It's Showtime
Teatro Bistro & Cocktail Lounge Debuts in Grapevine.
Red curtains, ambient lighting and upscale 1940s vibes. Live music serenading you with the soulful sounds of jazz and R&B. An elegant and exciting menu carefully crafted by a renowned celebrity chef. This isn’t a five-star restaurant you might expect to find in New York or Las Vegas — this is the brand new Teatro Bistro & Cocktail Lounge in downtown Grapevine.
Located on Grapevine’s Main Street in the former Tap-In Bar and Grill, Teatro Bistro & Cocktail Lounge is a new fine dining restaurant emphasizing Italian cuisine with an American twist. Prior to opening Teatro, operating partner Marlon Tapanes worked behind the scenes at several restaurants and clubs in Las Vegas, San Antonio and Miami, including a brief stint at the Gaylord Texan in 2011.
With the name translating to “theater” in Italian, Marlon says Teatro is his way of bringing those high-end luxurious club experiences to Grapevine.
“Those very cozy spaces with an intimate feel — the cherrywood, the black and white decor, the incredible hospitality — that’s the kind of scene you’d find in Las Vegas,” Marlon says. “I wanted to bring something to Grapevine that has flair and embraces the culture. Teatro came at the perfect time.”
Newcomers can experience those club aesthetics immediately upon entering the restaurant with moody lighting, mini-chandeliers and red leather seating. Jazz and acoustic musicians can usually be seen performing on the small stage near the front of the restaurant, and black-and-white photos throughout pay homage to the movie and music stars of the 1940s. When guests are feeling thirsty, they can mosey on over to the central bar for an exquisite cocktail like the Hemingway made with Florde Cana rum or the Vesper made with Lillet and Haku vodka.
But the appeal doesn’t stop at Teatro’s sophisticated beverages. Utilizing his connections within the hospitality industry, Marlon recruited award-winning celebrity chef Carla Pellegrino to design Teatro’s menu. Graduating with honors from the French Culinary Institute in New York City, chef Carla previously appeared on Bravo’s “Top Shelf” and even beat Bobby Flay on his own cooking show.
“Aside from being an amazing chef, her finesse and care for her food is beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Marlon says. “She has a great respect for food, and every dish she puts out has a lot of herself in it.”
The ciabatta bread basket will no doubt be a fan favorite for everyone at the table, especially with its sweet and savory mascarpone black truffle dip and hot cherry pepper olive oil. Those looking for more exciting introductions to their meal can try the candied pork belly braised in a spicy marinade, as well as their signature charred Spanish octopus served with Brava-roasted potatoes and a fava bean puree.
When it’s time to move on to the main course, diners have over a dozen delectable plates to choose from. The cioppino will satisfy any seafood fan with a wide-ranging mix of shrimp, sea scallops, calamari, manila clams and mussels, while the crispy pan-seared salmon provides an extra kick with its spicy Moroccan Harissa sauce. The chef’s chicken parmesan is coated in Panko bread crumbs and pan-fried before being topped with a generous helping of parmesan, mozzarella and marinara sauce. And for those looking to indulge themselves, the 8-ounce filet au poivre has a big and bold flavor matched only by its mignonette and cognac sauce.
The Italian influence continues onto the dessert menu, which features everything from New York-style cheesecake to tiramisu to creme brulee. Whether you savor its assortment of fruit sorbets or take a slice out of the chocolate lava cake, no bite disappoints at Teatro Bistro & Cocktail Lounge.
“It isn’t just the food, the beverages or the music — it’s everything coming together as a show,” Marlon says. “That means a smile. That means hospitality. That means providing an experience unlike anything else. That’s the whole idea behind Teatro.”