Here's a closer look at Dallas/Fort Worth's newest eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms and other spaces available for events this spring. The new and renovated Dallas/Fort Worth venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings and more.
A note regarding COVID-19: Some of the venues listed here may not yet be available for hosting events due to the pandemic, or they may be operating at a lower capacity.
Fiatto
Fiatto, a chef-driven American-Italian restaurant in West Village, opened in March. Here, guests can enjoy sumptuous, flavorful Italian dishes like pumpkin arancini with hazelnut crema, trout saltimbucca and pappardelle with short rib ragu. Complementing the seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired menu, the venue exudes a coastal vibe, with cascading greenery, pops of color, an open ceiling and a mixture of textures and textiles. The 4,000-square-foot space seats 102 in the dining area and 12 at the bar. An 800-square-foot outdoor patio seats an additional 46.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
Sfuzzi
After closing in 2013, popular Uptown hotspot Sfuzzi reopened its doors in March. The menu includes crowd pleasers like pork chop piccata, oven-baked sea bass ala puttanesca and fresh pizza with Italian sausage and buffalo mozzarella, while the bar is serving a variety of cocktails, including the popular frozen Bellini. The restaurant includes several unique design features, such as a wraparound patio, a U-shaped bar, a mix of traditional and lounge seating and a massive wood-burning fireplace. Inside, the 4,000-square-foot space can seat up to 80, with room for an additional 120 seated guests on the 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa
The 302-room Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa completed a $30 million renovation in March. The expansive Frisco property now includes more than 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space outfitted with state-of-the-art AV capabilities. Planners can utilize spaces such as the 6,000-square-foot Legacy Ballroom, which accommodates 570 for cocktail-style receptions and 400 for banquets; the 2,600-square-foot Caverns Ballroom, with room for 240 for receptions and theater-style setups, 180 for banquets and 40 for conferences; and several 600-square-foot breakout rooms that seat 70 theater style, 30 classroom style and 16 for conferences. The alfresco Garden Terrace, with gorgeous fairway views, is also available for private groups, as is the new TopGolf Swing Suite, a casual private space with lounge seating and high-tech golf simulators. Elsewhere on property, guests can enjoy amenities including three food and beverage outlets, a full-service spa and access to the verdant 18-hole golf course.
Photo: Courtesy of Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa
Wits Steakhouse
In December, the Design District welcomed Wits Steakhouse, a 4,000-square-foot South African-style steakhouse. The menu includes dishes like tomahawk steaks, bone marrow and bacon jam, New Zealand lamb, braai free-range chicken and peri peri prawns, alongside a full sushi and sashimi bar. The venue, a moody, dramatic space with dark leather banquettes, tons of gold accents, fashion-forward photography and high-style lighting, offers several options for groups. The main dining room can accommodate up to 100 seated or up to 125 for cocktail-style receptions while a private dining room can seat 40 or fit 60 for receptions. A semi-private chef’s table seats 10, and there's also a 20-seat alfresco patio.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
Nuri Grill
November ushered in the opening of Nuri Grill, an Asian-inspired steakhouse in Koreatown. The 108-seat dining room offers a minimalist elegance, with clean lines, bench-style seating and sleek lighting fixtures. Each table in the 4,000-square-foot restaurant features a grill in the center, where guests can either cook their own prime-cut meat on skewers or ask the skilled servers to do it for them. The menu also features sumptuous options like kimchi fried rice, hand-breaded sweet chicken and Korean-style short rib. For smaller groups, a private dining room seats 22.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
Malai Kitchen
Malai Kitchen opened a fourth location in November. Just like its older siblings, the new spot inside the Preston Center shopping complex features a menu highlighting new and creative Thai and Vietnamese favorites. Think: shrimp pad Thai with farm-fresh eggs, lemongrass chicken with jasmine rice and pickled bean sprouts, and wonton-shell Thai tacos stuffed with pulled pork. In total, the 3,000-square-foot dining room can seat 115 guests. The restaurant also features a 22-seat, u-shaped bar and a 28-seat patio.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
Renaissance Saint Elm Dallas Downtown Hotel
In February, the 177-room Renaissance Saint Elm Dallas Downtown Hotel opened its doors in downtown Dallas’s iconic Tower Petroleum Building. The hotel offers a music-forward guest experience where attendees can borrow vinyl albums to play on their in-room record players. Additional on-site amenities include a cafe, brasserie and 24-hour fitness center. The property also features 5,600 square feet of meeting rooms, the largest of which accommodates 132 for receptions, 125 theater style and 99 for banquets.
Photo: Courtesy of Renaissance Saint Elm Dallas Downtown Hotel
Rodeo Bar
After closing in 2018 to undergo a complete renovation and overhaul, Rodeo Bar in The Adolphus Hotel reopened in January. The 95-seat venue includes a mix of vintage and refurbished booths and tables, and the original floors have been preserved to keep the authentic feel of the much-beloved venue. Downstairs, in The Back Room—which is complete with the space's original neon bar lights, a jukebox and vintage rodeo posters—the vibe gets a bit more lively. On the menu, guests will find casual American fare, such as a suite of smash-style burgers, homemade corn dogs, burnt-ends sandwiches and banana pudding.
Photo: Courtesy of Steven Visneau
Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald joined the Fort Worth restaurant scene in February. Set in the Historic Camp Bowie District, this elegant-yet-approachable eatery serves Gulf Coast-inspired cuisine (think: seafood gumbo, Louisiana crawfish rolls and blackened swordfish). The 5,500-square-foot space has multiple areas designated for events of different sizes, including a private dining room and lounge that can accommodate up to 60 for cocktail parties and 35 for seated meals, while the 2,500-square-foot New Orleans-style courtyard can host up to 100 for cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy of Fitzgerald
Elephant East
For house-made steamed bao buns, crispy Korean fried chicken and Asian-influenced cocktails, host your group at Elephant East in the Harwood District. The Pan-Asian restaurant, bar and lounge made its debut in October 2021, bringing with it a menu of crowd pleasers, including papaya salad, Singapore noodles with Chinese sausage and Chinese donuts with red sugar. Spanning 2,450 square feet, the venue seats 66 in the dining room, 12 at the bar and 24 on the patio on La Rue Perdue alleyway. The contemporary decor features intricately carved wood, bamboo greenery, rich jewel tones and elephant-inspired artwork.
Photo: Courtesy of Kathy Tran
