The Most Romantic Restaurants in DUMBO for a Date in New York

Cecconi's Dumbo brings a touch of Italian elegance to the Brooklyn waterfront, with glowing glass chandeliers, peacock-blue chairs, and black-and-white mosaic marble floors. The dining room offers beautiful East River views, making it a romantic setting for dinner for two. After your meal, take a stroll through nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park to admire the Manhattan skyline reflected in the water.

Celestine is a Mediterranean restaurant in DUMBO with sweeping views of the East River and Manhattan skyline. The spacious outdoor patio sits just steps from the waterfront, while the warm, terracotta-toned dining room offers candlelit tables and beautiful views framed by the bridge. With its intimate atmosphere and relaxed dress code, it's a romantic spot for a dinner date that feels special without being overly formal.

AlMar is an Italian restaurant in DUMBO, serving dinner and weekend brunch in a no-frills, neighborhood-hangout style. Dinner runs Monday through Thursday from 5:30pm to 10:30pm and Friday and Saturday from 5:30pm to 11pm, while weekend brunch runs from 11:30am to 3:30pm.

Vinegar Hill House brings a touch of countryside charm to Brooklyn, with exposed brick walls, wooden beams, and flickering candles that create an intimate setting for a romantic dinner. Tucked away in Vinegar Hill, just steps from DUMBO, this cozy American restaurant feels like a retreat from the city. Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 PM, with later hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Weekend brunch runs from 10 AM to 3 PM. Reservations are recommended, and tables are held for approximately 15 minutes.

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's first Brooklyn restaurant, abc kitchens, is on the DUMBO waterfront. Pink velvet booths line the roomy dining room, a warm setting for date night, and the outdoor seating looks out over the East River. Many dishes revisit favorites from the chef's other ABC restaurants. We recommend the crab toast for the classic order or the arctic char for something lighter. Signatures at abc kitchen include a caramel popcorn sundae, mushroom pizza and crab toast.

Em Vietnamese Bistro has a calm, modern room in jade greens, a casual setting for a date. Space between the tables keeps the room calm enough to talk comfortably. The Beef Noodle Soup is made with a 24-hour beef bone broth, and the menu also has butter clams and Ly's Chicken Wings, a crispy wing made from a secret recipe.

Malka is chef Eyal Shani's first kosher restaurant in the U.S. The mood is cozy but lively, so it works for a date night or a celebration. Weeknights are calm, while on Thursdays the lights dim and a DJ turns up the music. The golden schnitzel stuffed with mashed potatoes is the signature, and the focaccia and branzino hraime are standouts too.

Pearl Street Restaurant is an intimate 10-seat chef's counter in DUMBO, where guests sit inches from the kitchen and watch each dish come together. The counter wraps around a small kitchen, and the open prep makes it a fit for date night. The cooking is built on technique and simplicity, guided by what is fresh.

Superfine has been a DUMBO fixture since 1998, and it is a spacious restaurant with live music, a pool table and a multi-level bar. That gives a date plenty to do beyond dinner, including a game of pool. Dinner changes every day, built around what farms, fields and fishmongers supply. A jazz jam runs on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 7 to 10pm.

A former torpedo factory in Dumbo now houses Kinjo, a 14-seat omakase and cocktail lounge. Past a curtain, one long counter faces two chefs moving in step. Johnny Huang, co-founder and chef, previously worked at Masa and now sends out a seasonal sushi omakase of 11 courses. Standouts include otoro with caviar, akami zuke with Asian pear, and scallop with calamansi and lime zest.