{"id":474876,"date":"2026-10-23T22:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T22:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/474876\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T22:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T22:22:09","slug":"french-eatery-trapeze-debuts-in-dallas-bishop-arts-district","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/474876\/","title":{"rendered":"French eatery Trapeze debuts in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District"},"content":{"rendered":"

Transforming historic Oak Cliff homes into dining destinations is an art, and a duo known for their Deep Ellum hot spots has a new work on display: Trap\u00e8ze<\/a>, a French bohemian bar and bistro, that has quietly opened at 240 W. 8th St. in a repurposed bungalow on the west end of the Bishop Arts District. <\/p>\n

Owners Peter Novotny and Dan Murry, who operate Ruins<\/a> on Commerce and Armoury D.E<\/a>. on Elm Street, told <\/a>CultureMap in February that they envisioned Trap\u00e8ze as \u201can old-fashioned bohemian artist\u2019s enclave.\u201d <\/p>\n

Now in the soft opening phase eight months later, they say, by “drawing inspiration from the old French bohemian bars and cabarets,\u201d they’ve accomplished their goal of creating “a place where people can enjoy a great meal and drinks, listen to some music, and just lose track of time a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trap\u00e8ze has been welcoming guests discreetly the last couple weekends, as they complete a few finishing touches both to the building \u2014 they are excited about the near-complete patio \u2014 and to the food: \u201cWe have a limited but very solid menu available now, and should have the full menu, brunch and all, ready very soon,\u201d Novotny says.<\/p>\n

A grand opening date is still in the works. <\/p>\n

Novotny has said that inspiration for Trap\u00e8ze came from Oak Cliff\u2019s historical French influence. Bishop Arts once was home to the French utopian community La Reunion, which settled in the mid 1800s. The neighborhood pays homage to these roots at its annual <\/a>Bastille on Bishop celebration. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to do a tribute to the French history of Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts, and our goal is to capture the things we love about regional French cuisine and culture,\u201d Novotny said earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\"trapeze\"\/ Designed by local artists at Decotron, the front-porch sign at Trap\u00e8ze offers a taste of what’s inside. Photo courtesy Trap\u00e8ze\/Peter Novotny<\/p>\n

Novotny and Murry hired New York-bred chef Jeremy Spector to direct Trap\u00e8ze\u2019s culinary program. He\u2019s worked in famous kitchens such as Balthazar and Gramercy Tavern and has owned and operated restaurants in NYC. The owners have told CultureMap that Spector’s menu represents different regions of France, along with flavors inspired by France\u2019s once-vast colonial empire, including Moroccan cuisine. <\/p>\n

The bar menu is full of classic French and New Orleans-esque cocktails made with French spirits and liqueurs like absinthe and chartreuse; an extensive list of cognacs; French Caribbean-rooted Rhum Agricoles (or Agricole rums), and French and \u201cFrench-adjacent\u201d cider and beer.<\/p>\n

The house that is now a restaurant underwent a massive revamp, which lasted months due in part to weather-related delays. To make matters more challenging, Trapeze is located in a conservation district, which means construction had to be done in a specific way that would preserve the home\u2019s original look.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s basically a complete renovation,\u201d Novotny says. \u201cThey had to rebuild the entire structure. The whole exterior is all new.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new sign out front reads Bien Mang\u00e9, Bien Bu, which translates roughly to good food, good drink. Made by the sculptural artists at Decotron, an Elm Street-based signage fabrication company, it creates curb appeal and offers a preview of the attention to detail, whimsy, fine craftsmanship, and French flavor found inside. <\/p>\n

Hours have been slightly fluid. At this time Trap\u00e8ze is open 4 pm-“late” Wednesday-Thursday and 4 pm-2 am Friday-Sunday. Updated days and hours will be posted on Instagram<\/a> along with information about live music performers, they say. <\/p>\n