It could be argued that it’s the company that makes a restaurant romantic, but let’s not fool ourselves: Some spots just know how to set the scene. OpenTable—an online reservation tool that partners with restaurants—recently shared its list of the 100 most romantic restaurants, according to its diners. And it’s making us really, really hungry.
If you thought you knew something about romantic restaurants and the states that have the most of them, think again. This year’s honorees span 32 states, from Ohio to Wisconsin. In fact, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas have the most romantic restaurants, Ohio topping the list with nine restaurants making the list.
All in all, more than 12 million diners reviewed 28,000 restaurants in 50 states to come up with this list. The reviews were all completed between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018 and each restaurant had to hit a minimum overall score and have a certain number of reviews to be considered for the list. Once these restaurants were pulled together, they were scored based on the number of reviews that had “romantic” included as a special feature.
And despite the list’s domestic borders, global favorites are well-represented: American cuisine may have been the most popular genre of the list, but the restaurants span all cuisines, from French to Italian.
What’s really special about this list is the number of different cities it includes. Think of romantic restaurants and Des Moines, Boise, or Mesquite may not come to mind. But don’t be fooled: There are charming and fanciful meals to be had in any corner of the states.
Looking to impress a date? Start here:
801 Chophouse – Des Moines - Des Moines, Iowa
Altius - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Atlantis Steakhouse - Atlantis Casino Resort Spa - Reno, Nevada
BakerStreet - Fort Wayne, Indiana
Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Baxter's Lakeside Grille - Lake Ozark, Missouri
Belvedere Inn Restaurant and Bar - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Benvenuti's - Norman, Oklahoma
Black Cat – Boulder, Colorado
The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard - Canton, Ohio
Bohanan's Prime Steaks and Seafood - San Antonio, Texas
Bolete Restaurant - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bookbinder's Seafood and Steakhouse - Richmond, Virginia
Bouchard Restaurant and Inn - Newport, Rhode Island
Café Monarch - Scottsdale, Arizona
Cafe Provence - Prairie Village, Kansas
Cafe Sparrow - Aptos, California
Caprice Bistro - Wilmington, North Carolina
Carlo & Johnny - Cincinnati, Ohio
Chandlers Steakhouse - Boise, Idaho
Chef's Table at the Edgewater - Winter Garden, Florida
Chez Francois - Vermilion - Vermilion, Ohio
Chimney Park - Windsor, Colorado
Christopher's World Grille - Bryan, Texas
Circa 1886 - Charleston, South Carolina
Claire's at the Depot - Warrenton, Virginia
Collage Restaurant - St. Augustine, Florida
Connors Steak & Seafood - Huntsville - Huntsville, Alabama
Cygnus 27 - Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Del-Bar - Lake Delton, Wisconsin
The Dining Room at Castle Hill Inn - Newport, Rhode Island
Erling Jensen The Restaurant - Memphis, Tennessee
Flagstaff House - Boulder, Colorado
Fleurie - Charlottesville, Virginia
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar - Memphis - Memphis, Tennessee
Folk's Folly Prime Steak House - Memphis, Tennessee
Four Winds Steakhouse - Wills Point, Texas
Franklinville Inn - Franklinville, New Jersey
The Gamekeeper - Boone, North Carolina
Geronimo - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Gracie's - Providence, Rhode Island
Hanover Street Chophouse - Manchester, New Hampshire
Harvest Beat - Seattle, Washington
Hugo's Cellar - Four Queens - Las Vegas, Nevada
The Ivy Inn Restaurant - Charlottesville, Virginia
Jag's Steak & Seafood - West Chester, Ohio
Joe Vicari's Andiamo Italian Steakhouse @ The D Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Katherine's Steakhouse - Mesquite, Nevada
Kimberton Inn - Kimberton, Pennsylvania
L'Auberge Chez Francois - Great Falls, Virginia
La Fable - Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
La Panetiere - Rye, New York
Latitudes on Sunset Key - Key West, Florida
Le Fou Frog - Kansas City, Missouri
Le Vallauris - Palm Springs, California
Le Yaca – Williamsburg, Virginia and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel - Richmond, Virginia
Lewnes' SteakHouse - Annapolis, Maryland
Lon's at The Hermosa - Paradise Valley, Arizona
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse - Tulsa - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Majorelle - New York, New York
The Melting Pot - Huntersville, North Carolina and Midtown Charlotte, North Carolina
Millwright's - Simsbury, Connecticut
Minerva's - Sioux Falls - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Mizuna - Denver, Colorado
Mo's A Place for Steaks - Milwaukee - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Montalcino Ristorante Italiano - Issaquah, Washington
Monterey Bay Fish Grotto - Mt. Washington - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Myron's at Alon Town Center - San Antonio, Texas
Nocturne - Denver, Colorado
Orchids at Palm Court - Cincinnati, Ohio
Paseo Grill - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Pellana - Peabody, Massachusetts
Peter Shields Inn - Cape May, New Jersey
Pier W - Cleveland, Ohio
The Prime Rib - Baltimore (The Original) - Baltimore, Maryland
The Refectory Restaurant & Bistro - Columbus, Ohio
Restaurant L - Cincinnati, Ohio
Rey's - Raleigh, North Carolina
Ristorante Lombardo - Buffalo, New York
Rudy & Paco Restaurant & Bar - Galveston, Texas
Russell's Steaks, Chops, and More - Williamsville, New York
Ryan's Restaurant - Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Saint Jacques French Cuisine - Raleigh, North Carolina
Salt at The Ritz-Carlton - Amelia Island, Florida
Scalini Fedeli - Chatham - Chatham, New Jersey
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern - Raleigh, North Carolina
Sorrento Ristorante Italiano - Houston, Texas
St Martin's Wine Bistro - Dallas, Texas
St. John's Restaurant - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Strip Steakhouse - Avon, Ohio
Summit House - Fullerton - Fullerton, California
The Tailor and the Cook - Utica, New York
Tony's - St. Louis - St. Louis, Missouri
Trattoria Stella - Traverse City, Michigan
Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House - Austin Arboretum - Austin, Texas
The Victor Cafe - Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Vivace Restaurant - Tucson, Arizona
Wally's Desert Turtle - Rancho Mirage, California
Washington Inn - Cape May, New Jersey
