Mr Nick Wooster’s Guide To Dallas

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Mr Nick Wooster’s Guide To Dallas

Words by Mr Dan Rookwood

8 March 2017

The Joule hotel exterior. Photograph courtesy of Preferred Hotels

The street style star shares his travel tips for where to eat, drink and stay in the Texan city.

Street style godfather Mr Nick Wooster has worn a number of different hats in a varied career in menswear – buyer, fashion director, brand consultant, model and most recently designer with his line Wooster + Lardini, available on MR PORTER. His Instagram profile (703,000 followers) describes him as a “free agent” and he is constantly travelling. One of the places the New York-based Mr Wooster has returned to the most is Dallas – partly because its location in the middle of the US makes it such a regular stopover and a “crossroads” meeting point, and partly because it is such a centre of commerce with a disproportionate amount of multinational companies headquartered there (thanks to favourable Texan tax laws).

Photograph by Mr Matteo Prandoni/BFA/REX Shutterstock

The city isn’t necessarily top of every traveller’s itinerary, but this week the MR PORTER team is on the ground in Dallas for an event at cocktail bar Atwater Alley on Wednesday night (stop by if you’re in the area). So we asked our friend Mr Wooster for his advice on what we should check out while we’re there…

HOTEL

Lobby at The Joule. Photograph courtesy of Preferred Hotels

The Joule

“It’s a really great boutique hotel: modern, but with old world proportions and proper concierge service. It’s full of art – Dallas is such a great city for art. It has a really well equipped 24-hour gym and the food is excellent. There’s a swimming pool on, I think, the 10th floor, which cantilevers out over the street with a glass side so it feels like you’re swimming out beyond the hotel’s edge. It’s quite hot in Dallas most of the year, so it’s a cool place to hang out and take a dip after a long day.”

thejouledallas.com

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Brunch is served. Photograph courtesy of Mercat Bistro

Mercat Bistro

“Dallas is a brunch town, especially on the weekends. Mercat Bistro is a French-style restaurant with a cool patio. It opens from 7.30am [on weekdays] – which is useful if you’re an early riser (or if you’re jet-lagged). It has an amazing patisserie and it does great omelettes, crepes and a very good croque madame.”

mercatbistro.com

Grange Hall

LUNCH

“Grange Hall is an eclectic and eccentric home decor store famous for its weird and wonderful oddities and ornate flower arrangements. The attached restaurant is a beautiful space and you can buy all the cutlery and crockery if you so wish. It’s modern American (steaks, burgers, salads) done quite fancy, the service is great, and it makes for good people watching. Lots of very quirky personalities pass through.”

ufgrangehall.com

DRINKS

A Mustang Morning Shooter cocktail. Photograph courtesy of Happiest Hour

Happiest Hour

“This is a big industrial bar with a massive outdoor patio and backyard with the best views of the city skyline from Reunion Tower and the Omni Hotel across to the W Hotel and American Airlines Center. It’s a good spot to meet at the end of the day before going out to dinner.”

happiesthourdallas.com

Mr Mesero

DINNER

“There are a lot of really great Mexican restaurants in Dallas and everyone has their favourite. This is mine – and it’s more of a Mexican-American place. Mico, the guy that runs it, is often out on the restaurant floor and he’s a great host. It’s small, busy and they don’t take reservations, but it’s worth the wait. The house queso with artichoke and spinach is to die for.”

mrmesero.com

GROCERIES

The Royal Blue Grocery store. Photograph courtesy of Royal Blue Grocery

Royal Blue Grocery

“This is a very cool upmarket grocery store with a butcher, a bakery, a florist, a wine shop. So it sounds strange to recommend it but people also hang out here to grab a sandwich and a coffee. It’s sort of like Whole Foods but with a more local feel.”

royalbluegrocery.com

Charlie + Co

BARBERSHOP

“I’m quite particular about where I get my hair cut and like to find a regular go-to. Charlie Price is a good hairdresser who actually does women’s hair mainly – but I like what Charlie does and he’s an interesting character. He used to work in Manhattan on editorials and fashion week. The space looks like a Brooklyn loft – and you can grab a coffee from Ascension next door. He’s pretty busy so you have to phone ahead and make sure he’s there.”

charlieandco.com

For more travel recommendations, head to MR PORTER’s Style Council

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