Order the lemon ricotta gnudi first, then two more pastas. The Charles cooks Dallas's best Italian carbs — book the bar for value.
Start With the Lemon Ricotta Gnudi
One dish decides the order at The Charles on Market Center Boulevard: the lemon ricotta gnudi, pillowy and citric, lighter than the form usually manages. It survived the room's 2026 redesign for a reason, and it is the plate to put down first while the table reads the rest. Duro Hospitality opened The Charles in the Design District in 2018 and reopened it in early 2026, darker and more grill-driven, with operating partner J Chastain, trained under Stephan Pyles and at the Rosewood Mansion, leading the kitchen.
The room does its share of the talking too, all low gold light and moody glamour, which is why it stays the most photographed Italian table in Dallas. But the gnudi is the argument that the cooking earns the theatre rather than leaning on it.
What to Order After the Gnudi
Move to the white-bolognese cappelloni, Chastain's flagship: pasta hats stuffed with veal and pork ragu under Parmesan cream and crispy dried-olive bits. Two pastas is the sweet spot for a numerate table. For the middle of the meal, the wood-grilled octopus is the shared plate to split, and the redesign pushed more of the menu onto the grill, so it eats sharper than before. If the table wants an event, the Tuscan-style bistecca for two is the order. Close on a sfogliatella or an affogato from the short Italian dessert list.
What It Costs
Reckon on about 80 dollars a head for the bar version: a pasta, a shared plate and two glasses of wine. A full booth dinner with the bistecca for two and a bottle runs well past that, and the chef's pasta tasting starts at 85 dollars per person. For the value math, order the two pastas, the lemon ricotta gnudi and the white-bolognese cappelloni, plus the wood-grilled octopus split across the table, with an Italian red by the glass from the natural-wine bench. That delivers the kitchen's signature work for the lower figure.
The Value Play
The bar, any weeknight. Same kitchen, same gnudi, no two-week wait for a weekend booth, and the best walk-in seat in the Design District because the room fills any conversational silence. Take a booth only when the occasion calls for the full cinematic version. To land the seat itself, read our guide on how to book The Charles, and weigh it against how to book Nuri if you are choosing between the city's big Design District rooms.
Not for a hushed, regionally faithful Italian dinner or a guest who finds maximalist rooms tiring. The Charles is Italian-inspired through a Texas lens, and the weekend room runs loud and bright. Wrong choice for a purist after Bologna by the book — book a quieter table instead.
View The Charles on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Our full profile: The Charles in the Design District.
- Book the table: how to book The Charles in Dallas.
- The wider city: Dallas dining guide.
- Nearby tables: Carbone's Dallas dining room and Bullion downtown.
- By kitchen: the best Italian restaurants worldwide.
- By occasion: birthday dinners worth booking and the best first-date restaurants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at The Charles in Dallas?
The lemon ricotta gnudi, without negotiation: pillowy, citric and lighter than the form usually allows. Then the white-bolognese cappelloni, J Chastain's flagship, pasta hats of veal and pork ragu under Parmesan cream and crispy dried-olive bits. For the table, split the wood-grilled octopus and, if you are sharing, the Tuscan-style bistecca for two. Close on a sfogliatella or an affogato from the short Italian dessert list.
What is the signature dish at The Charles?
The lemon ricotta gnudi is the calling card, but the white-bolognese cappelloni is the dish that defines operating partner J Chastain's kitchen, trained under Stephan Pyles and at the Rosewood Mansion. Both pastas headline a menu that reads Italian through a Texas lens rather than strictly regional. Order the two together and you have the kitchen's best work for roughly the price of one full plate elsewhere.
How much does The Charles cost per person?
Plan on about 80 dollars a head for the bar version: a pasta, a shared plate and two glasses of wine. A full booth dinner with the bistecca for two and a bottle climbs well past that, and the chef's pasta tasting runs from 85 dollars per person. The value play is two pastas and the wood-grilled octopus split across the table, with an Italian red by the glass from the natural-wine bench.
Does The Charles have a pasta tasting menu?
Yes. The chef's pasta tasting runs from 85 dollars per person and walks the table through the kitchen's pasta program, the lemon ricotta gnudi and the white-bolognese cappelloni among the courses. It is the structured route into J Chastain's best work if you would rather not assemble the order yourself. For the a la carte night, two pastas and a shared plate cover the same ground for less. See our guide on how to book The Charles for the reservation window.
Is The Charles still open after the 2026 redesign?
Yes. Duro Hospitality closed The Charles in early 2026 for a redesign and reopened it darker and moodier, with more of the menu built around the grill. Half the original menu stayed, including the lemon ricotta gnudi, and the room at 1632 Market Center Boulevard in the Design District is running again. The full profile carries the current scores and room detail.