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Grilled octopus, Littleneck clams, chorizo, black olives, and chickpeas on a round white dish on a wood table with a bottle of wine in the back.
Lark.
Neal Santos

17 Philly Restaurants That Promise a Romantic Night Out

Moody lighting, classy cocktails, and prix fixe menus for that special-occasion dinner on your calendar

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Lark.
| Neal Santos

Whether it’s for date night, a job promotion, a birthday celebration, or really any other event worth breaking out the Champagne for, Philly has no shortage of restaurants where you can have a romantic dinner. When your neighborhood watering hole doesn’t feel quite special enough — no shade to Citywides, but sometimes you just need a nice wine list — there are more than enough low-lit, intimate, and moody destinations to visit for a special dinner on the town. The tuxedo is definitely optional at all of the following spots, but hey, that could be fun, right?

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If you’re in the Northwest, there’s no better romantic restaurant than Jansen in Mt. Airy. Situated on cobblestoned Germantown Avenue, chef David Jansen’s namesake occupies a historic 18th-century house with the original fireplace and a beautiful outdoor patio. Enjoy a fine-dining menu that includes a seasonally changing menu of oysters Rockefeller, elk osso bucco, and stuffed acorn squash. The wine list is impressive, too.

On the rooftop of the Ironworks building across the river from Manayunk, Nick Elmi’s Lark is a lovely space for date night, with art deco chandeliers, velvet banquettes, and a gorgeous view. The coastal Mediterranean menu is as special as the environment: Dishes like braised chilled leeks and blue crab and pink peppercorn strozzapreti are crafted with care, perfect alongside a stellar list of cocktails and wine.

Sor Ynez

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Fresh and filling are the two words that come to mind when talking about Sor Ynez, American Street’s destination Mexican restaurant. The menu — from executive chef Alex Tellez — is balanced to accommodate both meat-eating and vegan guests, with an eye towards sustainability in dishes like alt-pastor cauliflower and watermelon ceviche. Agave spirit-focused cocktails bring everything together in the gorgeous, pastel-colored space featuring art from the likes of Philly native Miguel Antonio Horn. You can reserve online.

Kensington Quarters

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In Fishtown, Kensington Quarters is the destination to take your pescatarian partner for a luxurious (and constantly changing) menu of delicately plated crudos, an array of oysters, and other special dishes sourced right from the sea. The dining room is beautiful and the bar is also a special place to post up. You can make reservations online.

R&D Cocktail Bar

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Fabulous cocktails themed around the season — the winter menu includes a Hot Oaxacan Penicillin with Reposado tequila, mezcal, ginger, and honey — complement the warm interior of R&D Cocktail Bar in Fishtown. Dimly lit and a little retro, it’s an excellent choice particularly for a weeknight date, when you can make a light meal out of small snacks or go big with a double smash burger.

South Restaurant & Jazz Club

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Nothing says romance quite like live jazz, which is why any intimate occasion calls for a night out at South Restaurant & Jazz Club on Broad Street. The restaurant pairs delicious, warming soul food — like shrimp and grits or vegan jambalaya — and a classy dining experience with great music; purchase tickets for specific shows to guarantee a table reservation.

Jean-Georges Philadelphia

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At Jean-Georges atop the Four Seasons Hotel, diners get unforgettable views of the whole city from the 59th floor and a six-course menu — from egg toast caviar to soy-glazed short ribs — that focuses on sustainability and seasonal ingredients from around Pennsylvania, designed by chef de cuisine Cornelia Sühr and chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. You can make reservations online.

The Wayward

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A raw bar, a generous happy hour, and well-made cocktails with an emphasis on gin are all on the menu at the Wayward, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Canopy Hilton. The elegant art deco design is complemented by attentive servers and an overall cozy vibe.

Vernick Food & Drink

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Every Philadelphian has to go on at least one date at Vernick Food & Drink on Walnut. Get a seasonal sampling of Greg Vernick’s fine-dining specialties, such as swordfish a la plancha and pork milanese, alongside an excellent wine selection, which you can also take home from the Vernick Wine Shop next door. Try your luck for a seat at the first-come-first-served bar or chef’s table, where you can still access the full menu, or make a reservation on Tock, where you could also opt for a tasting menu.

A stalwart of Philly’s farm-to-table dining scene, Fork on Market is always bound to make a night special. A lovely atmosphere in Old City makes menu highlights like farm beans, striped bass, and coconut custard for dessert taste extra sweet. You can make reservations online.

Friday Saturday Sunday

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Friday Saturday Sunday, the fine-dining restaurant helmed by Chad and Hanna Williams on South 21st Street, practically invented special occasion dinners. Within the bright, cozy space, the tasting menu is constantly evolving (think barbecue veal cheek and crudo with yuzu, sunchoke, and bone marrow gelée) and the cocktails are cheekily named and lovely to boot. You can make reservations for the online.

Le Caveau

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Drink a few glasses of wine with a charcuterie plate at Chloe Grigri’s French-inspired wine bar, Le Caveau, upstairs from her Good King Tavern restaurant on South Seventh Street. The music is excellent, the wine thoughtfully curated, and the dim lighting makes the spot a great place to sit and chat with a loved one.

Southwark Restaurant

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Southwark restaurant in Queen Village is Chris D’Ambro and Marina De Oliveira’s tribute to romantic dining, with candlelit tables, a cozy old-school bar, and dishes like lamb terrine and fluke crudo. You can make reservations online. (If you’re looking for an even more intimate experience, you can try to reserve a table in the kitchen at Southwark’s nearby modern Italian sibling, Ambra.)

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

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James Beard award-nominated chef Jesse Ito’s Queen Village destination is a two-in-one deal. In the front, you’ll find a hip izakaya with skewers, sushi, and Japanese beer, but Ito’s coveted omakase experience, which helped launch the omakase mini-renaissance the city is currently enjoying, is an intimate affair — just eight seats — where chefs lavish you with impeccable seasonal seafood perfect for appreciating in hushed tones with a fellow enthusiast.

River Twice

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Eating at the bar is always a pro move (it’s just cooler), especially true at River Twice in Passyunk Square. Amanda and Randy Rucker’s fashionable restaurant prioritizes tasting menus throughout (including a cheaper version on Mondays), but the chef’s counter offers an extended experience during which Randy and his team walk diners through the process of menu development with small, detailed dishes like raw surf clam or dry-aged duck with rutabaga. Reservations for both the counter and the rest of the restaurant are available on Resy.

Gabriella's Vietnam

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In the former Saté Kampar space in East Passyunk, chef Thanh Nguyen serves Vietnamese street food of the highest order, much of which is great for sharing. The bánh bèo quảng nam — open-faced dumplings served in small decorative bowls — are unreal, and the large format dishes, from the half-chicken platter to Vietnamese fried winter flounder, will not let you down. Make reservations online, and pick out drinks together in advance: This charming neighborhood restaurant is BYOB.

Irwin's

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Sicilian small plates and natural wine are on the table at Irwin’s, the South Philly restaurant on the top floor of Bok Bar with Michael Vincent Ferreri as head chef. The scene is lively, the drinks are inspired, and the swordfish is big enough to share. What’s not to love? You can make reservations online.

Jansen

If you’re in the Northwest, there’s no better romantic restaurant than Jansen in Mt. Airy. Situated on cobblestoned Germantown Avenue, chef David Jansen’s namesake occupies a historic 18th-century house with the original fireplace and a beautiful outdoor patio. Enjoy a fine-dining menu that includes a seasonally changing menu of oysters Rockefeller, elk osso bucco, and stuffed acorn squash. The wine list is impressive, too.

Lark

On the rooftop of the Ironworks building across the river from Manayunk, Nick Elmi’s Lark is a lovely space for date night, with art deco chandeliers, velvet banquettes, and a gorgeous view. The coastal Mediterranean menu is as special as the environment: Dishes like braised chilled leeks and blue crab and pink peppercorn strozzapreti are crafted with care, perfect alongside a stellar list of cocktails and wine.

Sor Ynez

Fresh and filling are the two words that come to mind when talking about Sor Ynez, American Street’s destination Mexican restaurant. The menu — from executive chef Alex Tellez — is balanced to accommodate both meat-eating and vegan guests, with an eye towards sustainability in dishes like alt-pastor cauliflower and watermelon ceviche. Agave spirit-focused cocktails bring everything together in the gorgeous, pastel-colored space featuring art from the likes of Philly native Miguel Antonio Horn. You can reserve online.

Kensington Quarters

In Fishtown, Kensington Quarters is the destination to take your pescatarian partner for a luxurious (and constantly changing) menu of delicately plated crudos, an array of oysters, and other special dishes sourced right from the sea. The dining room is beautiful and the bar is also a special place to post up. You can make reservations online.

R&D Cocktail Bar

Fabulous cocktails themed around the season — the winter menu includes a Hot Oaxacan Penicillin with Reposado tequila, mezcal, ginger, and honey — complement the warm interior of R&D Cocktail Bar in Fishtown. Dimly lit and a little retro, it’s an excellent choice particularly for a weeknight date, when you can make a light meal out of small snacks or go big with a double smash burger.

South Restaurant & Jazz Club

Nothing says romance quite like live jazz, which is why any intimate occasion calls for a night out at South Restaurant & Jazz Club on Broad Street. The restaurant pairs delicious, warming soul food — like shrimp and grits or vegan jambalaya — and a classy dining experience with great music; purchase tickets for specific shows to guarantee a table reservation.

Jean-Georges Philadelphia

At Jean-Georges atop the Four Seasons Hotel, diners get unforgettable views of the whole city from the 59th floor and a six-course menu — from egg toast caviar to soy-glazed short ribs — that focuses on sustainability and seasonal ingredients from around Pennsylvania, designed by chef de cuisine Cornelia Sühr and chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. You can make reservations online.

The Wayward

A raw bar, a generous happy hour, and well-made cocktails with an emphasis on gin are all on the menu at the Wayward, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Canopy Hilton. The elegant art deco design is complemented by attentive servers and an overall cozy vibe.

Vernick Food & Drink

Every Philadelphian has to go on at least one date at Vernick Food & Drink on Walnut. Get a seasonal sampling of Greg Vernick’s fine-dining specialties, such as swordfish a la plancha and pork milanese, alongside an excellent wine selection, which you can also take home from the Vernick Wine Shop next door. Try your luck for a seat at the first-come-first-served bar or chef’s table, where you can still access the full menu, or make a reservation on Tock, where you could also opt for a tasting menu.

Fork

A stalwart of Philly’s farm-to-table dining scene, Fork on Market is always bound to make a night special. A lovely atmosphere in Old City makes menu highlights like farm beans, striped bass, and coconut custard for dessert taste extra sweet. You can make reservations online.

Friday Saturday Sunday

Friday Saturday Sunday, the fine-dining restaurant helmed by Chad and Hanna Williams on South 21st Street, practically invented special occasion dinners. Within the bright, cozy space, the tasting menu is constantly evolving (think barbecue veal cheek and crudo with yuzu, sunchoke, and bone marrow gelée) and the cocktails are cheekily named and lovely to boot. You can make reservations for the online.

Le Caveau

Drink a few glasses of wine with a charcuterie plate at Chloe Grigri’s French-inspired wine bar, Le Caveau, upstairs from her Good King Tavern restaurant on South Seventh Street. The music is excellent, the wine thoughtfully curated, and the dim lighting makes the spot a great place to sit and chat with a loved one.

Southwark Restaurant

Southwark restaurant in Queen Village is Chris D’Ambro and Marina De Oliveira’s tribute to romantic dining, with candlelit tables, a cozy old-school bar, and dishes like lamb terrine and fluke crudo. You can make reservations online. (If you’re looking for an even more intimate experience, you can try to reserve a table in the kitchen at Southwark’s nearby modern Italian sibling, Ambra.)

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

James Beard award-nominated chef Jesse Ito’s Queen Village destination is a two-in-one deal. In the front, you’ll find a hip izakaya with skewers, sushi, and Japanese beer, but Ito’s coveted omakase experience, which helped launch the omakase mini-renaissance the city is currently enjoying, is an intimate affair — just eight seats — where chefs lavish you with impeccable seasonal seafood perfect for appreciating in hushed tones with a fellow enthusiast.

River Twice

Eating at the bar is always a pro move (it’s just cooler), especially true at River Twice in Passyunk Square. Amanda and Randy Rucker’s fashionable restaurant prioritizes tasting menus throughout (including a cheaper version on Mondays), but the chef’s counter offers an extended experience during which Randy and his team walk diners through the process of menu development with small, detailed dishes like raw surf clam or dry-aged duck with rutabaga. Reservations for both the counter and the rest of the restaurant are available on Resy.

Related Maps

Gabriella's Vietnam

In the former Saté Kampar space in East Passyunk, chef Thanh Nguyen serves Vietnamese street food of the highest order, much of which is great for sharing. The bánh bèo quảng nam — open-faced dumplings served in small decorative bowls — are unreal, and the large format dishes, from the half-chicken platter to Vietnamese fried winter flounder, will not let you down. Make reservations online, and pick out drinks together in advance: This charming neighborhood restaurant is BYOB.

Irwin's

Sicilian small plates and natural wine are on the table at Irwin’s, the South Philly restaurant on the top floor of Bok Bar with Michael Vincent Ferreri as head chef. The scene is lively, the drinks are inspired, and the swordfish is big enough to share. What’s not to love? You can make reservations online.

Related Maps