Best Romantic Restaurants

What makes a romantic restaurant? Is it twirling pasta or sipping French onion soup by candlelight? Savoring fresh sashimi at an intimate sushi counter? Or cocktails and a club atmosphere in the "city that never sleeps"? From dimly dens to date night hot spots, here are TripSavvy's favorite romantic restaurants for 2018.

• Lacroix at the Rittenhouse: Philadelphia, Penn. — featured in Philly's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Canoe: Atlanta, Ga. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in Atlanta
• Buddakan: New York, N.Y. — featured in Downtown NYC's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Russell's Café: St. Louis, Mo. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in St. Louis

Norman's: Orlando, Fla. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Orlando

Celebrated chef and cookbook author Norman Van Aken is known for food fusions, and NORMAN’s, located in Orlando’s Ritz-Carlton, definitely does not disappoint. Taking inspiration from Latin, Caribbean, and Asian cuisines, NORMAN’s menu features favorites like shrimp ceviche, steak tataki, and guajillo spiced filet mignon—not to mention, plenty of fresh-caught, Florida seafood. If you can’t choose just one dish, opt for the tasting menu. In addition to its primo menu, NORMAN’s has a gorgeous, modern dining room, and expansive views of Grande Lakes and its surrounding gardens, making it the perfect place to cozy up for date night. –Christina Donnelly

• Cafe Josie: Austin, Texas — featured in Austin's Best Date Night Restaurants
• Zenkichi: Brooklyn, N.Y. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in Brooklyn
• Columbia Room: Washington, D.C. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in D.C.
• Buckley's Restaurant & Bar: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in Milwaukee's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Enzo's on the Lake: Orlando, Fla. — featured in Orlando's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar: Memphis, Tenn. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Downtown Memphis
• Marlow & Sons: Brooklyn, N.Y. — featured in Where to Eat in Brooklyn
• Charleston Restaurant: Baltimore, Md. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Baltimore
• Friday Saturday Sunday: Philadelphia, Penn. — featured in Philly's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Hoogan et Beaufort: Montreal, Canada — featured in Montreal's Most Romantic Restaurants
• La Merenda: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in The Best Outdoor Dining in Milwaukee

The Pink Door: Seattle, Wash. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Seattle-Tacoma

In a city filled with restaurants large and small, upscale and casual, The Pink Door is something special. The atmosphere starts as you enter from Post Alley, and then continues as the interior greets you with warm woods, dim lighting cast from chandeliers, twinkling city lights outside the windows (assuming you’re dining after dark, which is ideal to up the romance factor), and a hint of cirque as each night brings unique entertainment that ranges from aerial performances to trapeze to tarot readers. Entertainment is free, except for the Saturday night cabaret and burlesque show. The menu focuses on Italian-American cuisine with farm-fresh and often local ingredients. –Kristin Kendle

• Gary Danko: San Francisco, Calif. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco
• Herons Restaurant: Raleigh, N.C. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Raleigh
• Bacchus: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in Milwaukee's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Le Fou Frog: Kansas City, Mo. — featured in Kansas City Romantic Restaurants
• Antonio's Ristorante: Orlando, Fla. — featured in Sand Lake Road Restaurants
• Boulud: Montreal, Canada — featured in Montreal's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Log Haven: Salt Lake City, Utah — featured in Salt Lake City's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Hyeholde: Pittsburgh, Pa. — featured in Pittsburgh's Most Romantic Restaurants
• bluestem: Kansas City, Mo. — featured in Kansas City Romantic Restaurants
• Milos: Montreal, Canada — featured in Montreal's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Chez Panisse: San Francisco, Calif. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco
• Rasika West End: Washington, D.C. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in D.C.

Uchi: Houston, Texas — featured in the Most Romantic Restaurants in Houston

Forget French food or cheesy Italian restaurants. Uchi’s contemporary Japanese vibe proves there’s nothing more romantic than a culinary adventure. Aesthetically, the Montrose restaurant checks all the date night boxes — cozy booths, intimate lighting, warm decor, and courteous staff — but it’s the food that brings couples together. Chef de Cuisine Chris Davies whips up an ever-changing selection of complex dishes, using locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. From the grilled shishito peppers and fresh sashimi to the lime cream and fried milk, the menu features a broad range of unique flavors and textures that are perfect for sharing. –Robyn Correll

• Sanford: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in Milwaukee's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Sangiovese Ristorante: Indianapolis, Ind. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in Indianapolis
• Talula's Garden: Philadelphia, Penn. — featured in Philly's Most Romantic Restaurants

Tenuta's: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Milwaukee

Aromas of roasted tomatoes and garlic are a nightly occurrence in this tight, narrow space on the corner of a residential Bay View street. It’s also a popular “date night” spot. Open only since 2003, Tenuta’s ambiance feels like it’s been here forever (in a good way). Wines skew Italian, naturally, and a meal is not considered complete if you don’t start with calamari or burrata. Pizzas here are both classic (like the “Classic,” with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni) and inventive (cream cheese and pineapples are on the “Diavola”) and the entrees cover fish, beef and vegetarian options (including roasted-mushroom gnocchi and butternut-squash ravioli). –Kristine Hansen

• Tess: Milwaukee, Wis. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Milwaukee
• Trattoria Marcella: St. Louis, Mo. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in St. Louis
• Vetri: Philadelphia, Penn. — featured in Philly's Most Romantic Restaurants
• Marcel's: Washington, D.C. — featured in The Most Romantic Restaurants in Washington, D.C.

Abejas: Golden, Colo. — featured in The Best Things to Eat in Golden

Step foot in this restaurant with a handsome, rustic interior and you’d never guess it once housed a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. With a focus on seasonal ingredients, the menus here are always changing up, giving diners a chance to discover new favorites. You might spot something like Colorado lamb loin on the dinner menu, served with an edamame-dill puree and horseradish yogurt or an omelette of the day on the brunch menu that’s made with local produce. Abejas has helped position Golden, which is at the base of the mountains, as a food destination. The intimate setting makes it a perfect date-night restaurant. –Brittany Anas

• Mr. Paul's Chop House: Detriot, Mich. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Detroit
• Moro's Dining: Detriot, Mich. — featured in Romantic Restaurants in Detroit
• Victoria & Albert's: Orlando, Fla. — featured in Orlando's Most Romantic Restaurants