City Island Date Ideas in New York

The Black Whale has stained glass and maritime artifacts in its room, and the art on the walls rotates with each new exhibition, so a return visit brings something new to look at together. The dining room has no water views, but the shady back courtyard is a pleasant place to sit when the weather cooperates.

The outdoor deck at Sea Shore Restaurant & Marina looks out on Pelham Bay, so you can look out at the water together. Inside, each of the dining rooms has its own character with the water showing through in all of them. The menu centers on lobster, crab legs, prime steaks and the day's fresh catch, and a Signature Sushi Platter is among the chef's top picks.

Sammy's Fish Box is a seafood restaurant on City Island, known for generous portions and showy seafood platters. The room is high-energy and welcoming, with a bar and lounge near the City Island waterfront, which suits a lively night out. The menu is unpretentious, with fresh seafood, surf and turf, and feast platters.

The Silent Sea is an upscale Greek restaurant on City Island that works as a date-night spot on the water. Emil Cobic, who owns it with Kenny Cobic, designed the space.

Reserve early for the water view in daylight ahead of golden hour, and book ahead Thursday through Saturday. Try the Shrimp Pasta Mykonos Style once between the two of you. Live jazz plays on Wednesdays, and a steak and wine night runs as well.

Atik is a waterfront Mediterranean restaurant overlooking Eastchester Bay, with parasols and outdoor couches to settle onto. Sitting side by side on a couch with the bay in view gives a date a relaxed setting. Pork chops with fingerling potatoes and paella marinera are the bigger plates on Atik's Mediterranean menu, for hungrier diners.

Vistamar Restaurant & Lounge has a window-lined main dining room that looks out over the water. Broadway-style shows give the room a festive, lively feel, though the setting is intimate enough for a dinner for two. The menu leans heavily on Latin and seafood dishes, and cocktails are served. That mix works for a cozy dinner or a livelier night out.

Archie's Tap & Table is a gastropub-style restaurant on City Island. At Archie's, the wings come glazed in chipotle and honey with blue cheese dip alongside, and the wild salmon sits over cabbage fried rice.

City Island Lobster House brings old-school charm to a waterfront date night, with its Hemingway Room featuring a rich mahogany bar and plush velvet-backed booths. The intimate, vintage atmosphere makes it a lovely choice for a special occasion or romantic seafood dinner. Share the signature Seafood Extravaganza platter, or choose from Maine lobster, king crab legs and Angus beef. Located just off the City Island Bridge, it's a neighborhood favorite for celebrating together.

Orchard Beach, nicknamed the Bronx Riviera, has a wide hexagon-tiled promenade that runs the whole length of the beach, giving you a long walk to share. Embury designed the bathhouse as a raised plaza. The beach is part of Pelham Bay Park, which is NYC's largest park at over 2,700 acres and also has golf, mini-golf and tennis if you want to keep the date going.

City Island Nautical Museum traces the island's maritime past from oystering through a hundred years of building boats and making sails, so you get local history to explore together. It is in an 1897 school building designed by C.B.J. Snyder, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a NYC landmark.

A permanent collection and temporary exhibitions fill the museum. It is open weekends only, Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm, from the last Saturday of April to the last weekend of October.