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 West Village / Greenwich Village to Midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg. 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.
Charlie Bird
4.8(9)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Edo Ya Sushi
4.8(8)East Village / LES · $$$$
THE GRILL
4.8(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
I Cavallini
4.8(6)Williamsburg · $$$$
Rialto Ristorante
4.8(5)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$
Via Trenta Osteria & Wine Bar
4.8(5)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$
Ginny's Supper Club
4.8(5)Harlem · $$$
Café Carmellini
4.8(4)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Gene's Restaurant
4.8(4)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Zimmi’s
4.8(4)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Hwaro
4.7(26)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Sea Fire Grill
4.7(26)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$$
Hawksmoor NYC
4.7(24)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
San Sabino
4.7(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Scalinatella
4.7(21)Upper East Side · $$$$
Café Luxembourg
4.7(17)Upper West Side · $$$
Saverne
4.7(17)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$
Omakase By Tento
4.7(16)East Village / LES · $$$
Smith & Mills
4.7(14)Tribeca · $$$
Bar Susanne
4.7(7)Williamsburg · $$$
Valerie
4.6(22)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Kelang
4.6(22)Williamsburg · $$$
Kazumi Omakase
4.6(21)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Tiny's & The Bar Upstairs
4.6(18)Tribeca · $$$
Showing 25–48 of 124 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Charlie Bird in SoHo / NoHo / Nolita, rated 4.8 out of 5. Edo Ya Sushi and THE GRILL round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- West Village / Greenwich Village (4), Midtown Manhattan (3) and Williamsburg (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.