Romantic dinners and great views of Philadelphia for Valentine's Day

Is that love I smell in the air?? Valentine's Day is less than 20 days away... have you made reservations yet to impress that special someone?

Here are a few suggestions of spots around Philadelphia that we've found to be romantic, along with ideas from our Twitter and Facebook friends...

Bistro Romano's Wine Cellar Table - Headhouse Square's Italian staple holds a special place in our hearts. We ate here the night we got engaged and it couldn't have been a more romantic celebration. The dark-lit dining room with exposed brick walls and cozy wooden booths-for-two serves up classic Italian dishes that won't disappoint.

For an even more special evening, try to get the private wine cellar table. Rose petals and walls full of old wines create an intimate setting for the most romantic of meals. It has to be reserved (I can't guarantee it's free on Feb 14th) and costs $15 extra. Lombard Street between Front and 2nd.

R2L for Sunset - If you and your #1 are able to venture out before sundown, hit up Daniel Stern's R2L at least for a pre-dinner cocktail. It has good happy hour specials on drinks and small bites from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. but the real draw is a phenomenal view of Philadelphia at sunset - see photo at right.

Dinner is supposendly delicious too, although expensive. R2L has special Valentine's Day fixed price menus for $85 and $145/person on the 14th. 37th Floor of Two Liberty Place, 16th Street between Market and Chestnut.


For a daytime great view, take your sweetie to the top of City Hall Tower. We went up once a few years ago and it was a pretty cool perspective of the city. The tower is only open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with Noon reserved for school groups. Timed tickets are available at the Tour Information Center (aka the gift shop) in the East Portal in Room 121. 

La Creperie Beau Monde - How are french crepes not the most romantic thing ever?!?! I stumbled upon Beau Monde while on a date circa 2004 and loved with the place (don't worry Bradd, but obv that one didn't work out ;-). It's clearly been going strong since then, as the food is very good and the candle-lit tables set the tone just right for your Valentine. Be forewarned that Beau Monde can get deceivingly pricey and make sure you "create your own" sweet and savory crepes. If you do the math on some of the House Recommendations at the bottom of the menu, you'll see they are less economical. 6th and Bainbridge. 

Chocoholic Brunch at Max Brenner - Why not take your chocolate-loving lover to brunch instead? Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday and let's face it, sometimes work just gets in the way of a mid-week date. Surprise your honey the weekend before with a sweet brunch at chocolate haven, Max Brenner. It's best known for incredible desserts, but I'll tell ya Max's chocolate chip pancakes (with extra white and dark chocolate dipping sauce on the side) are a surefire way to a girl's heart. I tried the chocolate chai tea during a recent Foodspotting crawl, too. It was a little bizarre but tasty.You can even make it a boozy brunch with one of Max Brenner's many chocolate-infused cocktails.  15th Street between Walnut & Locust.



I also polled our Twitter and Facebook friends for their Valentine's Day recommendations. Survey says: Rose Tattoo Cafe (never been), Tinto (agreed) Zahav (phenomenal), Barbuzzo (love) and Amis (also love).

A few more ideas to throw in that don't involve a whole meal... visit Stephen Starr's Dandelion for a glass or wine or cask beer and cuddle up on the couch in front of the mezzanine fireplace. Pick up macarons for dessert from Garces Trading Company or Miel Patisserie, both delicious and only $1.50 or so per piece. Cozy up to the bar at Sassafras, a dark and romantic tiny bar amid the chaos of Old City with good french onion soup and live jazz on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Any more ideas to share with all the Valentines out there?