14 July 17 - 23, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents the answers for what ails you. There’s also a great porch and daily happy hour specials. Jettison (new) 1878 Sylvan Ave. 214-238-2838 jettisonaway.com Hearts sank in October 2024 when the ac- claimed Jettison announced it would take a break after eight years. Lightyears ahead of its time, Jettison was revolutionizing the cocktail experience with elevated classics alongside creative innovations like matcha- infused and Parmesan-topped cocktails well before the matcha and savory cocktails craze. Now reopened with a new team, but the same ethos, it’s like it never left. The sophisticated moody decor remains, vinyl still spins and the menu features oldies but goodies like the Red Headed Oaxacan, a margarita penicillin hy- brid. The Sylvan Thirty fixture no longer takes reservations, and honestly, we appreci- ate the doors-open welcome. Kessaku 1401 Elm St. 50th Floor 214-239-9999 www.kessakurestaurants.com Fifty floors atop The National building in downtown sits Michelin-star chef Danny Grants’ cocktail and sushi den, Kessaku. To find it, take the elevators to Monarch on the 49th floor, but instead of going to the restau- rant, take a left into a hallway and head up- stairs. You’ll find a posh cocktail lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows delivering a stun- ning skyline view. Hip-hop music overhead is turned up, and when the place is packed, it’s loud. We can’t report much on the cocktails and sushi, other than they went down real easy; perhaps it’s asking too much to compete with this view and big boss energy. Valet is available and reservations are a must. La Reunion 229 N. Bishop Ave. www.lareunioncoffee.com La Reunion is the definition of work hard, play hard. Open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., this Bishop Arts joint is the spot to lock in and crank out some work. They’ve got every- thing from nitro iced coffee to breakfast tacos and flatbreads to keep you fueled. When it’s time to burn the midnight oil, reach for La Reunion’s top sellers: espresso martini and carajillo. Inside ban- quette and patio tables are filled with la- ser-focused, headphone-wearing workaholics and students. But on week- ends and select nights, it’s a party. The cof- fee shop-bar hybrid hosts everything from jam-packed monthly block parties featur- ing top-tier Dallas DJs to caffeine-fueled day parties, spirits masterclasses, jazz nights and more. LadyLove Lounge and Sound 310 W. Seventh St. 972-733-9032 ladylovesound.com Lying low on a near-hidden corner of Bishop Arts gives LadyLove the allure of a speak- easy, but there’s no prohibition at this inclu- sive space. The bar’s music is loud enough to dance to but not loud enough to drown your conversation, giving you the perfect option to sit down with your date or dance to the sounds provided by the likes of DJ Sober, who spins every Saturday. The red-dimmed- light lounge also has themed nights, a patio that invites spontaneous convos with strangers. House cocktails include a Rude Boy with tequila, dry vermouth, aloe-peno syrup, lime and salt. Beers start at $5 and in- clude some local options. It’s where velvet meets leather, and where you’ll meet new friends to dance into the night. Lee Harvey’s 1807 Gould St. 214-428-1555 www.leeharveys.com With its throwback wood-paneled walls and old-school neon beer signs, Lee Harvey’s is the pinnacle of dive-bar excellence. A Dallas institution, this ol’ watering hole is exactly where you’d want to go to knock down a few cold ones after a long week of work. Don’t have a hot date? No problem. Bring your pup and hang out on the patio, which is one of the best that Dallas has to offer. And when you’re good and toasty, be sure to grab an or- der of onion rings that come with a side of to-die-for chipotle aioli. They’re straight-up more addictive than crack (not that we’ve tried crack, or anything). Leela’s Wine Bar 1914 Greenville Ave. 469-778-0201 www.leelas.com If Leela’s Wine Bar were an Airbnb host, it would definitely have super-host status. Leela’s original location on Greenville Ave- nue is a little bit more free-spirited than its Uptown sibling, where the mood is a touch more mature with lo-fi bass beats and dark green plush booths. At both locations, Lee- la’s implements a tap system, meaning ev- ery glass of wine is as the winemaker intended, not sullied by light or oxidation. Also, there’s much less waste. The global wine list includes a super Tuscan, a Garna- cha, West Coast staples including Joel Gott and Robert Hall, plus some deeper cuts. Get one of the cracker-thin-crust pizzas, which can be made with cauliflower crust. The mushroom bechamel or Butcher loaded with meat both hit the spot. Be sure to check out the Greenville location during the holidays for a winter wonderland pop- Kathy Tran Midnight Rambler is a subterranean bar in the Joule Hotel with speakeasy vibes. Top 100 Bars from p13 HIDE 1928 Greenville Ave. 214-785-0905 hide.bar HIDE opened in Deep Ellum in 2017 and became a fast and true standard. Alas, dur- ing the pandemic, it closed. But, great news, it resurfaced in the bustling (but not busting) Lower Greenville area. Luckily it’s back to its old self as if it never missed a beat. HIDE is another one of those spots that has a toe in the restaurant and bar pools, but at its core, it’s a boozy botanist. Case in point: the Bell of the Block cocktail is made with vodka, Singani 63, grapefruit, grapefruit bell pepper cordial, floral super bloom, lemon, absinthe and bubbles. The rooftop atmosphere is great and there is still that amazing burger on the happy hour menu. Hideaway on Henderson 2405 N Henderson Ave. The Hideaway is a dive bar with a touch of live-wire spirit. From karaoke to college foot- ball, it goes hard and might not be the best place for lightweights. Daily food and drink specials keep things affordable, but the regu- lar menu isn’t by any means obscenely priced either. Play pool or sign up for karaoke, maybe even play checkers with the bartender when things are slow. The patio out front is nice to watch all the doings on the street when the weather is being decent. Hugo’s Seafood Bar (new) 334 W. Davis St. www.hugoseafoodbar.com These two Hugos in the Bishop Arts are a problem. The cocktail program is as equally impressive as the plates steaming out of the kitchen. Saying it’s a bar with great food, or a restaurant with great drinks, is a disservice to both. We prefer to linger at the bar over sev- eral drinks and small plates of oysters, which is what most do: linger. Bartender Hugo Oso- rio works absolute magic. Chic and refined, but casual enough not to want to leave (ever), this shoebox of a spot along Davis Avenue in Oak Cliff is crafting cocktails with love. Take the Ron Kon Cafe with Licor 43 and rum with a housemade Mr. Black and Guinness reduc- tion and a housemade salted plantain puree. Who is pureeing salted plantains around here, you ask? These two Hugos. (The chef is also Hugo.) That’s how important your drinks are to them. There are a dozen house cocktails and each is fussed over with equal commitment. Go see for yourself. Inwood Tavern 7717 Inwood 214-353-2666 This iconic Park Cities drinking den, which celebrates its 60th birthday this year, is an institution. The old-school, unpretentious atmosphere attracts folks from all walks of life, from local Highland Park day traders to a Master’s jacket-donning Scotty Scheffler to regular Joes like us who just want to belly up to the bar for a cold one. Inwood Tavern beer taps represent a lot of local brewers to go with 18 vodkas, 18 tequilas and 33 whis- keys and Scotches. If you need a cure that only a stiff drink will fix, Inwood Tavern has
