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 Flatiron / Gramercy to Midtown Manhattan and Tribeca. 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.
I Cavallini
4.5(6)Williamsburg · $$$$
Ocean Prime
4.5(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Café Carmellini
4.5(4)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Tang by Mr. Sun
4.5(4)Upper East Side · $$$
Gene's Restaurant
4.5(4)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Zimmi’s
4.5(4)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Hawksmoor NYC
4.4(24)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
San Sabino
4.4(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
TESSA
4.4(23)Upper West Side · $$$
Scalinatella
4.4(21)Upper East Side · $$$$
Tatiana
4.4(20)Upper West Side · $$$$
Hawksmoor
4.4(20)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Café Luxembourg
4.4(17)Upper West Side · $$$
Nobu Downtown
4.4(14)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$$$
Smith & Mills
4.4(14)Tribeca · $$$
The Polo Bar
4.4(13)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Locanda Verde
4.4(12)Tribeca · $$$
Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria
4.4(11)East Village / LES · $$$
Peter Luger
4.4(11)Williamsburg · $$$$
Francie Brooklyn
4.4(11)Williamsburg · $$$$
Yingtao
4.4(10)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
al di là Trattoria
4.4(9)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$$
Charlie Bird
4.4(9)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Holywater
4.4(8)Tribeca · $$$
Showing 73–96 of 123 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is I Cavallini in Williamsburg, rated 4.5 out of 5. Ocean Prime and Café Carmellini round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Flatiron / Gramercy (3), Midtown Manhattan (3) and Tribeca (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- 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.