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<\/div>\nWhile Valentine\u2019s Day<\/a> is a time-honored excuse for roses, champagne<\/a>, and diamonds<\/a>, it\u2019s also one of the most popular nights of the year to dine out. The challenge, of course, is choosing where.<\/p>\n You could lean into tradition with white tablecloths and candlelit Italian \u2013 perfect for a Lady and the Tramp\u2013style spaghetti moment. Or perhaps French fine dining is more your speed. Some couples gravitate toward seafood, sharing a chilled platter of oysters or a towering shellfish spread, while others prefer the intensity of an omakase counter, where the evening unfolds course by course.<\/p>\n To help narrow the field, Elite Traveler<\/em> has curated a list of the best restaurants for Valentine\u2019s Day in New York City.<\/a> Whatever your idea of romantic dining looks like, consider this your starting point for Valentine\u2019s Day restaurants in NYC.<\/p>\n Muku<\/strong><\/p>\n Still relatively new to the New York City dining scene after opening in September, this ten-seat chef\u2019s table restaurant is offering a limited-time experience for Valentine\u2019s Day weekend in NYC, with a menu devoted to one of Japan\u2019s most prized winter delicacies: kani.<\/p>\n For Muku\u2019s<\/a> special Valentine\u2019s Day menu, Chef Manabu will serve Japanese snow crab in various forms, showcasing the ingredient\u2019s natural sweetness through shabu-shabu, charcoal grilling, and his signature hand-cut soba.<\/p>\n Guests are also welcome to bring their own bottles (corkage is $175 per bottle), making the evening a perfect opportunity to open that special vintage or sake you\u2019ve been saving for the occasion.<\/p>\n muku.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Per Se<\/strong><\/p>\n If your partner loves fine dining, why not mark Valentine\u2019s Day with one of NYC’s three-Michelin-star<\/a> experiences?<\/p>\n Chef Thomas Keller\u2019s Per Se<\/a> will begin the evening with a glass of champagne, followed by a special Valentine\u2019s tasting menu. The refined French restaurant also boasts one of the most extensive wine lists in New York City, with more than 2,000 bottles available to complement the meal.<\/p>\n Priced at $1,000 per diner, it\u2019s one of the most glamorous Valentine\u2019s Day dinners in NYC.<\/p>\n thomaskeller.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Marea<\/strong><\/p>\n For oysters and seafood-driven romance, head to Marea\u2019s<\/a> raw bar. The name translates to \u2018tide\u2019 in Italian, and the menu reflects it, with seafood pastas, lump crab, and lobster taking center stage.<\/p>\n The restaurant will serve a Valentine\u2019s Day four-course prix fixe menu with an optional wine pairing. Start your evening with caviar \u2013 four types to choose from \u2013 served with gougeres, chips, brioche, chives, and creme fraiche.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other menu highlights include tuna tartare, Nova Scotia lobster with burrata, pan-seared wild Dover sole, squid ink ravioli, and king crab mafaldine. And for dessert, the tiramisu is a must.<\/p>\n marearestaurant.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Masa<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for an experience that prioritizes the food over decor, book two seats at Masa<\/a>. One of the most revered sushi restaurants in New York City, the minimalist dining room allows the ingredients to take full focus.<\/p>\n Chef Masa Takayama blends traditional Japanese dining with modern technique for an immersive omakase experience. For Valentine\u2019s Day, Masa offers a Hinoki Counter Experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the rules are strict \u2013 no photography, videography, or strong fragrance \u2013 the evening is unforgettable, with counter seating starting at $1,150 per person.<\/p>\n masanyc.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The Modern<\/strong><\/p>\n The Modern<\/a> showcases Chef Thomas Allan\u2019s contemporary cooking in an upscale dining room overlooking MoMA\u2019s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.<\/p>\n Valentine\u2019s Day diners can enjoy a six-course tasting menu on both Friday and Saturday, featuring oysters, venison tartare, grilled diver scallop, and Australian wagyu beef, complemented by salsify and pickled red cabbage. Dessert leans chocolate-forward, with a dark chocolate cremeaux paired with black cherry and almond.<\/p>\n If you already have dinner plans, The Modern is also offering a four-course prix fixe lunch on February 14.<\/p>\n themodernnyc.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Gabriel Kreuther<\/strong><\/p>\n Overlooking Bryant Park in Midtown, Gabriel Kreuther<\/a> is a contemporary French-American restaurant where Alsatian-born Chef Gabriel Kreuther delivers some of New York City\u2019s most celebrated fine dining.<\/p>\n The art-filled dining room, complete with cream-colored banquettes, set a romantic tone, ideal for Valentine\u2019s Day. The weekend\u2019s prix fixe menu will include dishes such as king crab cooked in sweet seaweed butter, Perigord black truffle tagliatelle with confit egg yolk, and Snake River Farms wagyu strip steak with a bone marrow crust and butterball potatoes.<\/p>\n The wine list is especially strong in Rieslings, Pinot Blancs, and Gew\u00fcrztraminers, nodding to the chef\u2019s Alsatian roots.<\/p>\n gknyc.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Ai Fiori<\/strong><\/p>\n Translated as \u2018among the flowers,\u2019 Ai Fiori <\/a>serves Riviera-inspired dishes influenced by both France and Italy, from Nice to Portofino. Found on the second floor of The Langham on Fifth Avenue, it\u2019s a classic New York setting for Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n Throughout the weekend, the restaurant will offer a five-course Valentine\u2019s set menu alongside its regular offerings. The meal begins with an oyster, followed by a choice of trofie nero, pesto campanelle, or veal breast and reblochon ravioli.\u00a0<\/p>\n Seafood makes up the third course, while the fourth offers wagyu ribeye, roasted quail, or market beets with rice, pomelo, shiitake mushrooms, and yogurt.<\/p>\n aifiorinyc.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Restaurant<\/strong> Daniel<\/strong><\/p>\n For Valentine\u2019s Day in New York City, it\u2019s hard to go wrong with a reservation at Chef Daniel Boulud\u2019s flagship Upper East Side restaurant. A pillar of the city\u2019s dining scene since 1993, Daniel remains one of the most in-demand restaurants in New York, making for a memorable evening.<\/p>\n Inside, coffered ceilings topped with Bernardaud porcelain chandeliers, along with art by James Rosenquist, make for an elegant dining room, while Executive Chef Eddy Leroux\u2019s cuisine matches the refined atmosphere.For Valentine\u2019s Day, Daniel<\/a> offers a five-course tasting menu throughout the weekend, plus a three-course prix fixe lunch on February 14. <\/p>\n Each course is themed \u2013 exotic, delicate, sumptuous, seductive, and tender \u2013 with dishes spanning foie gras, roe quail eggs, Ossetra caviar, Massachusetts Jonah crab, black truffle, and wagyu beef.<\/p>\nOur Guide to Valentine\u2019s Day Restaurants in New York City<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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