Head out to dinner, and it often feels like restaurants focus on one-half of the going-out experience — the food — while forgetting about the other key tenet: talking to the people you’re with. But it’s still possible to enjoy a night on the town without shouting over the music or the voices at neighboring tables. You just have to find the right restaurant.
Keep in mind that weeknights and off-hours tend to be quieter than prime-time weekend reservations, and a large party can always disrupt a usually quiet atmosphere. But these eight restaurants, which range from casual neighborhood favorites to pricier special occasion spots, are reliably peaceful — so your conversation can flow as freely as the wine.
Keeping it casual
1. MoMo Italian Kitchen
This neighborhood restaurant is a Lake Highlands institution, serving fresh pastas and traditional Italian cuisine since the ‘80s. It changed hands in 2017, and husband-and-wife owners Wende Stevenson and Aaron Gross updated the design, menu and bar without losing the casual, friendly environment that’s been drawing diners for four decades. It’s still quiet and comfortable, with soft music that fosters conversation, so it works equally well for family outings and intimate dates.
2. Ziziki’s
Ziziki’s has served steadily good Greek food since 1994, and its Travis Walk location just south of Knox Street remains a favorite lunch and dinner spot for neighborhood residents. The dining room is calm and relaxed, with friendly service and subdued music, but when the weather’s nice, the best seats are on the patio. It’s tucked back from the street, so you won’t have to compete with extraneous noise.
3. Nora
The buzzing Bishop Arts District is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Dallas, with popular bars and restaurants on every corner. Nora, which got its start on Greenville Avenue before moving to Bishop Arts, is a calm refuge away from the crowds. It’s also one of the few Afghan restaurants in town. The cozy and comfortable dining room is awash in blues and golds and filled with plants; the menu serves fresh salads, braised meats and national specialties such as Qabili Palao, which joins a mound of saffron rice with lamb or chicken, plus carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachios.
4. Urbano Cafe
Another neighborhood classic, Urbano Cafe is a cozy Italian-American bistro located inside an unassuming storefront on Fitzhugh. Fill your table with salads, pastas, meat and fish, and enjoy a leisurely dinner with friends. The best part: Urbano Cafe is BYOB, so you can bring your favorite bottle of wine (or two) and save some money in the process.
Splurge-worthy
5. Tango Room
Tango Room leans into luxury, pairing a social club-inspired design with prime steaks, oysters, caviar, and a thoughtful wine and cocktail list. It’s also one of the prettiest rooms in Dallas, with a gorgeous bar, mosaic tile floors and eye-catching art. Reserve one of the burgundy leather booths, which are perfect for conspiratorial conversations — like what to order for dessert.
6. Cafe Pacific
Cafe Pacific has served as Highland Park Village’s neighborhood steak and seafood spot for more than 40 years. The old-school restaurant is classy but unpretentious, with checkered floors, white linens and rich woods, and the soft music keeps noise levels moderate. Stop in for dinner a few times, and the friendly waitstaff is likely to remember your favorite dish or how you take your martini.
7. Tei-An
It’s likely that no one has impacted Japanese food in Dallas more than Tei-An chef and owner Teiichi Sakurai. Tei-An isn’t his first restaurant, but it’s become his flagship, serving fresh soba noodles and sushi in a tranquil and stylish space formed from wood, stone and glass. The best bet is to trust the chef. Just say the magic word “omakase” and you’ll receive a tasting menu of all the hits, so you can sit back and relax without needing to make any further decisions.
8. Le Bilboquet
This New York transplant came to Dallas in 2013 and brought with it an air of understated elegance. The dining room’s neatly arranged tables are adorned with white tablecloths and floral centerpieces, and the bistro-style menu features crowd-pleasers such as salmon tartare, moules frites, Dover sole and filet au poivre, plus plenty of wine. The polished staff is friendly and present but never obtrusive, so you can enjoy easy conversation while you dine.