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A plate of oysters topped with apple.
Oysters at Driftwood
Harry Cheadle

Seattle Restaurants That Are Perfect for a Romantic Date Night

With sushi, extravagant tasting menus, rooftop mezze plates, and more

by Jade Yamazaki Stewart and Harry Cheadle Updated
View as Map
Oysters at Driftwood
| Harry Cheadle
by Jade Yamazaki Stewart and Harry Cheadle Updated

Many people think that any meal you have with the one you truly love is a romantic experience. This is a great attitude to have, particularly if you’re broke. What this map here presupposes is, where do you go when you want to have an extra-romantic time? Maybe you’re in the throes of a new relationship and want to show off and share extravagant experiences; maybe you’re in an old — uh, “established” — relationship and want to rekindle a feeling of specialness. Maybe you’re proposing, or maybe it’s your first big night out after the birth of a child. Whatever you’re doing, you don’t just want to eat amazing food, you want some genuine atmosphere. Here’s where you should go.

Did we miss your favorite romantic restaurant? Send us a tip by emailing seattle@eater.com. As usual, this list is not ranked; it’s organized geographically.

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Cafe Juanita

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Kirkland’s Northern Italian fine dining mainstay reopened its dining room in 2021 with several excellent tasting menus, including pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options. It’s a place that delights in the details — even its focaccia delivers a wow moment — and the service is impeccable.

9702 NE 120th Pl, Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 823-1505
(425) 823-1505

Also featured in:

Kamonegi

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Star chef Mutsuko Soma makes soba from scratch every day at this Fremont destination, which was chosen as one of  Eater’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2018. Soma serves traditional soba shop dishes like seiro soba (cold with dipping sauce) and super-crunchy tempura but also more creative dishes like soba with oysters and gochujang broth and oreo tempura served with mini toasted marshmallows. Make a full night of it by sampling some sake and snacks at next door sibling bar Hannyatou before heading over to Kamonegi for dinner.

1054 N 39th St, Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-0185
(206) 632-0185

Also featured in:

Meesha

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After building a strong following as a pop-up inside Fremont’s Pomerol, the contemporary Indian tasting menu specialist Meesha became a full-fledged restaurant in 2020. Among some of the can’t-miss dishes from chef Preeti Agarwal are rarah keema pao with expertly prepared ground lamb, the fried Amritsari fish, and the paneer in tomato sauce with black cardamom.

127 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-0135
(206) 632-0135

Also featured in:

Sushi Kappo Tamura

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Each piece of nigiri in an omakase sushi dinner is a delightful moment to share with a date. Renowned chef Taichi Kitamura (a 2018 James Beard Award semifinalist) provides a wide variety of fantastic meal options at his Eastlake destination restaurant. It has a full sushi menu, as well as a nigiri omakase, which includes 12 pieces of seasonal selections, and brunch on the weekends. Sushi Kappo Tamura sources its seafood from Pacific Northwest producers like Taylor Shellfish and Skagit River Ranch, and has a rooftop garden that provides produce for some of its dishes.

2968 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 547-0937
(206) 547-0937

Also featured in:

Canlis

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Canlis is the traditional “stunt on ‘em” move for a big night out, and it still delivers, in large part because of new executive chef Aisha Ibrahim’s fresh take on the menu. (Last time we were there, the standout was a bite-sized version of shrimp toast that was a tiny symphony of umami.) But the surroundings are a big part of the show here — the view out over Lake Union, the carefully considered lighting, the exceptional glassware and ceramics. Try not to have a romantic night here.

2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-3313
(206) 283-3313
A piece of fish, a pastry, and a piece of shrimp toast.
A recent course at Canlis
Harry Cheadle

Also featured in:

Sushi Suzuki

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Sushi Suzuki is the omakase version of a speakeasy. It’s tucked away down a Madison Park alley and has fewer than a dozen seats. It’s a dinner party atmosphere presided over by Yasutaka Suzuki, who has knife skills other sushi chefs admire and a sense of humor too — he’ll bring out live prawns or the eerily elongated head of a cornet fish and invite guests to take pictures. And the sushi, much of it consisting of fish flown in from Japan, is as good or better than any in the city.

4116 1/2 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 466-6621
(206) 466-6621
The long head of a cornet fish on a sushi counter.
I want a fish with a small mouth and a loooooooong head
Harry Cheadle

Also featured in:

mbar

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Nothing says romance like spectacular city views, and you can find those to spare at this rooftop bar in South Lake Union. Sip a fruit-forward cocktail and enjoy Middle-Eastern-inspired snacks like hummus, baba ganoush, and green pea falafel. For a larger meal, try the halibut cheeks with saffron rice, or the mixed grill, which is big enough for the whole polycule.

400 Fairview Ave N 14th Floor, Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 457-8287
(206) 457-8287

Also featured in:

Surrell

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This Madison Valley restaurant by Chef Aaron Tekulve delivers one of the most powerful fine dining experiences in Seattle. The food is inventive and combines techniques from European and Asian culinary traditions, and the service includes touches like a glass of sangria at the door to welcome you and bouquets that you get to take home.

2319 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 402-5698
(206) 402-5698
A plate of a fatty cut of lamb cooked medium-rare with microgreens, garlic, and a brown sauce.
Lamb at Surrell
Harry Cheadle

Also featured in:

Wa'z Seattle

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One of Seattle’s only dedicated kaiseki restaurants, located in the shadow of the Space Needle, makes food almost too beautiful to eat. The premium kaiseki option takes diners on a journey that includes small bites, soup, sashimi, a braised dish, a grilled dish, a rice dish, and dessert. In keeping with kaiseki’s emphasis on seasonality, the menu changes monthly, and customers covet the counter seats, where the chef can tell diners the story of each dish, from ingredients to preparation to picturesque plating.

411 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-7119
(206) 441-7119

Also featured in:

Spinasse

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More than 10 years in, and this romantic trattoria on Capitol Hill continues to entrance diners with food from Italy’s Piedmont region. The nest of delicate tajarin pasta with butter and sage sauce is a Seattle comfort food mainstay, but every dish from chef Stuart Lane is memorable. After a satisfying dinner at Spinasse, one might want to head over to next door sibling bar Artusi for a digestif and dessert, or stop by the bar another night for snacks like beef tongue with salsa tonnata (tuna sauce) and burrata with pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios.

1531 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 251-7673
(206) 251-7673

Also featured in:

Le Pichet

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What’s more romantic than a dinner at this classic French bistro? How about having a roast chicken dinner for two? It can take up to an hour to roast the chicken, but that gives you time to work your way through some of Le Pichet’s wine list and charcuterie selections while staring into one another’s eyes and soaking up the vibes.

1933 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 256-1499
(206) 256-1499

Also featured in:

Driftwood

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The hyper-seasonal menu at this newish Alki dinner spot changes frequently, but the oysters and pull-apart rolls with lavender butter are constants, perfect for some light chat about your future, like what you’re going to order for an entree. Whatever you get will be a love letter to local meat and produce — Driftwood is so committed to sourcing their ingredients from nearby that it doesn’t have citrus anywhere, because none grows around here.

2722 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 420-7381
(206) 420-7381
A plate of oysters topped with apple.
Oysters at Driftwood
Harry Cheadle

Also featured in:

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Cafe Juanita

9702 NE 120th Pl, Kirkland, WA 98034

Kirkland’s Northern Italian fine dining mainstay reopened its dining room in 2021 with several excellent tasting menus, including pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options. It’s a place that delights in the details — even its focaccia delivers a wow moment — and the service is impeccable.

9702 NE 120th Pl, Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 823-1505
(425) 823-1505

Kamonegi

1054 N 39th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Star chef Mutsuko Soma makes soba from scratch every day at this Fremont destination, which was chosen as one of  Eater’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2018. Soma serves traditional soba shop dishes like seiro soba (cold with dipping sauce) and super-crunchy tempura but also more creative dishes like soba with oysters and gochujang broth and oreo tempura served with mini toasted marshmallows. Make a full night of it by sampling some sake and snacks at next door sibling bar Hannyatou before heading over to Kamonegi for dinner.

1054 N 39th St, Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-0185
(206) 632-0185

Meesha

127 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103

After building a strong following as a pop-up inside Fremont’s Pomerol, the contemporary Indian tasting menu specialist Meesha became a full-fledged restaurant in 2020. Among some of the can’t-miss dishes from chef Preeti Agarwal are rarah keema pao with expertly prepared ground lamb, the fried Amritsari fish, and the paneer in tomato sauce with black cardamom.

127 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-0135
(206) 632-0135

Sushi Kappo Tamura

2968 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102

Each piece of nigiri in an omakase sushi dinner is a delightful moment to share with a date. Renowned chef Taichi Kitamura (a 2018 James Beard Award semifinalist) provides a wide variety of fantastic meal options at his Eastlake destination restaurant. It has a full sushi menu, as well as a nigiri omakase, which includes 12 pieces of seasonal selections, and brunch on the weekends. Sushi Kappo Tamura sources its seafood from Pacific Northwest producers like Taylor Shellfish and Skagit River Ranch, and has a rooftop garden that provides produce for some of its dishes.

2968 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 547-0937
(206) 547-0937

Canlis

2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Canlis is the traditional “stunt on ‘em” move for a big night out, and it still delivers, in large part because of new executive chef Aisha Ibrahim’s fresh take on the menu. (Last time we were there, the standout was a bite-sized version of shrimp toast that was a tiny symphony of umami.) But the surroundings are a big part of the show here — the view out over Lake Union, the carefully considered lighting, the exceptional glassware and ceramics. Try not to have a romantic night here.

2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-3313
(206) 283-3313
A piece of fish, a pastry, and a piece of shrimp toast.
A recent course at Canlis
Harry Cheadle

Sushi Suzuki

4116 1/2 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112

Sushi Suzuki is the omakase version of a speakeasy. It’s tucked away down a Madison Park alley and has fewer than a dozen seats. It’s a dinner party atmosphere presided over by Yasutaka Suzuki, who has knife skills other sushi chefs admire and a sense of humor too — he’ll bring out live prawns or the eerily elongated head of a cornet fish and invite guests to take pictures. And the sushi, much of it consisting of fish flown in from Japan, is as good or better than any in the city.

4116 1/2 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 466-6621
(206) 466-6621
The long head of a cornet fish on a sushi counter.
I want a fish with a small mouth and a loooooooong head
Harry Cheadle

mbar

400 Fairview Ave N 14th Floor, Seattle, WA 98109

Nothing says romance like spectacular city views, and you can find those to spare at this rooftop bar in South Lake Union. Sip a fruit-forward cocktail and enjoy Middle-Eastern-inspired snacks like hummus, baba ganoush, and green pea falafel. For a larger meal, try the halibut cheeks with saffron rice, or the mixed grill, which is big enough for the whole polycule.

400 Fairview Ave N 14th Floor, Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 457-8287
(206) 457-8287

Surrell

2319 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112

This Madison Valley restaurant by Chef Aaron Tekulve delivers one of the most powerful fine dining experiences in Seattle. The food is inventive and combines techniques from European and Asian culinary traditions, and the service includes touches like a glass of sangria at the door to welcome you and bouquets that you get to take home.

2319 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 402-5698
(206) 402-5698
A plate of a fatty cut of lamb cooked medium-rare with microgreens, garlic, and a brown sauce.
Lamb at Surrell
Harry Cheadle

Wa'z Seattle

411 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98121

One of Seattle’s only dedicated kaiseki restaurants, located in the shadow of the Space Needle, makes food almost too beautiful to eat. The premium kaiseki option takes diners on a journey that includes small bites, soup, sashimi, a braised dish, a grilled dish, a rice dish, and dessert. In keeping with kaiseki’s emphasis on seasonality, the menu changes monthly, and customers covet the counter seats, where the chef can tell diners the story of each dish, from ingredients to preparation to picturesque plating.

411 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-7119
(206) 441-7119

Spinasse

1531 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

More than 10 years in, and this romantic trattoria on Capitol Hill continues to entrance diners with food from Italy’s Piedmont region. The nest of delicate tajarin pasta with butter and sage sauce is a Seattle comfort food mainstay, but every dish from chef Stuart Lane is memorable. After a satisfying dinner at Spinasse, one might want to head over to next door sibling bar Artusi for a digestif and dessert, or stop by the bar another night for snacks like beef tongue with salsa tonnata (tuna sauce) and burrata with pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios.

1531 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 251-7673
(206) 251-7673

Le Pichet

1933 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

What’s more romantic than a dinner at this classic French bistro? How about having a roast chicken dinner for two? It can take up to an hour to roast the chicken, but that gives you time to work your way through some of Le Pichet’s wine list and charcuterie selections while staring into one another’s eyes and soaking up the vibes.

1933 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 256-1499
(206) 256-1499

Driftwood

2722 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116

The hyper-seasonal menu at this newish Alki dinner spot changes frequently, but the oysters and pull-apart rolls with lavender butter are constants, perfect for some light chat about your future, like what you’re going to order for an entree. Whatever you get will be a love letter to local meat and produce — Driftwood is so committed to sourcing their ingredients from nearby that it doesn’t have citrus anywhere, because none grows around here.

2722 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 420-7381
(206) 420-7381
A plate of oysters topped with apple.
Oysters at Driftwood
Harry Cheadle

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