A big night out in Williamsburg →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.9 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.8 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.
124 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 124 special-occasion restaurants in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to Astoria / Long Island City and SoHo / NoHo / Nolita. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
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 SoHo / NoHo / Nolita →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.3 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Lalaon
5.0(13)Williamsburg · $$$
Or'esh
5.0(9)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Osteria Radisa
5.0(6)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$$$
Restaurant Marc Forgione (Forge)
5.0(6)Tribeca · $$$$
Justine's on Hudson
5.0(6)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Passerine
4.9(26)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Mariella
4.9(25)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$$
L’Artusi
4.9(18)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Warabi Omakase
4.9(16)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$$
Zen Astoria
4.9(12)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$
Nōksu
4.9(12)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Whitby Bar & Restaurant
4.9(11)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Markette
4.9(10)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$$
Teruko
4.9(8)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$$
Momoya SoHo
4.9(7)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
The Flatiron Room Murray Hill
4.8(26)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Oceana
4.8(25)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Falansai
4.8(23)Greenpoint · $$$$
La Marchande
4.8(23)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$$
R40
4.8(22)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$$
Roscioli
4.8(21)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Artesano
4.8(14)Tribeca · $$$
Locanda Verde
4.8(12)Tribeca · $$$
al di là Trattoria
4.8(9)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$$
Showing 1–24 of 124 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Lalaon in Williamsburg, rated 5.0 out of 5. Or'esh and Osteria Radisa round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Midtown Manhattan (4), Astoria / Long Island City (3) and SoHo / NoHo / Nolita (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Or'esh, Warabi Omakase and Nōksu.
- 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.