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 SoHo / NoHo / Nolita and Flatiron / Gramercy. 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.
MyMoon
4.4(18)Williamsburg · $$$
Elea
4.4(17)Upper West Side · $$$
Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel
4.4(17)Williamsburg · $$$
Empire Steak House East
4.4(16)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Pearl Street
4.4(9)DUMBO / Brooklyn Heights · $$$$
Blue Ribbon Brasserie
4.4(7)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Fuku Omakase
4.4(5)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
PB Brasserie Steak House
4.3(20)Harlem · $$$$
Sushi Ikumi
4.3(20)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$$
Pylos
4.3(18)East Village / LES · $$$
Frena
4.3(17)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Gabriel Kreuther
4.3(15)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
THE GALLERY by odo
4.3(11)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Elder
4.3(9)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
ilili Restaurant
4.3(8)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Smoke Jazz Club
4.3(7)Upper West Side · $$$
Gallagher’s Steak House
4.3(7)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Le Grande Boucherie
4.3(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Palermo Argentinian Bistro
4.3(6)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Ocean Prime
4.3(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Tang by Mr. Sun
4.3(4)Upper East Side · $$$
Minetta Tavern
4.2(25)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Indian Accent
4.2(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
AKIMORI
4.2(23)Upper East Side · $$$$
Showing 73–96 of 124 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is MyMoon in Williamsburg, rated 4.4 out of 5. Elea and Le Crocodile at the Wythe Hotel round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Midtown Manhattan (9), SoHo / NoHo / Nolita (3) and Flatiron / Gramercy (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Pearl Street, Fuku Omakase and Sushi Ikumi.
- 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.