Valentine’s Day has a way of separating the casual reservations from the considered ones. This is not the night for squeezing into a last-minute bar seat or splitting a shared plate on impulse. The restaurants ahead are built for intention. The kind that starts weeks in advance, comes with a dress code in mind, and ends well after dessert. Think candlelight that actually flatters, Champagne that arrives without asking, and menus that unfold slowly, course by course. These are the places where Valentine’s Day feels ceremonial rather than routine, and where the splurge is not just expected, but quietly encouraged.
For Valentine’s Day weekend, Per Se presents its most luxurious expression of romance. On February 13 and 14, Chef Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred dining room welcomes guests with Champagne on arrival, followed by a dedicated Valentine’s tasting menu. Offered exclusively through Tock at $1,000 per guest, the experience reflects the restaurant’s unwavering commitment to precision, hospitality, and occasion-driven dining. This is New York fine dining at its most formal and most coveted.
Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak New York elevates Valentine’s Day with a three-course prix fixe menu for two, priced at $215. The evening begins with playful starters like heart-shaped ravioli filled with butternut squash or a classic shrimp cocktail with gin-spiked sauce. Entrées range from herb-crusted rack of lamb to Chilean sea bass or a Washugyu ribeye. Dessert leans theatrical, including the Cupid Exotix Heart finished with white chocolate mousse, tropical fruits, and 24k gold.
Romance takes center stage at The Nines with a five-course prix fixe dinner priced at $325 per person. Live music from the house pianists sets the mood throughout the evening, creating a dining experience that feels both elegant and intimate. Guests seated at the bar may enjoy the full Valentine’s menu, while limited walk-in seating is available in The Parlor for cocktails and select à la carte dishes.
For couples who view Valentine’s Day as a culinary commitment, Shota Omakase offers a focused, deeply intentional way to celebrate. Over Valentine’s Weekend, on Friday February 13 and Saturday February 14, the MICHELIN-starred restaurant will serve a special 20-course omakase menu for both lunch and dinner seatings, priced at $300 per guest. The experience begins with five otsunami courses, followed by dashi soup, eleven premium nigiri selections including kasugodai from Kagoshima and winter yellowtail from Hokkaido, a hand roll, and two desserts to close. Chef and owner Cheng Lin’s Edomae-style approach emphasizes meticulous sourcing, aged vinegar and shoyu, and rice selected from Japan’s mountainous regions, resulting in a meal that feels immersive, precise, and quietly luxurious.
Fasano brings Milanese sophistication to Valentine’s Day with a refined three-course prix fixe menu served in the main dining room and bar from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., priced at $185 per person. For couples looking to extend the evening, Baretto opens at 7:30 p.m. with live music beginning at 8:00 p.m. Admission to the late-night lounge is available separately with an $80 cover charge, offering a seamless transition from dinner to nightlife.
Few rooms in New York understand romance like Temple Bar, and for Valentine’s Day, the downtown institution leans fully into its signature mood with a special Date Night by Candlelight tasting experience, priced at $200 per person. The evening opens with a choice of cocktails such as a Paper Plane or Naked & Famous, paired with shared savory bites including pierogies or pigs in a blanket. The centerpiece arrives in the form of a martini and caviar bump pairing, allowing guests to select their preferred martini style. The experience continues with shrimp cocktail or crudité alongside Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Champagne, before ending on chocolate-covered strawberries for two. Set against oak paneling, velvet drapes, candlelit tables, and low conversation hum, Temple Bar delivers Valentine’s Day with restraint, polish, and unmistakable downtown allure.
On February 14, Cuna offers a candlelit five-course Valentine’s dinner crafted by Chef Maycoll Calderón. Priced at $175 per person, the menu highlights Mexican-inspired dishes made with seasonal greenmarket ingredients, including tuna tartare, roasted beet salad, sea bass, wagyu strip loin, and a chocolate cake finale. Each course is paired with carefully selected wines, creating a dining experience that balances intimacy with thoughtful culinary storytelling.
Tom Colicchio’s long-standing New York institution marks Valentine’s Day with a four-course menu designed for sharing. Priced at $175 per person, the dinner includes dishes such as pumpkin agnolotti with black trumpet mushrooms and sage, braised short rib with mushroom bolognese, spice-roasted lobster, and a chocolate soufflé cake served with salted caramel bourbon ice cream. The experience reflects Craft’s ingredient-driven philosophy while leaning into celebratory indulgence.
Set within the landmark Beekman Hotel, Temple Court offers a four-course Valentine’s menu priced at $175 per person. Highlights include hamachi crudo, followed by a Beef Wellington for Two served with creamed spinach, hen of the woods mushrooms, and sauce Périgourdine. Dessert options include chocolate blackout cake or passion fruit pavlova, closing the evening on a refined, classic note.
BLACKBARN approaches Valentine’s Day with both a four-course prix fixe and a special à la carte menu. The prix fixe, priced at $175 per adult or $215 with optional wine pairing, opens with choices like a caviar tasting or wild mushroom toast. Main courses include pan-seared diver scallops or filet mignon, followed by desserts such as chocolate caramel pear tart finished with gold leaf. The menu reflects the restaurant’s farm-to-table ethos while embracing the spirit of celebration.
Bazaar Meat delivers Valentine’s Day with drama and scale. Couples may choose between José’s Ultimate Tasting Menu at $225 per person or order à la carte from a menu known for fire-driven cooking and tableside moments. From the Jamón Experience to the signature fire-roasted ribeye “Chuleton,” the experience is designed for sharing and spectacle, complemented by a robust wine and cocktail program that includes martinis prepared tableside.
An icon of New York dining, The Russian Tea Room offers a Valentine’s prix fixe menu priced at $145 per person. The menu features classics such as borscht, Boeuf à la Stroganoff, Côtelette à la Kiev, escargot, foie gras, and chocolate mi-cuit with cherry vanilla ice cream. Surrounded by the restaurant’s Art Deco interiors and rich history, the evening feels steeped in tradition and ceremony.
For couples seeking height, privacy, and a sense of occasion, Somewhere Nowhere transforms Valentine’s Day into a multi-level experience. The rooftop offers Private Teardrop Igloos priced at $200 per person and a glass enclosure option, each including a Valentine’s prix fixe menu, Champagne, and live violinist performances from 7:00 to 10:45 p.m. The menu features an amuse-bouche, starters like burrata or calamari, entrées ranging from roasted chicken to braised short rib, and shareable desserts such as red velvet tiramisu and gold-dusted chocolate-covered strawberries.
The recently opened Parliament celebrates Valentine’s Day with a four-course prix fixe menu priced at $150 per person, with an optional $45 wine pairing curated by the restaurant’s sommelier. Prepared by Executive Chef Rakmin Lee, the menu includes sweet corn agnolotti, aged wagyu striploin, and a heart-shaped mousse cake paired with a mini espresso martini. The setting offers a polished yet welcoming take on modern American dining.
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