Mirador, one of Dallas' most beloved women's lunch spots, is returning to downtown Dallas after closing at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please listen nearby. You can almost hear the clinking of champagne glasses celebrating a longtime friend.
For four years, the downtown Dallas restaurant has been lights out in a penthouse above Main Street boutique Forty Five Ten, and a group of designers has reimagined the hip lunch spot. The rooms are decorated in rose, salmon and rust colors, with tall plants in every corner and generous art on the walls. You can see what she did here. Mirador went on a sabbatical during the pandemic, but she's back with a great glow.
When the restaurant reopens on December 8, 2023, it will be a lunch-only spot. On Saturdays, Mirador will offer $89 per person tea from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The special menu has several courses and of course includes bubbles. Kids are welcome and will be served a special three-course tea menu including Nutella Banana Toast, Loaded Tots and Bottomless Hot Chocolate.
Renovated by Dallas firm Swoon, the studio boasts floor-to-ceiling views of downtown Dallas and is restyled with custom furniture throughout. A new bar in the main dining room and a more secluded private dining room give Mirador more space to accommodate groups while also providing a corner where he can have one-on-one conversations over a glass of wine. I am.
Mirador is the only remaining restaurant in Dallas that we can think of whose owners promised a post-pandemic return and still managed to do it 45 months later. We raise a glass to that.
“Give the people what they want”
Although Mirador has a new look, it was important to keep the menu approachable, says Jenny Vanier, chief marketing officer for Mirador's parent company, Headington Companies. Headington's Director of Culinary and Concepts Connor Sargent has rehired chef Travis Wyatt. He previously worked as a line cook at Mirador, but has now returned to the building to serve as executive chef.
“I definitely wanted to go with someone who was part of the original fabric of Mirador,” says Sargent. So part of the job is to revive popular Mirador dishes.
“Travis focused on all the All-Star players, and I think he really improved on some of them as well,” Sargent said.
Whipped ricotta toast appears as an appetizer, but Wyatt's improved version includes marinated grapes, apples and pistachios. He saves the wilting herbs, dries them into a green powder, and sprinkles it on top.
Mirador's simple orecchiette dish with San Marzano tomatoes and aged Parmesan promises to be a memorable classic. The beef tartare was upgraded with charred onion labneh and harissa instead of the expected shallots and capers.
As Vanier says, Wyatt had subtle instructions to “give the people what they want.” They ask for ricotta toast and farro bowl. After lunch, I hope to indulge in a carefully crafted pavlova made by Executive Pastry Chef Ruben Toranho, who has also returned to the Mirador team.
Wyatt's progressive American menu continues with deviled eggs topped with caviar. Roasted salmon with kale and potato seedlings. Chicken paillard and roasted tortabaga. Steak frites with chimichurri.
Executive sous chef Kamryn Chase added an interesting vegetarian dish: a bowl of French curry with wild mushrooms and cauliflower in a butter, onion and cream sauce. The fried rice paper on top hides what's underneath. The diner breaks the paper to find the vegetables underneath.
Those looking for a sandwich will find a cheeseburger. Shrimp po'boy with pickled radish, cilantro, and jalapeño aioli. and mayonnaise-based lobster rolls. Don't you feel refreshed when you drink something cold?
Remember, unless you know someone, it's lunch only. The Mirador is occasionally open for dinner, but only for private parties such as wedding receptions, birthdays, and chef pop-ups.
Mirador is located at 1608 Elm St. in Dallas (above the Forty Five Ten boutique). Reservations recommended. Lunch will start from 8th December 2023 and Afternoon Tea will start every Saturday from 9th December 2023. It will be open for lunch from 11am to 3pm, while the bar will be open until 4:30pm. The Mirador is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
