America's most romantic restaurants

You know the clichés: long-stemmed roses, soft lighting, strolling violinists.

Well, forget all that. Real romantic restaurants have cut the fluff. Instead, they’ve focused on what’s really important: great food and wine, excellent service, and an authentic ambience.

Of course, many elements of the traditional romantic restaurant haven’t changed. Creating an environment that makes guests want to linger is still key, says Michael O’Keeffe, founder of the River Café in Brooklyn. For O’Keeffe, that means a Michelin-starred menu, a stellar wine list, a well-trained waitstaff, and tables set well apart from each other.

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Slideshow: America's Most Romantic Restaurants

A great view can only help. And the River Café’s iconic setting, looking up at the Brooklyn Bridge and across to Manhattan, just adds to its romantic cachet. In Chicago, Everest restaurant offers a different perspective on its city. From the 40th floor of the Stock Exchange Building, the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows see eye-to-eye with the Sears Tower and its architecturally inspiring sisters.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

But a mesmerizing view isn’t a requirement to be one of America’s most romantic restaurants. At The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., it’s the restaurant’s team of sommeliers and 100 pages of wine offerings that seal the deal (its three Michelin stars don’t hurt). From local Napa Valley cult bottles to little-known gems handpicked from around the world, the expertly edited wine selection makes impressing a date with your choice a slam dunk.

And sometimes, dialing in romance just requires a little seclusion. For that, it’s tough to beat Little Palm Island Resort, off Florida’s Key West. A seaplane or boat ride is the only way to reach this tropical oasis, where you can dine at a candlelit table right on the white-sand beach. A French and Pan-Latin menu rounds out the experience, with a special Valentine’s Day menu of Blue Point oysters and Key West lobsters.

We think it’s pretty simple: a great romantic restaurant should make you feel the way a great romantic partner does — appreciated, special, and like you’re the only person in the room. From cozy mountaintop huts to candlelit seaside enclaves, here’s where to find America’s most romantic restaurants. For that great partner, though, you’re on your own.