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Distance: 0.06mi
Distance: 0.10mi
Distance: 0.14mi
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Nearby points of interest
Distance: 0.06mi
Distance: 0.10mi
Distance: 0.14mi
Distance: 0.19mi
Distance: 0.06mi
Distance: 0.10mi
Distance: 0.14mi
Distance: 0.19mi
About The French Room
Inspired by its original design and the grand tradition of timeless European architecture — The French Room has been thoughtfully restored.
An evening at The French Room has historically been a coveted experience. The recipient of numerous awards and critical acclaim received throughout its storied past, the restaurant has hosted countless special dinners and milestone moments. Led by chef Michael Ehlert, The French Room's menu draws on French culinary traditions and methodology with a fresh sensibility, including thoughtful table-side flourishes and a comprehensive wine program.
The experience is warm, classic and memorable. Engaging and knowledgeable service is punctuated by moments of unexpected delight creating a new perspective on fine dining with style and grace.
1321 Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
Dining Style:
Fine Dining
Contemporary French / American
Hours of Operation:
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cross Street:
Dress Code:
Jacket Preferred
Price Range:
$50 and over
Payment Options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Phone Number:
(214) 651-3615
Parking Details:
Valet parking available.
Public Transit:
DART and DART Light Rail (Akard Street Station)
Executive Chef:
Michael Ehlert
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Fireplace, Full Bar, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
The French Room Ratings and Reviews
Food was good, except my wife ordered the steak; came in too rare; sent it back to be cooked a little more; came back way overcooked.
The extra touches (amuse, etc) were all excellent.
The Perrier Jouet champagne was just OK. Should have ordered the cheaper Tattinger.
The atmosphere of the room is superb; the approach and departure through the lobby bar and drinking area is not consistent with the room's ambiance.
We went to the French Room for our anniversary and were disappointed. While the food was good, the menu was very limited and hard to read (as others have mentioned). Our table was right by the kitchen and we were in direct line of sight and only about 2 feet one of the nook tables, so neither us nor they had a private dinner. The service was cloying and inexperienced. And when we got the bill they charged us for a full bottle of wine when we only had the 1/2 bottle. Someone whom we hadn't seen (not our waiter, helper, hostess) came up and said "my, you have a sharp eye."
What's too bad is that the lobby bar at the Anatole was packed and vibrant while the French Room was dead from an energy standpoint. We wished we were out there.
The newly remodeled FR is very sterile. The wait staff was satisfactory but not as warm and friendly. There is much to be done to make it better. While a limited menu is acceptable, their offering was poor and not worth the price.
Had a lovely evening at the French Room celebrating a friend's birthday. The service was excellent and the food very good. Our waiter Jarred was wonderful. We had the prefix menu and I had the salmon which I thought was delicious. I only wish they had used a bit more substantial fillet and perhaps left it a little less time on the heat. It was just slightly over done to be ideal. My friends both had the wagyu steak and they had no complaints. I would certainly come back. It was nice seeing the majority of gentlemen in coats.
Food selection was unbelievable, we ate way too much! It was delicious! Service was perfectly balanced, we waited for nothing, but never felt rushed during our 2 1/2 hour, 5 course meal. Our "Service Captain" was Jillian who did a fantastic job with multiple wine pairings throughout our meal. Wonderful Experience!
The new renovation is fantastic! They went with the simple classical look, and it really works. The atmosphere is romantic and upscale, as befits one of the best restaurants in Dallas. The staff is all new and exceeded my expectations for service and especially friendliness. This staff is not from the stuffy school of "don't converse with the guests" at all. Food was top notch as you might expect, with a few surprises.
Based on our high expectations from the previous versions of the French Room, this new version was a bit disappointing. Much preferred the grand "old Europe" opulent style of the old French Room. They've now made it ultra modern. Do we really need yet another ultra modern restaurant in Dallas? There are now no truly Old World restaurants left. The menu was extremely limited and they refused to let us mix and match. The food quality was OK, but not 5-star level. Service was very slow at first -- took us 45 minutes to get menus. We had to ask for the Sommelier several times from several different people. Good wine list. Best part of the evening was the cheese cart (which we missed at the previous French Room).
Overall experience was excellent. We did the tasting menu with wine pairings. Service was superb. Most of the courses were great. Wine pairings done well. Music playing seemed not to fit with overall ambiance. Price point a bit high, but not totally out of this world. Will definitely
Incredibly disappointed; it's no longer a special occasion place. There is some of the old and some of the new but the combination loses the ambience and underperforms. Bar music in the dining room kept us on edge. I'm not sure what the restaurant stands for anymore. The menus are virtually unreadable; I needed both my reading glasses and iPhone flashlight. There was beauty in the room and some good dishes but too uneven in other ways... plastic tables under the table clothes and some dishes I wondered if they were tasted before serving. Am saddened and think they will struggle; hopefully they will self correct.
With such great anticipation of dining at the French Room again after such a long closure we were very disappointed. The room design is still beautiful but it is not very warm. We were seated in the middle of the room, just inside the entrance. Not a good start but looking around the room, the design does not provide many good tables for two and that flaw makes it difficult to choose this as a special occasion restaurant. A great dining experience could change that. Sadly, the French Room missed the mark and with a bill for $400+ a customers expectation is very high. Let's start with a sommelier tradition that needs to change and one that I have not experienced in the finest restaurants in London, Paris, Rome or anywhere in the U.S. for years. Our sommelier gets high marks for her knowledge and friendliness but I was surprised when she opened a $148.00 bottle of Mersault and poured it aggressively(an ounce+) into a glass that I thought she was pouring for me. She sniffed the glass and took a good sip and left the rest. I know how to taste wine and I believe in this situation the server should ask if her tasting expertise is required and if an expensive spill is acceptable. In this case we are telling the diner that they are incompetent and cannot be trusted with their opinion of the wine. As for the meal, the lamb saddle was very disappointing and tasted more like sausage than a fine cut of lamb. Rack of lamb would have been a better choice but the menu is very limited. The escargot app was not very good, extremely small snails cut in half, not tasty and not very warm. I will give credit to the lobster salad which was very good as was the fresh bread as well as the deserts so the pastry chef gets full marks. It may be unfair to criticize such a great chef in what has been a very good restaurant for years but when you spend significant money on fine dining, the bar for quality is very high and in this case, the experience gave us no reason to come back.
The room is cold and sterile now, unlike before when it was very warm. The acoustics have been worsened because it's way too loud in the dining room. Putting the main server station in the middle of the room creates too much distraction. The food is only OK
Overall an uneven experience. They seemed the be understaffed. Some servers were very good. The wine steward was slow on the follow through. The food was mixed. I could not recommend the seven course menu: uneven. Wine list had some value offerings. The renovations were met with mixed opinions. Frankly, the hotel staff at the front was just wretched. Fey & clueless. NOT Dallas!
We have been long time patrons of the original French Room; so we were very anxious & excited for the new French Room to open. We were blown away! The service was impeccable. Wine was perfect, with an amazing selection. Food was perfect, delicious and mouth watering. We have already made another reservation to return for another dinner. If we lived closer, we would definitely be going every week!
I have been a longtime patron of the French Room and looked forward to the reopening. So we planned a birthday celebration with great anticipation. The renovation did not disappoint - simplified, warm and elegant. And the bar is great for conversation. Our food started with lobster salad which was quite good but not spectacular. The entrees were unremarkable. Compared to the pre-renovation caliber of the menu and superb food, the dining experience was a huge let down. Service was fine even a little overly solicitous. There were no women servers which was such a remarkable distinction of the prior era. There are many excellent Dallas restaurants and the French Room is way too pricey for such disappointing food. I will not return.
First time back since the remodel. We miss the cherubs and clouds on the old painted ceiling, but the new, toned down gold/brown ceiling decorations were attractive and sufficiently grand. Ceiling at one end of the room beyond the pillars was visibly unfinished and in a sad state. I felt there could have been flowers in the center instead of a vase of nondescript branches and leaves. No flowers on the individual tables. Almost alien-looking tall champagne flutes were a fun touch, and the celadon china was exquisite. The plain white chargers with French Room "crest" were particularly elegant.
We felt the only two choices--a tasting menu, and a pri fixe menu were a little restrictive, but each course on the tasting menu was excellent, with just the right mixture of intriguing flavors and textures. The plating could have been less out-to-impress with its minuscule squares, slices, dots and slivers on the plate. I've seen more attractive food presentation.
We missed the old staff too, but the new folk were efficient, well trained and friendly. Gone were the waiters' tuxes, replaced with gray suits and open shirts for the men and nondescript grayish uniforms for the women.
There was an awfully long walk to the bathroom, which was located in the main lobby. With the new glass doors, the entrance was a little unobtrusive. If we didn't know where the French Room was, we would have had to ask. New decor in the lobby was eclectic and fit no particular style that I could see. I wasn't particularly impressed.
In spite of the aforementioned shortcomings, the French Room delivered. A fine choice for a special occasion. And yes, you still get something to take home, but no muffins for breakfast along with assorted sweet treats, just a macaroon each.
This was an outstanding fine dining experience for Dallas. Glad to have a restaurant like this back in Dallas, although, it hasn't lived up to the former restaurant so far, but give it time. We opted for the tasting menu with the wine pairing which met expectations. The only disappointment, in which we are accustomed to in places like this, is the sommelier or wine steward did not present each wine with the course. The sommelier or wine steward never came back to our table after ordering the pairing. We always enjoy hearing the "why" behind the pairing. with that said, the pairings were very good and the wine list is excellent, although young vintages. We did not feel the music was appropriate for the ambience, fortunately, as tables filled, the noise drowned out the electro-pop music.
The newly re-opened French Room was no quite as good as the original. I go every year to celebrate my mother's birthday. Although the food quality was just as good as the original, I wasn't impressed with the selection. We requested to speak to the sommelier for recommendations, and after 15 - 20 minutes of waiting, we gave up. He never showed. Service was slow at times, and our waiter was very timid acting. Our of the 'assistant' waiters was great. He has a great personality, but was professional. He would be a greater waiter if promoted.
We chose a dessert recommended by our waiter and it was the worst dessert we've had (The Floating Island). The passed complimentary chocolates were better. I also prefer the cheese plate at the old french room over here due to selection and amount of cheese provided.
Some improvements, however, including hot moist towel upon being seated, pashmina for guests, and synchronized services.
I'll definitely give the French Room another chance, but disappointed with the food selection.
We always spend our anniversary at The French Room. It was a special place for us. We were excited to return once the renovations were complete. I was definitely disappointed. The service was less attentive than in the past. The food was good but not quite at the previous level. It just dropped down a notch
The murals gone were a huge disappointment--the restoration to 1912 is boring.
The food although good is not of Michelin star status.
The service was good and attentive.
It appears that the restaurant wants to be hip in a 1912 atmosphere--does not work.
We just finished an outstanding dinner at the French Room. The renovations were done tastefully and we enjoyed every second of our time there. The service was excellent. This restaurant has always been our number one dining choice on the continent and it stays that way. Wonderful!
The food was outstanding, but with childlike portions. A few MINOR service problems - but after all, this was the first week with a new maitre d', captains,menu, etc. I have no doubt that in a few weeks, they will be knocking home runs.
Plusses - the wine steward was brilliant. The chefs 'gift' of caviar was great, and the chocolate selection for the ride home has gotten even better. Complimentary glasses of GOOD champagne for those who had anniversaries or B days. Excellent breads and homemade butter.
The negatives - give us Bach or Mozart in the background, not some outer space music. And - keep the millennial diners off their cell phones.
Amazing! I requested a table with a great view as it was our anniversary. We were given an amazing table and champagne was brought to our table on arrival! The manager, hostess, and waiters came by to wish us happy anniversary. The service was impeccable and the food was exceptional.
It breaks my heart how terrible the new French Room is. I've dined there for years. The menu was not great, the staff is not trained on the level of service I'm used to by the FR. Cheese presentation- there were gnats on the cheese and when I brought it to my servers attention, she swatted them away. If that wasn't bad enough, once I made my selections, she began to cut for that same tray! Dreadful. The old FR, the old staff, old level of service kept me a regular patron. I've been to 25 Michelin star restaurants and while FR was never rated back then, it should have been. The new FR is heartbreaking and I will never return.
Such an awesome place. Nothing else like it. They are making a huge mistake in remodeling this Dallas icon.
It's not too late. Please don't change this restaurant. There are a hundred modern bistros in Dallas. There are no places like the French Room.
This is a beautiful old world restaurant with lots of french flair and the food was outstanding, presentation of each meal deserved a picture, the service was top notch and I don't believe I will ever be able to eat a soufflé from anywhere else. It was a delightful and delicious night
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