This post was originally published last January but I’ve updated it!
I recently received a few reader emails asking me for date night ideas in New York! So here we go!! I spent a long time thinking about my favorite date ideas… I hope you enjoy them and feel free to comment below with your favorite date ideas! Also I have two modes with restaurants. Fancy, or burgers. Sorry if that’s weird? I basically like everything in my life to be either realllllly casual or reallllly fancy and that is definitely reflected in this list!
Also, I realize a lot of these date ideas involve drinking – here are some sober date ideas!
Winter Date Night Ideas: NYC
Grab a burger + beer(s).
- J.G. Melon on the Upper East Side makes my favorite turkey burger ever. I’m not really a beer girl but always have beer when I’m there. I like to sit at the bar.
- Corner Bistro in the West Village is really fun and chill too – great burgers!
Go Ice Skating.
- Just pick a favorite spot – my favorite is Bryant Park but you can also skate at Central Park and Rockefeller Center.
My favorite spots for drinks.
- On the Upper East Side, I love Lexington Bar & Books. It’s a really special spot and like being in an old book store, which I find to be really romantic.
- Bemelman’s Bar at The Carlyle is probably my favorite spot for drinks in the whole city. It’s like being in another era.
- Go to The Campbell in Grand Central for old fashioned cocktails and food.
- The Marlton in Union Square is so romantic – I love having cozy warm drinks by the fire!
- In Williamsburg, Hotel Delmano is really nice for drinks. It’s moody and gorgeous.
- The Wren in the East Village is great this time of year – they always have really good hot cocktails.
My favorite romantic restaurants.
- Claudette is one of my favorite spots; it feels like you’re at a cafe in Paris. I like to grab a drink at The Marlton and then walk over to Claudette.
- The Polo Bar is my all time favorite restaurant in the city but you definitely need a reservation. I recommend booking a month out.
- Have dinner at The Osprey in The 1 Hotel in DUMBO. When it snows, it’s like being inside of a snow globe!
- Have lunch or dinner at the rooftop restaurant in Restoration Hardware. It’s absolutely beautiful.. actually, the whole store is very beautiful! They don’t take reservations!
- Have a fancy dinner at Le Coucou. The bar there is SO CHIC. This is another one that requires advance planning – make a reservation a couple
Get frozen hot chocolate.
- If you’ve never been to Serendipity 3, you’re missing out! It’s especially great after ice skating I might say.
Go Museum-ing!
I am a big fan of the museum date, especially in the early stages. You can walk, talk, and really get to know someone as you see beautiful art.
- On the Upper East Side, I love The Met, The Cooper-Hewitt, and the Guggenheim. In Midtown, there’s the MoMA, and downtown there’s (my personal favorite) The Whitney.
- If you feel like venturing out of the city, The Brooklyn Museum is another one of my favorites.
Do something active / Play a Game!
- Shuffleboard at The Royal Palms in Brooklyn is the most fun and I loooove their decor.
- It’s actually really nice going to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden this time of year.
- Take a walk in Central Park.
- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (only if it isn’t windy!!!)
- Go bowling. There are so many good spots in the city. I like Gutter Bar in Williamsburg.
- Play Skeeball. I love Ace Bar, Barcade, and Full Circle.
Outfit Details: Vince Coat (old but love this!) // Zara Sparkly Velvet Bodysuit (sold out but love this) // Paige Jeans // Gucci Belt // Chanel Purse // Manolo Blahnik Pumps // Celine Sunglasses (exact) // BaubleBar Hoop Earrings
photography by Carter Fish.
Your posts about New York makes me want to visit so much! I still can’t believe I’ve never been!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I hope you can get here at some point!!!
I really love the Central Park boathouse for a date, and I have had a great time at brunch at Balthazar’s – just make sure it’s not a first date, the seats and tables are close together!
I’ll have to go to Serendipity next time I’m in NY! xAllie
http://www.theallthatglittersblog.com
Ooooh I love both of those spots!!!! Great ideas!
Such fun ideas! I would add walk the high line and do a food tour through Chelsea Market!
Love those ideas!!! Thanks Tracy!
I followed you on Instagram for a while but I really enjoy your content so much more now that I’ve found your blog and podcast! Your insta is great but the blog and podcast are where it’s really at!
Keep up the great work!!
Aw thank you so much!
Love this, Grace! One of my favorite NYC date ideas (for partners OR for girlfriends) is spending a couple hours at the Aire Baths in TriBeCa followed by lunch at Thai Son, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Baxter street—just a few blocks away—that serves the best Vietnamese food ever. http://thaisonnyc.com
Ooooh I love this! Thank you Maura!!!
Thank you for sharing this! I have never been a drinker and have been sober all my 20s… it makes dating hard . Some guys are great about it! Many are not… they usually don’t know what to plan for a first date other than a drink and I feel like I have to do the heavy lifting of planning the date (I know, not a great sign!). This is so helpful and hearing other people’s stories gives me hooope!
Oh good I am so glad! For first dates I really like to avoid drinks if at all possible… a walk or coffee or museum is so much less pressure and you get a better sense of the person.
1. First date in a while tomorrow so this is v. timely!
2. I live down the street from the Flatiron RH and was about to be like WHAT, but it’s meatpacking!
3. I went to high school with the guy who started all the skeeball in the city!
ooooh have a great date!!!
YES it is in Meatpacking and it is GORGEOUS!
Always in search for good restaurants and bars. Thanks for sharing!
Jae
http://www.allthatjae.com
you’re so welcome!
A bit off-topic: but this outfit is EVERYTHING!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Compliments are never off-topic! 😉
I went bowling on a first date once and realized it wasn’t ideal, not as much time as expected to talk because one of us was always supposed to roll. I recommend it for group outings or double dates so there’s more time chatting while turns cycle through multiple people, or for later on when you already know each other better.
Thank you Xat, that is great advice – I hadn’t really thought of that!
Definitely adding shuffleboard to my list next time I’m in NYC or Chicago, SO fun!
These are all really fun ideas. Not to worry about the drinking issue, non alcoholic cocktails are so hot right now, all these places will have nice options. So many people are doing “ dry January” or not drinking for other personal reasons. We have a miniature golf course here in SF called Urban Put. It’s all miniatures of San Francisco neighborhoods. Love the museum idea and New York is such a great walking city, you can’t go wrong!
Perfect timing! I am going to NYC next weekend
Every time I see those Gucci belts it reminds me of Cover Girl makeup.
Oh I love black and camel as combo!
Lisa | lisaautumn.com
I am using some of your recommendations for a quick girls trip. So a girl friend date. 🙂
Always love your recommendations and have never been disappointed in any of your suggestions! And got a few from your perfect day in New York via Helena!
Do you have any recommendations that are more hole in the wall / dive(ish)?
Brittany
Hey Brittany,
You could check out my NYC and williamsburg guides (just use the search bar!) More recs there!
Follow in Ross & Rachel’s footsteps (from Friends) and catch a show at the Hayden Planetarium Theater! Also really fun to wander around the ANHM as adults and lots of great bars/ restaurants close by in the UWS.
Also really recommend the Museum of the City of New York! It’s right by the northern most entrance to Central Park and it’s so fun to explore that area – way less crowded than midtown locations!
Such a great list, Grace!! I have some girl friends visiting from home next month, and I feel like I am going to use your date night ideas for girls night ideas!! Can’t wait to check out a few places I have never been in the city!! Also, this outfit is perfect! Camel and black are a winter classic!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
xx Libby