Best Date Spots in Midtown Manhattan in New York

Head down the stairs to Tomi Jazz in Midtown East, a Japanese basement izakaya that doubles as a bar and jazz club, with live music nightly. The cave-like room is dimly lit and intimate, and the up-close performances give you a show to take in side by side, maybe even a cellist playing while you eat okonomiyaki. Small dishes pair with cocktails, sake and Japanese whisky, and we recommend the cod roe spaghetti if you order just one thing.

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar comes from the Le Bernardin team and is right across the street from it. The room is modern, low-slung and loungey. The list changes and runs to over 40 wines by the glass and 200 by the bottle, alongside small bites made for sharing, including charcuterie, cheese and seafood. With great wine and a light bite, it works for a first date.

A live pianist plays every evening at Bo Peep, a basement piano bar under The Ragtrader. The room is dusky and jazzy, with red velvet, antique lamps and velvet furniture, and the speakeasy setting feels intimate. The music and low light make it a good setting for date night. Book ahead, since Bo Peep runs two seatings every night.

On the 40th and 41st floors of the Aliz Hotel Times Square in Midtown West, Dear Irving On Hudson is a rooftop bar with great views and cocktails. It also has outdoor seating, and it works as a first-date pick for getting to know someone who could grow into more than a friend.

Le Rock revamps a historic Art Deco space at Rockefeller Center, on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Think downtown bistro, but inside a grand Midtown space.

Dating back to 1936, Monkey Bar is a Midtown institution tucked inside the Hotel Elysée. With red leather booths, warm candlelight, and a wraparound Art Deco mural by Ed Sorel, the sunken dining room feels like a scene from old New York. The intimate, jazz-club atmosphere makes it a romantic choice for a dinner date with a touch of history.

A Frank Sinatra statue and a signed Liza Minnelli headshot greet you as you enter Patsy's. Low lighting keeps an older New York atmosphere, a fit for a date night or a bite before the show. Founded by Pasquale "Patsy" Scognamillo, the restaurant still makes dishes Sinatra reportedly ordered, like crispy veal Milanese.

Take the stairs down from an office building lobby to reach Sakagura, a Japanese izakaya and sake bar in a Midtown basement. It opened in 1996 and was early in introducing New Yorkers to sake, and its menu now lists over 260 selections. Expect sashimi, udon, soba and Japanese fried chicken, all served as izakaya-style small plates.

At the bottom of the Edison Hotel in Times Square, The Rum House is a cocktail bar with an old-time saloon feel. Live piano jazz plays every night with no cover, and the intimate room is a calm escape from the Times Square crowds. A big rum selection makes it a fine first-date stop for a cocktail.

For a dinner that feels like an occasion, Le Bernardin is a Midtown seafood restaurant with Eric Ripert as executive chef and co-owner. Each plate gets its own soft spotlight in this big rectangular room, with jazz playing and voices kept low. Dishes that stand out include sea trout tartare, yellowtail with foie gras on baguette, and langoustine with uni sauce americaine.