The Best Date Night Ideas in Dallas

It can often be difficult to plan a great date. Even when there’s seemingly lots to see and do in a city, both locals and tourists sometimes struggle to come up with creative date night ideas. If you and your partner need suggestions for an incredible date night in Dallas, you’ve come to the right place for fun date ideas you can enjoy now or on your next Texas getaway.

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Adventure Awaits You and Your Partner

If you’ve made your way through all of the Dallas date ideas and still need something to do with your boo, grab yourself a copy of Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition! With over 50 creative challenges, conversation prompts, and tear-out “I Love You” cards, this scratch-off activity book is definitely a must-have for any couple.

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Date Night in Dallas

Dallas Farmers Market

Cozily situated between the city’s towering skyscrapers, you’ll find the Dallas Farmers Market in the heart of D-Town. Established in 1941, the Dallas Farmers Market has grown with the city over the years, and it’s become a daily source for farm-fresh produce, dairy, artisanal fare, and so much more.

The Market Shops occupy a 26,000 square foot hall where you can buy specialty foods and grab a bite to eat in one of the four anchor restaurants. The Shed is an outdoor pavilion where farm-fresh eggs, locally grown vegetables, and responsibly raised meats are readily available. Whether you hit up the market at the start of a fun date night or stop by for brunch the next day, you can enjoy a hearty meal prepared by one of the artisanal food vendors in The Shed.

It’s a good idea to check the market’s calendar of events if you’re looking for a fun day date or date night idea. The Dallas Famers Market has a full calendar of activities that run throughout the year. If you want to bring your pooch along on your date, you should know that leashed dogs are allowed in The Shed and on The Market’s open-air patios. The market does request that dog owners BYOB or bring their own bag to clean up after their dogs.

If your relationship is relatively new or you’re planning a first date, the Dallas Farmers Market is a great choice for a date night. The market closes around 7 – 8 pm, so it’s a cool location to see how things go without making a commitment to a long night out. Given its enviable location in the city, the Dallas Farmers Market is within easy reach of nighttime hotspots if you want to extend your date.

Cooking Classes

Once you load up on ingredients on your little food tour of the Dallas Farmers Market, you can take a cooking class with your partner. Cooking classes are a wonderful way to spend time together while you make a yummy meal you can share with your significant other at the end of class.

You have plenty of options to choose from if you want to take a couple’s cooking class in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area. Whether you want to take a couple’s cooking class to pick up new culinary skills or to learn how to prepare a new style of cuisine, you’ll find a class that’s right up your alley in the Dallas area.

Here are some of the places where you can attend couples cooking classes in person:

• Central Market
• Cozymeal
• Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts
• The Cookery
• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
• Sur la Table

If you want to take cooking classes with your partner, but don’t want to do so in person, you’re still in luck. Vendors like Cozymeal and Sur la Table offer virtual cooking classes. Whether you attend a class in person or online, make sure you ask the chef for some wine pairing suggestions so you and your SO can enjoy a romantic date filled with good food and well-matched libations after your upcoming cooking class ends.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Located at the Legacy Tower in Plano, Texas, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is a fantastic choice for a romantic date night. You can start out by grabbing a glass of wine or a handcrafted specialty drink at the bar.

Once you’re seated in the dining room, you and your partner can share crab cakes or a shrimp cocktail. If you’re going to get a classic cut of meat like a filet mignon, you can take things up a notch by adding truffle-poached lobster or diablo shrimp to your dish. Fleming’s also serves fish like Chilean sea bass and plant-based alternatives, such as chickpea and eggplant croquette.

The restaurant’s diverse offerings ensure everyone will find something that appeals to them on its menu. That’s an important consideration if you’re not sure what type of diet your date follows. Few things will ruin a romantic night out on the town faster than your date not being able to eat to their satisfaction at the restaurant you’ve chosen.

Do you want to enjoy all the flavors of Fleming’s food, but want to keep your date on the down-low? You can do it by ordering takeout from Fleming’s. If you don’t have time to make the short drive to Plano to pick up your fare, you can use one of the eatery’s delivery partners to have the food delivered to your location. To round out the night, pick up some quality wine that will pair well with your food.

Great, expertly prepared food, high-quality wine, and a night in with your significant other? Romance in Dallas doesn’t get much better than that…or does it?

Checkered Past Winery

Are you looking for casual date night ideas? If you want to enjoy time with your SO in a notoriously unpretentious environment, you should make plans to visit the Checkered Past Winery. This popular wine pub’s motto is “drink what you like,” and the establishment is 100 percent opposed to wine snobs.

Cofounded by Sandro DiSanto, Checkered Past Winery features its own wines and some of the best wines sourced from the High Plains and North Texas, as well as other locations throughout the world. The wine pub aims to make wine approachable for everyone regardless of their knowledge about different vintages. Guests are encouraged to order specialty bites that have a noteworthy Italian accent that will pair wonderfully with any wine they try.

The atmosphere at the Checkered Past Winery is laid back. Seating arrangements are open, making it a breeze to share experiences with others in the eatery. Given the wine pub’s friendly, open ambiance and layout, the pub is a smart pick for group dates and celebrations like anniversary parties. Check their event listings for upcoming wine tastings!

Dallas Arts District

Occupying 68 acres and 20 square blocks in downtown D-Town, the Dallas Arts District has art for all the senses. From award-winning museums to performing arts venues, sought-after eateries and watering holes, and more, the Dallas Arts District has something for foodies, art lovers, and creative types from all walks of life.

Here are some of the district’s must-see attractions that are wonderful places to visit on a day date or date night:

• Klyde Warren Park: Games, live music, food trucks, and a bustling dog park are all daily amenities at this 5.2-acre park located in downtown Dallas. It’s a breeze to access the park by trolley, Segway, bicycle, or car from any of the surrounding neighborhoods.
• AT&T Performing Arts Center: Widely considered the most significant center of its kind built since the Lincoln Center was constructed in New York City, the AT&T Performing Arts Center is home to the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. This traditionally built, horseshoe-shaped opera house is where the Dallas Opera and the Texas Ballet Theater perform.
• Crow Collection of Asian Art: The Crow Collection of Asian Art is one of just a few museums located in the United States that are exclusively dedicated to artwork representing Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian cultures. If you want a calming date night, visit this museum to see pieces that date back to 3,500 BC through the early 20^th century.
• Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre: The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre is home to the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and the Dallas Theater Center. As such, the 12-story theatre is a popular destination for audience members who love live theatrical and musical performances.
• Dallas Museum of Art: Once a fixture in Fair Park, the Dallas Museum of Art moved to the Arts District in the 70s and has since been entertaining the masses who come to this neighborhood for arts and culture. It boasts something for everyone and really does have activities for all ages and preferences. If you’re on a tight budget, this is a fantastic place for a date because admission is FREE! Speaking of free things, check out their virtual date ideas.
• Nasher Sculpture Center: Next to the Dallas Museum of Art, you’ll find the Nasher Sculpture Center. This .4-acre site houses the Patsy and Raymond Nasher collection of modern and contemporary sculpture. Here, you’ll find thought-provoking and mesmerizing works by contemporary and modern masters.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: This museum has a glass-encased elevator, which provides incredible views of downtown Dallas as you make your way from one floor to the other. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science boasts 11 permanent exhibitions and several traveling exhibitions that change regularly, making the museum a wonderful choice for repeat day or evening dates.
• Dallas Museum of Illusions: The Dallas Museum of Illusions was built on the “edutainment” concept, meaning it’s intended to entertain guests as much as it is to educate and inform them. If you want to experience a fun place where nothing is quite like it seems with your partner, head over to the Dallas Museum of Illusions when you visit the Dallas Arts District.
• Dallas World Aquarium: Located at 1801 North Griffin, the Dallas World Aquarium is open from 9 am until 5 pm seven days per week. The Dallas World Aquarium is a wonderful spot for a day date that you can follow up with drinks and a meal at one of the art district’s many eateries and lively bars.

Are you ready to explore the Dallas Arts District? If so, we invite you to sign up for our Dallas Scavenger Hunt: Get Inspired in the Dallas Arts District. This scavenger hunt will take you to locations that represent the best of what the Dallas Arts District has to offer.

You and your partner will search for clues and learn about the district’s storied history as you work to complete your hunt. The fun you’ll have on this adventure may even inspire you to sign up for another scavenger hunt by Let’s Roam for your next date night in Dallas.

Uptown

Connected to the Dallas Arts District by Klyde Warren Park, Uptown is a happening neighborhood that lies just north of downtown Dallas. If you want to plan a date night but don’t want to put together a firm agenda, Uptown is a great place to go.

Uptown is where you’ll find national and boutique retailers, restaurants, and bustling date night spots that come alive with nightlife. Just when you think you and your partner have experienced everything the neighborhood has to offer, you’ll discover something new to try in Uptown.

Looking for a place to celebrate a win by the Dallas Stars or the Mavericks with your SO? Head over to Victory Park to join others in a community celebration. Are you ready to shop, eat, and drink to your heart’s content with your date? Visit the West Village, which is where you’ll find Uptown’s densest concentration of eateries, watering holes, and stores.

Harwood rests comfortably between Uptown and Victory Park, and it’s where you can enjoy a unique dining experience, visit a museum, and gaze at gardens and lobbies adorned with original art.

Do you want to treat your partner to a meal prepared by a celebrity chef? If so, give Kent Rathbun’s Imoto a try in Victory Park. Alternatively, you can make a reservation to dine at the Chef’s Table at Fearing’s which is located in the Ritz-Carlton. Named “Restaurant of the Year” and “Table of the Year” by “Esquire Magazine” and nominated as “Best New Restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation, Fearing’s is an upscale restaurant that offers a variety of high-end dining experiences under one roof.

Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum occupies what used to be a warehouse district. Now, the formerly skippable warehouse district is a hub of nightlife, casual dining, thriving bars, street art, and varied live music. The district’s reputation for fantastic live music dates all the way back to 1884. Today, Deep Ellum’s live music venues and watering holes proudly carry the area’s live music traditions forward.

Here are some of the live music venues you’ll want to check out during a Dallas date night:

• Louie’s Dueling Piano Bar
• Trees
• Mama Tried
• Sons of Hermann Hall
• Club Dada
• Three Links
• The Bomb Factory
• Adair’s Saloon

Like Deep Ellum is home to some awesome music venues, it’s also where you can find some fantastic eateries, including:

• Monkey King Noodle Company
• Serious Pizza
• Brick & Bones
• AllGood Café
• St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin
• Angry Dog
• Pecan Lodge
• Armoury DE
• Booty’s
• Ruins
• Oni Ramen
• Tiki Loco
• Vidorra

Do you and your partner enjoy performing arts? You can catch a show at the Dallas Comedy House, Ad Libs, the Undermain Theatre, or the Quixotic World Theatre House & Magikal Event Space during your next trip to Deep Ellum. Are visual arts are more your thing? take your date to a local art gallery, like Kettle Art or the Barry Whistler Gallery, the next time you’re in the area.

If you want to experience the local art scene while you enjoy the outdoors, we suggest you sign up for our Murals in Dallas Art Walk: A Colorful Deep Ellum Adventure. This hunt will immerse you in Deep Ellum’s art scene while highlighting some of the district’s best street art, such as Matthew Brinston’s “Derealism” and Lesli Marshall’s “Cosmic Journey.”

Are you unsure what to bring on your date night scavenger hunt? Don’t worry! We’ll tell you what to bring on an outdoor scavenger hunt to ensure you and your partner have a great time as you Explore Deep Ellum hand in hand.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre

The Pocket Sandwich Theatre claims that it provides “the most fun you can have in a Dallas theatre,” and the place lives up to that statement day in and day out. More funky than fancy, the theatre produces comedies, musicals, and melodramas. On occasion, the theatre will put on a drama, but that doesn’t happen too often.

Catching a show at the Pocket Sandwich Theatre is unlike doing the same at another venue. That’s because the theatre produces shows that are meant to be as engaging and interactive as possible. For example, audience members often throw popcorn during melodramas. Viewers can eat and drink during a show as they watch their favorite characters get spoofed on stage.

Located on the bottom floor of the Mockingbird Central Plaza Shopping Center across from Dart-Mockingbird Station, the Pocket Sandwich Theatre’s programming is usually family-oriented. For raunchier content, you can reserve tickets to one of the theatre’s Late Night shows on a Friday or Saturday night.

Don’t wait until the last minute to reserve tickets to a production, particularly a popular one like the theatre’s annual staging of “Scrooged.” The intimate theater only has seats for 140 people, so shows often sell out in advance.

The French Room

Having undergone a recent renovation, The French Room is widely viewed as the most romantic restaurant in Dallas. A favorite among locals and tourists alike, The French Room has been serving fine French food to guests for more than a century. To make your next Dallas date night special, make a reservation for you and your partner to celebrate life through mouth-watering food and drink at The French Room.

Don’t let the romance stop at the end of dinner. Surprise your significant other by booking a room at The Adolphus Hotel, which houses The French Room. Since 1912, The Adolphus has been an icon in Dallas culture that continues to be celebrated for pampering its guests in comfort and style. No matter what type of room you book at The Adolphus, you and your partner will enjoy a comfy king-size bed and personalized amenities.

Once you and your SO make it to your hotel room, we suggest you pull out your copy of “Adventures From Scratch: Couples Adventure Book.” That book has more than 55 adventures you can share with your partner. Find the adventure category you want to try and then read the descriptions of some of the individual adventures. When you find one that piques your interest, scratch off the adventure to see what you and your partner will get into during your stay at The Adolphus Hotel.

Adventures From Scratch are wonderful activities that you and your partner can share on the fly. Doing adventures together can help you and your SO get closer as you explore some of D-Town’s attractions and amenities like The French Room and The Adolphus.

Couples Massage

Do you want to up the intimacy during your next date night? To do that successfully, you may want to book a couples massage. You can find spas located throughout D-Town, but there are a few that stand out when it comes to couples massages, such as:

• Riviera Spa
• Makara Salon & Spa at the Omni Dallas Hotel
• Green Lotus Spa & Retreat
• V-Spa inside the Verandah Club at the Hilton Anatole
• The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

So that you and your partner can enjoy an intimate experience any time you want, you may want to skip the one-off spa treatment and book a couples massage class. Sterling Day Spa over on Dallas Parkway offers group and private couples massage classes where you can learn relaxing massage techniques for your significant other’s back, shoulder areas, and neck.

Haunted Locations

If stargazing and staring at the beautiful Dallas skyline isn’t your idea of an exciting date night, how about a spine-tingling ghost hunt? Despite being a relatively new American city, Dallas has at least its fair share of ghosts. If you and your partner enjoy the paranormal and catching sight of a ghost is on your bucket list, you may want to check out one of the DFW’s most haunted locations during your next date.

If you’re nervous about visiting a presumably haunted spot when it’s dark outside, consider swinging by during the day although the ghosts in some locations don’t seem to care whether it’s daytime or nighttime. If they want to creep people out, they will at any time.

Some of the haunted places you may want to visit include:

• Snuffner’s Restaurant
• The Sons of Hermann Hall
• The Majestic Theatre
• The Adolphus Hotel
• The law office and Millermore at Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park
• The Lizard Lounge
• Jett Building at Sundance Square
• Miss Molly’s Hotel
• The Catfish Plantation restaurant
• Arlington Music Hall

Depending on the venue you visit, you might be able to take a guided tour of a haunted location. If you sign up for a ghost bus or walking tour, you can visit several haunted places on the same day or night.

Margarita Tour

Did you know that D-Town is where the world’s first frozen margarita machine was created? Given that fact, you may want to take your SO on a booze-filled margarita tour. Many such tours visit four or five stops, each of which has great libations and yummy food like tacos.

You don’t have to take a formal margarita tour through Dallas. Instead, you can follow the Margarita Mile to explore Dallas while you and your partner drink some refreshing margaritas all over town. The Margarita Mile app is intuitive and easy to use, so you won’t have to worry about struggling with technology as your tour progresses and you have more adult beverages.

Vodka Distilleries

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to a number of fantastic distilleries. For an alcohol-infused day date or date night, consider signing you and your partner up for a tour of one, such as Duckworth Distillery. Founded by Lee Fuqua, Duckworth Distillery processes the aptly named, award-winning Duckworth Vodka.

If you just can’t get enough vodka, you and your partner can enjoy a tour of the Deep Ellum Distillery. Since 2017, the Deep Ellum Distillery has been producing some of the best vodkas Texas has to offer. Tours of the distillery run Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. After your tour, you’ll be able to sample some of the distillery’s celebrated vodka in its sampling room.

Lockwood Distilling Co. should be your destination if you simply want to grab a bite to eat and sip on some tasty vodka. Located in Richardson, TX, Lockwood Distilling Co. has cool vibes, and you can enjoy live music on the patio pretty regularly. While you may initially visit to take a tour of the facility, it won’t take you long to realize that the patio is the place to be.

Western Son Distillery produces flavored vodkas that are simply to die for. To see how they’re made, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour on a Saturday. Tours launch at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm every Saturday, which leaves you and your partner with plenty of time to explore some of the DFW area’s other amenities and attractions on your next date night.

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Frequently Asked Questions