Hugo News
Casual chef-driven Hugo's Seafood Bar sets sail for Dallas' Bishop Arts
Hugo's Seafood Bar will serve ceviches.
Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood is due to get an ultra-cool seafood spot: Called Hugo's Seafood Bar, it'll open in the Bishop Arts district at 334 W. Davis St., taking over the former Greek Cafe and Bakery, which closed in May 2023.
The concept is a small casual drop-in spot with great seafood and great cocktails, from a talented team consisting of two Hugos, both at the top of their game: Hugo Galvan, a veteran chef whose resume includes numerous award-winning restaurants, and Hugo Osorio, a mixologist who has earned acclaim for his craft cocktails at bars such as La Viuda Negra.
Galvan says their goal was to do something intimate and high quality.
"The name Hugo's Seafood Bar pretty much describes what we are shooting for: a really good seafood place with great service and great drinks," he says. "We'll have a small menu with oysters from the East Coast, ceviches, and crudo. We'll probably have five entrees at at the most. This place is small, it seats 28 people including the bar."
Osorio will offer a small selection of the cocktails for which he is known, but is excited about the wine list, too.
"With this having a culinary focus, you need a good wine selection, and that's where my focus is going to be - finding wines that pair with Hugo's great menu," he says.
Galvan has worked and consulted for countless restaurants: Flora St. Cafe, Urban Taco, Komali, El Bolero, Carte Blanche, Taco Lingo, Las Palmas Tex Mex, Ocho Latin Cuisine, Goat's Arena Frisco, to name a few. He also opened two restaurants back in the 00's: Cafe San Miguel on Henderson Avenue, and its Fort Worth spinoff Hacienda San Miguel in the West Seventh district.
Osorio worked for Turn the Tables Hospitality, starting at Bolsa during its early cocktail heyday, then Theodore at NorthPark Center. He ran Bourbon & Banter, the speakeasy at the Statler Dallas hotel, for a couple years, and also worked at Boulevardier in Oak Cliff. His work earned him a nomination for Best Bartender in CultureMap's annual Tastemaker Awards in 2022.
"I've wanted to have my own place but it was important for me to go into business with the right partner, and you can't go wrong with Hugo Galvan, he's such a great person," Osorio says.
The two are good friends and share an easygoing style, but with a strong sense of hospitality. They wanted something personal and intimate, where they could guarantee good service and food without it getting pretentious.
"I’m a 5- to 6-table guy, that's what I love," Galvan says.
The former Greek Cafe spot fit the bill: small, though not in the best shape. They'll start remodeling next month with a consult from famed Dallas designer Ron Guest, who was a founding partner of Cafe San Miguel. But if all goes well, they're hoping to open in late summer.
