Restaurants for Romance

Where Soft Lighting and Culinary Magic Conspire

by John Mariani

British playwright and wit Noel Coward once said that "ninety-five percent of romance is good lighting." When soft, flattering illumination, discrete décor, unobtrusive service and exquisite cuisine and wine conspire, love has a better-than-even chance of success—especially in a world where noise, hard surfaces and bare wooden tables are considered trend-setting.

With such beneficial factors in mind, here are some of my top picks for restaurants that are likely to up the odds for your romantic evening, whether it falls on Valentine’s Day or any other.

Montagna

Aspen’s most stylish hotel, The Little Nell, has Aspen’s most stylish restaurant, Montagna. Its seductive powers begin in the bar-lounge, set with rattan bistro chairs, linen walls and white marble tables, and then grow stronger in a dining room with walls finished in a yellow glaze and a ceiling decorated with rustic wood and iron chandeliers. There is also a beautiful wine room for private dining, with a splendid fireplace and walls of wine bottles from the Nell’s award-winning list.

The menu features "Alpine Cuisine," which stresses the kind of hearty fare enjoyed in high-mountain ski resorts. Chef Paul Wade delivers big flavors in dishes like a superb grilled veal chop with fingerling potatoes and pear jus, wood-smoked tenderloin of beef with a potato gratin and mushroom ragoût, salmon pastrami with corn blini and caviar, and roast duckling with vanilla-scented mashed potatoes and an elderberry compote. Stellar desserts range from an upside-down pear-and-honey spice cake with hazelnut ice cream to a warm apple-and-huckleberry crisp with buttermilk ice cream. Sommelier Rich Betts is on hand to make the choice of wines effortless from a cache of more than 11,000 bottles and 800 selections.

The Dining Room at Woodlands

One of the loveliest of all American estates, 30 minutes from Charleston, SC, is Woodlands Resort & Inn, on acres of rambling, landscaped Low Country scenery. The pillared, two-tiered The Dining Room at Woodlands features a cloud-painted ceiling, amiable European-style service and a great wine list, making this one of the finest, most romantic dining experiences in the South.

Spiaggia

You might begin with potato-crusted bay scallops with red corn polenta and roasted celery root jus; or a pavé of kampachi with hot ginger mignonette. Then, move on to such sophisticated fare as pistachio-roasted venison with a blue cheese-yam purée and caramelized onion sauce. End the evening on a promising note with a St. Domingue chocolate cake with truffle cream and passion fruit mousse.

A table on the second floor of Chicago’s Spiaggia looks out over the well-named Magnificent Mile and the city’s majestic skyscrapers, a stirring sight. This 22-year-old restaurant soars as one of America’s great Italian dining rooms. You sit in a tall, caressing booth and admire the lights of the city while feasting on Tony Mantuano’s fabulous cuisine, typified by wood-roasted sea scallops with porcini mushrooms and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano; creamy risotto with wild mushrooms, summer truffles and sweet corn jus; and charcoal-grilled veal chop with Swiss chard and crispy veal sweetbread. Resistance is futile.

Fountain

The most romantic room in Philadelphia is Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel. The menu eschews trendiness while also breaking from conformity in a way that makes every new, seasonal dish appear fresh, bright and seductive. The effusively handsome dining room has a grand view of the eponymous circular outdoor fountain, and you simply won't find a service staff that comes even close to the cordial professionalism, without a whit of pretension, that you’ll enjoy here. All the while, you’ll dine on delicacies like braised black bass fillet with pickled cherry tomatoes, vegetable barigoule and bouillabaisse reduction; sautéed Maine codfish with green apple salad, carrot ribbons, micro-watercress salad and shellfish jus; and roast squab breast with truffled jambonette, leek tartine, potato and game jus.

White Barn Inn

Nestled in its own neck of dark woods on Maine’s magnificent coastline in Kennebunkport, the White Barn Inn sets a standard for reclusive romance, from the elegance of its rooms and amenities to the rustic charms of its fine restaurant within what was once two 19th-century barns. Chef Jonathan Cartwright sets a menu that changes with weekly seasonal specials, all based on the finest New England provender, as in the house-cured duck prosciutto in a pea foam, served with a crispy duck confit, Yukon gold croutons, herb salad and plum wine vinegar; a platter of salt cod fritters with sautéed calamari, a tomato confit salad, chickpea flatbread and saffron aïoli; and a raspberry soufflé with yogurt and raspberry ripple ice cream (which, by the way, goes nicely with any of a slew of dessert wines from the exceptional list). After dining so satisfyingly, you’ll head back to your room to sleep under a turned-down quilt as the Down East wind flits in from the sea and waves break over the rocky shore.

New York has so many romantic possibilities—from the Sea Grill overlooking the Rockefeller Center skating rink to the sophisticated élan of Le Bernardin. But for sheer drama and excellent food via chef Ari Nieminen, Water’s Edge in Long Island City, reached via its own five-minute ferry ride, can’t be beat for its breathtaking panorama of the Manhattan skyline. You’ll be cordially received and graciously served dishes like Dover sole with fondant potatoes, lemon and capers; seared duck foie gras on baby spinach with huckleberries; and crisp sweetbreads with an onion soubise and goat’s cheese gnocchi in Madeira sauce. The view will touch your heart, which is why the staff has gotten used to providing engagement rings at pre-arranged moments many nights each month.

As that last bit of information might suggest, choosing the right restaurant is only the first step in creating the perfect romantic evening. The rest is entirely up to you!

John Mariani is well known for his frank and poignant writing in Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and co-author, with his wife, of the Italian-American Cookbook.

(Updated: 09/22/10 NW)