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 Flatiron / Gramercy and East Village / LES. 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.
Somm Time
4.6(18)East Village / LES · $$$
Gage and Tollner
4.6(16)Fort Greene · $$$$
Sant Ambroeus
4.6(15)Upper East Side · $$$
Chelsea Living Room
4.6(14)Chelsea / Hell's Kitchen · $$$
Peter Luger
4.6(11)Williamsburg · $$$$
Aquarelle NYC
4.6(9)East Village / LES · $$$
Holywater
4.6(8)Tribeca · $$$
Bōm
4.6(7)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Crevette
4.5(25)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Lafayette
4.5(23)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Dejavu
4.5(23)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Massara
4.5(22)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
SHŌSH
4.5(20)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
One If By Land Two If By Sea
4.5(17)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
La Tête d'Or by Daniel
4.5(13)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Kinjo
4.5(11)DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights · $$$
Rice X Beans
4.5(11)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Graciela
4.5(11)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Kidilum
4.5(8)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Petite Boucherie
4.5(8)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Omakase room by Maaser
4.5(8)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Butter
4.5(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Oriana
4.5(4)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
4 Charles
4.4(21)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
Showing 49–72 of 124 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Somm Time in East Village / LES, rated 4.6 out of 5. Gage and Tollner and Sant Ambroeus round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- West Village / Greenwich Village (7), Flatiron / Gramercy (5) and East Village / LES (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Bōm, One If By Land Two If By Sea and Omakase room by Maaser.
- 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.