Élephante, a coastal Italian restaurant that started in Los Angeles, will open its first Texas location on Sept. 1 in Uptown Dallas.
The restaurant concept debuted in Santa Monica in 2018 and later expanded to Arizona. Its parent company announced in 2024 that it and all-day cafe Little Ruby’s would come to Uptown. Little Ruby’s opened this year.
Élephante offers light, coastal southern Italian food designed for sharing, according to a news release. Dishes will include Whipped Eggplant, Ragu Bianco, which is made with cavatelli, Italian sausage, pecorino, broccolini and fennel pollen, and grilled octopus with hearts of palm, olives, capers, tangerine and red onion.
There will also be Margherita pizza, branzino with salsa verde butter, sea beans and lemon and vodka sauce pasta made with Calabrian chile, basil and Reggiano Parmigiano.
The menu emphasizes fresh vegetables, housemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, seafood and meats.
“The dishes are vibrant, seasonal and designed to be shared, allowing guests to experience the menu the way we believe Italian food is best enjoyed,” chef Thomas Lim said in the release.
The beverage menu takes cues from the Italian tradition of aperitivo, or drinks and snacks before a meal. It will include spritzes, cocktails and wines from across Italy.
The Dallas location is two stories and about 9,800 square feet. It can host about 270 people indoors and another 78 outside on its 1,250-square-foot patio.
The restaurant was designed as a garden pavilion inspired by the southern Italian coast. It is decorated with stonework, wood, greenery, sculptural lighting, artwork and furniture created for the Dallas location.
A central bar will have a white oak and honed stone counter beneath a display of illuminated wine bottles. Sliding glass doors will connect the indoor dining rooms with outdoor areas.
“Our goal is to showcase a menu that captures the freshness and simplicity of coastal southern Italian cooking while still feeling distinctly at home in Dallas,” Lim said.
Élephante Dallas will be at 2701 Maple Ave., Dallas. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
