The New York Times
May 28, 2026
Millions arrive in Dallas each year for conventions and events, with many more expected this summer for nine World Cup matches — a higher number than any other host city. Although the stadium is in Arlington, about 20 miles west of downtown, Dallas will be a hub for watch parties and other events around the tournament. In between matches, there’s plenty to keep you busy: Tex-Mex restaurants everywhere, dive bars with live music, shopping to do and art museums to see. In a metropolitan area that keeps expanding, new bars and restaurants are popping up regularly, particularly around neighborhoods such as Knox-Henderson, the Bishop Arts District and downtown’s East Quarter. Dallas is part of the so-called Metroplex, which includes Fort Worth, but for just a weekend, it’s best to stick with Dallas proper.
Recommendations
Key stops
- The Katy Trail is where Dallas walks, runs, bikes, or brushes by on the way to the Katy Trail Ice House, a massive beer garden.
- The Wild Detectives is a bookstore, bar and coffee shop all in one, with a curated selection of books and large patio in the Bishop Arts District.
- Klyde Warren Park is a 5.4-acre park built over a highway with food trucks on weekends, right next to three museums in downtown.
Getting around
- In such a car-dependent city, renting a car or using a ride-hailing service like Lyft or Uber is most convenient. Waymo robotaxis also recently expanded into parts of the city.
- Using public transit to get across Dallas can be inefficient, but Dallas Area Rapid Transit does have rail lines that go through downtown Dallas. The DART system also has a streetcar that connects downtown Dallas to the Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts neighborhoods. If you’re not in a rush, take a ride on the M-Line Trolley, with multiple stops in downtown and Uptown. Trolleys arrive every 17 to 20 minutes, and you can track them. There is no fare, but donations are welcome.
Where to stay
For short-term rentals, consider more walkable neighborhoods with a mix of shops such as Lower Greenville and the Bishop Arts District.Itinerary
The boutique Hôtel Swexan is relatively new to Dallas, having opened in 2023. Its location in the Harwood District makes it convenient for getting to Uptown and downtown Dallas, as well as Victory Park, the entertainment district anchored by the American Airlines Center, home to the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars. Rooms start at about $600.
In a red-brick building, the Warwick Melrose-Dallas offers easy access to spots in the Oak Lawn and Uptown neighborhoods. One perk of staying at the Warwick is being able to take the elevator down to the Library Bar, which has live music and solid cocktails. Rooms start at $304.
The Adolphus, open since 1912 in the center of downtown, underwent a massive renovation that started in 2016, modernizing the building while retaining its charm. The hotel has a large lobby with plenty of places to sit over a drink or coffee and people watch. Rooms start at about $249.
Friday
The Wild Detectives
3:30 p.m. Stroll the shops in the Bishops Arts District
Just southwest of downtown, the Bishop Arts District is easily one of the most walkable neighborhoods. Start at the Wild Detectives, a bookstore, bar and coffee shop with a front porch and a large back patio. For a bar without books, try 13 Barrels, which has rotating Texas beers on draft and cocktails starting at $13, or follow the music, which starts on Friday and weekend afternoons, down the street to Revelers Hall. We Are 1976 has cards, bags, stationery and other knickknacks, as well as prints from independent artists based in Dallas and across the country. There’s also Spinster Records, which has an impressive vinyl selection and hosts listening parties and D.J. sets.
6 p.m. Sip on mezcals
While Dallas is known for its Tex-Mex cuisine, focus on the “Mex” side at Las Almas Rotas (Spanish for “the broken souls”), just east of downtown and with an impressive selection of tequila and mezcal. To take advantage of the breadth of the spirits, try a flight (ranging from $15 for a flight of three to $40 for a flight of five). The taco plate ($16) comes with four, with options of chicken tinga, carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, beef tongue or veggies. Don’t forget the churros ($9) for dessert.
The Grapevine
9 p.m. Take a dive
Dallas has more than its fair share of dive bars. One staple is the Grapevine, which moved by the Southwestern Medical District in 2023 after 27 years in the Oak Lawn neighborhood. It kept its welcoming charm, as well as the basketball hoop, now in its new back patio. Sit on the indoor couches, listen to live music (often a cover band) and play cornhole out back. If you’re looking for another classic Dallas dive bar, head over to Lee Harvey’s, in the Cedars neighborhood, which also has live music on weekends.
Sampling barbecue from MD Supper Club at the Dallas Farmers Market.
Saturday
Halcyon
10 a.m. Caffeinate, then walk through Lower Greenville
In the Lower Greenville neighborhood, start north and work your way down. Grab coffee at the small, European-style Cafe Duro. Try the McDuro ($10), the cafe’s take on a popular fast-food breakfast sandwich with fennel sausage and on an English muffin. For both a larger space and brunch menu, head over to Halcyon for mimosas and breakfast burritos. Keep strolling about 12 minutes south through a residential area to reach the lower part of Lower Greenville, packed with shops, restaurants and bars. Sneakerheads should stop by the Laboratory DTX, which stocks classics and rare finds. For Dallas merch, check out Bullzerk, where you can find hand-printed Dallas T-shirts, hats and your next tote bag. And for Western wear, Tyler Kingston Mercantile is a general store with snap shirts and cowboy hats.
1 p.m. Go museum-hopping
You can take your pick in the Dallas Arts District, where three compelling institutions are right next to each other: the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Crow Museum of Asian Art. The large Dallas Museum of Art (free, except for special exhibitions) is easy to get lost in, with Greek and Roman sections and a contemporary art gallery. The Nasher’s modern and contemporary sculptures span indoors and outdoors (admission $10). The Crow Museum of Asian Art’s collection includes pottery dating back centuries (free). Once you’ve seen enough of the museum(s), take a short walk up to Klyde Warren Park, an urban space on a large deck built directly above the eight lanes of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway that offers great views of the skyline and food trucks on weekends.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
4 p.m. Learn Dallas history
The sixth floor of a former book depository, on the western edge of downtown, is where Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle was found after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. The building is now the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and has thousands of objects, films and photos related to the assassination (adult admission, $27). The building is part of a national historic landmark that includes the adjacent Dealey Plaza, where people tried to get a glimpse of President Kennedy as his motorcade made its way through downtown Dallas. From Dealey Plaza, you can see a large X on Elm Street that marks the spot where President Kennedy was shot.
6 p.m. Go for tapas or oysters
Plenty of new restaurants are opening in the neighborhood surrounding Knox Street, but one that has been around for more than 30 years is Cafe Madrid, an intimate Spanish tapas spot that feels like having dinner at a friend’s house, if they served Andalusian meatballs ($16), shrimp in olive oil ($14) and Manchego cheese and spinach croquettes ($15). On Knox Street, there is also Green Point, a seafood restaurant with oysters (starting at $24 for six), red snapper and shrimp ceviche ($18) and a trio of bite-size fried grouper sandwiches ($23). If you’re thirsty, try the Yacht Club, a spin on a white Negroni.
The Balcony Club
9 p.m. Catch some jazz, then knock down some pins
End your night with live music at the speakeasy-esque Balcony Club, open since 1988 in a loft space above an old movie theater in the Lakewood neighborhood. The small venue fills up quickly ($20 cover on Friday and Saturday nights), although people filter out between sets of jazz, blues or classic rock. You can also spend some time downstairs at Bowlski’s, which has been turned into a bowling alley (lanes start at $16 per adult per hour) with darts, pool and a bar.
Stop by Tyler Kingston Mercantile for Western wear including snap shirts and cowboy hats.
Sunday
Chelles Macarons
10 a.m. Shop local and brunch
On weekends at the Dallas Farmers Market in downtown, find in-season produce from area ranchers and farmers under an open-air pavilion with misting fans when it’s hot. If you’re flying out and fresh produce is not what you’re looking for, you can still grab a bite inside the food hall (open daily). Get your caffeine fix at the Palmieri Cafe, which roasts its own coffee, and some housemade treats at Chelles Macarons. After shopping, share some small bites at Sor Juana, a brand-new restaurant that’s like stepping into an old-school Mexican cantina.
Katy Trail
12 p.m. Follow the trail to a Texan ice house
Before it was one of the city’s most popular walking paths, the Katy Trail used to be a part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad built by Union Pacific Railroad. The route was dubbed the “K-T” and later just “the Katy.” It spans about 3.5 miles, from near the American Airlines Center to just south of Southern Methodist University. Most of the largely shaded, concrete trail, which passes the apartment patios of Uptown, also has a padded running track. Along it is the Katy Trail Ice House, a massive beer garden with dozens of beers on tap served in goblets. The ice house (the term is a nod to long ago when Texans would pick up their ice at these joints), also has burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and some appetizers to remember Texas by, like the jalapeño bottle caps (fried jalapeño slices) for $14.