From cozy and intimate neighborhood bistros to sleek restaurants within downtown skyscrapers, Chicago is filled with romantic date night eateries. There are the requisite Italian restaurants and French bistros, but those are far from the only type of cuisine on this list. From a James Beard Award-winning chef’s Southern food and clubby steakhouses specializing in surf and turf to fondue alongside live music and a sleek new omakase spot, there are no shortage of options for a romantic evening on the town.
But what makes a restaurant romantic isn’t just the food—it’s also the setting and ambiance, whether that’s an intimate, candlelit table or soft music playing in the background. Greenery is a popular feature at many Chicago restaurants to soften up an urban space, whether suspended from the ceiling or via potted plants evoking a lush, tropical atmosphere. A stellar wine cellar and a dessert menu that you simply can’t resist are major assets, too—especially when you want to extend the meal to really make a night out of it.
Below, see 12 of Chicago’s most romantic restaurants to consider booking for your next date night.
The Most Romantic Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois
Geja’s Cafe
340 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
Open since 1965, this dinner-only spot in Lincoln Park pulls out all the stops for romance, from cozy wooden booths and dim lighting to live music and fondue—both cheese and chocolate. Choose from 16 Fondue Dinners, such as “The Connoisseur,” beef tenderloin, cold-water lobster tail and white shrimp; and “Prince Geja’s Combination,” which also includes sea scallops and boneless chicken breast. All dinners are served with Swiss cheese fondue, breads, vegetables and fruits, plus eight dipping sauces. There are also two vegetarian and plant-based chicken dinners. Meals include a chocolate-fondue dessert course with marshmallows you can roast at the table.
Geja’s Cafe.
Courtesy of Geja’s Cafe
Nobu Chicago
854 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607
The Midwest’s only Nobu restaurant debuted in late 2020 in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood, fittingly attached to Nobu Hotel. Celebrated for its six-course omakase menu, with input from both the chef and diners, the best seat is at the bar, where you can watch the sushi chefs whip up your meal. Cocktails such as the lychee and elderflower martini or Chi-Town Cooler, featuring pineapple rum, pair well with the cuisine. The glass-walled restaurant is at the street level, with high ceilings and artsy glass light fixtures in the dining room for a glam effect.
Nobu Chicago.
Courtesy of Nobu
Miru
401 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60601
Located in Chicago’s growing Lakeshore East neighborhood, this Japanese fine-dining restaurant is situated on the 11th floor of The St. Regis Chicago, flaunting an incredible skyline view and glimpses of Navy Pier, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Open since 2023, the menu features everything from sharable bites and small plates like grilled avocado and smoked pork-belly skewers to delicacies such as sashimi, miso black cod and Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Zabuton. Pair your romantic dinner with a guided sake journey for two.
Miru.
Courtesy of Miru
Virtue
1462 E. 53rd St., Chicago, IL 60615
Owned by two-time James Beard Award-winner Erick Williams, this Hyde Park restaurant specializes in Southern cuisine. Select from appetizers like biscuits with pimento cheese and local honey, as well as fried green tomatoes served with Gulf shrimp, before easing into entrées that include fish and grits or blackened catfish. Complete your meal with side dishes like buttered grits and cornbread with honey butter. The restaurant also recently debuted a new cocktail menu that pays tribute to Tom Bullock, the first Black American mixologist to publish a recipe book.
Virtue.
Courtesy of Virtue
Chez Joel Bistro Francais
1119 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607
For many diners, a romantic restaurant serves French food. Chez Joel Bistro Francais is one of Chicago’s best French restaurants and a long-time favorite for Francophiles. Framed French posters adorn the walls and chef Joël Kazouini is at the helm at this family-owned Michelin-star eatery in Little Italy specializes in southern French food cuisine, including coq au vin, bouillabaisse and risotto aux fruits de mer, with shellfish.
Fioretta
318 N. Sangamon St., Chicago, IL 60607
Fioretta is an Italian steakhouse that debuted in Fulton Market in 2023, with marble checkered floors and plush booths for an old-school steakhouse-meets-modern-dining vibe. Helmed by chef Joe Rizza, the menu includes popular dishes like the 100-Layer Lasagna and eight decadent steaks like the 44-ounce bistecca alla fiorentina for two. For dessert, try the Cannoli Box or two classic cream pies: coconut cream and lemon meringue.
Fioretta.
Mark Ballogg/Courtesy of DineAmic Hospitality
North Pond
2610 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL 60614
Tucked into the Lincoln Park neighborhood in an Arts and Crafts-style building that dates back to 1912, North Pond epitomizes romantic dining. Open since 1998, the restaurant is situated at the edge of its namesake pond. Consider ordering the chef’s five-course tasting menu with wine pairings for a special occasion date night. Options include octopus, pheasant or Wagyu steak for the main dish, and a pistachio olive oil cake, cheese posset or chocolate tart for dessert.
North Pond.
Courtesy of North Pond
Aba Chicago
302 N. Green St., Chicago, IL 60607
Chicago may not have rooftop weather year-round, but this Mediterranean restaurant in Fulton Market takes care of that problem thanks to a heated patio with fire pits. Aba focuses on rare wines from lesser-known regions in the Mediterranean. Kick off dinner with unique hummus recipes, like charred eggplant and Japanese sweet potato, or cold mezze before enjoying meatier entrées like char-grilled lamb chops, kebabs or pan-roasted halibut. Definitely save room for dessert: options range from frozen passion-fruit Greek yogurt to chocolate-orange cremeux.
Aba Chicago.
Jeff Marini
Brindille
534 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654
For a classic French fine-dining experience, this Michelin-star restaurant in River North, open since 2013, delivers a mix of elegance and innovation. Chef and co-owner Carrie Nahabedian switches up the menu monthly; recent inclusions range from chilled foie gras and cider noir gelee, New Zealand venison with chestnut honey roasted parsnips, and Tasmanian ocean trout paired with black trumpet mushrooms. Fans of tea and cheese might want to come here just for those unique selections alone; the teas are sourced from Rare Tea Cellars of Chicago and the cheeses are mostly French, Spanish and Swiss.
Piccolo Sogno
464 N. Halstead St., Chicago, IL 60642
Translating to “little dream,” Piccolo Sogno—open in the River West neighborhood since 2008—serves up rustic Italian food alongside an impressive 400-selection, Italian-wine-only list. Start with antipasti to share before moving on to pasta, pizza, seafood or meat entrées. Gluten-free diners can indulge, as well, with options such as the pappardelle served with spiced wild boar ragu.
Piccolo Sogno.
Nick Novelli
La Serre
307 N. Green St., Chicago, IL 60607
The interior at this year-old West Loop restaurant features lots of plants hanging from the ceiling—fitting as “La Serre” means “the greenhouse” in French. The wine list is nearly evenly split between France and New World wine regions, but the French-Mediterranean food is inspired by the South of France, particularly St. Tropez and Provence. For a veritable jaunt to the French Riviera, order roasted escargot or steamed mussels to share, then an entrée designed for two people, either the Dover sole or duck Chinoise. The restaurant is also known for its steaks, prepared with herbes de Provence seasoning and roasted over hardwood charcoal.
La Serre.
Mark Ballogg/Courtesy of DineAmic Hospitality
Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf
218 W. Kinzie St., Chicago, IL 60654
With exposed brick and gallery walls, this intimate, old-school steakhouse in River North has been a perennial favorite for romantic dining in Chicago for the last decade. Chilled seafood towers from around the world, including Hokkaido, Japan, join salads and other starters, while the American Wagyu is decadent. Lobster frites is a seafood alternative for those who want to avoid red meat. You can tack on any of the 12 sides, such as elote-style corn, pommes frites or truffle mac and cheese, to any order. The martinis and Old Fashioneds are the perfect pairings, for even more of a classic feel.
