A big night out in Midtown Manhattan →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.2 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← New YorkDate night guide · New York
Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in New York
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
122 spots · Jump to the list
For the anniversary, the birthday, the proposal. Every restaurant here sits at the top of the price range and treats dinner as the whole event. Book well ahead, mention what you're celebrating when you do, and plan for a longer meal than usual.
This guide ranks 122 special-occasion restaurants in New York, from West Village / Greenwich Village to East Village / LES and Flatiron / Gramercy. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
adventurous
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A big night out in Bushwick / Ridgewood
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
7:00 PMThe big dinner
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 122.
RestaurantHwaro
5.0(26)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
RestaurantSea Fire Grill
5.0(26)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$$
RestaurantSaverne
5.0(17)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$
RestaurantOmakase By Tento
5.0(16)East Village / LES · $$$
RestaurantEdo Ya Sushi
5.0(8)East Village / LES · $$$$
RestaurantBar Susanne
5.0(7)Williamsburg · $$$
RestaurantRialto Ristorante
5.0(5)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$
RestaurantKazumi Omakase
4.9(21)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Wine BarSomm Time
4.9(18)East Village / LES · $$$
RestaurantAquarelle NYC
4.9(9)East Village / LES · $$$
RestaurantBōm
4.9(7)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
BarDejavu
4.8(23)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Mediterranean RestaurantSHŌSH
4.8(20)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
RestaurantLa Tête d'Or by Daniel
4.8(13)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Cocktail BarKinjo
4.8(11)DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights · $$$
RestaurantGraciela
4.8(11)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
RestaurantPearl Street
4.8(9)DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights · $$$$
RestaurantKidilum
4.8(8)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
RestaurantPetite Boucherie
4.8(8)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Japanese RestaurantOmakase room by Maaser
4.8(8)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Sushi RestaurantFuku Omakase
4.8(5)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
RestaurantOriana
4.8(4)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Restaurant4 Charles
4.7(21)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
RestaurantMyMoon
4.7(18)Williamsburg · $$$
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Hwaro in Midtown Manhattan, rated 5.0 out of 5. Sea Fire Grill and Saverne round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- West Village / Greenwich Village (8), East Village / LES (4) and Flatiron / Gramercy (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Hwaro, Omakase By Tento and Kazumi Omakase.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a big night out: drinks first, then the big dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.