The Best Coffee Shops for a First Date in Dallas

Browse the shelves with a coffee in hand at The Wild Detectives, a bookstore in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff that also runs two bars.

Coffee and cocktails are both on the menu, and the events range from a salsa dance class to poetry on the patio and a trivia night.

Listen to vinyl together at Common Good, an Old East Dallas coffee shop where guest DJs play most weekends at jam tables made for records. Records spin during business hours too, a chance to learn each other's taste in music.

The short menu covers espresso classics plus a pistachio matcha, a cardamon rose latte, an espresso freddo, and a Mexican mocha. A hair salon sits behind a glass wall at the back, and dogs are welcome, pup cups included.

Good Boy Coffee is tiny and dog-friendly, so bring yours to meet your date. It sits inside the Hey Koneko vintage store on Main Street, just outside Deep Ellum.

Dark greens, leather and wood accents, and green velvet seating set the look. Espresso drinks use Lemma Coffee Co. beans, and the house-made syrups include lavender and brown sugar.

Order an espresso or a pour-over at the Sylvan Thirty cafe of Houndstooth Coffee in West Dallas. The room looks clean and modern, with two mid-century touches, and one wall carries the line The Pattern of Coffee and People.

If you want to keep going, Jettison is attached: a tiny whiskey, mezcal and sherry bar that keeps a record player on its bar top.

Try the Magnolia latte at Magnolias Sous Le Pont, a French-inspired cafe in the Harwood District. The Magnolia blends lavender, elderflower, rose, and vanilla, while the Flying Squirrel latte goes with hazelnut, macadamia, and almond.

Sandwiches and pastries are on the menu, and the space is filled with art, handcrafted cards, and a lineup of events. The croissants are a draw too, and the bold cerulean exterior makes the cafe easy to spot.

Sit down over Italian-style espresso at Davis Street Espresso in Bishop Arts, a cafe founded to bring Italian espresso culture to Dallas. There is no WiFi and no to-go cups, so you sit down and stay.

Stand at the counter for an espresso or settle in with a glass of wine at Cafe Duro, a European-style street cafe and wine shop in Lower Greenville, next door to Sister.

Vintage floor tiles and custom wallpaper give the small space its look. Seating is minimal, though cafe guests can use Sister's enclosed patio during the day. The Banana Horchata matcha stands out among the specialty drinks, and the classic espresso drinks are there too. Olive oil coffee cake, a sausage kolache, a panini, and a pizzita are all on the food list.

Catch live music with your coffee at Opening Bell Coffee, an acoustic venue and coffee bar in the basement of the South Side on Lamar Lofts in the Cedars. Shows happen most nights, and the Saturday open mic is a free all-ages show.

The stage is the backdrop, and vinyl records and guitars decorate the room. The menu covers espresso, specialty coffee blends, teas and chais, kolaches, beer and wine. We'd start with the affogato or the black Irish iced mocha. Parking in the retail lot is free.

Pair a coffee and pastries with a book at La Casita Coffee & Bakeshop, inside the Half Price Books flagship. The store is 50,000 square feet of books, magazines, records, and movies.

The pastries are the draw, and the Churro Cruffin is a popular pick. Coffee comes from La Colombe, with Nizza espresso. Lunch options include a Cubano to go, or you can take a seat in the cafe.

Ascension Coffee in the Design District pours lattes and brewed coffee, and the menu runs all day.

Carajillo flights and cold brew are among the drinks, and the cold brew works as a to-go order.