Planning a fun day or dreamy night out? These NYC date ideas blend iconic sights, cozy corners, and creative experiences you’ll both love.
Highlights:
Unique NYC Date Ideas:
1. The Ribbon
Rating: ★★★★★
The Ribbon is a Zagat-recommended and Michelin-starred Upper West Side restaurant that was the recipient of OpenTable’s 2018 Diner’s Choice Award. The restaurant is cultivated by brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg, whose Blue Ribbon restaurants have been favorites throughout New York and Las Vegas since the 1990s. Its menu offers classic, refined American fare to please all tastes, including seafood dishes, craft burgers, and spit-roasted butcher’s plates.
It occupies the former space of the historic 1920s Hotel Franconia and strives to embody the sophistication of the famed neighborhood in a refined dining experience. Brunch is served on weekend mornings, and an extensive whiskey bar offers international options.
20 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10023, Phone: 212-787-5656
2. Hearth
Hearth is an East Village favorite that serves sustainable, healthy Tuscan-American dishes crafted by chef Marco Canora. All of the restaurant’s fare prioritizes whole foods, utilizing the freshest meats and vegetables possible and focusing on healthy, natural fats such as virgin olive oil and grass-fed ghee.
A full-table chef’s tasting menu is available at dinner, along with rustic dishes such as potato gnocchi, whole roasted fish, and grass-fed beef tartare. Full wine and cider menus are available, along with craft cocktails emphasizing fruit and herbal ingredients. On the weekends, the restaurant serves brunch beginning at 11:00am, offering healthy breakfast bowls, fruit-infused French toast, and bottomless mimosa and bloody mary options.
403 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009, Phone: 646-602-1300
3. The Wren
The Wren is one of the Bowery’s hottest spots, offering inventive pub fare and sophisticated drinks seven days a week in a rustic industrial atmosphere. Hearty dinner options include classic dishes such as pulled pork sandwiches, pan-roasted chicken breast, and fish and chips, with full cheese and snack boards and a wide variety of bar bites available. Draft and bottle beer offerings focus on wild ales and barrel-aged variants, while a craft cocktail list showcases drinks with Mexican-inspired flair. On weekends and holiday Mondays, a full brunch menu serves avocado toast, breakfast burgers, and shareable starters such as bourbon-infused churros. For couples looking to extend their dates, the bar is conveniently located near lower Manhattan attractions such as Washington Square Park, the Standard, and the Public Theater.
344 Bowery, New York, NY 10012, Phone: 212-388-0148
Affordable NYC Date Ideas:
4. The Spaniard
The Spaniard is the latest project from chef PJ Calapa, known for his work at top Manhattan restaurants Nobu and Ai Fiori. The sleek gastropub opened in April of 2017, occupying the West Village space that formerly housed Oliver’s City Tavern, and is intended to evoke the atmosphere of traditional Irish public houses. Menus pay homage to classic Irish and New York fare, offering items such as spinach-topped oysters Rockefeller, steak tartare, and beef patty melts. Over 100 scotches and whiskeys are stocked at the pub’s bar, with a cocktail list offered that highlights traditional favorites such as Penicillins and rosemary Manhattans.
190 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014, Phone: 212-918-1986
5. Kobrick Coffee Co.
Kobrick Coffee Co. has been a New York institution for nearly a century, founded in the early 20th century by roaster Samuel Kobrick, who envisioned a product that would reproduce Manhattan’s effervescent energy in a brewed cup. Today, the company is helmed by third-generation Kobrick family members and continues to produce certified organic, fair trade, and kosher coffees that reflect their growing region’s individual character and flavor profile.
A cafe in Chelsea is conveniently located near attractions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and Chelsea Market, serving classic coffee shop beverages and coffee-infused cocktails, including a number of health-conscious options with ingredients such as coconut oil and green coffee extract.
24 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014, Phone: 212-255-5588
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