A new evening spot called Marlowe is set to open in Uptown Dallas this September, taking over a spot at 2912 McKinney Ave. with a build-out that leans hard into Art Deco lines and cinematic lighting rather than the reclaimed-wood look that’s dominated so many Uptown openings over the past decade.
The lounge comes from Dallas hospitality entrepreneur Alon Abramov, who’s spent more than a decade developing and running concepts around the city. His partner in the project is Thomas Menaitreau, who trained in culinary arts and hospitality management in his native Strasbourg, France, and has worked in Michelin-recognized kitchens including Fiola and Bresca in Washington, D.C., and Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas. Menaitreau will run day-to-day operations as general manager.
Marlowe’s interiors come from Duncan Design Group, the local firm behind a run of recent Dallas openings, and the description reads more like set design than restaurant buildout. A grand arched entrance frames the front door. Inside, wood-vaulted ceilings, curved walls and sculpted alcoves carve the room into smaller pockets rather than one open floor. An enclosed glass-and-brass patio, built with a repeating arch pattern the team is calling birdcage-inspired, extends the space outside. Marble and antique mirror line the bar.
The food menu is being built without seed oils, a specific enough detail that it’s worth noting rather than filing under trend talk. Early dishes include Charred Matagorda Pearl Oysters, flame-charred with garlic-lemon butter and parsley, and Beef Skewers, marinated shaved beef finished over charcoal and served with sumac tahini yogurt.
Beverage Director Kyle Buckelew is running the cocktail program. Buckelew most recently led the bar at Delilah Dallas and has also worked on the beverage side at Hotel Swexan and The Mitchell. One early cocktail on the list is a reworked Espresso Martini built with salted caramel vodka, dulce de leche, espresso and Demerara syrup.
Music runs through Music Programming Director Garrett Swain, known locally as DJ Zillamatic, with a velvet-draped stage built into the center of the room and framed by curved walls, rather than a standard DJ booth off to the side.
Abramov describes the whole thing as an exercise in getting the small stuff right rather than building around one big gesture. “We’re not interested in creating the biggest room,” he said in the announcement. “We want to create one of the most memorable, and a place people feel connected to enough to return to again and again.”
Marlowe opens in September at 2912 McKinney Ave., with hours set for Wednesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. A specific opening date, along with the full food and cocktail menus, is expected in the coming weeks.
