Dallas has 14 cocktail bars in the BarMagazine directory, and Ayahuasca Cantina leads the pack. The 5 below are the ones we would send you to first. This guide covers the cocktail bars specifically; the full Dallas picture, all 14 bars of it, lives on the city page. Each listing is verified, with the address, opening hours and what to order.
Ayahuasca Cantina is the mezcal and agave bar attached to Xamán Café on Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff, with a menu organized by era of Mexican history, from prehispánico through independencia and revolución to the modern day. It ferments its own tepache, tejuino and pulque, served alone and in cocktails, and offers a Ritual de Agave flight across Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí and Durango. The James Beard Foundation named it an Outstanding Bar semifinalist in 2026.
Catbird is a rooftop cocktail lounge above downtown Dallas at the Thompson hotel, serving cocktails and izakaya-inspired bites from sunset into the late night. The jewel-box room runs a rotating lineup of DJs and live performers, with a private conservatory and terrace alongside it.
Midnight Rambler is a subterranean cocktail lounge beneath The Joule on Main Street in Dallas, entered through the hotel. Its menu is built by the bartender Gabe Sanchez, and the room takes its cues from jazz, funk, rock and afrobeat, with DJs on weekends.
Apothecary calls itself an avant-garde cocktail lounge, and it runs as two bars under one roof on Lower Greenville. Archive is the main room and Alchemy is a separate, bookable experience with its own menu. The drinks lean on modern kitchen technique and house preparations, with names such as Pencil Thin Moustache and Seance turning up on the list. A food menu runs alongside the cocktails, and a happy hour menu opens the evening. Doors open at five in the evening from Tuesday to Sunday. The space is compact and seating is limited, so arriving early is the surest way to find a spot at the bar.
Mister Charles occupies the landmarked former Highland Park Soda Fountain building on Knox Street, where soaring ceilings and an opulent fit-out set the tone. The kitchen serves irreverent, globally inspired plays on French and Italian cooking, and the bar runs a parallel program of what the restaurant calls perfected classic cocktails, backed by an extensive wine list that reaches into rare bottles. The bar leans hard on agave spirits. The room works equally for a full dinner and for a drink at the bar before or after one. Service begins at half past four every evening and runs later on Friday and Saturday.
These are the cocktail bars specifically. The full Dallas guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 14 with a map and filters.
Best bars in Dallas