Coffee and Cocktails Share the Stage at Parterre in Dallas

Inside the new Parterre bar in downtown Dallas. All images courtesy of Parterre.

From the people who opened  the cafe, roastery and craft cocktail bar La Reunion in Dallas two years ago comes another stylish and multifaceted food and beverage concept called Parterre.

Occupying a downtown Dallas space that was previously an Ascension Coffee shop, Parterre carries forth the combination of coffee roastery cafe, a full kitchen and a cocktail program first established at La Renunion, catering to guests from early morning well into the evening hours.

“We love Ascension, but Parterre aims for a very different atmosphere,” said Parterre and La Reunion Founder and Owner Michael Mettendorf. “As such, it was important that we differentiate the space in design, color and layout.”

The remodeled 2,500-square-foot spot includes an expanded bar with an adjacent brick cove with bar-height seating. A standing bar was added to the dining room, where a flexible table layout can be adjusted for small and large groups. Lounge seating is found throughout the space.

Guests can witness coffee roasted on site in a custom 5-kilo US Roaster Corp. machine. Roasted coffees from Flower Mound, Texas-based Novel Coffee Roasters add to the shop’s offerings. 

“Roasting is not a pursuit of profit for us,” Mettendorf told Daily Coffee News. “It is an opportunity to further intertwine our baristas with their passion.”

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Wine, beer and cocktails at Parterre are overseen by bar manager Joe Rodriguez. While there is some crossover between coffee and cocktails for drinks such as a carajillo and an Espresso Martini, they remain distinctly different programs.

“Both the bar and coffee bar feature signature beverages that are developed seasonally,” said Mettendorf. “We additionally prefer not to mingle the two categories of offerings too often, so that each program can be known and respected for its own merits. Our coffee and cocktail programs are designed to be world class on their own.”

Prior to La Reunion in 2019, Mettendorf opened State Street Coffee in Uptown Dallas in 2014. Mettendorf said another project is slated for the Design District this Spring, although the immediate focus is on settling into Parterre.

Said Mettendorf, “We’re just here to be the best hosts we can.”

Parterre is now open at 1601 Elm Street in Dallas. Tell us about your new coffee shop or roastery here.