How to Spend Two Fancy but Affordable Days in Dallas

Before you go

Two Slightly Fancy Days in Dallas

Day 1

Morning: Splurge on local fashion 

• Kick off the morning with a café au lait from Magnolias Sous Le Pont, a chic French-inspired coffeehouse. Try a chocolate croissant, or for a more Texan touch, a kolache.
• Get fashionable on a budget at Clotheshorse Anonymous, a beloved women’s consignment shop that’s been around for more than 50 years, where you can procure designer garments, jewelry, and handbags at a fraction of their original price. Or pick up sportswear and suits at local outfitter Ken’s Man’s Shop, only a mile away.
• Head to the nearly century-old Highland Park Village, built in 1931, for some luxury retail therapy. Even if you can’t afford the latest Alexander McQueen shirt or Jimmy Choo pumps, it’s fun to browse through these stores, many of which welcome shoppers with wine or Champagne. Next, visit the downtown flagship Neiman Marcus. The quintessential Dallas department store for the socialite set has been the subject of considerable dismay lately, with its potential closure looming after more than 110 years. For now, owners guarantee it to be open through the end of 2025.

Midday: Become a lady or lad who lunches (with $250 margaritas) 

• While you’re at Neiman’s, take the elevator to the sixth floor and dine at one of the city’s poshest noontime restaurants. Every lunch at Zodiac starts with the famous popovers. Then, choose tortilla soup and the NM Chicken Salad or Seafood Louie Salad. Make reservations as far in advance as possible.
• Set a course for The Mexican in the Design District for an afternoon cocktail on the patio. Go for the gold with a Pancho Villa, made with Clase Azul Ultra Añejo Tequila, Grand Marnier Cuvée 1880, fresh lime, and gold salt. A bottle of the tequila retails for almost $2,000, so it’s not a totally unreasonable price for the margarita. Plus, if you request a few rounds of complimentary chips and salsa, it kind of balances out.

Evening: Fly high for dinner and a view 

• Learn how to literally look down on people: See the sights from a bird’s-eye view on a Lonestar Helicopter. Board your chopper at the Dallas Vertiport downtown for a tour of the city’s top landmarks, and try to schedule your flight 30 minutes before sunset for an unforgettable experience.
• Now that you’re practiced at being above the common folk, reserve a window-side table at Monarch on the 49th floor of the National downtown. Order the six-course tasting menu and linger with the views for a couple of hours.
• The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has been a symbol of Dallas opulence since 1980. Over the decades, its Mansion Restaurant has brought fame to some of the country’s top chefs, but the bar scene is equally impressive. Settle into a corner table and enjoy live music in the darkened Mansion Bar, or head out to the terrace to enjoy some fresh air. In either case, order a Mansion G&T, made with Gunpowder Gin, makrut lime leaf, grapefruit zest, and house-made tonic water.

Day 2

Morning: Brunch with a celebrated chef

• If you’re lucky, world-renowned chef Dean Fearing will be on-site at his eponymous restaurant inside The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Order the celebrated huevos rancheros con chorizo, and nobody will judge you for having a Dean’s Margarita with your eggs.
• A few miles from downtown, the Bishop Arts District in Dallas’ Oak Cliff region is one of the city’s most walkable districts, with galleries, restaurants, and shops. You’ll find plenty of local boutiques offering everything from apparel to unique gifts with a decidedly Texas twist, including Bishop Street Market, We Are 1976, and The Wild Detectives, where you can purchase a book and an espresso Old Fashioned.

Midday: 'Cue the lunch bell

• While you’re in Bishop Arts, line up at the counter of Lockhart Smokehouse for Texas barbecue. The restaurant serves everything on butcher paper, so cover your fancy clothes and get your fingers messy. The restaurant offers meats by the pound, so sample several, but make sure to add bleu cheese slaw, mac and cheese, and some brisket deviled eggs for the ultimate tasting experience.

Afternoon: Pamper yourself then put your pinkies out 

• Book an extravagant, three-hour Time Signature Therapy experience at The Spa at the Joule, and your expert therapist will interview you to create a bespoke body ritual. Choose from massages, exfoliation treatments, hair/scalp oil and masks, reflexology, cupping, and lymphatic drainage. Your service also includes lunch.
• The historic Adolphus Hotel once hosted Queen Elizabeth II, so live your royal fantasy with the city’s seminal afternoon tea service in the lavish surroundings of The French Room. Add Petrossian caviar service and Champagne by the glass or bottle to complete the elite illusion.

Evening: Fulfill your champagne wishes

• Tucked away in the Hotel Crescent Court’s gorgeous lobby, Beau Nash offers guests the chance to enjoy the sophisticated splendor of Dom Pérignon. The bar also stocks an extensive Scotch and whiskey collection, if rare spirits suit you better.
• Let the chef take control at Tatsu in downtown Dallas’s historic Deep Ellum entertainment district. Executive chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi serves an outstanding omakase, which usually includes some 13 courses of Edomae-style sushi.
• Deep Ellum is the city’s go-to neighborhood for live music. Catch a concert at the legendary Bomb Factory or Club Dada, or grab a cocktail and chill in the more intimate Three Links, Adair’s Saloon, or the trailer park-themed Double Wide if you’re ready to let your hair down after a long day of sophisticated shenanigans.

If you have three days

All of the above, but add...

• See the city from its most thrilling angle—plunging toward the earth after leaping from a plane. Call on Dallas Sky Dive Center, the closest drop zone to Dallas, for a tandem jump from 10,000 feet. Weekday rates start at only $189 ($209 on weekends), so you can experience the fast-and-furious lifestyle for less than some margaritas in town.
• If you packed a tuxedo or gown, you’ll fit right in at the Dallas Opera. For something a little more proletarian, touring musicals make stops in town several times a month, often at AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Broadway at the Center and Fair Park’s Broadway Dallas.There’s top-tier local theater at Uptown Players, Theatre Three, and Dallas Theater Center. The Dallas Arts District also features several best-in-class museums.
• Dallas’ steakhouse scene rises above nearly any U.S. city, and you’ll find one in almost every neighborhood. If you’re looking for a destination that ticks all the “slightly fancy” boxes, get yourself to The Charles in the Design District. “The Big Steak” Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye will impress a crowd, and isn’t just flash—it’s outstanding.

If you have four days or more

All of the above, but add...

• Schedule an overnight in nearby Fort Worth to enjoy the cowboy chic vibes, including daily cattle drives, world-class museums, and a rodeo. Our favorite luxe accommodations close to the cultural district and the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District include The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth, Bowie House, and Hotel Drover. Of course, you must test your mechanical bull-riding skills in the stockyards.

Extra credit

• If your schedule permits, visiting some of the city’s top attractions makes a lot of sense with a CityPass. For $57, you’ll get admission to the Perot Museum of Nature & Science and the iconic Reunion Tower GeO-Deck 470 feet above the city. The CityPass also grants you access to two of the following: the Dallas Zoo, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
• 50 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the city is still deeply fascinated by the historic event. You can see Dealey Plaza, the site where the shots were fired at his motorcade, as well as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza for free (you may even encounter a few conspiracy theorists there). However, if you have the time and wish to delve deeper into the events of November 1963, visit The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza for a thorough education.
• Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine back in 1972, and resort vacations, Sunday Funday, and Mexican food restaurants have never been the same. Head to Mariano’s Hacienda and pay tribute to his ingenuity by ordering a Frozen Original and posing in front of one of the earliest versions on display (easier than a trip to see the one at the Smithsonian).
• Broken Bow Ranch, about 30 minutes from Dallas in Seagoville, offers horseback rides for all skill levels. Book the Trail Ride Experience, and you can learn to shoot a bow and arrow, fish, and eat some barbecue after your one-hour ride through the wildflowers.