Picking the right restaurant for dinner is always important, but it becomes especially important when you are picking a place for a date. It does not matter whether it is for a meeting, special anniversary, or night out with your significant other, it is crucial to find the right environment to enjoy your meal. Maybe you are in need of a sit-down place with flattering lighting, or maybe you are looking for great drinks and some light food. No matter what the occasion, there is a place in New York City that offers exactly what you need. In order to help you find the best place to eat for any type of situation, check out these great places below.
Annisa (West Village)
Best For: Romantic Setting
This is Anita Lo’s elegant flagship restaurant, featuring neutral colors and spare decorations, but still managing to feel elegant. The food highlights Asian influences without strictly sticking to the continent. I recommend tasting the famous foie gras soup dumplings, and for desert trying the poppyseed bread pudding or the salted butterscotch beignets.
Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar (West Village)
Best For: Drinks & Light Food
This is a very well designed bar in a unique atmosphere, with its blond-wood walls, French limestone floor, and elegant marble bar cast in soft lighting. The food here is fairly light, so this is a great place to order as little as you like or follow up with a full meal elsewhere if that’s where the night takes you. The expansive drink list features accessible cocktails, beers, and wines that are affordably priced.
Birds & Bubbles (Lower East Side)
Best For: Champagne & Chicken
This restaurant puts a great twist on food that is typically reserved for more fancy occasions. You will find a great selection of pan-Southern dishes, such as buttermilk biscuits, shrimp, and grits. The Champagne and fried chicken are also favorites of this late-hours establishment as well. The space here is narrow, so it is very easy to get cozy in this environment.
The Fat Radish (Lower East Side)
Best For: A Crowd Pleaser
This is a trendy yet rustic Lower East Side spot that looks that feels like a refurbished upstate barn. The menu features a mix of mostly healthy, but vaguely British pub food. The dishes are also heavily centered around vegetables. So if one person only enjoys healthy food they can try the heirloom carrots and monkfish green curry, while the most free-going can indulge in a bacon cheeseburger and truffled duck chips.
Gottino (West Village)
Best For: First Date Spot
This restaurant features an old-world setting that is perfect for a first date. This West Village bar is a great place that has not lost its charm since it opened nearly a decade ago. Gottino has stuck it is MO since day one: Italian wines, rustic cooking, and a casual environment where you will be able to talk for as long or as short as you would like.
