Valentine’s Day is a special occasion for lovebirds, and the Bay Area offers a plethora of romantic dining experiences to make this day unforgettable. These stunning romantic restaurants in the Bay Area offer a variety of delicious food options, creative cocktails, and juuuust the right moody ambience to make it a night to remember.
Dirty Habit
Located in Hotel Zelos in SF’s Financial District, Dirty Habit boasts unique brunch and dinner menus in a vibey dining area. We love the restaurant’s sophisticated, dark interior, but it’s hard to pass up the cozy (and fully heated!) outdoor courtyard. The award-winning bar has an extensive spirit collection and tasty bites perfect for pairing with your favorite cocktail.
12 4th St, San Francisco
La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
La Mar is an upscale Peruvian restaurant with a beautiful waterfront patio where you can enjoy fresh ceviche, grilled skewers, and incredible empanadas. Signature cocktails include a prickly pear margarita and the classic pisco sour. It’s a great option to celebrate Valentine’s Day in SF, as they’ll be filling the space with over 1,000 candles to accompany a special 3-course menu.
Pier 1 1/2, San Francisco
Foreign Cinema
No list of romantic restaurants in SF would be complete without Foreign Cinema. This magical outdoor patio is adorned with string lights and features a large screen to project films. Enjoy delicacies like oysters, creative salads and entrees made from sustainable ingredients. Pair with quality champagne, wine, and cocktail options.
2534 Mission St, San Francisco
Zazie
Zazie serves exceptional brunch and dinner menus, with specialties including mascarpone polenta cakes, braised lamb shank, and countless egg dishes for brunch. Zazie’s is also unique for being completely tip-free; that is, no tips are expected because their staff is paid a living wage and given full benefits, paid time off, and more. Try a brunch, lunch, or dinner on their comfortable heated patio!
941 Cole St, San Francisco
25 Lusk
25 Lusk is known for its swanky rooftop, but we also love their sleek and modern indoor fireplaces. The menu includes ahi tuna tartare, ginger barbecue spareribs, oak wood roasted octopus, and more exciting dishes that are sure to take your romantic evening to the next level. They also have an impressive drink menu featuring a variety of ciders, beers, wines, and delicious cocktails.
25 Lusk St, San Francisco
Fable
Fable has limited space, so reservations are recommended to try this trendy Californian cuisine. This is a storybook-inspired restaurant with a beautiful outdoor garden oasis for an ultra-romantic setting. Try the avocado, jicama and Dungeness crab tower or the grilled herb-marinated lamb chops.
558 Castro St, San Francisco
Saffron
Special: Award-winning Indian cuisine with shareable plates and exquisite cocktails. Website
209 Park Road, Burlingame, CA
CIA at Copia
Experience: A special Valentine’s Day menu at $75 per person with a $40 wine pairing option. Website
500 1st St, Napa, CA 94559
The Bungalow Kitchen
Pricing: $155 per person for a four-course prix-fixe menu featuring dishes like Michael Mina’s Ahi Tuna Tartare. Website
Main Street, Tiburon, CA
Amelie Fairfax
The all-day, French café concept from a team known for award-winning wine bars means fresh viennoiserie and coffee in the morning and “les verrines,” or small coupes of olives, peppers or mushrooms, during the apéro afternoon happy hour. At night, the casual vibe remains, but the menu of escargot, French onion soup and coq au vin leans into the owners’ heritage, with wines to match, of course. Website
71 Broadway, Fairfax
Depot Café and Bookstore
Reading a book on paper is pretty much as retro as it gets, but the small bookstore adjacent to the café carries hot titles and a selection of NorCal hiking and history books optimized for the boot-clad crowds who descend here after a day on Mount Tam. Grab a seat on the wide plaza for some afternoon sun or hang out until five when the evening menu of house pizza and meatballs kicks in. Website
87 Throckmorton, Mill Valley
