Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, a special occasion or just looking for a great date night spot, check out these romantic restaurants in New Jersey.
Romantic New Jersey restaurants for Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, a special occasion or looking for a date night spot, check out these romantic New Jersey restaurants.
Featured restaurants range from historic inns and converted barns to modern French bistros.
There is so much pressure to get things just right on Valentine’s Day.
A card that is sweet but not sappy. Candy that is decadent, not boring. Jewelry that flashes but isn’t flashy. A restaurant that is romantic, but not tacky.
We can’t help with the first three, but when it comes to romantic restaurants, we have things covered.
These New Jersey spots are just what you want for Valentine’s Day, a special occassion or a date night. From ambiance and decor to top-notch cuisine and service, these restaurants will charm any date, any time.
Andre’s Lakeside Dining, Sparta
This cherished Sparta landmark is not only one of the most romantic restaurants in the state, but one of the best restaurants in the state overall. Andre’s Lakeside Dining, the beloved waterfront eatery, is home to breathtaking views — unique to the meadow-reminiscent forest in which it’s tucked — and incredible fare.
Order the truffle cream-topped tagliatelle or a delicate crudo, for example, and be impressed by seasonally inspired eats that are as delightful as the outdoor scenery against which they’re served. Spring for a dessert, and watch the sun set slowly over a frosty, February lake (don’t worry, the indoor dining room will keep you warm).
Cozy decor, convivial service and a chef whose humble nature ironically made him a local star; every aspect of the picturesque restaurant is exceptional.
Go: 112 Tomahawk Trail, Sparta; 973-726-6000, andreslakeside.com
The Franklinville Inn, Franklinville
This iconic landmark on Delsea Drive in Franklinville was a well-known stagecoach stop back in the Colonial days on the route from Philadelphia to Cape May at the Jersey Shore.
The first version, constructed in the 1800s, was a restaurant, tavern and overnight resting place for travelers. Prior to the Civil War, the three-story portion was constructed in front of and adjoining the original building, according to a prior Courier-Post story.
In 2024, 2025 and 2026, The Franklinville Inn was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants by OpenTable. In 2014, the site named it one of the Top 100 Restaurants in America.
The quaint, charming, restored inn features an award-winning wine list, a “premiere” private dining room and serves American cuisine and signature dishes such as crab bisque, crab cakes, filet mignon and prime rib. There is a fireplace, which is a nice and cozy attraction on chilly winter days. A lounge is available for before- or after-dinner cocktails and other special light fare.
It is one of those special places that people enjoy going to for their special occasions, whether it’s Valentine’s Day, a birthday, Mother’s Day or an anniversary.
Go: 2526 Delsea Drive, Franklinville; 856-694-1577, thefranklinvilleinn.com
The Gables Historic Inn & Restaurant, Beach Haven
The restaurant at The Gables, said to be one of New Jersey’s most romantic, is closed in winter but makes an exception for Valentine’s Day weekend.
Tucked inside a Victorian-style inn built in the late 1800s, The Gables is elegant, intimate and warm. In the summer, the restaurant’s gardens bloom with hydrangea, magnolia, sunflowers and impatiens, which grow along stone pathways and hang in baskets on the large front porch.
Diners enjoy a three-course prix fix menu that changes daily, either in a cozy dining room with a fireplace, where wall-mounted mirrors reflecting candelight; on the porch or under a pergola in the restaurant’s courtyard. Dishes include lobster bisque, grilled Spanish octopus, roasted salmon tikka masala, and filet mignon with foie gras butter, with pecan pie cheesecake and orange posset for dessert.
If you visit when the weather is warm, pair dinner with a stroll on the beach for a perfect evening.
Go: 212 Centre St., Beach Haven; 609-492-3553, gableslbi.com
June BYOB, Collingswood
What is more romantic than French cuisine?
This Philadelphia-born restaurant is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Richard and Christina Cusack, who opened June BYOB in Philadelphia in August 2019 and battled through the early months of the pandemic before closing in the fall 2020 and relocating to Collingswood in August 2021.
French cuisine is not exactly plentiful in South Jersey, so when the pair opened June BYOB in Camden Couny’s Collingswood, it was welcomed with open arms. The upscale French BYOB restaurant, named after Richard’s mother, serves his modern take on French classics.
In Collingswood, June BYOB was surrounded by Italian restaurants and the Cusacks weren’t sure how French cuisine would do.
“I was gonna [dial] it back and do more recognizable dishes, but my wife said to me, ‘This is not the food you do,’ ” Richard Cusack said in a previous interview. “ ’You do … really French food, so why don’t you just come out guns blazing.
“So that’s the route we’re going, classical French with snails and everything.”
Grilled octopus, confit leeks, canard (duck confit with garlic pork sausage, lardons, foie gras, dates, fingerling potatoes, duck onion jus) and prawn quenelle ( prawn soufflé, scallops, confit tomato, butternut squash and prawn sauce) are among the menu items.
Cusack’s culinary resume is impressive. In earlier years, he interned at Michelin star restaurants, including Le Pergolèse in Paris. He spent time in the kitchens of the former Le Bec-Fin, Parc and Le Cheri in Philadelphia and at Daniel in New York City.
The pair also own and operate another restaurant in South Jersey called Pops Trattoria, a family-style Italian eatery in nearby Audubon. They previously had Cafe Le Jardin, a French cafe and bistro, in that space.
Go: 690 Haddon Ave., Collingswood; 856-240-7041, junebyob.com
Lorena’s Restaurant, Maplewood
At Lorena’s, expect haute French cuisine in an intimate bistro setting. Chef Humberto Campos has created a menu that offers French staples from land and sea, with plenty of variety to appeal to a wide spectrum of diners.
Opt for fresh oysters, duck liver pâté, escargots in garlic herb butter or seared foie gras before diving into main courses like Savoy cabbage with saffron-cream lentils, trout with farro, kale and a scallion-mushroom broth, or almond-crusted, honey-glazed venison with puréed sunchokes and cider-thyme jus.
Matching the elegance of the menu is the interior: classic, clean, dimly lit and private.
Go: 160 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood; 973-763-4460, restaurantlorena.com
Matisse 167, Rutherford
Chef Greg Power’s team at Matisse 167 understands romance. Plush interior decor creates a warm environment for guests and their loved ones, and the inspired menu of elevated New American cuisine caters to those who believe the key to one’s heart is through their stomach.
While this popular fine dining spot is romantic all year long, it’s especially meant for lovers in February. For two weeks (Sunday, Feb. 8, to Sunday, Feb. 22), Matisse is rolling out its romantic prix fixe menu, with dishes like roasted candied beets carpaccio, roasted bone marrow and seared beef tongue in a wine demi, venison Wellington and crème brûlée.
Go: 167 Park Ave., Rutherford; 201-935-2995, matisse167.com
Olea, Spring Lake Heights
The romance at the newly opened Olea starts at the sidewalk, where after valeting your car (if you like), diners walk beneath a canopy of branches and twinkle lights, a hint of what’s to come.
Pass through a polished and gleaming lobby and bar to dining areas filled with red velvet curtains, cream-colored leather seating, chandeliers, candlelight and a fireplace. In the main dining room, take a seat beneath a floor-to-ceiling olive tree, its branches covering the walls.
For dinner, try broiled oysters with butter and parmesan, steak tartar with pickled fennel and onion horseradish emulsion, lobster macaroni and cheese with truffle cheese sauce, and pan-seared scallops with pink peppercorn sauce. For a real treat, splurge on The Olea Board: a 48-ounce tomahawk steak, king crab legs, lobster tails and roasted bone marrow, plus sauces and sides.
For dessert, split a playful sundae of Neapolitan gelato with hot fudge, Luxardo cherries, whipped cream and candies.
Go: 700 Route 71, Spring Lake Heights; 732-359-8580, olearestaurantnj.com
Saddle River Inn, Saddle River
When it comes to romance, rustic barns foster an air of lovey-dovey intimacy. From their red hues to warm lighting, the establishments resemble the sets of Hallmark movies. Should they boast outdoor fire pits, they get bonus points.
Though there are at least three to four restaurants in New Jersey that are literally called The Barn (or the [insert town here] barn), no Garden State culinary destination is as associated with barns as Bergen County’s Saddle River Inn. One of the most acclaimed date spots in the area, the fine dining oasis is commonly referred to as “that barn restaurant.”
Though the Inn is cozy at all points in the year, it is most homey when snow glistens against its stark crimson walls. Whether due to the heat radiating from the vents, or the butternut squash ravioli with pumpkin seed pesto on the menu, it feels extra inviting during the fall and winter.
Go: 2 Barnstable Court, Saddle River; 201-825-4016, saddleriverinn.com
Scarborough Fair, Sea Girt
Historic buildings have a romance all their own, but at this restaurant built inside an 1800s farmhouse, that’s only the beginning.
Just inside the front door, two curved stone staircases take diners to a second level, and each staircase is lined with cozy dining nooks perfect for a romantic dinner. Upstairs, white tablecloth-draped tables await.
Then, the decor. Valentine’s Day decorations cover nearly every surface: twinkle lights, pink and red hearts, and sparkling butterflies hang from the ceiling; heart-shaped doilies and candles top the tables, and oversized vases filled with giant roses peek out from corners. It is charming and whimsical, and love is everywhere you look.
The restaurant’s Valentine’s Day menu features truffled burrata with lemon confit, lobster ravioli with tarragon velouté, sautéed hearts of palm with rice noodles and saffron curry sauce, and Chambord cheesecake with raspberry liquor and white chocolate ganache. The wine list includes more than 60 bottles ranging from affordable to splurge-worthy, plus more than a dozen rare bourbons.
Plan to return in December, as the Christmas decor is just as beautiful.
Go: 1414 Meetinghouse Road, Sea Girt; 732-223-6658, sfseagirt.com
The Station at Mountain Lakes, Mountain Lakes
Imagine stepping back to a world of cobblestone walls and lavish steam locomotives, and you have an idea of what to expect at The Station at Mountain Lakes, because the charming Morris County treasure is housed in a 100-year-old converted train station.
On its tables lie smooth linen cloths, while around its windows, tapestry-like curtains hang. The ceilings are supported by dark wooden beams, and an old-school ticket window (not in use any more) still exists near the front staircase. As co-owner Carlos Vasquez — who’s welcomed guests for decades — escorts you to your seat, you’ll feel as though you’ve entered another era.
The emotion that short walk evokes, for some reason, is always palpable.
Progressing from admiring the scenery to selecting a meal, you’ll consider options like filet mignon Gorgonzola or fettuccine with horseradish cream sauce, capers and shrimp. From the baked Brie to Grandma’s Chocolate Cake, most dishes on the menu are aphrodisiacs.
Go: 99 Midvale Road, Mountain Lakes; 973-335-5330, thestationatmountainlakes.com
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