8 romantic restaurants in Vancouver for the best date night

British Columbia's Vancouver is truly a complete travel destination on the West Coast. It has a breathtaking setting among towering snow-capped peaks, lush waterfront parks, and impressive ocean views. Add to that a vibrant cultural, retail, and culinary scene, and you know you have the makings of a worthwhile destination.

When it comes to romance in Vancouver, just a picnic at any of the city's beaches can fit the bill. But that's not why you're here. You want to know the ins and outs of the best romantic restaurants in Vancouver, so we'll leave the picnics for another time.

Romantic restaurants in Vancouver run the gamut of cuisine, style, and location. As a result, there's really something for every date night here. Whether you want casual, trendy, high-end, or ultra-fancy, Vancouver has you covered.

As you're planning the perfect date night, you should also take the time to decide what you might do with extra shopping bags, suitcases, or other items you happen to have with you as you're heading to the restaurant. That's where a Bounce luggage facility in Vancouver comes in. We can store your things safely so that you can fully enjoy your romantic evening.

Hawksworth Restaurant

This lovely restaurant is found in the even lovelier Rosewood Hotel Georgia and is the brainchild of Chef David Hawksworth. The name of the game here is contemporary Canadian cuisine that draws influence from the city's position in the Pacific Northwest and the entire province of British Columbia.

This restaurant has won multiple awards, and once you dine here, you'll likely understand why. The dress code is smart casual and above, so don't show up in shorts and flip-flops. Because Vancouver is coastal, the menu at Hawksworth tends toward seafood, but there are other items available, too. Expect flavorful dishes like west coast oysters, Pacific albacore tuna, and wagyu carpaccio, all paired with fine wine.

Our recommendation

If you can afford a room at the Hotel Georgia, that's our top recommendation. What's better than stumbling upstairs after a lengthy and rich meal? The hotel's central location makes it easy to explore downtown as well.

Location

801 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$$

Blue Water Cafe Vancouver

In the heart of Yaletown, Blue Water Cafe is the place for date night if you're obsessed with seafood. The restaurant is housed in a heritage warehouse for a different vibe. It has stately wooden pillars, a large bar area, and generally a lot of open space, as you might expect from a former warehouse.

If you don't like seafood, give this one a pass because that's basically all there is to eat here. They do have a small selection of meat main courses, but there's nothing here for vegetarians or vegans. The stunning seafood tower is one way to really impress your date, as are the live tanks of fish. The raw bar and ice bar offer tons of selection, so deciding what to get might be a challenge.

Our recommendation

Since every seafood item on the menu is sustainably sourced, you can dine here guilt-free. We recommend the lobster, which is done with a white wine and tarragon sauce, and the char, which is served with Dungeness crab and braised leeks.

Location

1095 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$$

Seasons in the Park

Seasons in the Park is a restaurant found at the peak of the well-known Queen Elizabeth Park, about a 10-minute drive from downtown. This location makes our list of the most romantic restaurants in Vancouver for the food, but more importantly for the panoramic views of the city you get from the dining room. They know what they have here, and there are tables placed next to every window. This is the perfect spot to dine in a park in an elevated way without blankets and picnic baskets.

The menu at Seasons in the Park offers Pacific Northwest fare, including lots of seafood, seasonal produce, and local ingredients, such as pork from the nearby Fraser Valley. Dinner dining is always a la carte, but if you happen to be here for lunch, they do have a prix fixe menu.

Our recommendation

Aside from the awesome views, the wood-fired grill is something unique about Seasons. As a result, you should opt for something off this part of the menu. There's salmon, chicken, pork, and lamb to tempt you.

Location

W 33rd Ave, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$

Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca

Italian food is always a hit for a romantic date night. Make a reservation at Lupo, which is between downtown and Yaletown, for some of the best Italian cuisine in the city. The vibe here is somewhere right in between modern and old-school Italian. There are intricate moldings, a fireplace, and abstract prints to complete the look. The result is coziness and approachability that you don't find in some of the other romantic restaurants in Vancouver. In fact, you can tell that this used to be a home instead of a restaurant.

Lupo strives to give Italian classics a modern twist and succeeds. You and your date can enjoy everything from warm goat cheese to spaghettini pesto to lamb shank, and since everything is so tasty, you should both order different items and share.

Our recommendation

It's always wise to make a reservation at Lupo. The restaurant isn't exactly a well-kept secret and is often a go-to spot for visiting celebrities in town to film. As for what to order, your best bet is the meatballs with mascarpone polenta to start, followed by the fettuccini or the organic spring salmon.

Location

869 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Lounge

Sometimes, for date night, only a decadent steak will do. If that's the case, make reservations at Gotham Steakhouse in downtown Vancouver near the Pacific Centre, which is ideal for doing a little shopping.

Inside Gotham, you'll be treated to a lavish interior full of white tablecloths, high ceilings, and luxurious fabrics. It seems that no expense was spared to decorate this Vancouver restaurant, so you and your date will instantly feel special when you walk in.

In the summer, the charming patio is the place to be, and due to Gotham's popularity, a reservation is almost always required.

Our recommendation

Obviously, you have to get a steak here. Our favorites are the bone-in rib steak and the New York strip steak. If price is no object, then go for the A5 Wagyu striploin that costs $35 per ounce with a four-ounce minimum. Pair whatever steak you choose with either brussels sprouts and chorizo hash or grilled asparagus and the requisite baked Idaho potato.

Location

615 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$$

Five Sails Restaurant

Of all the different neighborhoods in Vancouver, Coal Harbour is probably the most romantic. Just northwest and walkable from downtown or the West End, Five Sails Restaurant really takes advantage of the city's amazing location. Found adjacent to the five-star Pan Pacific Hotel in Canada Place, which is the main cruise terminal for the city, not only do you get unobstructed mountain and water views here, you can watch boats come and go, including massive cruise ships. If there's a lull in your date night conversation, your surroundings will almost always give you something to talk about.

The services at Five Sails are seemingly endless, with options for a tasting menu and high tea, and they even have a menu specifically for cake in addition to the regular dessert menu. If you're on a date with someone with a sweet tooth, they will definitely thank you when they see that.

Our recommendation

For a special occasion or to really impress, opt for the tasting menu. They change by season and cost $130 per person, with additional wine pairings from their extensive wine list available. You'll get a total of six courses, and there's no way you'll leave disappointed.

Location

999 Canada Pl Suite 410, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$$

Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca

Another location in the well-appointed Yaletown neighborhood that's ideal for a romantic meal is Cioppino's. Chef Pino brings the flavors of Italy and the rest of the Mediterranean to the city and has been doing so since 1999.

Focused on seasonal ingredients prepared out of the open kitchen, Cioppino's will wow anyone. The food itself explains immediately why this spot is so popular. Expect to see tasty things like veal ossobuco, Fraser Valley duck, and lobster risotto.

Cioppino's has a relatively large patio rimmed with plants for a memorable summer meal, and the interior is a solid choice any time of the year. Open shelves of wine bottles, exposed ductwork, and dark wood are all present. The service is attentive, and the wine list is deep. In fact, Cioppino's has won multiple wine-related awards since it's been in business.

Our recommendation

The only advice we have here is to save room for dessert. Forget about your typical dry chocolate cake and bland ice cream here. The dessert menu has both innovative and comforting choices. The best thing to do is get two between you and at least try a bite of the other's so that you can see how good they are. The maple syrup creme brulée is a nod to the time the chef spent in Canada as a child, and the tiramisu with cappuccino foam and dark chocolate sorbet will melt in your mouth.

Location

1133 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$$$

Jules Bar à Vin

The home of french bistro classics and an impressive wine list, Jules is one of the more affordable restaurants on our list. Located in trendy Gastown, this spot will have you thinking you momentarily left Canada and were transported to France. The restaurant's interior features simple wood tables, a welcoming bar area, and an open kitchen. The decor is also simple, with stacked wine bottles and charming prints on the walls. Overall, the place is cozy and authentic.

One of the main highlights here is the delicious food. The main chef, Emanuelle Joinville, grew up and learned his trade in Dijon, France. Traditional French dishes are taken to the next level here with everything from French onion soup to charcuterie to dry-aged ribeye steak.

Our recommendation

You won't find fancy tasting menus here, so your meal selection will depend solely on your preferences and how hungry you are. For vegans, there's the vegan charcuterie board, and otherwise, you can't go wrong with the lobster bisque or the truffle fries.

While a reservation isn't exclusively necessary here, it's a good idea to call ahead if you can. You can also book online through Open Table.

Location

216 Abbott St, Vancouver, BC

Price level

$$

Conclusion

From French to Italian to Mediterranean to Canadian, the romantic restaurants in Vancouver really do have it all. To balance your budget since many of these spots skew expensive, consider dining at some of the amazing street food vendors in the city for a few of your meals. But if price isn't a concern, it's always fun to end your date with a cocktail or two overlooking the picturesque city at one of Vancouver's best rooftop bars.

Regardless of how you spend your date night in Vancouver, you're guaranteed good food, an unforgettable setting, and good company (if you chose your date well, that is).