Inside the Courier Journal At the Table event at Decade restaurant
The Courier Journal held its third At the Table event at Decade, with a four course dinner by Matt Johnson and Andy Myers.
Louisville’s food scene offers a variety of romantic, locally-owned restaurants perfect for special occasions.The list includes both longstanding staples and newer establishments across several neighborhoods.Many featured chefs have received local and national recognition, including James Beard Award nominations.Cuisines range from modern Southern and French to Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
If it’s the season of deciding between roses or sunflowers and brainstorming which sweet words to string together in a card, you may also be searching for the perfect restaurant reservation for that someone special. As an occasion like Valentine’s Day approaches, Louisville’s thriving food scene has plenty of romantic, locally-owned restaurants from which to choose.
Whether you want to watch airplanes and sparks fly with your meal, be surprised by what’s on your date’s plate, visit a longstanding staple or try out a new place, there’s a restaurant for that.
Read on for details about why these beloved Louisville restaurants are some of the most romantic in town.
Note: The following list is not comprehensive. Did we miss your favorite? Send a note to ahancock@courier-journal.com.
Romantic restaurants in Louisville
After the closure of Nami, this is the lone Louisville restaurant remaining where you can get a meal from the mind of chef Edward Lee.
Since taking over as chef and owner in 2003, Lee has brought “a modern approach to the Southern Table,” according to 610 Magnolia’s website. With an intimate dining room and a oft-changing tasting menu, 610 Magnolia, focuses on locally-sourced produce, including ingredients grown from the restaurant’s own greenhouse. Reservations are required and the prices and number of courses vary from week to week.
Details: 610 W. Magnolia Ave., Louisville, Ky., 610magnolia.com
This fine-dining mainstay in Old Louisville has been known since 1992 as the place to go for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day.
Buck’s invites you to “celebrate your love surrounded by old-world charm,” including with decor like an elaborate chandelier hanging above candle-lit tables. The menu features dishes such as oysters Rockefeller, fried chicken livers, Filet Mignon, Duroc pork chop, seared scallops and more.
Details: 425 W. Ormsby Ave., Louisville, Ky., buckslou.com
Since opening in the heart of Butchertown in 2023, this upscale restaurant from the same team of the now-closed Decca has made a splash.
The intimate and artsy Decade made the USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 list and is known for its menu broken into small, medium and large categories. You can’t go wrong with the cast iron focaccia or carrots with whipped feta to start. The “large” dishes such as the half chicken or pork chop milanese are made with meat sourced from nearby farmers and producers.
Details: 1076 E Washington St., Louisville, Ky., decaderestaurant.com
As this upscale restaurant in the Highlands approaches 10 years in business, chef Dallas McGarity likes to keep things fresh with seasonal, weekly or nightly specials. McGarity, a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist, just might offer some specials for Valentine’s Day, too, as he’s done in the past.
“We’re a cozy, modern American, upscale, date-night spot,” McGarity previously told the Courier Journal.
Some of his favorites on the menu include lamb kofta, cioppino, and Nutella mousse.
Details: 2011 Grinstead Drive, Louisville, Ky., fatlamblouisville.com
When thinking of the magic of Le Relais, just imagine dining on a patio at sunset with a live band playing while watching planes take off or land at Bowman Field.
The picture isn’t complete without a glass of wine, escargots or a crème brûlée on the plate. While a February evening in Louisville may not allow for all parts of this idyllic scene, Le Relais is known as one of the most romantic restaurants in town, even in winter. The upscale French restaurant even has a behind-the-scenes little love story. It’s helmed by Amy Zinner, a Louisville native, who purchased the restaurant from her partner and Le Realis’ founder, Anthony Dike.
Details: 2817 Taylorsville Road, Louisville, Ky., lerelaisrestaurant.com
Impress your date by booking one of the hottest reservations in town.
The cozy Mediterranean restaurant in NuLu has been a hit since opening in September 2023 and continues to shine under national attention. Chef Noam Bilitzer was named a finalist for the 2025 James Beard Awards and, in mid January, the chef was again recognized as a semifinalist in the “Best Chef: Southeast” category for the 2026 James Beard Awards. Bilitzer has called MeeshMeesh his “love letter to Jerusalem and Kentucky,” and you’ll find a menu of shareable dishes such as yellowfin tuna tartare with harissa broth and crispy shallots and lamb merguez. A special occasion offers even more motivation to order the Shefha menu. Inspired by the Hebrew word for abundance, the Shefa options gives you a sampling of some favorite dishes for $59 per guest.
Details: 636 E Market St., Louisville, Ky., meeshmeesh.com
While there are plenty of longtime Louisville restaurants on this list, here’s a newer one to try.
This buzzy French bistro has become a popular haunt in Highlands since opening in April 2025. M. Peppers comes from the team behind bar Vetti and offers a lovely dining room adorned with French poster art and Kentucky pieces dating back to the early 1900s. The menu features Parisian gnocchi, three types of steak frites, and beef bourguignon. And if your romantic celebration is also a family affair, M. Peppers has room for a small kids menu, another hint that this place really strives to be a neighborhood restaurant.
Details: 1306 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Ky., mpeppers.com
If you’re looking to wow your date and taste buds, and are OK with some surprises, you’ll want to look into Perso’s “Chef’s Table.” Perso’s European-inspired menu is full of great choices, chef and owner Emil David gets to play with his “family style dinner experience created for you.” Priced at $55 per person, the dinner comes with at least three courses.
“It’s our most sold experience,” David previously told the Courier Journal. “So on a Friday or Saturday night, I will say 80% of people are doing the Chef’s Table.”
If you’re craving more of a true Italian vibe, check out David’s other restaurant, Ciao, 1201 Payne St.
Details: 741 E Oak St., Louisville, Ky., persorestaurant.com
The elegant Porcini, recognized for its red front door, has been around since 1992 and annually shines around a certain holiday in mid-February.
Porcini, known for its Italian dishes, offers “romantic vibes, incredible wine, and a menu worth falling for,” according to its Facebook page. Helmed by executive chef John Plymale, who has more than 45 years of culinary experience and 30 years at the restaurant he helped open with owner Tim Coury.
Look for dishes including chicken marsala, grilled lamb chops, a large variety of decadent pastas and a few pizza options.
Details: 2730 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, Ky., porcini502.com
A visit to Proof on Main could easily be considered two dates in one.
Start with a look around the 21c Museum Hotel and then dine at the museum’s art-filled restaurant, lauded as “a Love Letter to the Ohio River Valley.” With upscale farm-to-table dishes such as rainbow trout and a bison burger, Proof on Main also has a respected whiskey collection. And your romantic jaunt wouldn’t be complete without a selfie in of the 30-foot-tall golden replica of Michelangelo’s “David” out front of Proof On Main.
Details: 702 W. Main St., Louisville, Ky., proofonmain.com
Restaurateur Kevin Grangier would probably describe all of his restaurants as “sexy” or worthy of visiting for Valentine’s Day, so why not try Grangier’s newest swanky option?
Consider Sake A Go Go as an alternative to steakhouses or Italian restaurants that may typically spring to mind for Valentine’s Day. The Japanese spectacle begins with the golden front door in NuLu and includes the option of an Omakase dining experience, where the chef chooses your meal.
Details: 620 E. Market St., Louisville, Ky., sakeagogo.com
This New American restaurant has been a Louisville staple since opening in the Clifton neighborhood in 2007.
In late 2025, Varanese announced a renovated “chef-inspired look” and “fresh new menu,” so there will be something new to see if you’ve haven’t been in awhile. Helmed by acclaimed chef John Varanese, who also opened River House Restaurant and Raw Bar in 2016, the restaurant serves an eclectic menu including dishes such as beef tips and tortellini dish, crab cakes and grits, pecan crusted Hawaiian butterfish and grilled elk chops.
Details: 2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, Ky., varanese.com
For past Valentine’s Day dinners, this downtown Italian institution has offered heart-shaped pastas and cakes.
You can bet on something special, though, no matter when you dine at Vincenzo’s. Since opening in 1982 in a former bank, the restaurant specializes in classic Caesar salads prepared tableside, house-made pastas with seafood and desserts. Other popular choices include pistachio-encrusted sea bass, a rack of lamb, gouda-stuffed veal, and dessert soufflès.
In 2025, owner Vincenzo Gabriele celebrated his 50th anniversary of working in the restaurant industry in the city.
Details: 150 S. 5th St., Louisville, Ky., vincenzositalianrestaurant.com
With a mural of a dreamy Italian streetscape, moody lighting, white tablecloths, and live music Wednesday through Saturday, you can see why Volare promotes its Valentine’s Day dinners as a “table worth reserving.”
The Italian restaurant in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood has been a go-to for anniversary celebrations and date nights for more than 20 years. Chef Josh Moore’s plates change seasonally and many include ingredients sourced from his own 10-acre working farm in Taylorsville.
Don’t miss the Saltimbocca with veal, tagliolini with bolognese, osso buco, roasted duck, and, of course, tiramisu.
Details: 2300 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, Ky., volare-restaurant.com
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
Dining and Cooking