It’s cuffing season in Manhattan. Summer is long gone and with it the carefree nights drinking on rooftops or boats with friends (re: Le Bain, Grand Banks). With fall—and 9 to 5s—in full swing again, we’ve curated a list of no fail places for date nights around the city so you can switch up your normal routine and spend less time reading, and re-reading, Yelp reviews—and more time planning your outfit. Brave your transition from Rosé to Merlot and read on for the eight best date night spots in the city this fall—don’t get left out in the cold.
1. SUGARFISH
Have your date believing you’re as trendy (if not trendier) than anyone you both know from California with dinner at SUGARFISH, the LA based sushi chain with a cult following, opening next week in Flatiron. The “trust me” is perhaps the most popular item on the menu and also can double as a first date conversation starter if you want to talk about trust issues early on (totally up to you).
2. Pizza Beach
Head to Pizza Beach on the Lower East Side, the only beach you’ll be at for a while as Fall weather approaches, for classic salads, pizza, and apps to share. With cocktails like “Berry East” and “Endless Summer” you’ll feel like you’re back on the Island or wherever you summer, blissfully unaware of the emails from work you have yet to respond to.
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3. Tacombi
For a more laid back date night, head to Tacombi in the West Village for the best tacos in Manhattan. This open-air spot on Bleecker Street is home to some of the best Mexican food in the city. Order a few margaritas or Modelos, some tacos along with chips and guac (to share, of course). With the brightly painted walls and beach vibe you’ll be feeling like you’re on a date in Montauk, or maybe even Mexico. Oh, and did we mention tacos?
4. Il Mulino
Head to this intimate Italian spot in the Village and take a page from Drake’s playbook (“sippin vino at Il Mulino”). Home to the best pasta in the city, Il Mulino is an intimate, candlelit spot perfect for date night and satisfying your weekly (daily?) carb craving. Split the chocolate cake for dessert and wonder why you haven’t been coming here your whole life.
5. Jack’s Wife Freda
Start or end your SoHo stroll with a stop at Jack’s Wife Freda off of Spring for a casual, fun evening. With a lively bar scene and an upgraded diner menu, Jack’s Wife is the perfect spot for an intimate dinner. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu (although the daily pasta is a personal favorite). And if all goes well, the second date can be brunch! Also, this place is Instagram gold.
Brunch & Gadgets with @venuswaslike love your pics:)
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6. Her name is Han
For a more low-key date night, head into Her name is Han in Gramercy for what has been deemed “Korean soul food” by regulars. Han is a hole in the wall restaurant with the best Korean barbecue in the city. The intimate, low-lit atmosphere is also a plus, as is the food itself.
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7. Grazie
The trip uptown is worth it for date night at Grazie, an Upper East Side brownstone-turned-restaurant perfect for a romantic evening. Snag a corner table upstairs underneath the dimly lit chandelier post-Met exhibition, order a bottle of wine, and try to avoid talking about the election while the fireplace roars to life.
8. Sweets by CHLOE.
End your night on a ~sweet~ note with a stop at Sweets by CHLOE., the newest addition to the by CHLOE. family which recently opened on Bleecker Street. Stop in and split an Insta worthy dessert…maybe you can have your cake and eat it too, after all?
Sweetest sweet shop there is ? #bychloe #sweets #organic #vegan #healthy #food #newyork
A photo posted by L O U I S E E S T W A L L ⭐️ (@louiseestwall) on