This Dallas hotel bar was named one of the top 25 most historic hotel bars in U.S.

DALLAS — Historic Hotels of America released its annual top 25 list of Most Historic Bars, Taverns, and Speakeasies in America and a Dallas spot made the list this year.

The Dallas hotel bar was a nominee finalist from 2021 through 2024 and also won this same award in 2018. 

“Our swanky underground lounge was once the barber shop for the iconic Statler Hilton. Today, we mix innovative cocktails, boast an extensive Bourbon collection and provide Dallas with a perfect speakeasy hideaway,” the bar’s website reads.

Here’s the excerpt on Bourbon & Banter from the Most Historic Bar list: 

The underground speakeasy at The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton—a historic Midcentury Modern-style hotel in Dallas, Texas—was originally home to the hotel’s famed barbershop. Now a speakeasy-style lounge, Bourbon & Banter was once where guests and celebrities performing in the hotel during the 1950s and 1960s stopped in for a trim or shave before attending events, business meetings, or performing on stage in The Statler Ballroom. Since the hotel’s spectacular renovation and reopening in 2017, the space has been home to Bourbon & Banter, where visitors can find history-minded cocktails including a Porto Old Fashioned (Basil Hayden Dark Rye Whiskey, Sagamore Small Batch Rye Whiskey, port wine reduction, chocolate and orange bitters) and a Barrel-Aged Manhattan (WhistlePig Piggyback Rye Whiskey, vermouth blend, Angostura and orange Bitters) crafted by well-known mixologists in Dallas. Like the best speakeasies, this one is tucked out of the way, with the entry in an alcove with a 1950s-era phone booth next to a classic shoeshine stand. After entering the secret code on the phone, guests can discover the speakeasy’s elevated yet relaxed atmosphere, with Old Hollywood photos and news clippings adorning the walls. When guests enter the speakeasy, they should keep an eye out for the photograph of the original hotel building, circa 1956, when The Statler opened, in order to get a peek into the past. Opening at 7 p.m., live jazz music plays every Thursday, comedy showcases are on tap on select Wednesdays, and the speakeasy space can be reserved for private events. Reservations are required in order to get the entry code to the speakeasy. The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2018.

Two other Texas hotel bars – both in San Antonio – also made the list.