The Parlor - Dallas

Within 15 minutes of arrival I decided to take an early dinner where the parlor fits me perfectly. I could immediately get a table and as the device was loud, I took the opportunity to sit in the characterized “Queter”. that said I had the garnelen tocos that were fantastic and my server “Ed” has a great task to pay attention to everyone needs quickly. but the noise in the room, actually stopped me from enjoying my beer after dinner, where I ended up half full glass on the table (sometimes I never did it).

Definitely a cool place and the drinks are very reasonably priced. Shuffle board and other vintage games available to play for free.

The Parlor is a great place to unwind and get away from the maddening crowd. Loved that they had an Atari console, but by far the coolest game there is the wall mounted Scrabble. Jenga and Connect Four were also played numerous times during our stay.

In June, we stayed at the Dallas Sheraton hotel, at 400 Olive St, in downtown Dallas. When we checked in, I saw a couple of cards in the lobby, featuring a cartoon bird, sipping what looked like a glass of red Burgundy (based on the glass shape), with just the words “The Parlor” on them. They caught my attention, but I did not inquire. Then, around the lobby, there were several lighted signs, advertising The Parlor. Those had more copy on them, but no real details. That night, we were dining off-property, so never got to search for The Parlor. It was not until the next morning at breakfast, when the general manager of Open Palette (the lobby restaurant) stopped by, that I asked, and got the full details on The Parlor. It is a bit tough to describe, but I will do my best. The Parlor is a small bar, hidden off of the rear of the Open Palette Bar. There is no signage to identify it. Rather like those signs, with no details, it is “hidden,” so has a bit of a “speakeasy” feel to it. It can be entered via a nondescript door at the rear of the lobby bar, or through a solarium, off of the al fresco dining area of the lobby restaurant – neither marked. When those doors are closed, you would never know that The Parlor was behind them. With my inquiry, I got a grand tour, though they were not yet open for the day. Inside, The Parlor has the feel of a library, in a gentleman’s club – dark tones, bookcases, leather chairs, but that is just the main area. At the back of that area is a small standing bar. However, the look, the feel and even the décor change, just around the corner, as one enters into what appears to be a livingroom, with sofas and long, low tables. Finally, there is a solarium area, which while not totally separate, changes in feel and décor, yet again. The central room is rather dark, and intimate. Color is introduced in the livingroom area, and then sunlight, in the solarium. The various bits of decoration are eclectic, with an old wooden shuffleboard game, then several other antique games, mostly on the walls. While there are TV’s, The Parlor does NOT feel like a sports bar, in any way – the almost adjacent Open Palette Bar is more along those lines. I would describe The Parlor as intimate, dark, comfortable and inviting – so long as one knows which door to open! Many aspects reminded me of a similar space in The Oliver Hotel in Knoxville, the Peter Kern Library. One enters both through an unmarked door off of the lobby (or from an outside door, also unmarked), and each is a library. There, the similarities end, as that bar in Knoxville WAS a speakeasy, where The Parlor was created to have a bit of that feel. Even the lack of detail on the advertising sort of hints at a “secret,” and a secret worth discovering. This is a quiet enclave, which, while close to the sports bar aspect of the Open Palette Bar, is worlds away. This is a place to sip your wine, or cocktail, and relax. One would not be inclined to shout for their favorite sports team, even if they were on the TV’s. Still, this is a place to enjoy. To round out the feeling of a slice out of a previous time, there are items which take one back – a record player from the 1950's, an antique bicycle hanging on the wall (with neon tires, no less), and other, smaller items, scattered here and there. On my tour, I got to peek into a small wine refrigerator, rather hidden away. Seems that in the construction of The Parlor, a secret, or forgotten cache of wine was found. This is not just any wine, but bottles of Krug, La Tâche, Richebourge, Domaine Romanée-Conti, Château La Tour, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Haut Brion – wines that leather-bound books are written about. I now have a reason to return – those rare and beautiful wines, but I had better bring my black AMEX card. I returned, just as The Parlor opened, the next evening. I was meeting my wife in the lobby, before heading out to dinner, off-property. I was greeted by the bartender, and set up with two glasses of Ayala Brut Champagne (no, not the Krug this time), and sat in the livingroom area, look

Great atmosphere! Fun games! Friendly staff! Loved loved loved this bar!