Michael White makes his Dallas debut with two original concepts, Lions Den and Bar Leonessa
The restaurant and cocktail lounge are part of the 103-year-old Stoneleigh hotel’s recent transformation
June 2, 2026
After years helming Altamarea group and its flagship Marea restaurant in New York City, Michael White branched out with BBianco Hospitality in 2020. He and his partners have been busy ever since, opening new restaurants like Mika in Coral Gables, Fla., Paranza in the Bahamas, Levant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santi in New York. Now for the first time, White is operating in Texas with two venues at the Stoneleigh hotel in Uptown Dallas.
The Stoneleigh, which originally opened in 1923 and is now part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, is fresh off a $20 million renovation. It features updated interiors, a redesigned pool and terrace, and White’s two new culinary concepts, Lions Den and Bar Leonessa, which opened May 7.
White said that he felt the hotel’s heritage and presence immediately. He described both the new restaurant and bar as being anchored in Italian tradition and hospitality but reimagined through Dallas’ distinct character.
“What excites me most about Dallas right now is the energy and momentum of the dining scene,” he said. “Guests are genuinely engaged and excited about restaurants — not just great food, but craft cocktails, hospitality, design, and experience as a whole.”
The venue is modeled after a modern Italian supper club and features Michael White’s signature coastal Italian cuisine.
Lions Den is a modern Italian supper club that draws on the Stoneleigh’s past and aims to capture the glamour of Dorothy Draper’s bold, maximalist sensibility (marbled stone, inlaid wood, patterned wallpaper) through a contemporary lens. Once evening falls, it transforms into a darker and moodier space.
The restaurant opens for breakfast and serves omelets, ricotta pancakes, challah French toast, and a couple of Benedicts — one topped with mortadella and another with lobster.
The dinner menu features White’s signature coastal Italian cuisine, with a focus on seafood, house-made pastas, and seasonal ingredients. A few standout dishes include lobster burrata (a White classic that’s been a mainstay on multiple menus over the years), bucatini with crab and Calabrian chile, and Dover sole with lemon, brown butter, and crispy capers.
Bar Leonessa in the lobby serves cocktails and small plates
The 45-day dry-aged porterhouse steak is presented as both a tartare and a grilled striploin and served with a bone marrow twice-baked potato.
The extensive wine list is joined by classic and original cocktails, like the Confit al Fumo made with duck fat-washed bourbon, tawny Port, and amaro.
Bar Leonessa anchors the lobby and serves coffee and pastries during the day and cocktails and small plates at night. Guests can order drinks poured tableside from a custom beverage cart and snack on grilled octopus with eggplant caponata, garganelli pasta with prosciutto, peas, and truffle butter, and oysters topped with caviar, plus a selection of shareable desserts.
White also shaped the pool and in-room dining menus, so his fingerprints are all over the property.
About the Author
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray is a Dallas-based writer covering independent restaurants for NRN. He also writes for publications including Food & Wine, The Infatuation, and Wine Enthusiast, and he previously served as a correspondent for Restaurant Hospitality. Follow Kevin on Instagram.
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