Bar News

Popular restaurant in Dallas' Design District spins off champagne bar

Champagne is always a good thing.

Photo courtesy of HARWOOD District

A Dallas Design District restaurant has spawned a new bar. The Charles, the Italian restaurant at 1632 Market Center Blvd. will open a private dining and cocktail/champagne bar called Bar Charles. The bar is nestled on the backside of the restaurant, with entry through the back alleyway.

The idea is that you can pop in for a drink or linger after dinner.

In a release, owner Chas Martin, who also owns The Charles, describes Bar Charles as "a feast for the senses," although which senses he does not say.

Their "thing" is world-class champagne at a fair price point. There's also a wine list with bottles from Italy, Burgundy, and Napa.

Food-wise, they're featuring a bar menu that the release calls "authentic" — which is laudable, because fake bar menus are definitely no bueno. It includes finger foods such as pork rinds and Royal Osetra caviar.

Martin says the new bar will help accommodate the overflow of customers they've seen in the restaurant.

"We've known we needed a space like Bar Charles since opening The Charles 18 months ago because we’re full every night of the week," Martin says. "Now our guests will have a place to have a drink while waiting for their table, or a fun bar with a high-energy atmosphere to have a drink."

The space features seven seating areas, with a total of 45 seats. So that would be, let's do the math, 45 seats divided by 7 areas = 6.5 seats per area. Unless you sit on someone's lap. But wait, there are also eight seats at the bar. To sum up, 8 bar + 45 dining room = 53 seats total.

The design is Italian inspired with a little irreverence. The lounge features six to seven different types of tile — six or seven, they cannot say — floral prints, velvet chairs and booths, and a custom mural on the ceiling inspired by Italian frescos, outlined in pink neon lighting.

It opens at 4 pm and closing time is "whenever." Fun.

cocktails

Great catch

Austin hotspot Neighborhood Sushi makes Dallas debut in Highland Park

Photo by Justin Cook

Neighborhood Sushi has opened at the Shops at Highland Park.

A popular sushi restaurant from Austin's South Congress Avenue has landed in Dallas: Called Neighborhood Sushi, it opened June 30 at 4216 Oak Lawn Ave., in The Shops of Highland Park.

Neighborhood Sushi comes from MML Hospitality, one of Austin's biggest and most acclaimed restaurant groups, helmed by acclaimed chefs Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman and hotelier Liz Lambert.

The Dallas location is the restaurant's first outpost outside of Austin. Go Dallas!

Neighborhood Sushi debuted in Austin in 2020 on buzzy South Congress Avenue, where it built a following for its approachable take on high-quality sushi. In fact, it will be moving from that cozy location into a larger building, at 1417 S. First St., later this year, a release says.

Neighborhood Sushi The Dallas restaurant will introduce some menu items not available at the original Austin location.Photo by Justin Cook

"Known for its elevated yet approachable take on traditional sushi bar dining, Neighborhood Sushi is an 'everyday' sushi restaurant with exceptional quality, recasting the classic sushi experience through a lens of modernity, seasonality, and laid back Texan hospitality," the release says.

Neighborhood Sushi's menu features sushi bar staples including nigiri, sashimi, hand rolls, specialty rolls, and tempura. Signature items include the spicy tuna roll, shrimp tempura, and fluke roll.

The Dallas location also features a few menu items not available in Austin, including a yakitori program with skewers such as Wagyu beef, king trumpet mushrooms, asparagus, and chicken thighs. Lunch service includes chef-selected bento boxes.

Neighborhood Sushi The design features warm wood tones and minimalist Japanese-inspired interior elements.Photo by Justin Cook

The Highland Park space follows the same design style as the Austin original, with warm wood tones and minimalist Japanese-inspired interior elements intended to suit both casual meals and special occasions.

"In Austin, the restaurant’s intimate, stylish ambiance has made it a favorite for date nights and weekday happy hours, a spirit that the Dallas outpost will replicate," the release says.

Neighborhood Sushi in Highland Park is now open for lunch, happy hour, dinner, and weekend all-day dining with the following menu schedule:

Monday-Friday: Lunch 11:30 am-3:30 pm, snacks 3:30-4:30 pm, happy hour 3-5 pm, dinner 4:30-10 pm.
Saturday-Sunday: All-day menu 11:30 am-4:30 pm, dinner 4:30-10 pm.

highland park openings