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Blue and gold bar stools line a dark brown bar, with backless silver stools arranged at a window counter. — Nathálie Wine Bar in Fenway.

15 Date-Night Destinations Around Boston

Great places to dine with a date, whether you’re looking for cozy conversation or lively fun

by Dana Hatic and Erika Adams Updated Apr 24, 2023, 12:26pm EDT

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Nathálie Wine Bar in Fenway.

| Nathálie Wine Bar

by Dana Hatic and Erika Adams Updated Apr 24, 2023, 12:26pm EDT

Planning a dinner date can be a challenge, but luckily plenty of restaurants in the Boston area make it easier. Here’s an assortment of standbys to cover any special-occasion need: places for casual and quiet conversation, swanky spots with two-person set menus, comfortable restaurants with affordable meals, and a few high-end classics.

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Moëca

Reservations are slightly easier to come by at this seafood-focused second act from the team behind perpetually booked-out Giulia just down the street. Set the tone for a fun night out by starting with an order of unicorn oysters topped with an icy rhubarb granita, and be sure to stick around for something sweet as pastry chef Renae Connolly is one of Boston’s top dessert talents.

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1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

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Four oysters topped with pink ice, arranged on a blue plate. — The unicorn oysters at Moëca.

Also featured in:

Celeste

Celeste, Eater Boston’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year, is a lively little Somerville gem filled with upbeat music, pisco, and the tempting scent of lomo saltado being fired up in the open kitchen. Get a reservation, and get ready to eat lots of ceviche.

21 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143

Visit Website

A vibrantly colored portion of ceviche is presented on a white plate on a white table, with a glass of beer on the side. — Ceviche and a beer at Celeste.

Also featured in:

Little Donkey

This buzzy restaurant in Central Square has a globally influenced menu designed for sharing. The cocktails are great, too, and for dessert there’s cookie dough whimsically served on a batter beater. Make a reservation if you’re in a plan-ahead mood, or be prepared to wait a bit at the bar for a table if you just show up — it’s quite a popular spot.

505 Massachusetts Ave #4018, Cambridge, MA 02139

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Pale red bar stools line an L-shaped bar, with a chalkboard wall displaying menu items off to the right. — Pull up a seat at Little Donkey.

Also featured in:

Mamma Maria

A romantic fine-dining restaurant in the North End’s North Square, Mamma Maria serves all the Italian classics, including osso buco, Tuscan-style rabbit pappardelle, and lobster agnolotti. The menu rotates, so enjoy the flavors of the month with a glass of wine.

3 N Square, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Lone Star Taco Bar

How about a casual taco dinner at Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston? It’s especially welcoming if you’re in the mood for a late-night date or a stellar hidden patio. Get some margaritas, too. A second location in Cambridge has an identical menu.

479 Cambridge St, Allston, MA 02134

Visit Website

Two tacos sit on a plate with a sliver of lime. — Tacos at Lone Star.

Also featured in:

Little Tao

Chef Tao Liu, who hails from Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, is behind Sichuan newcomer Little Tao in Allston. The laid-back restaurant’s spicy noodle soups will leave your lips buzzing long after the last slurp, and you won’t soon forget the brothy Chengdu mini pots filled with beef and pork intestine, either.

Open in Google Maps

1153 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Visit Website

Lolita

Lolita’s newer Fort Point location is an experience. It’s gorgeous, like its sibling restaurants; the food is solid; there’s tequila aplenty; and the bill comes with cotton candy. The original Back Bay location also recently reopened after extensive renovations and it, too, is an experience.

Open in Google Maps

253 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Nathálie

This intimate bar in Fenway is perfect for sharing a multi-dish meal over excellent glasses of wine. Nathálie is a comfortable spot for a date, with plenty of activities in the neighborhood if you want to extend the evening.

Open in Google Maps

186 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Myers + Chang

Myers + Chang is a reliable destination for high-quality food and service, and there’s even a designated “great date night” menu at the self-described “Asian-ish” neighborhood restaurant, a South End favorite for over a decade. Go on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. and choose from three multi-dish dinners for $60 to $70 — that’s the price for two diners, not per person.

1145 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

A bright restaurant interior with high tan stools and decorative window art. — Myers + Chang.

Also featured in:

Tasca Restaurant

A Boston-born portal to Spain, Tasca is the place to go for a seemingly never-ending menu of tapas, paellas, and bottles of wine for $50 or less. On Tuesdays, there’s a tapas happy hour of sorts with a selection of $5 plates from 4 to 6 p.m.

1612 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Boston’s Best After-Work Dining Deals

Fox & the Knife

Go for the aperitivo flights, stay for the cheesy focaccia bread and the spaghetti with clams: Fox & the Knife, one of the best new restaurants in the country when it debuted in 2019, continues to impress with its excellent dishes, not to mention the delicious cocktails and friendly staff.

28 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

Overhead view of a round white plate filled with bright green twists of pasta. — Pistachio pesto pasta at Fox & the Knife.

Also featured in:

Prairie Fire

True to its name, Prairie Fire features wood-fired dishes, including crispy pizzas, mushrooms dressed up with black garlic and egg yolk, and oysters topped with bread crumbs and green garlic scampi butter. There’s a select list of cocktails, wine, and craft beer, as well.

242 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The Most Comforting New Pasta Dishes in Boston

Mida

Sure, there are a lot of good Italian options out there, but don’t miss Mida. Its Monday night special, in particular, is perfect for a date: For $80 for two people, feast on five pastas of your choice (made in-house, of course), salad, and bread.

782 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

An overhead shot of dishes of various pastas laid out on a white table with drinks interspersed throughout. — Pastas at Mida.

Also featured in:

Ethiopian Cafe

It’s hard to top a dinner date spent scooping up fiery portions of lentils and lamb and beef tibs with spongey, soft injera at Ethiopian Cafe. Meat and vegetarian combination platters are each under $40 for two people, and the restaurant is BYOB. (Walk over to Streetcar to grab beer or wine ahead of time.)

377 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Visit Website

Restaurante Cesaria

For a chic night out, head to lush Cape Verdean restaurant Cesaria in Dorchester. The menu highlights lots of seafood preparations from the island country, including crispy octopus, spicy shrimp, and grilled salted cod. There’s also an outdoor patio for dining in warmer weather, and keep an eye on social media for live music nights.

266 Bowdoin St, Boston, MA 02122

Visit Website

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Moëca

1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Reservations are slightly easier to come by at this seafood-focused second act from the team behind perpetually booked-out Giulia just down the street. Set the tone for a fun night out by starting with an order of unicorn oysters topped with an icy rhubarb granita, and be sure to stick around for something sweet as pastry chef Renae Connolly is one of Boston’s top dessert talents.

Open in Google Maps

1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Visit Website

Four oysters topped with pink ice, arranged on a blue plate. — The unicorn oysters at Moëca.

Celeste

21 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143

Celeste, Eater Boston’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year, is a lively little Somerville gem filled with upbeat music, pisco, and the tempting scent of lomo saltado being fired up in the open kitchen. Get a reservation, and get ready to eat lots of ceviche.

21 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143

Visit Website

A vibrantly colored portion of ceviche is presented on a white plate on a white table, with a glass of beer on the side. — Ceviche and a beer at Celeste.

Little Donkey

505 Massachusetts Ave #4018, Cambridge, MA 02139

This buzzy restaurant in Central Square has a globally influenced menu designed for sharing. The cocktails are great, too, and for dessert there’s cookie dough whimsically served on a batter beater. Make a reservation if you’re in a plan-ahead mood, or be prepared to wait a bit at the bar for a table if you just show up — it’s quite a popular spot.

505 Massachusetts Ave #4018, Cambridge, MA 02139

Visit Website

Pale red bar stools line an L-shaped bar, with a chalkboard wall displaying menu items off to the right. — Pull up a seat at Little Donkey.

Mamma Maria

3 N Square, Boston, MA 02113

A romantic fine-dining restaurant in the North End’s North Square, Mamma Maria serves all the Italian classics, including osso buco, Tuscan-style rabbit pappardelle, and lobster agnolotti. The menu rotates, so enjoy the flavors of the month with a glass of wine.

3 N Square, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

Lone Star Taco Bar

479 Cambridge St, Allston, MA 02134

How about a casual taco dinner at Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston? It’s especially welcoming if you’re in the mood for a late-night date or a stellar hidden patio. Get some margaritas, too. A second location in Cambridge has an identical menu.

479 Cambridge St, Allston, MA 02134

Visit Website

Two tacos sit on a plate with a sliver of lime. — Tacos at Lone Star.

Little Tao

1153 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Chef Tao Liu, who hails from Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, is behind Sichuan newcomer Little Tao in Allston. The laid-back restaurant’s spicy noodle soups will leave your lips buzzing long after the last slurp, and you won’t soon forget the brothy Chengdu mini pots filled with beef and pork intestine, either.

Open in Google Maps

1153 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Visit Website

Lolita

253 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210

Lolita’s newer Fort Point location is an experience. It’s gorgeous, like its sibling restaurants; the food is solid; there’s tequila aplenty; and the bill comes with cotton candy. The original Back Bay location also recently reopened after extensive renovations and it, too, is an experience.

Open in Google Maps

253 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210

Visit Website

Nathálie

186 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215

This intimate bar in Fenway is perfect for sharing a multi-dish meal over excellent glasses of wine. Nathálie is a comfortable spot for a date, with plenty of activities in the neighborhood if you want to extend the evening.

Open in Google Maps

186 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Myers + Chang

1145 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Myers + Chang is a reliable destination for high-quality food and service, and there’s even a designated “great date night” menu at the self-described “Asian-ish” neighborhood restaurant, a South End favorite for over a decade. Go on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. and choose from three multi-dish dinners for $60 to $70 — that’s the price for two diners, not per person.

1145 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

A bright restaurant interior with high tan stools and decorative window art. — Myers + Chang.

Tasca Restaurant

1612 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA 02135

A Boston-born portal to Spain, Tasca is the place to go for a seemingly never-ending menu of tapas, paellas, and bottles of wine for $50 or less. On Tuesdays, there’s a tapas happy hour of sorts with a selection of $5 plates from 4 to 6 p.m.

1612 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Fox & the Knife

28 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Go for the aperitivo flights, stay for the cheesy focaccia bread and the spaghetti with clams: Fox & the Knife, one of the best new restaurants in the country when it debuted in 2019, continues to impress with its excellent dishes, not to mention the delicious cocktails and friendly staff.

28 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

Overhead view of a round white plate filled with bright green twists of pasta. — Pistachio pesto pasta at Fox & the Knife.

Prairie Fire

242 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

True to its name, Prairie Fire features wood-fired dishes, including crispy pizzas, mushrooms dressed up with black garlic and egg yolk, and oysters topped with bread crumbs and green garlic scampi butter. There’s a select list of cocktails, wine, and craft beer, as well.

242 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Visit Website

Mida

782 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118

Sure, there are a lot of good Italian options out there, but don’t miss Mida. Its Monday night special, in particular, is perfect for a date: For $80 for two people, feast on five pastas of your choice (made in-house, of course), salad, and bread.

782 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

An overhead shot of dishes of various pastas laid out on a white table with drinks interspersed throughout. — Pastas at Mida.

Ethiopian Cafe

377 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

It’s hard to top a dinner date spent scooping up fiery portions of lentils and lamb and beef tibs with spongey, soft injera at Ethiopian Cafe. Meat and vegetarian combination platters are each under $40 for two people, and the restaurant is BYOB. (Walk over to Streetcar to grab beer or wine ahead of time.)

377 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Visit Website

Restaurante Cesaria

266 Bowdoin St, Boston, MA 02122

For a chic night out, head to lush Cape Verdean restaurant Cesaria in Dorchester. The menu highlights lots of seafood preparations from the island country, including crispy octopus, spicy shrimp, and grilled salted cod. There’s also an outdoor patio for dining in warmer weather, and keep an eye on social media for live music nights.

266 Bowdoin St, Boston, MA 02122

Visit Website

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