed "Winterproof," the installation will observe a ski lodge theme: The bartenders will be "ski instructors" and the waitresses will be "ski bunnies," while the interior will have a ski-lodge-like decor.

The igloos, called Snow Clouds, come in two sizes — one large and three not-as-large — as follows:

Large Snow Cloud can accommodate a party of eight. Nicknamed "Cloud 19," it starts at $500 for two hours.
Small Snow Clouds fit two to four people and begin at $300 for two hours.

The igloos must be reserved in advance, and there's a two-hour minimum. Make reservations here.

Miracle on Commerce
Illuminated igloos return to The Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas, who are transforming their rooftop into a winter wonderland, with cozy cabins, illuminated igloos, warm boozy cocktails, and tableside smores, as part of the hotel's much larger annual celebration of the holidays.

The igloos debuted November 17 and will be available through January 30.

Their poolside cabanas are now poolside "cabins" with miniature hearths, and they have 8 igloos ready for groups to reserve. They'll also bring back their miniature curling rink, for that Winter Olympics vibe.

Igloos and cabins are available by reservation only, Wednesday-Saturday nights, with two seatings:

Early (4-7:30 pm)

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $200 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $350 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

Late (8 pm to "late")

Small Cabins (2 - 4 people) - $300 rental comes with one bottle of Sparkling Wine
Large Cabins (2 - 8 people) - $450 rental comes with two bottles of Sparkling Wine
Igloo (2 - 4 people) - $400 rental comes with a bottle of Premium Sparkling Wine

A special holiday menu will include spirited holiday cocktails such as the Honey Bear Eggnog and Kentucky Hot Coco, plus bite-sized snacks such as Merry Mac & Cheese Balls and Señor Santo’s Tamale Bites.

Additional seating areas are open on a first-come, first-serve basis. So you can come and watch other people having fun inside their igloos. Maybe stand right outside and gaze in longingly.

Hotel Vin
The 120-room boutique hotel in downtown Grapevine that's home to Bacchus Kitchen + Bar and Harvest Hall brings back their rooftop "bubbles," located on the Rioja Rooftop Terrace, the hotel's fourth-floor terrace bar.

They'll debut on November 26.

They have eight bubbles total. Each seats up to 6-8 guests. They come with blankets and heaters to keep your party warm, and if you want service, you press a button and the bubbles light up to alert hotel staff.

This year, they've formalized with three official options:

Happy Hour Bubble, 4-5 pm. Bring your bubble to our bubbles for a one-hour experience to enjoy drinks and fondue! We get you started with a bottle of Seguras Viudas Heredad Cava. $100
Two-Hour Bar Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Same as the happy hour bubble, just more time to enjoy your bubble.
Full Dining Bubble, 5:30 or 8 pm. Seasonally inspired three-course dinner, comes with a bottle of wine. Dinner is $150 per person, with a minimum of 4 guests.

You can make your reservation online at www.opentable.com/r/rioja-rooftop-bar-grapevine.

holidays

Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun