The best restaurants for Valentine’s Day dinner in NYC

Menu: Chef Alex Chang is adding on a few new items for the occasion. Think turnip cakes in a XO sauce with a bump of Kristal caviar and a washugyu filet with Hudson Valley foie gras and black truffle-soy jus. 

Why you should book: A little over a year old, Kiko is still a bit of a secret something in New York. The Hudson Square restaurant is certainly a cozy find as a walk inside reveals a fireplace flanked by handsome woods, mimicking that of a chalet. Alex Chang's cookery ties it altogether with dishes that follow his Chinese and Mexican lineage paired with expert wines handpicked from his wife and sommelier, Lina Goujjane. 

Expect to pay: Items are price a la carte. 

Menu: Experience the latest from Michael White with an evening at Santi. Santi's Valentine's Day menu is sure to catch your eye with pastas with pan-roasted scallop and Buddha’s hand and grilled prime filet paired with bone marrow bread pudding, celery root, and sauce Bordelaise. A vegetarian tasting menu will also be available.

Why you should book: Santi was recently named one of the very best Italian restaurants outside of Italy according to Condé Nast Traveler. Not surprising for a place that houses its own pasta room. Truly, everything at Santi is a stunner, starting with the grand horseshoe bar that invites close conversation and the half-moon banquettes tucked in the den down below. White's expertise when it comes to Italian cuisine ties it all together.

Expect to pay: $195 per person

Menu: Get up close and personal with 19-course omakase experience at Saishin at the Gansevoort Rooftop. Starting with a complimentary glass of champagne, the omakase menu will travel through Wagyu tartare, Snow Crab, and Hokkaido uni. 

Why you should book: Omakase counters can often spell exclusive, hidden away affairs, where it is just you, the chef and the quiet theater of it all. Not the case at Saishin. Meaning “something new," the restaurant located inside the Gansevoort Hotel shakes things up as this omakase counter is paired with rooftop views that look out onto the city beyond. 

Price: 5:30pm for $175 per guest; 7pm for $215 per guest; 9:30pm for $215 per guest. 

Menu: Kings Co Imperial invites you to share the love with your dumpling over, well, some dumplings. Lovebirds can share the $45 Dim Sum for Two that cycles through all their hits: pork long dumplings, sesame noodles and pork and shrimp shumai crowned with a little fish roe.

Why you should book: Kings Co Imperial is low-key a solid option for date night, as its well-worn and dimly-lit interiors encourage a bit of a snuggle. That and Kings Co Imperial has been a longtime favorite for its food—particularly its Williamburg location that just hit year ten last year—as we've been known to frequent its tables for wok-seared dumplings and five pepper short ribs. Plus, we like it as an option for this V-day, as a reminder that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to show someone you care. 

Expect to pay: $45 Dim Sum for Two. The restaurant is also serving its à la carte menu. 

Menu: Park Rose is ushering in its first Valentine's Day in a big way. On both Friday, February 13th and Saturday, February 14th, the restaurant invites couples to the table with live music and modern Italian America eats. Mains include spicy pepperoni pizza with cherry peppers and hot honey, chicken Milanese with tomato beurre blanc and branzino piccata with lemon and artichoke.

Why you should book: Park Rose always feels like it's in bloom. The jewel box of a dining room blushes with rosy velvet booths, floral wallpaper and a ceiling that cascades with greenery. Chef Carsten Johannsen's menu only adds to the warmth with modern Italian-American takes, such as arancini, thin crispy crust pizzas and pasta, stuffed to the brim with lamb ragu or tossed with fire-roasted tomatoes. Oh, and the vermouth cart? Talk about luxury. 

Expect to pay: $85 per person

Menu: Take your lovebird to Birds this Valentine’s Day. The laid-back, jazzy lounge is going all in on the romance, with live tunes from the Kieran Brown Quartet. Guests will be welcomed with complimentary bubbles and oysters for the table, with reservations aligned to live music sets, each lasting approximately one hour. 

What to expect: Birds was opened by one of the owners behind the West Village's Sip & Guzzle, named the best new cocktail bars in the U.S. However, Birds is less about tinctures this, and infusions that, but rather a refocus on the classics that are done incredibly well. Meaning that sazerac in your hand? It may just be one of the best you've ever had. 

Expect to pay: $75 per ticket; a $25 deposit is required

Chef Alain Verzeroli’s green oasis in Midtown East is a natural fit for romance. During Valentine’s Day weekend, the restaurant is offering lunch and dinner specials. Daytime dates can dig into Maine Scallops and Chicories with Black Truffle Vinaigrette, while late nights come with King Crab and Wagyu Striploin. 

Cost: $95 for lunch; $225 for dinner

More to love: The plant-filled interior feels like we planned a romantic getaway, even with its midtown address. 

Café Boulud retains the charm of its former self, continuing to celebrate chef Daniel Boulud's French roots. His three-course menu, on offer February 14 and February 15, includes the likes of Foie Gras, pan-seared scallops and a roasted duck breast with a saffron-honey jus.

Cost: $185 per person

More to love: With five desserts on the menu, you and your sweetie can decide on the top two, the pistachio whipped ganache in the Pistache & Framboise being one of them. 

The view from and surrounding The Fulton at Pier 17 is just so pulse-quickening it can make almost any occasion romantic, and its powers abound on love’s biggest night. Lap up the shimmering East River view with four courses that include selections from the raw bar, Maine diver scallops and Wagyu Beef Tenderloin, plus dessert. 

Price: $168 per person

More to love: We don't know if we believe in aphrodisiacs, but we do believe in the Petite Seafood Plateau of oysters, shrimp cocktail and sashimi.