Top 12 Hidden Gems In Dallas

Here are the top hidden gems in Dallas, Texas.

“That’s why Dallas is so big; it’s full of secrets,” I laugh. I’m standing on a slim sidewalk along Moody Street. From here, all I see is a scramble of tall buildings locked in cement, slitted by windows. Cranes are the tallest, easiest-to-glimpse sights for searching eyes. They challenge the concrete jungle, promising to make it larger, longer, and loftier. But I’m here for a different promise: a tucked-away collection of samurai armor, helmets, and masks.  

It was a place I didn’t know existed for years. How could I know? Dallas is one of the largest cities in the United States, spread out over 380 square miles. A city this size can easily be the keeper of secrets. And it is.

Here are 12 hidden gems in Dallas, Texas. From underrated museums to a secret food tour, this is a side of Dallas you won’t want to miss out on!

The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum

Saint Ann is a beautiful, intimate restaurant. Tables cloaked in white fill wood floors. Wine glasses sit atop each counter, waiting for a dark red pour. Drinks flow. Small talk loosens the atmosphere. Patrons, dressed in cinched tops, pleated skirts, and button-down shirts, relax. Their arms lean against their chins.

“How many?” a waiter asks, turning to me.

“Sorry, I thought this was a museum,” I say, my face flushing Malbec-bright. I feel out of place in my baggy dress and messy top knot. I start to pull out my phone – how could I get the directions so very wrong? 

“The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum? That’s upstairs,” the waiter smiles. “It’s free, so just go on up.” 

Oh. 

The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, a hideaway of samurai artifacts, is hoisted above Saint Ann. For the longest time, this was the only museum outside of Japan dedicated to samurai (in 2022, another Samurai Museum opened in Berlin in the Mitte Borough).

It’s a special place with slender glass displays washed in orange light. Some cases are filled by full suits comprised of metal kabuto, drapes of haidate, and fitted dō. Others carry quivers and intricate helmets. Big placards share the history, the nuances, and the details of the artifacts. A small library wing adds more info. Plan to spend an hour here. The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum is one of the best-kept secrets in Dallas.

Chocolate Secrets

It’s hard to imagine how a place with secrets in the name has stayed a secret for so long, but Chocolate Secrets is still one of the most underrated spots in Dallas. It’s a sweeping chocolate lounge spread across multiple rooms. Candlelit tables and date-night-perfect live music soften the ambiance on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. If you love jazz and R&B, you’ll love the weekend lineup at Chocolate Secrets. 

During the day, Chocolate Secrets is still a calm place to relax, unwind, read a book, and sip some hot cocoa (this spot makes the best hot cocoa and coffee-infused truffles in Dallas. No ifs, buts, or debate about it). 

Abandoned Bus At Davis Street Espresso

Known for being a coffee purist spot, Davis Street Espresso makes good, dark coffee. But here’s the deal: nothing is offered to go. You’ll want to block out space to sip your order slowly. Bring a book to read (they don’t offer WiFi). Take your time. Don’t rush. 

As much as I love recommending good coffee shops, here’s the real reason Davis Street Espresso has sneaked onto this list of hidden gems in Dallas: the abandoned bus that sits out back. The bus’s interior was emptied; vehicle seats were ripped out. Cafe tables were screwed in, making Davis Street Espresso’s sideyard parked bus one of the weirdest, most unique places to sip coffee in Dallas.

Read Next: 5 Best Coffee Shops In Bishop Arts District

P.S. My biggest gripe with Davis Street Espresso is that they don’t offer any milk alternatives (so I can’t recommend this coffeehouse to anyone who is lactose intolerant or has a milk allergy). 

P.P.S. Their cold brews are served in giant Topo Chico bottles. 

Secret Food Tour Of Dallas

If this is your first time visiting Dallas, welcome! This Secret Food Tour Of Dallas is one of the best ways to get to know the city. The tour takes place in Deep Ellum, Dallas’ most colorful district.

Deep Ellum’s hip vibe is similar to Austin’s. It’s home to electrifying street art, gothic speakeasies, and antique shops. Restaurants are easy finds, but if you’re looking for traditional Texas food (think melt-in-your-mouth brisket, frito-topped chili, and deep-dish pecan pie), this walking tour will take you to some of our favorite food spots in Deep Ellum.

If you live in Dallas, you’ll probably gain little from this tour (beyond a bit of history), but if you’re visiting from out of town, I give this three-hour food-filled romp my local stamp of approval!

Half Price Books

Whenever I gush about hidden gems in Dallas, I feel the need to mention Half Price (it’s a compulsion). Half Price is one of my favorite bookstore chains in the United States, but the Dallas location is especially noteworthy. It’s home to the flagship shop. Better said: the Northwest Highway bookstore is unimaginably huge, a whopping 54,000 square feet (almost twice the size of a Barnes & Noble). It’s a giant, labyrinthine, used-book warehouse that carries everything from contemporary fiction to manga. 

Times Ten Cellars

Times Ten Cellars sources its grapes primarily from California and Texas. On matted frames, you’ll see photographs of an Alpine vineyard backed by vast skies. The building, now an urban winery, was a post office in 1945, a truth only the exterior whispers. Times Ten Cellars’ tasting room is sleek and sultry.

Candlelight flickers on dark tables, and tightly woven boho chairs are pushed in. I sit beneath a barrel-shaped lampshade, its light bouncing off a wine flight titled Shades Of Red: a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre blend. The wines are less than a decade old, but they are dry and tart and smell like vanilla.

Dallas Museum Of Art’s Best-Kept Secret

As part of a 2024-launched Access For All initiative (Access For All is Art Bridges Foundations’ pilot program designed to build local engagement), the Dallas Museum Of Art (DMA) now offers free admission to its special exhibitions (usually around $40) the first Sunday of every month (the rest of the museum is free and always has been)!

On those Sundays, the DMA places sign-after-sign advertising complimentary admission. But there’s one more sign, held up by a docent, that is easy to miss. The docent will wave a red square in the air, and most patrons walk by, never realizing the DMA offers a free tour, too.

The Collection Highlights Tour will take you across the DMA’s many floors of art. This forty-five-minute (ish) experience (it depends on the docent) will share the stories and intentions behind select art pieces.

The Collection Highlights Tour is casual and informative and a nice, structured way to see the DMA (the tour guides are also okay with you peeling off from the tour at any point if an art piece catches your eye, so there is no pressure to stay in the group).

Tours are first-come, first-served and limited to twenty participants.

Texas Sculpture Walk

Just a minute away from the DMA is an outdoor exhibition that, for the longest time, I assumed was a fancy entrance to an office building. Later, I learned that the building is The Hall Arts Hotel (one of the most underrated hotels in Dallas), and the adjoining, sculpture-filled park is officially known as the Texas Sculpture Walk.

There’s a free audio art tour for the exhibition that I highly recommend listening to! If you download the OTOCAST app on your phone, you can learn more about each sculpture (the artists themselves narrate most voice clips).

My favorite part of the audio tour is Icelandic artist Steinunn Thorarinsdottir’s description of her piece Paths (figures scaling and standing atop a former cafe).

Fountain Place

My partner has lived near Dallas longer than I have, so when I asked him what came to mind for hidden gems in Dallas, his answer was immediate: Fountain Place. Fountain Place is a five-and-a-half acre urban oasis, panning from the base of a giant, angled skyscraper. It’s a terrace of fountains, a calm, cool, meditative stretch of waterfalls and pools, shrouded by the crowns of bald cypress trees, perfect for stretching your legs for a few minutes (away from crowds) amongst the sounds of rushing water.

The Plant Bar

Jade & Clover’s plant bar doesn’t get the buzz it deserves. It’s a make-your-own terrarium service. You choose your own mix of succulents or house plants, add some sand or gravel, and top off your terrarium with cute baubles and trimmings. The build-your-own-potted-masterpiece concept is a creative, only-in-Dallas take (side note: they’ve recently expanded to Phoenix) on a typical ice cream bar. 

The Hill

From the exterior, The Hill looks like many other shopping complexes in Dallas. There’s a range of eateries (Snooze for breakfast, Bellagreen for lunch, Luna Grill for healthy bites) and a few boutiques. But the clincher (AKA the reason this particular spot is one of the best hidden gems in Dallas) is The Hill’s vibrant green, grassy courtyard decked with blocks of color and walls of murals.

P.S. This is a great area to remote work out of (we recommend slipping your laptop into your bag and heading straight to Civil Pour for coffee). 

African American Museum Of Dallas

Fair Park in Dallas is usually known for one thing: The State Fair Of Texas. But there’s another reason you should visit – The African American Museum, a storied maze of art exhibits. You’ll find folk and contemporary art amongst hundreds of artifacts, documents, and sculptures in bright halls. It’s a vast, open, airy space that can take a half-day (to a full day) to walk through and absorb slowly. Many of the pieces here are startling, vocal, and emotional, the kind of works that make you stop in your tracks and linger. It’s a big museum, full of secrets of its own.

5 More Hidden Gems In Dallas

Here are a few more hidden gems in Dallas to check out if you’re visiting for a longer period of time (or are a local looking for more things to do)!

• Ruibal’s Market: a wonderland for plant lovers near The Dallas Farmers Market
• House Rules Games: if you love board games, this is my favorite game shop in Bishop Arts District
• HG Sply Co: my favorite chill rooftop bar in Dallas (it’s not as elevated as some of downtown’s hotel bars, but the atmosphere is more relaxed)
• McKinney Avenue Trolley: free transportation from Uptown to the Arts District and back
• Wild Detectives: literary book bar (enough said)

Did you enjoy this list of hidden gems in Dallas, Texas? What are your favorite hidden gems in Dallas? Let me know in the comments below!