Best romantic restaurants for a date in New York
Low light, a good table, and nowhere to be afterwards.
63 spots · Jump to the list
The restaurant is still the date most people start with, and the right one does most of the work: a room that's quiet enough to talk, light low enough to relax, a table you're not hurried off. Every restaurant here was chosen for that feeling rather than for the food alone — though the food is good. Book ahead for a weekend, ask for a corner or window table when you do, and leave the rest of the evening open.
This guide ranks 63 romantic restaurants in New York, from SoHo / NoHo / Nolita to Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill and Harlem. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Siena
4.2(18)Upper East Side · $$
Dante NYC
4.2(18)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Trudie's Tavern
4.2(15)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$$
June Wine Bar
4.2(12)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Rivercrest
4.2(9)Astoria / Long Island City · $
Luke’s Lobster
4.2(6)Midtown Manhattan · $
TESSA
4.1(23)Upper West Side · $$$
Maison Harlem
4.1(18)Harlem · $$$
The Grey Dog Nolita
4.1(9)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
Bartolo
4.0(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Raku It’s Japanese ll
3.7(26)Upper West Side
Panda Harlem
3.3(6)Harlem · $$
Selfup NYC
Midtown Manhattan · $$
Rosa – Agave & Wine Lounge
SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Bar Baserri
Williamsburg · $$
Showing 49–63 of 63 spots
Good to know
- What's the best romantic restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Siena in Upper East Side, rated 4.2 out of 5. Dante NYC and Trudie's Tavern round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best romantic restaurants?
- SoHo / NoHo / Nolita (3), Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill (2) and Harlem (2) have the most spots in the top 15.
- Are there affordable romantic restaurants in New York?
- Yes — Siena, June Wine Bar and Rivercrest are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a romantic night: drinks first, then dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.