Holiday News

Find 4 over-the-top holiday pop-ups at these Dallas restaurant-bars

This concoction and these lights are so very fethtive.

The Hall

The holiday 2021 season is being celebrated by the Dallas-Fort Worth food & beverage industry like it never has before. Restaurants and bars are showing an unprecedented determination to party like it's 2019, which is to say, party like we did before the pandemic came along.

There are themed bars, lavish decorations, and more special-edition pop-ups.

For more holiday bar action, check out our list of 4 Christmas pop-up bars and our list of rooftop "bubble" bars with holiday igloos.

Here are four festive new holiday throwdowns:

Chill Minster Pub Pop-Up
An old hand at themed pop-ups, the Ill Minster Pub in Uptown is now home to all things Christmas, seasonal, and alco-holidays, with lights, themed shot wheel, cocktails, caroling on the patio, a live Santa on weekends, and a Santa "Throne of Lies." The cocktail menu is rich with peppermint, spiced, and berry, such as the Gingerblitz'd with rum, Irish cream, and gingerbread syrup. A back entry hallway is covered in wrapping paper, icicle lights, and hanging snowflakes, and the walk to the bathroom is lined with Christmas movie posters. Throughout the pop-up which lasts through December 31, the Chill Minster Pub will have themed paint nights, PJ parties, cookie decorating, and Christmas movie nights every Monday.

Santa's Hall at Trinity Groves
The Hall has been made over into a seasonal pop-up, decked out in holiday décor. The walls are covered with wrapping paper, garlands wind their way around the room, lights are strewn across the ceiling, and giant candy canes and ornaments hang from above. Three festive trees and Santa’s oversize chair anchor the space. Seasonal drinks include a Candy Stripetini with vanilla vodka, the Grinch with raspberry vodka, and the Frosty AF with gin, creme de violette, blue curaçao, and Champagne. Each week, Santa's Hall will partner with a different charity hosting donations, toy and food drives. Thursday-Friday from 4-11 pm, and Saturday-Sunday from 2-10 pm. The space is available for private events Monday-Wednesday throug December.

Santa Baby at Landmark Bar & Kitchen
Immersive Christmas Pop Up hosted at Landmark Bar & Kitchen in Fort Worth’s West 7th Entertainment District features more than 10,000 square feet of over-the-top Christmas décor including snow, lights, and more than 40 Santa Clauses. Admission is free and a portion of the sales up will benefit Toys for Tots. All ages are welcome until 9 pm, and then it's 21 and up until 2 am. The big man himself will be in the building every Thursday-Saturday from 8-11 pm. Grab a Spiked Hot Cocoa and a s'mores kit. Reservations recommended for parties larger than 6. The pop up runs from December 5-29.

Sloane's Corner
Bistro on Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas is doing a "12 Drinks of Christmas" theme designed to lure you in for a drink every night (except Sundays). The drinks are creative, seasonal, and $10 each, as follows:

12/11 – Chris-mint-tini with vodka, crème de menthe, crème de cacao
12/13 – Scottish Winter with Scotch, lemon, cinnamon, amaretto
12/14 – Peruvian Sip with tequila, chicha morada, lemon, egg white
12/15 – Newton’s Holiday with bourbon, lemon, spiced apple syrup
12/16 - #Slay Bells with vodka, pumpkin spice, coffee liqueur, cream
12/17 – El Campeón with tequila, cinnamon syrup, Rumchata, chocolate bitters
12/18 – Pa-Rum-Rum-Rum-Rum with rum, vermouth, chocolate bitters, Angostura
12/20 – Naughty or Slice with Tito’s Vodka, Lemonchata, meringue foam, graham cracker dust
12/21 – Elves’ Nightcap with dark rum, crème de banana, house chocolate bitters, Angostura
12/22 – Jingle Barrels with bourbon, mulled wine syrup, Angostura
12/23 – Just be Coal with Wild Turkey bourbon, coffee liqueur, Demerara, Angostura
12/24 – Winter on the Beach with rum, coconut cream, pineapple and orange juice, Allspice dram

nightlife holidays lists

Wine Bar News

Sultry Mexican wine bar-cocktail lounge to open in Dallas' Bishop Arts

Valle

Valle Bishop Arts

There's an exciting new bar spinoff coming to Dallas' Bishop Arts: Called Valle, it'll open at 509 North Bishop Ave. #C, in the former Bishop Cider Taproom, where it will serve as a sultry Mexican wine bar and cocktail lounge.

Valle is a sibling to Vinito, the Mexican wine and beer shop that opened at 939 W. Jefferson Blvd. in 2023, from partners Arturo Flores and Eduardo Mendoza.

With Vinito focused on retail sales, Flores & Mendoza decided to spread the love for Mexican wine by offering a place where patrons could sit down and enjoy a glass or bottle, plus beer, agaves, and craft cocktails as well.

"We've loved championing Mexican wines at Vinito and thought we could take our customers to the next experience," Flores says.

Vinito offers more than 100 labels of Mexican wine in every varietal: tempranillo, malbec, rose, sparkling, chardonnay, chenin blanc. Prices are reasonable, with many bottles in the $30 range, topping out at $120 for a Monte Xanic Gran Ricardo vintage 2021. They also have all the classic Mexican beers: Modelo, Bohemia, Corona, Dos Equis.

At Valle, they'll offer wines by the bottle plus a dozen wines by the glass, and flights that celebrate regions of Mexico. The menu also has a special category dedicated to "Agaves," with tequilas, mezcales, and sotol; and a handful of craft cocktails such as a margarita, paloma, and a carajillo de olla, a coffee cocktail with tequila, Spanish liqueur Licor 43, and cold brew.

"We know that not everybody drinks wine, and we want people to feel welcome and have options," Mendoza says.

They'll do snacks and finger foods, like chips & salsa and nuts, but the space has no kitchen and the focus will be on the bar. They'll be open daily from 4 pm to midnight, and until 2 am on weekends. They're hoping to launch their soft opening in the next week.

Mendoza has a strong hospitality background, and was previously general manager at Meso Maya, where they met; Flores worked there while pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During the pandemic, they started having conversations over wine and became inspired.

"When people think about Mexico, they think about beer, mezcal, tequila, but not wine, and we wanted to change that," Mendoza says.

The bar is named for Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico, the "Napa Valley of Mexico" and the region where the majority of wine in the country is grown. They're planning to offer a wine club, with exclusive tastings, events, and new bottles available to participants.

They've also partnered with relevant businesses such as Santitos, a syrup company based in Oak Cliff that makes syrups with Mexican-inspired flavors; and Four Corner Brewery, whose Firme Azul beer they'll serve and donate the proceeds to a Hispanic scholarship fund. They're getting coffee beans from Caffetio Co., based in Austin but born in Monterrey, Mexico.

“We are big advocates for the Hispanic community, and our partnerships reflect that," Flores says.

For the location, they were aided by Amanda Moreno-Lake, President of Redevelopment and Partner at Jim Lake Companies, and a big supporter who helped them find their spot for Vinito as well.

"I saw the vision and plans and knew I wanted to help Eduardo and Arturo," she says. "Sometimes small businesses need that chance to grow and succeed."

Flores says they've completely redone the 700-square-foot space, with bar seating for 10, four high-top tables, and a lounge area with leather chairs and coffee table.

"It's intimate," Flores says. "Where Vinito is light and warm, Valle is dark and cozy, with a deep green and gold palette — like the evil sister of Vinito."

oak cliff openings wine