The Most Romantic Restaurants for a First Date in Orange County

The Cellar feels made for a long, candlelit dinner. Set in the basement of the historic Villa del Sol hotel in Fullerton, the dining room has vaulted ceilings, low lighting, and tables spaced far enough apart to keep the evening feeling intimate.

The menu is French and classic American, with wine pairings available. The chateaubriand with béarnaise and roasted potatoes is made for sharing. Dinner starts at 4:30pm on Friday and Saturday.

Las Brisas is all about the view. The Laguna Beach restaurant looks out over the coastline, with an ocean-facing dining room and patio that make sunset an especially good time to go.

The menu leans into seafood with Mexican flavors, including house-made tortillas and salsas. The dining room is open daily from 8am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 8am to 10pm Friday and Saturday.

Five Crowns has the cozy feel of an old English country inn, with fireplaces, antiques, period paintings, a greenhouse, and an English garden. It works well for a date that feels special without becoming overly formal.

The menu focuses on seasonal contemporary cuisine, and the attached SideDoor bar gives you somewhere to start or extend the night. Tuesdays bring $2 oysters. Reservations are recommended.

RAYA sits high above the coast at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, with floor-to-ceiling windows and ocean views from every table. The setting does most of the work here, especially for a dinner where you want the night to feel a little more dressed up.

The menu is Pan-Latin with global influences, and Bar Raya next door serves seasonal cocktails if you want to start with a drink before dinner.

Habana has a warmer, livelier kind of date-night atmosphere. The Costa Mesa restaurant glows with candles and votives, with both a patio and bar adding to the energy of the room.

The menu is Cuban, with mojitos, tuna tartare, and plantain chips among the standouts. If you want to make more of the night, Ruin Bar is in the same complex and works well for a drink before dinner. Booking ahead is recommended for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

A Restaurant is a Newport Beach spot that balances a polished dining room with a livelier bar scene, so the night can feel special without becoming too formal.

The menu changes regularly, with land and sea dishes like Wagyu steak tartare and spicy yellowfin tuna. Tuesday is Wine Night, with half-price wine listed on the restaurant's site.

AnQi Bistro works well when you want dinner somewhere with more energy. The South Coast Plaza restaurant serves Euro-Vietnamese cuisine, with a lively bar scene that makes it easy to start with drinks before sitting down to dinner.

Red Hour runs Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 8pm, with $10 cocktails and $10 bites. Garlic noodles are served late on Friday and Saturday until 10pm.

Selanne Steak Tavern gives you a few different ways to shape the night. The Laguna Beach restaurant is set inside a historic home, with dining spaces ranging from the Wine Library and Veranda to the Sunset Terrace.

For something more intimate, VIII by Selanne is a 20-seat experience with one seating per evening. The bar is first come, first served if you would rather keep things more casual.

Bourbon Steak is the splurge on this list. The steakhouse inside the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach has an elegant dining room, aged steaks, and a long wine and bourbon selection.

Dinner runs from 5 to 9pm Friday and Saturday and 5 to 8:30pm Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Goldfinch is a polished Irvine option when you want dinner somewhere that feels sleek and considered. The restaurant leans into an elegant design, making it better suited to a date night than a quick, casual meal.

The menu is California cuisine, with dishes including furikake-crusted sea bass and French dips. Reservations are available through the booking form on the restaurant's site.