Why I Fell in Love with Blue Dahlia Bistro

By DeMornay Harper
Blog Content Contributor

Blue Dahlia offers a world of treasures. It has a distinct french country feel, which offers the perfect amount of charm. Nestled in the heart of San Marcos, this bistro adds some feminine allure the vibe of the square.

From the outside, Blue Dahlia almost grabs your attention in its anonymity. The front eating area is open, but not exactly. It is more of a peninsula, surrounded by three solid walls and a ceiling. It offers the perfect amount of privacy and, lets face it, much needed shade from the Texas sun. I immediately noticed the sweet bistro tables and chairs set up, colorful flowers and plants, and distressed stone on the walls. This place inspires you to pay attention to its details and details it has in spades.

Upon truly entering the space through the front patio, the eye is instantly drawn back. The room seems as if to stretch like a graceful feline capping off at a striking silver back wall. The air is friendly here and welcoming, perfect for a reunion with an old friend or wine with the girls.

Continuing through the main space, you encounter my personal favorite part of Blue Dahlia, the back patio. Honestly, describing this space as a patio does not do it justice. It seems more like a whimsical new world that totally takes its beholder by pleasant surprise. You have to go through a couple hallways and doors to get to it, even stepping on a little path with marbles fixed in the cement (always dying at the details here), which makes it feel like you embarked on a little adventure once you have arrived. There are plants and vines lining the bricked walls and a woven ceiling to provide some shade.

My favorite part of Blue Dahlia is something that you cannot help but notice. There are tons and tons of painted creatures on the back patio walls! I saw a bunch of birds, butterflies, geckos, and little furry animals. They are crawling out of cracks in the brick, taking baths in the pots and watering the flowers. Once you see one, you will start to notice them all. All of this work was done by the local artist, J. Rene Perez. He is self taught and was just recently commissioned to do ten works around the downtown San Marcos area. Back inside you can find some of Perez’s works on canvas, mainly from the Perez Cats Collection, which is still so very impressive.

While the ambiance of this place is special, the food is what will bring you back. Everything here is undeniably fresh and everything I have had or friends have had has been thoroughly enjoyed. Their fruit is some of the freshest I have tasted and the wine is to die for.

It is obvious that the owners of this special place have a focus on the details. From the design to the art to the food, Blue Dahlia was crafted with carful regard and love. I cannot recommend this spot enough. I know it is my new go-to restaurant in San Marcos.

Featured image by DeMornay Harper.