Venues

Waters, a new upscale Forth Worth restaurant from chef Jon Bonnell, offers four private dining spaces seating from 10 to 48 guests. The menu focuses on fresh, sustainable seafood, including a raw bar in the main dining room.

Vee Lounge, a 750-person Fort Worth nightclub, opened in February. The 13,434-square-foot space has three full-service bars, a large dance floor, and a heated outdoor patio, as well as a full kitchen that serves global tapas. Diavolo Systems provided the lighting and sound systems.

Hyatt Regency Dallas recently completed a $50 million renovation to its 1,120 guest rooms and corridors. The upgrade, which was timed with the hotel's 35th anniversary, sought to give rooms a sleek look while incorporating imagery evocative of the city and of Texas. The hotel, attached to the landmark Reunion Tower, includes 160,000 square feet of function space, including three ballrooms, two exhibit halls, 56 meeting rooms, and 42 hospitality suites.

James Beard-nominated chef John Tesar opened Spoon Bar & Kitchen late last year in Preston Center. With a focus on responsibly sourced, fresh seafood, the 58-seat restaurant has a built-in raw bar, a semiprivate wine room with a chef’s table, and a counter overlooking the open kitchen. A chef's tasting menu is offered nightly.

The equestrian center at the Will Rogers Memorial Center will add 8,500 square feet to its 11,000-square-foot building, allowing for more vendor space at trade shows, judges' lounges, and office, hospitality, and meetings rooms. The additional space also can be used for private events for gatherings of as many as 400 people. Officials hope to finish the project at the beginning of June.

The 1.7-acre Belo Garden—a former parking lot—is now a tree-lined green space downtown with a fountain plaza surrounded by several grassy knolls. The park has built-in seating for 152 people, including hardwood benches in the plaza that seat 60. The entire park can be reserved for private events.

The 5,000-square-foot Sisu Uptown Resort is a bar, restaurant, and party space that features an outdoor saltwater pool surrounded by palm trees and cabanas with a view of the Dallas skyline. The pool deck can be reserved for events, and there is also a private dining room.

A culinary event space, 3015 at Trinity Groves has opened in the entertainment and dining development Trinity Groves. The facility is designed to host cooking classes, meetings, and Iron Chef-style teambuilding events; it has a capacity of 500.

From chef Lisa Garza, Sissy's Southern Kitchen & Bar opened last year to acclaim for its buttermilk-soaked fried chicken and other Southern staples. The 102-seat dining room, available for buyout, has tufted taupe banquettes and a white marble and walnut bar. Other spaces available for private events include a bright screened porch, which seats 44, and an 18-seat private parlor with antique couches and wingback chairs.

The independent event space Cendera Center, which recently added in-house bar service, has past lives as a community center, bowling alley, and ice hockey rink. Now the 16,000-square-foot space hosts events of as many as 900 people. The center has an exhibit hall with 21-foot ceilings, six meeting rooms, a catering kitchen, and a lobby.