"Dallas has quietly built one of the most impressive luxury hotel and dining landscapes in America."
Dallas is a city that operates at scale — the skyline is dramatic, the steakhouses are legendary, and the hospitality is genuinely warm in a way that surprises first-time visitors. But the city has also developed a cultural sophistication that its reputation doesn't always reflect. The Dallas Arts District is the largest in the United States, the restaurant scene has reached a level of genuine ambition, and the hotel landscape includes some of the finest properties in the South.
The best Dallas experience combines the city's strengths: a great steakhouse dinner, a morning at the Nasher, lunch in the Bishop Arts District, and an evening at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. The city rewards those who look beyond the obvious — and the obvious, in Dallas, is already pretty good.
"The Nasher Sculpture Center — one of the great museum experiences in the American South."
TastesOf Editorial
At a Glance
What Not to Miss
The Dallas Arts District
The largest contiguous urban arts district in the United States — 68 acres containing the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Crow Museum of Asian Art. The Nasher, with its Renzo Piano pavilion and extraordinary sculpture garden, is one of the finest small museums in America.
Uptown Dining Scene
Dallas's Uptown neighbourhood has quietly built one of the most compelling restaurant landscapes in the American South. The concentration of excellent steakhouses, modern American restaurants, and international dining rivals any neighbourhood in the country.
The Nasher Sculpture Center
Renzo Piano's masterpiece — a glass-and-travertine pavilion housing one of the world's finest private sculpture collections, with a garden that is extraordinary in every season. One of the great museum experiences in the American South.
Klyde Warren Park
A 5.2-acre deck park built over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, connecting Uptown to the Arts District. The park hosts food trucks, concerts, yoga classes, and a children's area — and has become the social heart of downtown Dallas.
Bishop Arts District
A walkable neighbourhood of independent restaurants, galleries, and boutiques in Oak Cliff — the most characterful neighbourhood in Dallas. The dining here is some of the most interesting in the city, with a strong emphasis on local and international flavours.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Thom Mayne's extraordinary building — a cube of Texas limestone appearing to float above its base — houses one of the finest natural history museums in the South. The energy hall and the dinosaur hall are exceptional.
Where to Stay
The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
IconicThe grande dame of Dallas hotels — a 1920s mansion converted into the city's most celebrated address. The restaurant remains one of the finest in Texas.
The Joule
Design HotelA beautifully restored 1920s neo-Gothic bank building in the heart of downtown, with a rooftop pool that cantilevers over the street. The most design-forward hotel in Dallas.
Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas
Luxury ResortA full-service resort in Las Colinas with a championship golf course, a world-class spa, and the finest pool complex in the Dallas area. The best option for families and leisure travellers.
The Verdict
Texas hospitality at its finest — a city that rewards ambition with a great steak and an even better art museum.