I’ve officially lived in New York for a year (hugging my younger self), and as an accomplished (and single 😉) foodie, I’ve eaten lots of deliciousness. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a girl’s girl and love grabbing din with the besties. But if a man hits me with a Resy confirmation to a place I’ve heard people rave about? Now that’s an offer I simply cannot resist.
Are most of my New York City restaurant and bar recs from guys I went on dates with? Guilty. Does that make me a walking red flag? Rhetorical questions only, please. But lest we forget, nailing the best date night spot for someone you barely even know can be tough. Sometimes the food’s amazing, but the atmosphere could give a little more; other times the company’s great but you fumbled the bag on picking a drink. And thank goodness I’ve never experienced the violence of a crying baby in the corner.
After many dates in this food haven of a city, I’ve done all the reflecting I need to know which places are hits and which places are, unfortunately, misses. I’m no Michelin inspector, but I do know how to judge a place on its atmosphere, vibes, and most importantly, food and bev. So without further ado, here are the top 18 best restaurants and bars to go on a date in NYC, from “it was alright” to “I’d defs go again.” Let’s eat.
If the date’s going well and you’re looking for a post-dinner push to grab drinks, hit up this beer hall in the Essex Market Line. They’ve got a vast menu of drinks on tap, like the Great Notion Pog Fog and Shackbury Arlo—but try not to get overwhelmed and take the waiter’s rec as I did. I was blindly brought a smoothie beer, and let’s just say my date was kind enough to trade me drinks. 🙂
115 Delancey Street, Lower East Side
Tsuru Ton Tan is sprawling yet still manages to always be packed—a good indicator that the food must be that good. I ordered a chicken udon bowl because I freaked out over the menu options, per usual. To be frank, I think their prices are a bit of a stretch for what you get portion-wise. Udon bowls sit at a comfortable $20 to $26, but their rice bowls can get up to $46.
21 E. 16th Street, Union Square
My date told me Smashed was the place for smash burgers in NYC, and judging from the line of people out the door at 2 a.m. after a night out, the opinion is quite popular. The space is lunchbox-tight, so grab your burgers, split a fry, and get cozy at the window bar.
167 Orchard Street, Lower East Side
I’m not even going to lie: Khe-Yo was my first-ever date spot in NYC, and I have no recollection of how the food tasted. But I do remember sharing a side of sticky rice with bang bang and eggplant sauces and having fun taste-testing each sauce together. Oh, and if your date gets there before you, ask them to order a lychee martini or tequila grapefruit cocktail. Delish.
157 Duane Street, Tribeca
Pull up, vegans. Jajaja Mexicana is a plant-based, Mexican-style restaurant with four locations around the city. As a meat eater, it’s not in the cards for me to go here by myself, but in the right company, a chorizo taco made with seitan, radish, and cilantro is heaven-sent. Grab a seat at the bar or sit outdoors (though in all transparency, I did see a rat dart behind my date’s chair).
63 Carmine Street, West Village
There’s no better feeling than sinking your teeth into a juicy bagel sandwich. Does Daily Provisions have the best bacon, egg, and cheese in the whole city? No. But does Uber Eats deliver it quickly on days when you’re having a lazy date at home? Yes. Plus, they have several locations all over the city. After my date and I sweat a little too hard at the gym, we decided to save the city from our B.O. and order bagels to his place.
29 Bedford Street, West Village
Who doesn’t love happy hour? Grab discounted drinks every day from 4 to 7 p.m., split an app (directing you towards the chorizo nachos), and chow down on tacos and enchiladas. Ofrenda‘s food is stellar, but the way the floor plan is set up, expect a lot of “Wait, what did you say?” as bartenders blend margaritas.
113 Seventh Ave, Greenwich Village
OK, so y’all are comfy with each other, your date might be a for-lifer, and you want to treat the potential boo to nicer fare. Sushi Lin’s omakase is on the more affordable end for NYC. For $85 you get 12 courses, which includes an app, nigiri, and a hand roll. This place offers a total bang for your buck, and it’s always so intimate sitting at the bar as the chef prepares your sushi.
120 Sullivan Street, SoHo
You need to book a date to Felice just to taste their charcuterie board and bread. I mean, just look at the aesthetics of this spread. Snag a corner booth, split the chef’s selection of imported cheeses and cured meats, and hope you don’t catch a glimpse of the back of your hair in the large hanging mirrors around the room. 🫠
15 Gold Street, Financial District
I love noodles, and I often find myself wanting more than what actually comes in a bowl, but Menkoi Sato knows how to fill it up. Thank goodness they’re open late because my date and I were starving after a show at Smalls Jazz Club. You can’t go wrong with house faves like the spicy miso or tantanmen, and you of course gotta add an egg.
7 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village
Can we take a minute to appreciate this homemade pide bride? The complimentary sex-on-a-platter alone is why I knew Lokal had to be in my elite top eight. The restaurant’s coastal vibe was the perfect place for lunch after a morning at the American Museum of Natural History nearby. Make it to their everyday lunch with specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and if you dig spicy, ask for their hot sauce to-go with your home fries.
473 Columbus Ave, Manhattan
Book Club is for those that want to skip the small talk and just vibe. Half bar, half book store, they host monthly poetry nights, game nights, author events, and drinking and drawing nights—you can even just sit and read at the bar together. My one piece of advice: don’t come hangry because food is more than absent. Apologies to my date for seeing that side of me.
197 East 3rd Street, East Village
I’m no wino (yet), but once my date said chocolate was involved, I was in. Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar specializes in its first-class wine and chocolate pairings. After a long work day, decompress with your special someone over a bottle of French-Mediterranean wine and indulge in a plate of Jacques Torres chocolates to keep the sweet tannins coming. P.S. Ayza also has NYC’s first-ever outdoor dining trolley, which would make for such a cute first-date vibe.
11 West 31st Street, Midtown
Dating 101: Always end the night with gelato. Gelateria Gentile ranks at 5 solely because ordering a waffle cone comes with up to three scoops (any flavor) plus a free mini cone to top. Though the tiny NYC staple can only help one party at a time, the long wait in line gives you extra opportunity to get to know your date a little better.
43 8th Ave, West Village
Coming up as first in my final four is noreetuh, a Hawaiian restaurant I want to gatekeep because it’s just that yummy. The decor’s tropical, the flavors taste fresh, and the outdoor seating area is so picture-perfect you’ll want to snap a shot of your date for the memories. After a hot day of walking through NYC gardens, we cooled down with some apps, our fave being their seasonal Hawaiian walu with parmesan foam.
128 First Avenue, Ukranian Village
The pressure to find a first date restaurant is mega, but CICCIO was more than lovely. Their Tuscan dishes like cappellacci pere e pecorino and strisce alla chiantigiana make you feel like getting married at first sight and running away to northern Italy. You can’t go wrong with sitting indoors or outdoors because both atmospheres were decorated so beautifully. Oh, and did I mention the complimentary bread bucket and olive oil? Score.
190 Sixth Avenue, South Village
It took me six months too long to discover Soothr. This Michelin-starred Thai noodle bar is such an intimate space to get to know someone better—I mean, I recall my knees literally bumping into my date’s because the tables were so smushed together. (The sexual tension was through the roof.) Anywho, the jeeb dumplings are a safe app for starters, duck noodles are a traditional staple, and if you want to add to the nervous sweat you have from already being with a hot date, the Tom Yum hot pot’s got quite the kick.
204 E 13th Street, Union Square
Voilà (or perhaps ‘Eccolà!’ as Italians say), we have ourselves a winner. L’Antica Pizzeria is my top date night restaurant in NYC. My first tip for really appreciating this place: come hungry. Food is the heart’s fast track, so go ham piling on the dishes. We started with calamari, which, spoiler alert, was my fave plate of the night. We ordered a huge bowl of Caesar salad, of which I still dream about often. Then, we split arugula and prosciutto pizza with plenty to take home and ordered housemade olive oil cake for dessert. If the weather’s beautiful, sitting outside is a must. L’Antica’s gorgeous dishware also had us sharing deets on our dream homes—excellent date night banter 😉 .
2 Bank Street, West Village
