A new French brasserie is preparing to bring French and Asian fare with a little New Orleans vibe to downtown Dallas in 2022.
The restaurant and bar will be located in the forthcoming Renaissance Saint Elm Dallas Downtown Hotel. The unique upscale hotel by Marriott will open in February 2022 at the historic Tower Petroleum Building at 1907 Elm Street. The location is currently open as Cambria Downtown Dallas.
Toussaint Downtown Brasserie will feature French classics, infused with Asian flavors and New Orleans style. Menu options will include Steak Tartare served with carrot coulis, shallots, egg yolk, pea tendrils, toast points and fine herbs; Steak Frites with NY Strip; Poulet Roti with roasted chicken, kabocha squash and vadouvan jus; and Lobster Thermidor with coconut red curry. Galette de crab, seafood platters, quiche and seasonal vegetables will also be offered.
For dessert, guests can enjoy Basque cheesecake, accompanied by New Orleans-steeped cocktails like the Nola-Groni with Euphrosine #9 Gin, Peychaud’s Apertivo and Plymouth Sloe Gin. The wine program will include a rotating list featuring wines from France and nearby regions along with domestic selections from California and the Pacific Northwest.
Dallas-based owner and creator John Kirtland says, “With the help of our friends at hospitality consulting firm Woodhouse, we’ve created a modern interpretation of French brasserie cuisine that adorned Paris, New Orleans and Vietnam at the turn of the century and pays homage to the traditional cooking of these famed culinary destinations.”
The restaurant’s name pays tribute to New Orleans writer, producer and performer Allen Toussaint. Dallas-based architecture and interior design studio, Droese Raney, is designing the restaurant to look like a classic French brasserie with booths on spindle legs, hand carved tabletops and wooden shelves at the bar. It will feature a minimal color palette of blues, greys, caramel, wood and marble materiality.
The 3,200-square-foot restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. It will seat a total of 106 guests – 78 indoors and 28 outdoors, and will include a full-service bar and a bottle service table with banquette seating.
