Valentine’s Day is a wonderfully romantic time in which you and your significant can take some extra time to show your appreciation for each other. However, the preparation leading up to that day can be a bit stressful – from the grand gestures to the little surprises. To help you take one more task off that to-do list, here is a list of six restaurants which serve up some romantic dinners in a beautiful ambiance for Valentine’s Day.
Edi & the Wolf
102 Avenue C, Manhattan, 212-598-1040
ediandthewolf.com
This Austrian cuisine restaurant is inspired by the look of a traditional Austrian tavern. It’s interior design, which is rustic and cozy, will bring you back in time with its wood slated ceilings and antique centerpieces throughout the tables. Perhaps what you will notice when you first enter is the warm lighting, created by the center chandelier, which is fashioned from a 40-foot rope salvaged from an old church and has lights twisted all around it. For Valentine’s Day, Edi & the Wolf offers a four-course prix fixe menu that includes vegetarian options, too.
Meadowsweet
149 Broadway, Brooklyn; 718-384-0673
meadowsweetnyc.com
This Michelin star restaurant was established by Polo Dobkin and Stephanie Lempert in 2014. This award-winning chef and critically acclaimed wine expert wanted a simple restaurant that served good American food along with friendly service. Their vegetables, fruits, and herbs come from their farm in upstate New York, so the menu changes daily, but vegan options and substitutions are always available. If you are here during the day, the interior is flooded with beautiful sunlight thanks to its large glass windows and doors.
Live plant decorations help freshen up the place and open up your appetite. At night, the cocktail bar and hanging lights give it a dim, inviting, yet still intimate atmosphere. For Valentine’s Day, Meadowsweet serves a prix fixe menu for three and four-course meals. However, I highly recommend their brunch prix fixe option – their bread rolls and omelets are worth the extra three-day wait after February 15th. There is also a $85 five-course tasting menu available Sundays to Thursdays.
Tender Steak & Sushi
130 W 47th St, Manhattan; 212-514-6000
tendernyc.com
Located inside the luxurious dining room of the upscale Sanctuary Hotel, conveniently located in Times Square, Tender combines the classic, decadent American steakhouse cuisine with light, fresh Japanese seafood. With a variety of seating, ranging from long open tables to booths, you can have a double date here with another couple of have an intimate meal with your significant other.
Tender offers an $85 prix fixe three-course meal on Valentine’s Day with a wide variety of options for entrees, ranging from filet mignon, seafood, to poultry, and a sweet dessert ending. If you need something to cap off your meal, there is also a cocktail bar and lounge here which serves both American and Japanese drinks.
Acqua Santa
556 Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn; 718-384-9695
acquasanta.com
Acqua Santa is a Brooklyn restaurant that brings Italy to you. In addition to the interior design inspired by reminiscent of a small Italian town, the food is truly one of a kind. Chef Mariano has been cooking authentic Italian cuisine for over three decades and frequent travels back to Italy to hone his craft. Unlike many Italian restaurants in American, in which include many American-influenced or fusion dishes, Acqua Santa remains bona and straightforward fine Italian.
It offers a four-course dinner package with unlimited wine and beer for two hours. Alternatively, there is also a brunch or a lunch option with a choice of appetizers and entrees – and yes, the coffee, dessert, and unlimited wine and beer still comes with it. Order a la carte, from its Italian menu consisting of antipasti (appetizers), primi (first course), secondi (second course), pizze (pizza), Pesce (seafood), insalate (salads), and vini (wines).
Thai Villa
5 E 19th St, Manhattan; 212-802-9999
thaivillanyc.com
The first thing you will notice when you enter Thai Villa is the beautifully decorated interior – from the sparking walls adorned with gold leaves and lanterns, the grandiose gold leaf chandeliers coming down shimmering from the high ceilings to the Buddha fountain on the wall.
There is booth seating along the side, with overhanging curtains, allowing for an intimate meal. Thai Villa offers a large selection of authentic Thai cuisine, from the classic Pad Thai to the more elaborately prepared duck and pork dishes. In addition to their traditional Thai menu, they also have some Western and American influenced dishes, such as fried calamari and banana crepes.
Riverpark
450 E 29th St, Manhattan; 212-729-9790
riverparknyc.com
For a romantic dinner with a spectacular view, make a reservation at Riverpark. Located in Kips Bay, right next to the East River, this American restaurant takes its ingredients from an urban farm located right near the kitchen. Its menu changes daily to highlight the ingredients located near the local Greenmarkets and Riverpark Farm.
For Valentine’s Day, Riverpark offers a three-course dinner prix-fixe menu for $95 per person. Choices include a wide variety of fresh seafood appetizers and specially-made entrees, some of which are portioned to be shared with your significant other, and dessert dishes ranging from cake, lemon mousse, to sundaes.
With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, make sure you make your reservations as soon as possible. These restaurants, with their decadent meals and romantic dining atmospheres, are going to fill up quickly.