Chef and caterer opens Southern to-go cafe south of Dallas

A coastal Italian restaurant from Los Angeles is finally arriving in Uptown Dallas: Élephante Dallas will open Tuesday, September 1 at 2701 Maple Ave., according to a release.

The long-awaited Dallas restaurant from L.A.-based Wish You Were Here Group was first announced in September 2024 and made many local lists of the "most anticipated restaurants of 2025" - including CultureMap's.

Doors are finally opening on the first day of the ninth month of 2026, bringing Southern Italian-inspired food, aperitivo-style drinks, and a sprawling two-story space to the bustling 23Springs development, at the corner of Maple Avenue and Cedar Springs.

The globe-trotting Wish You Were Here Group, founded by Australian native Nick Mathers, opened the first Élephante in Santa Monica, California in 2018. The concept was inspired by the group's travels to Pantelleria and the Aeolian Islands, according to he release.

The Dallas menu will focus on light, coastal Southern Italian fare, with an emphasis on vegetables, housemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, seafood and meats meant for sharing, they say.

Vodka Sauce Pasta at Elephante.Photo courtesy of Elephante

Among the signature dishes will be whipped eggplant with puccia and olive oil; ragu bianco with cavatelli, Italian sausage, pecorino, broccolini and fennel pollen; grilled octopus with hearts of palm, olives, capers, tangerine and red onion; and a Margherita pizza with housemade mozzarella, tomato and basil.

Other dishes include branzino with salsa verde butter, sea beans, and lemon; and vodka sauce pasta with Calabrian chile, basil, and Parmigiano.

The drinks menu will nod to Italy's aperitivo tradition with spritzes and cocktails, plus a wine list focused on Italian regions. The list will include limited-vintage wines and private-label bottles created for the restaurant group.

Elephante Espresso Martini.Photo courtesy of Élephante

“Our goal is to showcase a menu that captures the freshness and simplicity of coastal southern Italian cooking while still feeling distinctly at home in Dallas,” says Wish You Were Here Group Chef/Partner Thomas Lim in the release. “The dishes are vibrant, seasonal and designed to be shared, allowing guests to experience the menu the way we believe Italian food is best enjoyed - together, over a table filled with great food and drinks.”

The restaurant will occupy about 9,800 square feet across two floors, along with a 1,250-square-foot patio. It will seat about 270 people indoors and 78 outside.

The design is intended to evoke the Italian coast, with warm woods, stone, greenery, sculptural lighting and artwork inspired by Southern Italy, they say.

"Conceived as a two-story garden pavilion, the space balances refined sophistication with a relaxed, residential quality through tactile stonework, warm woods, sculptural lighting, lush greenery and collected artwork inspired by the landscapes of southern Italy," the owners say in the release.

A dramatic central bar anchors the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Elephante

A central bar features a white-oak and honed-stone counter beneath a canopy of illuminated wine bottles. Sliding glass doors will open onto terraces and landscaped areas.

The Dallas location is the third for Élephante, following its original Santa Monica restaurant and a location at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Élephante Dallas will be open 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday; 11 am-midnight Friday; 10 am-midnight Saturday; and 10 am.-10 pm Sunday. Reservations are now available through OpenTable.