Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in New York
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
123 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 123 special-occasion restaurants in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to SoHo / NoHo / Nolita and Astoria / Long Island City. 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.
Elea
4.7(17)Upper West Side · $$$
Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel
4.7(17)Williamsburg · $$$
Empire Steak House East
4.7(16)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Lalaon
4.7(13)Williamsburg · $$$
Rice X Beans
4.7(11)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Elder
4.7(9)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Or'esh
4.7(9)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Blue Ribbon Brasserie
4.7(7)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Le Grande Boucherie
4.7(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Osteria Radisa
4.7(6)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$$$
Palermo Argentinian Bistro
4.7(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Restaurant Marc Forgione (Forge)
4.7(6)Tribeca · $$$$
Justine's on Hudson
4.7(6)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Passerine
4.6(26)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Mariella
4.6(25)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$$
PB Brasserie Steak House
4.6(20)Harlem · $$$$
Sushi Ikumi
4.6(20)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Pylos
4.6(18)East Village / LES · $$$
L’Artusi
4.6(18)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Warabi Omakase
4.6(16)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$$
Gabriel Kreuther
4.6(15)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Zen Astoria
4.6(12)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$
Nōksu
4.6(12)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Whitby Bar & Restaurant
4.6(11)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Showing 25–48 of 123 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Elea in Upper West Side, rated 4.7 out of 5. Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel and Empire Steak House East round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Midtown Manhattan (8), SoHo / NoHo / Nolita (3) and Astoria / Long Island City (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Or'esh, Sushi Ikumi and Warabi 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.