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 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.
Le Veau d’Or
4.2(22)Upper East Side · $$$$
The Russian Tea Room
4.2(19)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Harry’s
4.2(19)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$$$
Torishin
4.2(19)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Dante NYC
4.2(18)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$$
Oscar Wilde
4.2(16)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
Campagnola
4.2(10)Upper East Side · $$$
TESSA
4.1(23)Upper West Side · $$$
Tatiana
4.1(20)Upper West Side · $$$$
Hawksmoor
4.1(20)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$$
Nobu Downtown
4.1(14)Lower Manhattan / FiDi · $$$$
The Polo Bar
4.1(13)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria
4.1(11)East Village / LES · $$$
Francie Brooklyn
4.1(11)Williamsburg · $$$$
Yingtao
4.1(10)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
44 & X Hell’s Kitchen
4.1(7)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Victoria
4.0(25)Harlem · $$$
Bartolo
4.0(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$$
The Office of Mr. Moto
4.0(5)East Village / LES · $$$$
ABC Cocina
4.0(4)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$$
The Parlour Room
4.0(1)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
VIDA SteakHouse NYC
3.9(26)Astoria / Long Island City · $$$$
Jupiter
3.8(20)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Sushi of Gari 46
3.8(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Showing 97–120 of 124 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Le Veau d’Or in Upper East Side, rated 4.2 out of 5. The Russian Tea Room and Harry’s round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Midtown Manhattan (8), Flatiron / Gramercy (3) 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 Le Veau d’Or, Torishin and The Polo Bar.
- 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.