The 12 Best Restaurants in Denver for a Romantic Date Night

Wagyu steak, whole lobster, oysters, fine wine, and a setting exuding elegance all make this downtown spot the perfect restaurant for not only a really good meal, but date night, too. For an extra-intimate spot, reserve one of the velvet circle booths found scattered about Edge’s dining room. And don’t worry about dietary restrictions — executive chef Craig Dryhurst offers something delicious for everyone to eat, so diners can just concentrate on loving each other over a glass of wine while digging in to the meal. Bonus: the restaurant is located inside the swank Four Seasons Hotel, so the night can continue upstairs.

Oysters have a reputation as the most romantic food to order during an intimate meal, and Blue Island is the place to get ’em. Of course there’s so much more than oysters to sample here — think blackened scallops over bibb lettuce with blue cheese and bacon, peel-and-eat shrimp with spicy mustard, Maine lobster mac and cheese, and truffle butter-grilled king crab legs. Though Colorado is a land-locked state, the restaurant makes sure to bring diners the best fish they can get by sourcing seasonal oysters and seafood from Blue Island Shellfish Farms in Long Island, NY, which gets shipped in daily. Add on a martini or glass of Champagne, and this seafood feast is elegant enough for any date.

Snuggle up with your honey in a table for two at this LoDo Italian spot. The setting is beautiful, the food delightful, and the drinks list seductive. There are plenty of interesting dishes diners will want to try and talk about, such as fresh focaccia bread with pickled mustard seed, elk bolognese with fresh pasta and rosemary mascarpone, and seared scallops with saffron risotto and black truffle. Round out the meal with a craft cocktail or a booze-free garden mule, made with pineapple, ginger beer, orgeat, and Seedlip Garden.

This cafe in Belleview Station looks down-to-Earth, but even though there aren’t any frills, the beautiful plates of French food make any date feel special. Le French is owned by two Senegalese-French sisters, Aminata and Rougui Dia, and the whole setting exudes that of a bakery and cafe in Paris. Enjoy classics such as escargot in parsley-butter, moules frites with P.E.I. blue mussels, duck cassoulet, and savory crepes. On the bakery side there are fresh butter croissants (as well as almond and chocolate ones), cinnamon rolls, and muffins. Come in for a romantic breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa owns this elegant Denver restaurant known for fusing traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients. The Matsuhisa miso-cod plate is famous, and there are plenty of other options to choose from, too, from sushi to king crab tempura to lobster ceviche. While dining here is expensive, the food and dark wood decor make for an exquisite special-occasion evening.

Low lights, hanging curtains, and Indian decor add to the romantic atmosphere of this Capitol Hill spot. Spice things up with a bowl of shrimp curry or lamb vindaloo, or share a dish of butter chicken and rich fish korma. The menu is vast, so whether on a date with a new love or someone that’s been in the picture for umpteen years, there’s something for everyone to try, plus vegetarian and gluten-free options. Pair the meal with a cooling glass of white wine, a cold Kingfisher Indian lager, or a tall glass of sweet mango lassi.

Bring a date downtown to chef Michael Beary’s intimate Oaxacan restaurant. Then, heat things up with a plate of kurobuta pork tenderloin with grilled cactus and red mole, or the chicken rellenos with cheese and tomato salsa. Also on the menu is cheese dip laced with chorizo and served with warm corn tortillas, red pozole pork stew, and Mayan-style fried calamari with annato seed-garlic. Not only is the food worthy of any romantic dinner, but Beary is working to preserve rare chile peppers from extinction. So diners can taste history being made through the chilhuacle and mole sauce.

Book a reservation in advance for this popular rooftop restaurant where not only do you have great food and drinks to celebrate with while on a date, but there’s also an unmatched view of the city for those moments when not looking into the other person’s eyes. The specialty of the house is Spanish and Mediterranean small plates, which come in the form of smoked burrata with Calabrian chile and guanciale, Moroccan lamb sausage with feta and hummus, and goat cheese croquettes with crispy jamon and spicy honey. Large dishes of paella are also available for sharing.

This stunning tasting room not only serves cocktails made with its own spirits, but a small and well-crafted food menu, too. Order the bee’s knees made with earl gray-infused gin, lemon, and honey, and pair it with the curried red lentil dip and a seasonal charcuterie board. Or, share a flight of spirits with your date and add on some house pickles and a smoked chicken salad to enjoy a true taste of Colorado. Bonus: diners can take a bottle to go in order to continue the date after dinner.

Swanky booths, perfect plates of pasta, and a cold negroni make this RiNo Italian place a sweet spot for a romantic date. Get cozy over a plate of Berkshire pork ragu and pappardelle, orecchiette with saffron and snow crab, or chicken Milanese over creamy polenta and salad. Everything in this place is craveable and sharing with a loved one is 100 percent encouraged. Pair any dish with a bottle of Italian wine, one of the many signature cocktails, a dram of amaro, or crafted non-alcoholic drink.

Spanish tapas and wine, intimate seating, and large goblets of gin and tonic make chef Jennifer Jasinski’s Union Station Spanish spot a lively place to bring a date. After all, the act of sharing small plates shows a level of closeness most couples can get behind. Order the roasted carrots with honey and whipped goat cheese, pan con tomate with marinated white anchovies, a trio of Spanish hams and, for those who want something larger to nosh on, the glazed Moorish spice ribs with Basque chiles. Not only does the cuisine sing a song of steamy nights in Barcelona, but the restaurant also gives diners the feeling that they jetted away somewhere exotic for this special occasion.

This RiNo ramen joint is perfect for those looking for a cozy evening with soul-warming food. Chef and restaurateur Jeff Osaka runs the snug spot where steaming bowls of tonkotsu and spicy miso ramen are paired lovingly with sides of okonomiyaki fries and chicken karaage. Make sure to order the mochi donuts with kinako sugar and salted butter that Osaka put on the menu in honor of his wife. Sake is a popular beverage, as is an ice cold craft beer or pot of hot green tea.