Introduction
If you’re looking for the most romantic restaurant in every state, then you’ve come to the right place. Eat This Not That has compiled a list of the most romantic restaurants in each state, so you can find the perfect spot for a romantic dinner. From cozy bistros to upscale eateries, these restaurants offer the perfect atmosphere for a romantic evening. Whether you’re looking for a romantic dinner for two or a special occasion, you’ll find the perfect spot on this list. So, get ready to plan the perfect date night and enjoy a romantic dinner at one of these amazing restaurants.
The Most Romantic Restaurant in Every State — Eat This Not That
When it comes to planning a romantic evening, the restaurant you choose can make or break the night. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, popping the question, or just looking for a special spot to share a meal with your significant other, you want to make sure you pick the perfect place. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the most romantic restaurant in every state.
Alabama: Highlands Bar and Grill
Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham is the perfect spot for a romantic evening. The restaurant has been a local favorite since 1982, and it’s easy to see why. The menu features classic French-inspired dishes, like steak tartare and escargot, as well as Southern favorites like shrimp and grits. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, making it the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.
Alaska: Orso
If you’re looking for a romantic spot in Alaska, look no further than Orso in Anchorage. The restaurant has a cozy, intimate atmosphere, and the menu features classic Italian dishes like pasta and pizza. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list, making it the perfect spot for a romantic evening.
Arizona: Kai
Kai in Scottsdale is the perfect spot for a romantic evening. The restaurant features a unique menu of Native American-inspired dishes, like mesquite-grilled salmon and bison short ribs. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and the restaurant has an extensive wine list, making it the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.
Arkansas: The Hive
The Hive in Bentonville is the perfect spot for a romantic evening. The restaurant features a menu of modern American dishes, like pan-seared scallops and roasted duck. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and the restaurant has an extensive wine list, making it the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.
California: The French Laundry
The French Laundry in Yountville is the perfect spot for a romantic evening. The restaurant features a menu of classic French dishes, like foie gras and truffle-stuffed chicken. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and the restaurant has an extensive wine list, making it the perfect spot for a romantic dinner.
Dining out and romance have been inextricably linked since perhaps they first opened—all the way back in 1100 A.D. in China—packed with travelers looking for a hot meal on the road. Since then, restaurants have been a huge part of travel, and nothing is more romantic than tucking into an intimate, candlelit spot or toasting love with a jaw-dropping view.
With that in mind, we scoured reviews, talked to locals, and looked back on our own travels around the country to put together a definitive list of the most romantic restaurants in the United States.
And for more, check out these spots for the Best Once-in-a-Lifetime Meal in Every State.
Located in Birmingham’s historic Merritt House, Galley and Garden serves eclectic American cuisine both inside and on their heated patio. The charming restaurant is renowned for Alabama’s most award-winning wine program and a strong focus on working with local farms to source the freshest products.
Sign up for our newsletter!
Highly recommended by online reviewers, this homey spot features a warm red interior covered with local art. The classic American menu features Alaskan seafood heavily, including Alaskan King Salmon and grilled Kodiak Scallops.
It’s all about the views at this restaurant 1,800 feet above Phoenix. Enjoy mountain views, gorgeous sunsets, and upscale locally sourced food from a stunning patio.
RELATED: The Best Steakhouse in Every State
Set in Little Rock’s River Market, this fine-dining spot serves a classic American menu with a Southern twist. Try the pork chops with maple glaze, or blackened shrimp and grits with creole broth, and if you hit brunch with your love, split the house-made cinnamon rolls.
This Michelin-starred San Fran spot is one of the many romantic restaurants in California, but Gary Danko‘s intimately lit space makes it extra special. The award-winning spot is currently offering much of its menu for takeaway, and you won’t want to miss the lemon pepper duck breast.
RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.
With breathtaking views of the Colorado Springs skyline, this high-end steak and seafood spot has been thrilling diners since 1983. Reviewers love that many dishes—including the bananas foster—are prepared tableside.
Nestled between Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River in quaint Old Saybrook, Fresh Salt offers New American cuisine—try the Sriracha calamari—stunning views of the water and of course, sunsets.
RELATED: The Best Seafood Restaurant in Every State
The recently redesigned restaurant in Wilmington’s Hotel Du Pont is a contemporary brasserie that finds menu inspiration in France and North Africa, as well as New Orleans. The soaring wood ceilings and cozy velvet booths will put you in the mood, and takeout is available for those who would rather dine at home.
While there are plenty of restaurants with stunning views in Key West, we love Little Pearl for a romantic night out. Tuck into this cozy seafood spot and you’ll feel miles away from touristy downtown, and order seafood fresh off the boat from the imaginative tasting menu.
With a heated patio in a beautiful historic house, Top Chef regular Hugh Acheson’s James Beard award-winning Athens mainstay is an unfussy delight for a romantic dinner. We think the pimento cheese with bacon marmalade is the perfect starter.
RELATED: The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State
Located in Honolulu at the foot of Diamond Head, this classic, French-inspired restaurant serves up stunning views of Waikiki beach. Get the bananas flambeed tableside with rum for dessert!
“Atmosphere: Cute, quaint, quiet, and romantic. It’s a perfect Date Night joint,” one Yelp reviewer wrote of this Boise spot. You can’t go wrong with any of the pasta choices.
Opentable listed this Chicago spot as one of the most romantic restaurants in the state, and we’d have to agree. “It’s on the pricier side, but the presentation and service are both excellent, and the wine recommendations are always good,” one OpenTable reviewer wrote. Sounds like the perfect Valentine’s Day spot to us!
RELATED: The Best Restaurant Tasting Experiences in Every State
If bustling and buzzy is your thing, along with shrimp cocktail and steaks the size of your head, make a reservation at this classic steakhouse with a gorgeous bar just made for whiling away the evening.
Named for the Brooklyn neighborhood, Cobble Hill is just the type of cozy spot that’s perfect for a Valentine’s Day meal. The menu features French dishes like cassoulet and steak frites.
Snuggle into a black velvet booth in this cozy restaurant located in a historic building in Topeka for a romantic tasting menu that offers treats like filet mignon and roast quail.
RELATED: 14 Absolute Best Valentine’s Day Treats, Ranked by Sugar
If you’re looking for comfort food this Valentine’s Day, The Miller House is the place to go. The menu boasts entries like fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, meatloaf, and shrimp and grits.
This French restaurant and wine bar makes outdoor dining feel romantic. Try the escargot tempura or the duck liver pâté.
Is there anything more romantic than a plate of oysters? Don’t miss the lobster stew, either.
RELATED: The Best Themed Restaurant In Every State
Looking for a staycation this Valentine’s Day weekend? Antrim 1844 is offering a special Winter Escape package. And, yes, it includes a six-course dinner for two.
With sweeping views of Boston harbor and the city, Woods Hill Pier 4 has a big advantage when it comes to romance. Heated outdoor igloos and creative cuisine sourced from owner Kristin Canty’s farm seal the deal. Standouts include the house-made popovers and sunflower risotto.
RELATED: The Best Healthy Eating Hotels In Every State
One of the sexiest restaurants you’ll dine in, Savannah Blue serves contemporary American soul food like spicy crab cakes and sophisticated seafood boils, with a side of excellent people watching and a live piano player.
Find romance with a European-style bistro vibe at this Minneapolis favorite that’s closed on Mondays for “bacon prepping.” With a room that invokes a Midwest hunting club and a sophisticated menu that features a full pheasant dinner, romance is only a bite (and cocktail) away.
A stylish bistro serving Southern fare, Jackson’s Walkers’ focuses on local products and sustainable seafood in a warm, casual space. Kick off the romance and share the fried green tomatoes!
REALTED: The Best Plant-Based Restaurant in Every State
Tucked into Kansas City’s River Market, this French-inspired spot has the coziest, semi-private booths, fondue specials, and a martini menu sure to spark romance.
Owned by twin sisters, the White Sulphur Springs restaurant is cozy, fun, and features specials like walleye, creative cocktails, and decadent desserts like almond cake with cranberry curd.
Located in Omaha’s historic Old Market, this art-filled spot offers a creative spin on classic French cuisine with crowd-pleasers like chicken and crepes. For Valentine’s Day and other holidays, they offer a tasting menu for dine-in or to go.
RELATED: The Best Outdoor Restaurant in Every State
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a culinary institution in Las Vegas, with multiple awards under his belt, but Prime Steakhouse is our pick for the most romantic. Not only can you look forward to an award-worthy meal, but the view overlooking the Bellagio’s musical fountains is unparalleled. Don’t be surprised to see an engagement or two while you dine!
Cozy and romantic, the historic waterfront mainstay was a 2020 James Beard awards semi-finalist for hospitality. The Portsmouth restaurant is known for its eclectic, vegetarian-friendly menu, and the seafood paella is a standout.
Set in an elegantly restored sawmill, the Saddle River spot has been a favorite since 1981. Cozy and romantic, the restaurant offers custom florals at the table (call in advance) and a menu packed with Prime dry-aged beef, line-caught seafood, and local, organic produce.
Part of an organic farm in the Rio Grande Valley, Campo has one of the best field-to-fork menus in the Southwest. You’ll dine in a rustic romantic room with an excellent wine list, and we can personally recommend anything on the menu with green chilies.
New York City has no shortage of romantic restaurants, but Il Buco is one of our favorites. Offering comforting and cozy artisanal pasta, the restaurant is offering a Valentine’s Day tasting menu to go, which should tide diners over until they can enjoy the ambiance of the renovated antiques-store-turned-restaurant again.
RELATED: The Best Dessert Menu in Every State
Located just outside of Chapel Hill, Fearrington House has an understated elegance and a roaring fireplace, along with a seasonal menu heavy on fresh fish and American classics.
Find elegance in downtown Bismarck with the Grille‘s exposed brick and open kitchen, where chefs are creating dishes like house-made venison sausage, pheasant pasta with artichoke hearts and mushrooms, and sautéed North Dakota bison medallions with Bordelaise sauce.
Michelin Starred Chef Dante Boccuzzi’s eponymous Cleveland restaurant is a celebrated destination reflecting international influences, housed in a former bank building. You’ll definitely want to leave room to split the three-course tasting dessert menu with your date!
RELATED: The Best Pasta Dish in Every State
Set a cozy home once owned by the Cheevers, a local Oklahoma City couple who ran a flower shop out of the historic location, the restaurant is named for the couple who formerly owned the charming space. The menu is contemporary American, and reviewers rave about the blue cheese potato chips.
On the west side of Bend, you’ll find New American cuisine created from the bounty of the northwest, and an extensive wine list—if you don’t know Oregon wine country, get with it—in a cozy craftsman bungalow.
Nothing says love like a tasting menu, and Chef Marc Vetri’s Philly destination, housed in a charming Spruce Street townhouse, features an award-winning Italian menu and service that’s always top-notch.
We’re a sucker for a classic, and this Providence eatery has been serving classic Italian dishes on Federal Hill for over 100 years. Enjoy a meal—the stuffed chicken saltimbocca is to die for—in the dining room or on the patio during warm months.
There is no shortage of delicious, romantic restaurants in Charleston, but the Southern-meets-Mediterranean fare at Butcher and Bee stands out. Share the kebab platters and crispy half chicken while sitting on the expansive outdoor patio.
This lovely and romantic steakhouse promises the best in local cuisine with a seasonally changing menu in a sophisticated space filled with cozy booths, so you can toast your love (and sneak a kiss).
RELATED: The Best Bakery in Every State
Set in a repurposed service station, this warm, comfortable Nashville bistro is a favorite of locals and visitors, with a “Tuscan- and Provençal-inspired” menu that changes daily.
Located in Dallas’ Knox/Henderson nabe, this seasonally inspired bistro‘s shrimp and mussel curry is a must order. The sparkling tile floors and breezy patio offer the chance to turn up the romance with coconut cream pie and a cocktail, or order favorites to go.
Part of the Park City-based High West distillery, The Nelson Cottage is where you’ll find the brand’s award-winning spirits in delicious cocktails, along with a prix fixe menu with Niman Ranch beef selections. This year, the restaurant is fighting the cold with heated igloos that will make for the most romantic evening.
Located in the center of charming Woodstock Village, this cozy spot offers a very well priced prix fixe menu of New England sourced meats and produce, including cheeses from the famous Jasper Hill Farms.
Sophisticated, unpretentious dining is on the menu at this Roanoke mainstay, housed in an 1880s-era office supply building that’s been remade into a chic bistro. You’ll find a classic menu of shrimp and grits and lamb chops that’s available for takeaway.
Hip and elegant, this rustic Italian eatery is a Seattle favorite dating back to 1981. Pick up a well-priced three-course dinner for takeout, like beef short ribs or the restaurant’s famous risotto.
Located in Charleston since 1979, Laury’s Restaurant is a fine dining staple in West Virginia. You’ll dine in a luxe converted train station overlooking the Kanawha River. Impressive items fill the menu, including parmesan-crusted escargot, lobster-stuffed mushrooms, steak au poivre, and Bananas Foster prepared tableside.
An Italian wine bar and restaurant tucked into a village outside Milwaukee, the award-winning Ristorante Bartolotta is known for exceptional service and mouth-watering ricotta-porcini mushroom dumplings.
Celebrating 25 years in Jackson’s town square, the Snake River Grill is a fixture of Jackson Hole’s dining scene, loved by locals and visitors for unique dishes like elk steak and upscale rustic ambiance.