Bishop Arts District Continues Its Dining Hot Streak With Eight New Bars and Restaurants Hitting the Neighborhood This Year

One of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Dallas, the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff has seen an overwhelming amount of new restaurant openings in the past few months. After Ladylove, The Mayor’s House, Jaquval, Trades, Ampelos Wines, and Baron’s Creek Vineyards all debuted within the last year, we thought things might slow down a bit. But that was not the case. Closure announcements from beloved staples such as Boulevardier and Greek Cafe — as well as newcomers like Krio, Âme, and Isla & Co. — left rare vacancies in the neighborhood’s coveted real estate. The Bishop Arts District has seen immense change over the past few years and it turns out it’s only going to continue to grow.

The rapid expansion of Bishop Arts really ramped up in 2019 when local real estate and hospitality firm Exxir Capital debuted several new restaurants and bars, including Paradiso, Botanist (now Bar Eden), and Tejas. Along with its brand new residential buildings, the hospitality branch of the vertically integrated company then opened Casablanca and Mermaid. And through July 7, pop-up bar Tipsy Beach (a summer iteration of Exxir’s holiday time Tipsy Elf) has taken over Bishop Lane.

And now, the Dallas Morning News reports, Exxir developer Michael Nazerian plans to build “a boutique hotel, 600 apartments, at least five restaurants, a private club and an underground discotheque” in the Bishop Arts District. The company even brought on former Trinity Groves CEO Julian Rodarte as “director of experience.” The growth of the historic neighborhood is exceptional and is only bound to get busier.

Bishop Arts’ restaurant scene is tough to keep up with these days so we rounded up all of the recent and upcoming restaurant openings you can look out for here:

Recent Bishop Arts Openings

Lucky Gin Bar

390 W. Seventh Street

Recently opened in Bishop Arts, ˈLəkē  (pronounced lucky) Gin Bar offers gin-based cocktails and gluten-free pastries, with plans to bring gin-making classes to the neighborhood. The distillery/tasting room/gin school is the first of its kind in Texas. Currently, you can find the classics — a Negroni, gimlet, martini, and ˈLəkē 75 — and more creative options that bartenders can help you create.

Sportsbook

233 W. Seventh Street

Dubbed “The Only Sports Bar in Bishop Arts,” this new sports bar recently over the former Krio restaurant space — and is operated by the same co-owners, Connie Cheng and Dan Bui. Sportsbook features game day fare like fried cauliflower, mini corn dogs, burgers, chicken Alfredo, and an assortment of salads.Drinks range from frozen creations to specialty cocktails (and a couple of mocktails).

Coming Soon to Bishop Arts

Swirled Peace

309 W. Eighth Street

Celebrating its grand opening on July 6, this new soft-serve bar serves 100% plant-based treats. Classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are constants, with rotating options like peanut butter, white chocolate, and hazelnut.

Hugo’s Seafood Bar

334 W. Davis Street

Taking over the former Greek Cafe space in Bishop Arts, this new casual seafood spot comes from restaurant veteran Hugo Galvan and mixologist Hugo Osorio (La Vuida Negra), according to CultureMap.

Pane Nostro

508 W. Seventh Street

When CocoAndré Chocolatier moved out of its iconic Bishop Arts house in early 2024, this family-run Italian restaurant took over the lease. Well-loved in McKinney for its authentic cuisine,  Pane Nostro is moving its operations from the suburbs to Oak Cliff. “We originally wanted to open in Oak Cliff. Now is the time,” managing partner Adalberto Lujan told the Oak Cliff Advocate when the move was announced.

Otaru Sushi and Hand Rolled Bar

408 W. Eighth Street

The owners of Komé in The Hill development will open a sister concept to their popular sushi and handroll bar in the former Isla & Co. space.  If it’s anything like the original, it’s going to be great.

Ten Bells Tavern

238 W. Eighth Street

Forced to relocate to a new location (just one street over), this staple Bishop Arts bar has been working on Ten Bells 2.0 for a while now. We hope it reopens soon and its beloved patio cats return with it.

Pillar

408 N. Bishop Avenue, Suite 108

Going into the former Boulevardier space is Mot Hai Ba chef Peja Krstic’s new modern American bistro. A fan of the former restaurant, Krstic shared with D Magazine that the space shouldn’t change. A menu is still in the works, but Krstic is having Logan Johnson (a former Mot Hai Ba chef) come on as executive sous chef at Pillar.