The Resy Guide to Date Night in New York

DRINKS & SNACKS

El Pingüino screams date night. They’ve got a few cozy booths, but the bar seats are the ones you wouldn’t turn up your nose at. Snack on tinned fish (girl dinner!), a cheese plate, or if you’re feeling fancy, a seafood plateau. The cocktails lean toward the tropical, with shiso painkillers, penicillin, and a perfect dirty martini with a gilda. Bonus? Happy hour is seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m.

Enjoy thoughtfully made cocktails or natural wines on the cobblestoned northern edge of Brooklyn, with the East River not far in the distance. Achilles Heel has been a go-to hideaway date spot for years, and that’s especially true now with the addition of a roomy patio set-up. The menu, from Banchan by Sunny’s Sunny Lee, is designed in a way that makes it easy to graze (and test your date’s taste) — from oyster mushroom jigae to spicy rice cakes.

Keep it domestic with your date in Brooklyn’s premier neighborhood for settling down. The backyard here is as romantic as they come, perfect for snacking on Spanish bites like razor clams or the hand-sliced Ibérico ham. Toast with a pitcher of their Txocolita, their “margarita meets wine cooler” with green pepper syrup and cilantro liquor, and pull up Streeteasy to check if there’s anything available nearby.

Note: Here’s a primer on what to expect at Bar Vinazo.

Lullaby, from a team with backgrounds at Death & Co and Pegu Club, is the perfect spot to show your date you have your finger on the pulse in a cool, non-obsessive way. It’s in a basement on Rivington and, despite the intentionally chic design, retains that homey dive-bar feel. That is, of course, without the dive-bar anxiety of wondering if you’ll be able to get a table or actually drink the drinks. Lullaby’s cocktails, like the Negroni Whip (served with Dole Whip soft serve) and the house punch (“just drink it and shut up”) are sure to delight.

“I’d love a nice beer,” they said. And so, enter Tørst. At this Danish-style bar, 21 taps spew brews in all types of weights and flavors and a cast of harder-to-find cans are also available. Did we mention cheese plates and fried chicken sandwiches?

A TOUCH OF SCENE

Stop by this cool-kid Gowanus hub for vegan plates and playful cocktails. On the menu? Negronis galore and pina shrub gin-and-tonics, tahini and hibiscus cheesecake, and a housemade seven-hour mole with chanterelles and watercress. Plus, your choice of atmosphere — the tree-lined garden or airy dining room. Check their sound room schedule for DJs and other artists galore.

Sidecar was once an exclusive, members-only dining destination and now it’s open to the public, but it still feels just as cool and is more than ready to host you and your date. Pretend you’re of another time (it dates back to 1884) and order up chops, martinis, and raw bar delicacies. Your carriage is waiting for you outside when you’re done.

Need to meet your date for brunch without it feeling like your college days? Enter: Winona’s. They’ve got Saturday and Sunday brunch service, with dishes like their ricotta toast with figs and milk braised pork hash on the lunch menu. Don’t sleep on them for dinner either; the half chicken with kabocha squash is nothing to scoff at. Wash it all down (at any hour) with an olive-oil washed martini or a natural wine by the glass.

Impress your date with what has to be one of the buzziest openings in recent memory. Claud, from two Momofuku Ko alums, is a simply delightful wine-bar-adjacent spot with a menu that’s to die for. Enjoy squash fritters with pecorino, a seasonal mille-feuille, or the half chicken with foie drippings. If you and your date can agree on a bottle from the immense list, we think it’s meant to last.

Note: Here’s a primer on getting into Claud, too.

Babs feels more pan-European than New York, both in food and vibe. There are oysters on baguettes, crab toast, charred leeks with hazelnut and anchovy, steak au poivre, and always, a touch of class. And perhaps a few cheeses for dessert?

A new restaurant from one of the industry’s most storied maitre d’s, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, it finds its home in the former Cafe Loup space and is absolutely carrying on the tradition as an excellent old-guard location to see and be seen. Watch your date sip an ice-cold martini while you wait for your burger and deconstructed wedge.

Note: Here’s how to get into Cecchi’s.

‘SOMEWHERE FUN’

It doesn’t get more fun than C as in Charlie, an American Southern and Korean spot with dishes you can’t say without smiling. Seouls-bury steak? Come on. Don’t forget a sweet potato hummus, or for the adventurous, the Family Meal daily special. Wash it all down with a 99-cent sweet tea. We can smell the magnolia trees now.

There are few things more fun than eating with your hands, and fewer restaurants where you are encouraged to do so. Naks, the Filipino spot from the Unapologetic Foods (Dhamaka, Semma, Masalawala & Sons) team, happens to be one, and an exceptional one at that. If you’re looking for something a bit more casual, make a Resy for the à la carte menu; that way, you can snack on angus beef short rib skewers with curry sauce, or test just how adventurous an eater your date is with the Soup No. 5 (it features, ahem, beef testicles) or the delicious pork liver, snout, ear, and brain dinakdakan. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the crab — trust us. If you’re a bit more serious, do consider the full-on kamayan tasting ($135 per person) where you eat (almost) the entire meal with your hands and you most certainly won’t go home hungry.

With its plentiful izakaya menu and gorgeous modern Japanese design, Rule of Thirds is a world unto itself. There are skewers galore — including rice balls drizzled in chicken fat, and duck hearts with garlic and chile — while inventive dishes range from clams steamed in sake to the radicchio and Asian pear salad with guanciale. Some sake would be smart; you’ll find one of the city’s savviest lists for both that and wine.

Didn’t you hear? Park Slope is cool again. Make the trip for Masalawala & Sons, an Eastern Indian spot from the same team behind Dhamaka and Semma. Munch on fish wrapped in banana leaves, tiger prawns served in coconut shells, and triple extras of any of the breads. Toast your bounty with a cocktail from their “shaken” or “stirred” list, or even a zero-proof mocktail, too.

If you’re looking for dinner and a show on your date, consider booking the counter seats at this Mediterranean spot where you’ll get a front-row purview into chef Ayesha Nurdjaja’s thrilling cooking, often with a crackling grill, too. The menu, studded with dishes like grilled squid with black chickpeas, charred wax beans, and all manner of dips and breads, is meant to be shared. Do know that the frena, a Moroccan bread made with garlic and oregano is a non-negotiable.

There are few meals more fun than Korean barbecue in our opinion, but Insa’s addition of a karaoke rooms puts things over the top. The house fried chicken with spicy-sweet sauce, kimchi jjigae with pork belly and tofu, and spicy cuttlefish jerky will keep things interesting and delicious, and a giant mai-tai in a bowl will keep your heads close together. Even if you can’t score a grill table, the bar booths are cozy and perfectly “of an era,” with a fake tree entwining the bar and plenty of red lights. Pro tip: Head across the street after your meal for a pint at one of Brooklyn’s best breweries, Threes.

KEEP IT CASUAL

Here’s a good plan: Go halfsies on a vegan Caesar or Korean fried chicken wings, followed by a “Vegetalian” hero or honey butter pancakes (breakfast all day!) — or whatever combination tickles you and yours’ fancy. Everyone loves a good diner and this one’s got the most extraordinary pan-Asian twists, thanks to chef Samuel Yoo and his team. Plus, they’re now open seven days a week. Score.

We can personally confirm that a shared meal over bowls of Takumen’s ramen will lead to love. Visions of kids, a house in the suburbs, and early retirement just can’t help but dance in your mind as you watch your date slurp up their noodles in this casual, welcoming LIC spot, so enter at your own risk. We also love the miso wings, rice bowls, and highballs.

For a classic bistro with something that’s sure to please any date, Tournseol fits the bill. It’s French in all the right ways, with croque monsieur, housemade foie terrine, and moules frites on the menu, so go ahead and tell your date you’re taking them to Paris. We can guarantee they’ll only be a tiny bit disappointed.

From the team behind local favorite Bar Bête comes the much more casual Ruthie’s. You can’t go wrong with whatever is gracing their latest, ever-changing menu. Past favorites have included the grilled skate ribs with spicy white pepper oil, the dry-aged burger, and the hot honey roasted Kyoto carrots. We also love the unpredictability of their pop-ups and specials, whether your favorite winemaker is hosting a dinner or you’re able to get a perfectly fried chicken sandwich … you just never know. Wash it down with a whisky-forward cocktail or a glass of some very impressive wine.

Ethereal flour tortillas and Texas tunes make a winning combination. Here’s what else you need to know: All of Yellow Rose’s tacos are great, but the bean-and-cheese should not be missed, and it’s worth saving room for sheet cake. Crack open a couple of Lone Stars (or tamarind Jarritos) and you’re golden.

This is a perfect place for meeting up for a quick bite at a moment’s notice, especially after one or both of you has been out for most of the night with friends. Ichibantei is open until 3 a.m. every day, serving their chicken katsu, pork dumplings, and thick-cut fries in a flatteringly low-lit spot. Keep the night going even longer with a bottle of sake or an ice-cold Sapporo.

Note: For more ideas for late-night dining in New York, head here.

‘LADY AND THE TRAMP’-STYLE

Ammazzacaffè just gets romance. Sidle in from the cold Williamsburg streets into a bonafide wonderland of wood details, candles, and, of course, housemade pastas. Do the agnolotti with black truffle and ricotta, or gemelli with maitake mushrooms and spinach. Don’t forget a sea trout tartare and an amaro soda. Swoon.

If your date can score a Resy at this superb tasting-menu spot, we can confirm they’re the one. It’s a great choice for an extended, languorous evening spent enjoying Roman pasta and sipping fine wine while you marvel over your luck. Pro tip: They’ve also got a lovely à la carte option, too, that also takes reservations.

Need help impressing your date? We’ve got the hottest tips on getting into Roscioli here.

Let thee charming Brooklyn backyard here serve as a perfect backdrop for your pasta-focused date. Caramelized onion and anchovy mafaldine is one swank option, pappardelle with ham hock and collards is another . Throw in an appetizer and a main for a full-fledged, Southern-flecked Italian meal to remember. To say nothing of James O’Brien’s wine selections, which have made Popina a must-visit for the city’s grape-minded.

Good to know: Through Feb. 25, chef Justin Smillie of Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria and Upland fame is in the kitchen over at Popina on a nightly basis.

Impress your date by securing a Resy here, and you’ll both see that Don Angie truly lives up to the hype. With Don Angie, chefs and owners Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli (the embodiment of real-life couple goals) created the ideal Italian American restaurant for today, taking time-honored dishes and giving them a modern, globally inspired twist: think stuffed garlic flatbread with the flakiness of a scallion pancake; mezcal-brasied chicken in a delightful sourdough pasta cacciatore; Japanese sweet potatoes laced with sumac and creamy Italian dressing; and a fior di latte mochi to end the night.

Choose from the prix-fixe menu or the à la carte at Forsythia — both are sure to impress. We’re partial to the braised short rib agnolotti, the bucatini with pomodoro and tuna, or the buffalo mozzarella suppli. Hold hands over the table with your date and watch as they bring yours to their lips for a kiss; Forsythia inspires that kind of romance in people.

Formerly with Perla and now at his namesake da Toscano, Michael Toscano remains one of the city’s most skilled pasta practitioners. So, if you’re looking to woo with orecchiette or garganelli, you’d be wise to come here. Seal the deal with two forks and a towering slice of Grandpa Lusk’s cheesecake for dessert. (P.S. da Toscano was Resy staffers’ favorite restaurant of 2023, too.)

A prosperity of primi awaits, best preluded with antipasti and a cocktail, then paired with wine from Joe Campanale’s list, and followed by one of the menu’s many amari. Here, agnolotti gets winter squash and brown butter, tagliatelle gets veal Bolognese, whole-wheat chitarra is mixed with mushrooms and egg — and that’s just the beginning.

When you want a low-key dinner for two that involves pasta twirls and shared bites of lasagna, look no further than this cozy and rustic PLG gem where housemade pastas and crowdpleasing standouts — white wine mussels and a hefty burger with fried fingerlings, anyone?

P.S. Should you need any more suggestions for some of the city’s best Italian pasta, we’ve got you covered here. 

GETTING SERIOUS

L’abeille and Sushi Ichimura’s slightly more casual (but still decidedly swanky) younger sister, l’abeille à côté, happens to be snuggled right in between the two spots. The menu is awe-inspiring, with dishes like foie gras torchon with pear compote and ginger, crispy lobster croquettes, and a soufflé cheesecake with crème fraîche and homemade jam. It’s ideal for impressing your date without being too high maintenance, and shows you know what’s good to eat in this city.

P.S. If you’re really ready to splurge, do consider stopping by either l’abeille or Sushi Ichimura.

Even if your date isn’t of the, ahem, finance-bro variety, Nakaji is a showstopper of a place to choose. Dress code? Smart casual. Vibes? Intimate. Securing your spot at this omakase hot spot is the only hard part. Once you’re there, the chefs will take care of the rest, leaving room for you and yours to chat and swoon over the excellent sushi and sashimi.

Genius chefs Nahid Ahmed and Arjuna Bull, of Cafe Gray and El Bulli to name a few, bring us Luthun, an inventive, exciting tasting-menu-only spot in the East Village. Try the veal tortellini or the lobster with Meyer lemon. Force (ask) your date to order differently from you, and you can both try nearly the whole menu.

The height of trés romantique. Because it’s a brasserie, there are several ways to play your hand: shared appetizers followed by individual mains, split everything, or go your own way. Whatever you choose, know that there’s always an option for a side of frites.

Mouthwatering moles and mesmerizing mezcals. That’s Claro for you (and yours). Here, a four-course format makes decisions easier: Scallop and blood orange aguachile or tuna tostada? Venison garnachas or beef cheek barbacoa tacos? Ask for two flights of mezcal to have your drinks beautifully curated, too.

SHARED PLATES ARE FOREVER

Go ahead, order all of the starters. How could you resist Tajin peanuts, pickled cauliflower and daikon, jalapeno marinated olives, and garlic-coriander naan with house-made yogurt? That’s why you’re here with a date — to share food so you can order more. And to get to know each other, of course. Wash it down with one of the more-than-satisfactory house cocktails like the Little Giant with ghee-washed rye, or the zero-proof Priceless Advice with green apple and tomatillo.

Gutsy tapas on crisp white plates set the scene at chef Ryan Bartlow’s Basque taverna in Chinatown. Come hungry and order a procession of pintxos, entradas, and main plates: Spanish salt cod in white wine sauce, sliced Iberico ham towering with potato chips, shrimp toast, bomba rice with red shrimp. You see how this is food made for sharing.

We’re suckers for gorgeous plating as long as there’s great food, and Tobala has both. The Oaxacan-style menu features dishes like beer-battered hake tacos, Cornish hen with mole rojo, and esquits doused in mayo and cotija. Come thirsty for mezcal; the bartenders here know their stuff.

An aura of sophistication with a splash of edge, and consistently phenomenal fare, is how Estela keeps the magic. Classics are classics for good reason, like the sunchoke-flecked beef tartare and fried arroz negro with squid. But you really can’t lose, so long as you’re here.

The prix-fixe menu is as it has always been — asking diners to make selections for each course. Which means, if you come on a date, you can try nine dishes instead of just five (you both get the same amuse-bouche). Even better, make it 10, and spring for the fried chicken add-on. Served with spicy peanut butter and gochujang, it completes the full Atoboy effect.

Kru has one of the city’s most unique Thai menus, thanks to its inventive twists on time-honored royal recipes, and it’s one where everything, yes, everything, is meant to be shared. Maybe you’ll start with an order of the pig ear terrine with plum and peanut sauce, followed by beef tongue curry and to finish: a delicious fermented ice cream with poached peaches and toasted almond. Whatever you pick, you can’t go wrong. Adding to the fun of choosing what to order is the setting: dim but with a soft glow, and with the warmest of hospitality, too.

This spot from the team behind our favorite “Jew-ish” deli, Gertie’s, makes us want to order one of everything on the menu. Have deep conversations about your greatest fears and favorite books over warm challah with duck butter, latkes with caviar (why not?), and oysters with chilled house-flavored vodka shots.

WHEN WINE IS IN THE PLAN

Cozy up together with octopus carpaccio, silky pate with onion mostarda, and a cheesecake with a molasses crust. . That, plus one of the many natural wines-by-the glass at a table inside Rhodora’s cozy space is and indulgence you and yours can feel good about — it’s also a zero-waste spot.

At June, the atmosphere is choice if you want to linger over their adobo burger with garlic aioli or the tuna croquettes with soy-pickled shishitos. Chef Diego Moya’s (formerly of Racines) small plates are really exceptional and meant to be shared, making them the perfect backdrops for intimate tête-à-tête. If you’re into adventure when it comes to wine, and your date is, too, a table here is a pro move.

Brioche buttons?! Warm crab and artichoke dip?! Ten wines by the glass?! That’s Deux Chats for you. We love this spot for its versatility: the wine list is sure to impress, but they’ve also got a ton of gorgeous martinis if your tastes lean more to liquor. Go all out with the seafood tower, or keep it cozy with a few of their “petits plats.” No matter how you deux it (sorry), a great date is guaranteed.

We know what you’re thinking: pizza is better in groups. But hear us out. Agreeing on a single pie will be a testament to your compatibility (psst: the marinara is a sleeper hit). And you may as well go in on a bottle while you’re at it. Leo’s natural-minded selections are all displayed on the back wall, and there’s no bonding like browsing together for just the right one. Pro tip: Do not sleep on the Caesar salad, either; it’s arguably one of the city’s best. Oh, and the soft serve if it’s available, too.

From a team with a storied New York restaurant history (they’ve worked at places like Oxalis, Jeju Noodle Bar, and Restaurant Daniel) comes a perfect date-night spot with a bottle and by-the-glass list to impress. Plus, it’s perfect for when you think you might never want your date to end; you can stop by their bottle shop next door and take another of whatever you enjoyed home for round two.