Food Holidays & Occasions Valentine's Day Our 18 Most Romantic Dinner Recipes Cook up the ultimate date night with a romantic dinner in. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Megan Soll Megan Soll Megan Soll is an Associate Editorial Director for Food & Wine Commerce. She joined Dotdash Meredith in 2015 and has over 11 years of experience writing and editing food, entertainment, and lifestyle content. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 20, 2023 Close Photo: Justin Walker Whether you're serving a roasted rack of lamb or silky, rich pasta, a romantic dinner for two can make an ordinary evening a little more special. Go big with pan-roasted lobster or steak frites, or try your hand at homemade pizza. For a special holiday, anniversary, or a spur-of-the-moment surprise, add these romantic dinner recipes to your arsenal; you'll come back to them time and time again. 01 of 18 Petite Beef Wellington Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Crackling puff pastry and earthy mushroom duxelles enclose juicy roast beef in chef Sean Brock's mini beef Wellington. Pair it with a structured, elegant Bordeaux, such as Chateau Fonplegade. Get the Recipe 02 of 18 Oysters with Pikliz Oriana Koren Easily elevate a home-cooked dinner by serving oysters on ice. This recipe can be prepped beforehand, too. Get the Recipe 03 of 18 Roast Chicken with Sauce Chasseur Victor Protasio Sauce Chasseur is classically thickened with a rich demi-glace, but this version uses cream which allows the flavors of the herbs, tomatoes, and acidic wine to come through. Get the Recipe 04 of 18 Fregula cun Cocciula (Sardinian Fregola with Clams) Photo by Cedric Angeles / Prop Styling by Stephanie Bohn This dish spotlights perfectly steamed clams and chewy fregola, a small round pasta from Sardinia, in a golden, spicy, briny broth. It's especially delicious when matched with a full-bodied Sardinian Vermentino. Get the Recipe 05 of 18 Steak Frites with Black Garlic Butter Victor Protasio Nothing says romance like a perfectly cooked steak and crispy fries. This one with black garlic butter is matchmaking material. Get the Recipe 06 of 18 Charred Vegetable Ragù Victor Protasio "Ladled over a pile of tagliatelle and topped with more cheese, this nourishing sauce tastes slow-cooked and comforting, especially on a wintry weeknight," former F&W editor Kelsey Youngman says. Get the Recipe 07 of 18 Sweet Potato Gyoza with Beet Puree Victor Protasio Sweet potato and hazelnut butter make up the filling for these inventive and satisfying gyoza. A silky beet puree shot through with preserved lemon adds a hit of brightness. Get the Recipe 08 of 18 Pan-Roasted Lobster with Chive Beurre Blanc Justin Walker "Be sure to serve the lobsters on a warmed large platter so the beurre blanc stays hot," says Mary-Frances Heck. "I love to line the platter with hot cooked linguine before topping it with the roasted lobsters and lemony sauce. The pasta soaks up some of the sauce and makes for a decadent second course once all the lobsters have been eaten." Get the Recipe 09 of 18 Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda Gentl & Hyers In this recipe from Cooking with Mushrooms by Andrea Gentl, melted anchovies and porcini mushroom powder lend a savory depth to nutty brown butter bagna cauda, yielding a powerhouse sauce that's perfect for drizzling on a wintery salad. Get the Recipe 10 of 18 Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This bone-in pork chop riff on the classic French au poivre preparation is so good, we may never go back to beef. Using a blend of peppercorns, not just classic black, adds notes of floral and vegetal spice to this simple dish. Get the Recipe 11 of 18 Brown Sugar–Glazed Salmon with Buttery Roasted Squash Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Chef Erick Williams recommends thick cuts of salmon for this recipe; they cook quickly while remaining juicy and tender and are well-balanced by the sweet, gingery glaze. If delicata or acorn squash aren't available, substitute butternut squash. Get the Recipe 12 of 18 French Seafood Bisque with Baguette Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen The freshest seafood — preferably sourced from your local fishmonger — is the highlight of this velvety-smooth bisque. Take care to cook each type as directed to preserve its delicate flavor and texture. This resourceful recipe uses every last bit of your briny haul to yield a rich seafood stock that enhances this thick, soppable soup. Get the Recipe 13 of 18 King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Chef Julia Sullivan employs a duo of cast-iron skillets to prepare the tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks; one for cooking the mushrooms, the other for pressing them flat so they cook evenly. Buttery roasted almonds balance the sharper notes of garlic and lemon in this rustic French sauce. Get the Recipe 14 of 18 Soppressata Pizza with Calabrian Chiles and Hot Honey Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Take a little soppressata, some chopped Calabrian chiles, and a drizzle of hot honey, and you'll end up with the pizza of the moment. Calabrian chiles, fiery chiles from Italy, add heat and a distinctly fruity flavor to this pie. The hot honey mirrors the flavors of the chiles, and adds a touch of sweetness. Get the Recipe 15 of 18 Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese Greg DuPree In this vegetarian version of classic French onion soup, blue cheese and oloroso sherry add depth and layers of flavor. Notes of toasted nuts and fruit compote in the sherry pair well with caramelized onions, and its briny acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese. Get the Recipe 16 of 18 Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Crème Fraîche Erin Kunkel Roasting the butternut squash with honey and a touch of salt intensifies the natural sweetness of the squash and caramelizes the honey. Take time browning the onions; cooking them low and slow deepens the foundational flavor of this hearty soup. Get the Recipe 17 of 18 Caviar Carbonara John Kernick For special occasions, former F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple makes beautiful, fresh pappardelle pasta, then tosses it with a quick and decadent carbonara sauce laced with briny pops of caviar and lemon zest. When he doesn’t feel like making the pasta from scratch, he buys the noodles fresh at his local Italian market. Get the Recipe 18 of 18 Rack of Lamb with Mustard-Shallot Sauce © Kate Mathis A rack of lamb is the right move for a special dinner for two, as it's the perfect portion of meat to split and works with almost any side dish. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit