The most romantic restaurants in DC

There are so many ways to do it at this rebooted Dupont landmark eatery, when “it” means feast. Spontaneously with small plates at the bar? Sure. Slowly after cocktails in the sun-dappled courtyard? Yes. Or by firelight in the carriage house? You can’t go wrong. Chef Anthony Chittum and his gang use a combination of immersion circulators and open flames to coax out bold flavors in small and family-style plates in the grand Victorian setting. The tasting menus are just as impressive: four ($60), six ($80), and the mega-course chef’s tasting prix fixe ($110, or $200 with wine pairings) start with a cavalcade of mezze. There are velvety soups, fresh pasta and roasted meat and fish. If at the end you want a second helping of the sesame-crusted feta, we understand. You brought gum, right?

Johnny Monis’ Greek-inspired formal dining room, Komi, is an epic experience, but it’s his less expensive Northern Thai joint just below that heats our blood. With a limit of four people per table, this intimate spot is tailor-made for romance. The menu riffs on the meals the owners ate on their honeymoon and the open kitchen delivers a prix fixe ($45) of seven fiery, funky plates like Mekong whiskey-basted ribs with sticky rice. There are no substitutions (sorry, vegetarians) and no reservations. Line up when the place opens to snag one of the two seatings. There’s no attitude at the door—Little Serow has the warmest service in town. 

There’s no sign outside. A handwritten menu is the only indication Peter Pastan’s fine seasonal Italian restaurant is within this handsome Dupont Circle row house. If you care about food—where it’s from, how it comes together, why it brings us joy—Obelisk is a must. The five-course prix fixe changes daily but old friends reappear from time to time. Cross your fingers there’s buratta sprinkled with sea salt to start or chocolate-polenta cake for dessert. Pastas are pillowy, fish is cooked gently, and desserts have such wit that table talk hovers around the “You’ve gotta try this” variety. The lights are low, there are fresh flowers and enough space between tables for truly private conversations, so you can canoodle away.

Tucked inside a Federal row house near the university campus, this Georgetown mainstay might as well be located at the corner of Memory Lane and Fancy Street. The restaurant has set the scene for dozens of proposals and remains an enviable destination for anniversaries. Start with cocktails in the clubby bar and then settle at a fireside table in the John Carroll Room. The seasonal American menu is a primer in white-tablecloth luxury. Start with a foie gras parfait and share Alba white truffle risotto and beef Wellington. Split the cheese course and at least one of the warm desserts oozing chocolate and fruit. The 11,000-bottle wine list was built to impress.

“She’s a tight Republican. He’s an unkempt Dem. But together they’re rocking the free world.” If you entertain ’90s rom-com fantasies, the Tune Inn is the place to act them out. What opened in 1947 as a Capitol Hill watering hole has matured into a great American dive that specializes in deep-fried everything (even the signature burger is battered). You can belly up to the bar or stand beneath the taxidermy, but truly great dates take place in one of the black pleather booths with a couple of ice-cold beers and a basket of mozzarella sticks. Sometimes opposites do attract.