Most World Cup visitors staying in Dallas will be staying downtown. The hotels are here — the Omni, the Thompson, the Sheraton, the Adolphus, the Westin — and so is the AT&T Discovery District, the pedestrian zone along Commerce and Main Streets that has become the city’s most active public gathering space. Downtown Dallas is not what it was ten years ago. The restaurant density has grown considerably, the quality has followed, and for visitors without a car it’s entirely possible to eat well for an entire week without leaving the neighborhood on foot.
A few things worth knowing before you go: Downtown Dallas is larger than it looks on a map. The Arts District, the West End, the Main Street corridor, and the Discovery District are all technically downtown but each requires a separate walk. DART light rail connects the major zones. Most of the restaurants listed here are within walking distance of the major World Cup hotels. Where they’re not, we’ve said so.
COFFEE AND MORNING
Ascension Coffee has multiple downtown locations — the flagship at 1621 Oak Lawn Avenue in the Design District and a location inside the AT&T Discovery District at 208 S. Akard Street. The espresso program is serious. The all-day menu covers breakfast through dinner. It’s the most reliable morning stop in the downtown core.
Commissary at 1217 Main Street is the Headington Companies bakery, café, and market two blocks from The Joule — the best grab-and-go operation in downtown Dallas for a morning pastry, breakfast taco, sandwich, or gelato. Counter Culture coffee, house-baked breads, artisanal meats, wine and craft beer. Open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cashless.
BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH
Little Daisy at 1401 Elm Street inside the Thompson Dallas is the Franco-American bistro on the ground floor of one of downtown’s best hotels. Breakfast and lunch, European sensibility, artisanal plates and a specialty cocktail program that runs from the morning. If you’re staying at the Thompson, you don’t need to leave the building. If you’re not, it’s worth the walk.
LUNCH AND CASUAL
Luna Roja at 1525 Elm Street is the modern Mexican restaurant steps from the Giant Eyeball and AT&T Discovery District that opened in April under chef Omar Larson, formerly of Kessaku and Monarch. Breakfast from 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, lunch, weekend brunch, dinner, and a happy hour menu under $10 from 4 to 6 p.m. The Smash Burger with Oaxaca cheese and poblano rajas and the Ancho Glazed Short Ribs are the dishes to order. Once a month the kitchen runs TacoKase — a taco omakase that changes every time. Follow @lunarojadallas for dates.
Family Thais Asian Bistro at 208 N. Market Street, Suite 150 in the West End is the ten-table Thai restaurant that the Dallas Morning News named the best in Dallas two years running. Hand-folded wontons every morning, Pad Thai, Pad Ka Pow, Panang Curry, boba tea bar, house-baked pastries. Two people eat well for under $30. Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pecan Lodge at 2702 Main Street in Deep Ellum is technically outside downtown proper but close enough to include here. It’s one of the most acclaimed barbecue restaurants in Texas — brisket, ribs, pulled pork, jalapeño cheddar sausage, beef ribs on Saturdays. Lines are real. Go early or go late. The beef rib is the thing. Open Tuesday through Sunday starting at 11 a.m., closed Monday.
DINNER
Monarch at 1401 Elm Street, 49th Floor is the wood-fired Italian restaurant inside the Thompson Dallas hotel, Michelin-recognized, with views of the Dallas skyline from the 49th floor. Chef Danny Grant built a menu around handmade pastas, wood-fired proteins, and premium seafood — the short-rib Bolognese, whole wood-fired branzino, and tiger prawns are the Michelin inspector’s picks. The $175 seasonal tasting menu is available for those who want the full experience. Business casual or better. Reservations essential. Open daily 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m.
Crown Block at 300 Reunion Blvd East inside Reunion Tower is the steakhouse at the top of one of Dallas’s most recognizable landmarks. The room rotates 360 degrees over the course of a meal. The beef is Texas prime and Wagyu. The green chicken and lobster bisque have been singled out repeatedly in reviews. Reservations through OpenTable.
Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley at 1933 Elm Street is the Southern comfort food and cocktail concept that started in Dallas and now has locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, Miami, and Times Square in New York. Shrimp and grits, fried chicken, oxtail, a cocktail program built for a party, live music most nights, and a rose wall that has become one of downtown Dallas’s most photographed spots. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Dakota’s Steakhouse at 600 N. Akard Street is the downtown institution open since 1985, accessed by descending 18 feet underground in a glass-canopied elevator from street level. Prime steaks, fresh seafood, a proper wine list, happy hour Monday through Friday 4 to 6 p.m. Lunch Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner Monday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday 5 to 9 p.m.
Pangea at 1910 Pacific Avenue opened downtown in February 2026, the second location for chef Kevin Ashade — a Culinary Institute of America graduate who beat Bobby Flay on national television and built one of Garland’s most devoted dining followings. The menu is Southern Sunday dinner run through refined French technique: braised lamb shank, coq au vin in a rich red wine sauce with bacon and vegetables over mashed potatoes. Warm and personal. Open Tuesday through Saturday 4 to 11 p.m., Sunday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed Monday.
Musume at 2330 Flora Street in the Hall Arts District is the sushi and contemporary Asian restaurant with the largest sake collection in North America — more than 120 selections including sake on tap — and the largest Japanese whisky program in DFW. The Black Cod Misozuke marinated 72 hours in sweet miso, the Seared King Scallops with shiitake risotto and champagne uni reduction, and the Five Spice Duck Leg Confit over forbidden rice are the dishes that keep people coming back. After dinner, ask your server about Akai — the speakeasy hidden inside. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 5 to 11 p.m. Valet Thursday through Saturday. Phone: (214) 871-8883.
Café Momentum at 1510 Pacific Avenue is the nonprofit restaurant staffed entirely by young adults transitioning out of the Dallas County juvenile justice system — paid internships, culinary training, and job placement support. The food is genuinely good: seasonal American menu, locally sourced, chef-driven. The James Beard Foundation awarded founder Chad Houser its Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2025. For World Cup visitors who want a meal that means something beyond the plate, this is the one. Open Thursday through Saturday 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
DRINKS AND LATE NIGHT
Midnight Rambler at 1530 Main Street in the basement of The Joule Hotel is the underground cocktail bar that holds a Michelin Exceptional Cocktails recognition — one of the most acclaimed bar programs in Texas. The room is a subterranean speakeasy with brass barstools, plush leather couches, and a cocktail list crafted by award-winning bartender Gabe Sanchez. Live DJs on weekends. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 5 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Saturday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Catbird at the Thompson Dallas, 1401 Elm Street, 10th Floor, is the rooftop cocktail lounge with an outdoor terrace and live DJ every weekend. Happy hour available. The skyline views from the terrace on a clear evening are the selling point.
The Woolworth at 1520 Elm Street, Suite 201 is the cocktail bar and restaurant in the heart of the Discovery District, recently renovated for its 10th anniversary. Crab nachos, truffle fries, ribeye steak, and a cocktail program that earns its keep alongside the food. The patio faces the street, the room is warm and low-lit inside, and the service is the kind that remembers you on a second visit. Open Monday 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight. Closed Sunday.
GETTING AROUND DOWNTOWN
Downtown Dallas is served by DART light rail on the Red, Blue, Orange, and Green lines — the Convention Center and St. Paul stations are the most central. The McKinney Avenue Trolley runs free from the Arts District through Uptown daily. Rideshare pickups are available at designated zones throughout the Discovery District. Most of the restaurants listed here are within a 15-minute walk of the Omni Dallas, Thompson Dallas, Sheraton Dallas, and Westin Dallas Downtown. For the West End restaurants, plan on a 10-minute walk from the main hotel corridor or a short rideshare.
