Romantic Restaurants in Montgomery, Alabama

1. Central

Central is Montgomery's top-rated restaurant, located within the heart of the city's lovely downtown entertainment district. The upscale-casual restaurant features airy, romantic interiors and a reclaimed wood full-service bar.

Farm-to-table fare focuses on wood-fired fish and chops, crafted with locally-sourced seasonal ingredients.

Couples can choose from a variety of land and sea entree selections, including wood-fired grilled ribeyes with summer squash and fried shallots, peach-glazed barbecue pork chops with local peaches and golden raisins, wood-fired salmon with okra and sherry vinaigrette, and Gulf catch platters filled with Bayou crawfish and seasonal bean succotash.

Vegetarian pasta entrees are also served at Central, along with unique appetizer selections like Cajun seafood corn dogs with Creole beer mustard.

129 Coosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104, Phone: 334-517-1155, Map

2. Charles Anthony's Restaurant At The Pub

Charles Anthony's Restaurant At The Pub was originally founded in 1972 by restauranter Charles Anthony Kamburis, Jr., relocated to its current location on the Chantilly Parkway in 2005. The restaurant specializes in hand-cut steaks and fresh seafood offerings, prepared in house from scratch daily.

Diners can enjoy excellent land and sea offerings like grilled snapper with jumbo lump crab meat, trout Almondine prepared with Greek-style fish sauce, chicken supreme with toasted almonds and famous cream sauce, and creamy alfredo pasta topped with broccoli, squash, and carrots.

Couples can also share unique appetizer selections like steak roulades, fried fresh Bay oysters, pan-seared ahi tuna, and Gulf shrimp cocktail.

10044 Chantilly Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117, Phone: 334-281-3911, Map

3. The City Grill

The City Grill is the oldest and most prestigious white-linen restaurant in Alabama's River Region, located in Montgomery's Hampstead district since 1998. The locally-owned restaurant offers upscale-casual dining experiences in its elegant dining room, along with casual seating in its full-service bar, which offers high-definition televisions and a beautiful outside seasonal patio.

Couples can select from high-quality entree options like pan-seared cowboy ribeyes with Bordelaise sauce, grilled duck breast in port fig sauce, miso-glazed salmon with crabstick sushi rolls, and surf and turf platters showcasing filet of beef, grilled shrimp, and potato cakes.

An ever-evolving wine list pairs with cocktail and liquor selections from the restaurant's bar.

5251 Long Acre St #112, Montgomery, AL 36116, Phone: 334-244-0960, Map

4. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is a delicious American-style restaurant and steakhouse known for its top-notch wood-fired steaks and seafood entrees, served up in an upscale-casual lodge setting by executive chef Quintin Davis.

Diners can enjoy scratch-prepared fare at lunch and dinner throughout the week, served up in the restaurant's elegant dining room or outside on its spacious seasonal patio.

Prime cuts include center-cut filet mignon, aged ribeyes, chile-rubbed Delmonico, and Kobe beef meatloaf drenched in portabella mushroom sauce with spiced pecan green beans.

Surf and turf platters are also offered, along with specialties like pineapple chicken kebabs and signature Durango burgers, stuffed with pepperjack cheese and fried onions.

7078 Eastchase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117, Phone: 334-819-5132, website

5. Itta Bena

Itta Bena is a delightful restaurant located atop Montgomery's B.B. King's Blues Club, named in honor of the town where the legendary blues singer was born.

The restaurant, which was opened shortly following King's death in 2015, serves up cool Southern-style cuisine offerings with Delta twists in a relaxed, hospitable atmosphere.

Diners can enjoy high-quality favorites throughout the week at dinner like jambalaya pasta with Andouille sausage, grilled Gulf snapper with acorn squash puree and almond-cranberry wild rice, and signature Itta Bena burgers topped with porter beer-marbled white cheddar, pastrami, and bacon jam.

Classic ribeyes and surf and turf platters are also served, along with Gulf favorites like jumbo shrimp and grits platters.

A fine wine list adds to the romantic ambiance, as do live music performances showcased throughout the week on select evenings.

1801 Eddie L Tullis Rd, Montgomery, AL 36117, Phone: 334-514-5129, Map

6. La Jolla

La Jolla is a casual contemporary dining experience that has offered high-quality American-style fare at dinner each night since 2002.

The restaurant is flanked by simple, elegant design elements, including a cyprus wood full-service bar and signature concrete countertops.

Small and large plates take center stage, including Gulf seafood favorites like Dutch-oven seafood gumbo, seared New Bedford scallops in tarragon-tomato cream sauce, and pan-seared Gulf fresh daily catches prepared with fresh corn and cauliflower risotto and lemon-basil vinaigrette.

Diners can also enjoy gourmet steakhouse chops preparations or share globally-influenced tapas like sauteed escargots, fried Louisiana oysters, and West Indies-style citrus crab salad.

More than 100 wines on the restaurant's wine list are paired with a rotating selection of eight regional beers on draft.

8147 Vaughn Rd, Montgomery, AL 36116, Phone: 334-356-2600, website

7. Sinclair's East

Sinclair's East was originally opened as Sinclair's Cloverdale in 1992, striving to bring upscale-casual dining experiences to the Montgomery region. Though the original Sinclair's has shuttered its doors, the second East location has remained a staple on the city's dining scene since 1996, known for its casual atmosphere, full-service bar, and weekend brunch specials. Couples can select from a variety of steak, fish, and pasta entrees crafted with fresh seasonal ingredients, including European-style classics like chicken carbonara, seafood shrimp scampi, fettuccine alfredo, and homestyle Mama Nita's spaghetti pies. Clever homestyle fare includes stroganoff filet of tenderloin, chargrilled pepper jack chicken, ham and cheese puff pastries, and Pizza Delmar crafted with homemade marinara sauce and fresh steamed vegetables atop a flour tortilla.

7847 Vaughn Rd, Montgomery, AL 36117, Phone: 334-271-7654, Map

8. Vintage Year

Vintage Year was originally opened as the Chophouse at Vintage Year in 1984, reopened in its current incarnation in 2016 by new owners Jud Blount and Derk Lyerly. The restaurant, which is helmed by executive chef Eric Rivera, transforms a former gourmet lunch spot attached to a specialty wine shop into a full-service dining destination that has entertained the likes of Johnny Cochran and John F. Kennedy, Jr., throughout its tenure. It has been acclaimed in international publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, and USA Today as one of the American South's top dining destinations, awarded top honors from culinary institutions like Wine Spectator and OpenTable for its high-quality menus. Fresh hand-cut meats, prime Gulf seafood, and outstanding wines and spirits take center stage at lunch and dinner throughout the week in a romantic dining room area.

405 Cloverdale Rd, Montgomery, AL 36106, Phone: 334-819-7215, website