Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Date Ideas in New York

At Theodora, a fish-focused Mediterranean restaurant, the open kitchen runs fish on the grills and a dry-ager. Couples settle in at the bar to share red snapper ceviche, while the back room fills with groups, feta brine tequila cocktails and a whole branzino. Build the meal around small seafood plates plus a bread, and look to the striped bass ceviche and the steelhead trout.

Navy-hued and covered in brick, Sailor is a seafood-leaning bistro that works for a date or a special dinner. The bar room is more casual than the dining room, and a nightcap there after a movie at BAM makes for a romantic end to the evening. The menu shifts often. The branzino comes with charred lemon and browned, salty skin, and the lamb burger riffs on one the chef served at The Breslin.

Karasu serves seasonal, izakaya-style Japanese cooking with plenty of shareable dishes. Behind the cheerful front restaurant is a speakeasy-style back room, dim and whisky-minded. We'd go for the prime rib for two with the karaage and a cocktail, and the menu also has tuna tataki and tonkatsu.

Open since 2017, Miss Ada is a Mediterranean and Israeli-leaning restaurant from chef Tomer Blechman. The backyard stays open year-round, covered and heated in winter, while an open kitchen gives the dining room a relaxed, leisurely pace. Chicken shawarma, short rib and chicken liver sit alongside babaganoush with ginger aioli and several hummus varieties.

Rhodora is a small, dimly lit wine bar, dark enough that conversation feels private. It pours natural wine from small producers by the glass, so ask the bartender what is open. The regular menu centers on tinned fish with She Wolf bread, snack-style rather than a full dinner, and cheese and crab dip are also on offer with sidewalk tables outside.

Black Iris is a Mediterranean restaurant with a full cocktail bar, plus a patio where dogs are welcome and the outdoor seating is heated. Jazz plays and the mood leans romantic, so a cocktail for each of you is an easy way to start the night. The smoky Negroni stands out among the drinks. Order a pita here: sundried tomatoes, chicken cutlet and lamb are all on the menu.

Inside Cafe Paulette, the room is quiet enough that conversation is easy to hear, while the sidewalk patio draws a younger crowd. We recommend the steak frites, big enough for two to share, with oysters and natural wine alongside. The kitchen runs from lunch and an afternoon menu through dinner, with brunch on weekends.

Live jazz sets a cozy, casual mood at Endswell, a cocktail bar in a small room that borrows from French bistros and Brooklyn style, with plants on the walls. Its marble and green wall are meant to feel like home. The cocktails are creative, with the espresso martini a standout, and the French-inspired menu includes coq au vin, mussels and duck rillette.

Dim lighting and a dark, fairly intimate dining room set the tone at Evelina, a cozy trattoria that suits sharing wine and pasta. The decor is refined and romantic, with a Milan-like look, and a heated patio and a gelato cart round out the setting. The pastas are the draw, in big portions that are easy to share. We recommend the squid-ink malloreddus, dense pasta shells with plenty of uni and shrimp.

Below street level, Fradei serves seasonal food and natural wine in a tiny room that is surprisingly full of light. Many tables are taken by people on dates. Crab toast and dumplings of stinging nettle and ricotta have both shown up on the a la carte menu, which changes often and leans French with its own twists. Walk-ins get the bar seats, and steak tartare ordered solo there is a favorite.