10 New Venues in Dallas/Fort Worth for Summer 2024 Meetings and Events

In March, after more than 30 years at its downtown address, the Arlington Museum of Art relocated to a state-of-the-art facility that spans nearly eight times the footprint of the old building. The 42,000-square-foot venue in the Arlington Entertainment District is divided into galleries, several of which are available for private events of all sizes, styles, and purposes. The HELP Center for LGBT Health and Wellness Gallery accommodates as many as 400 guests. An in-the-round theater can host live performances for up to 300 audience members, while a 48-seat boardroom is available for private meetings, talks, and activities. And a 3,300-square-foot Education Center includes a gallery with capacity for 100 guests, as well as four classrooms that seat 30 people each. Catering is provided by Levy Restaurants.

Emilia’s in The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth opened a private dining room, The Blue Room, in February. In the heart of the city’s cultural district, the luxurious private room seats as many as 48 guests. The limited menu includes refined options like fresh fish of the day carved tableside, traditional caviar service, shellfish towers, vintage Champagne, and reserve wine.

In March, The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas debuted its newest dining venue, Knife Italian. The 170-seat restaurant is as impressive as you’d expect of a Ritz-Carlton outlet, with marble-topped tables, windows that stretch nearly from floor to ceiling, sculptural banquettes, and an open kitchen, all accented with bright pops of magenta. The elevated, family-style menu is rooted in traditional Italian cuisine, with dishes like whole roasted branzino, potato gnocchi with blue crab and black truffle, and veal meatballs with tomato compote and ricotta, and a showstopping 48-ounce dry-aged porterhouse carved tableside. Two private dining rooms accommodate as many as 10 and 16 guests, respectively, and the restaurant can arrange for private accommodations for larger groups in one of the two main dining rooms.

In February, Hilton Anatole unveiled a top-to-bottom renovation of its 718 Tower guest rooms, including the addition of four rooms that bring the hotel’s total room count to 1,610. The rooms now feature new furnishings, whimsical artwork, and a contemporary color palette. Set in the heart of the Design District, this hotel also features a resort-style pool complex, a Topgolf Swing Suite, a fitness center and spa, and multiple restaurants and bars. For events, a whopping 600,000 square feet of event space includes nine ballrooms and 79 meeting rooms.

March brought the opening of Jack & Harry’s, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and bar in Park Cities. Spanning 5,000 square feet, the outlet is adorned with elegant details like cherrywood rafters, brick imported from New Orleans, antique lanterns and furniture, and curated period artwork. On the menu, guests will find dishes with French origins and Southern sensibility, like oysters St. Claude, gumbo, and filet mignon topped with foie gras and bordelaise. The bar follows suit with a French-forward wine list and regional cocktails like the Sazerac and the New Orleans Gin Fizz. The dress code in this 110-seat eatery is smart casual; the only hats allowed are cowboy hats.

In April, Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge opened its doors in Devonshire. Spanning 4,000 square feet, the upscale Greek eatery seats as many as 99 guests. The refined menu serves authentic cuisine, with from-scratch dishes informed by in-season ingredients. This past spring, for example, the menu included mouthwatering options like crispy stuffed squash blossoms, saffron scallops, and lavender mousse. The concept of the space is to deliver several experiences in one venue, where guests can start with drinks on the patio, eat their meals in the dining room, and enjoy live music in the lounge into the night.

Goldie’s, which opened in Lake Highlands in March, evokes retro vibes of the '70s and '80s with approachable decor that’s at once refined and fun. The intimate space measures 1,500 square feet, with seats for 26 in the dining room and eight at the bar. A climate-controlled, 40-seat, 700-square-foot patio will be added in the near future. On the menu, guests will find classic and updated dishes like bone marrow bruschetta, homestyle pork chops, and zucchini bucatini.

Chef Franchesca Nor of Dive Coastal Cuisine partnered with 4DWN skate park to open DiveDWN in May. The multifaceted venue includes a 100-seat restaurant that focuses on freshness, sustainability, and locally sourced ingredients—so local, in fact, that several ingredients are grown in the high-tech on-site container garden dubbed Future Farm. In addition to providing fresh produce for the restaurant, the space is also set up for educational workshops on cultivation, conservation, cooking, and sustainability issues.

In February, Moxies unveiled a renovation to its Dallas Crescent location. The lively space has been revamped with contemporary artwork, lush greenery, and marbled walls. Between the open-concept dining room, intimate lounge booths, and wraparound patio, the 10,200-square-foot restaurant seats 300 guests. The kitchen dishes out approachable yet sophisticated global cuisine, with standout options like Scottish salmon with ancient grains, red Thai curry with jasmine rice, and steak frites.

In May, Culpepper Cattle Co. expanded into Dallas with an outpost in the historic Continental Gin Building. Equipped with seating for 160, the 5,500-square-foot dining room features exposed brick, original wood beams, and rich green hues. A 2,400-square-foot patio has 60 seats and a tiled margarita bar. Diners can enjoy a menu that combines the best of Tex-Mex, steakhouse, and Texas homestyle cuisine; think sizzling chicken fajitas, a hearty 10-ounce burger, and chicken-fried lobster. The drink program highlights small-batch tequila distilleries.