The Best First Date Spots in San Jose

Share wine and small plates in a cozy room at Goodtime Bar, a natural wine bar downtown. The tiled bar and dim lighting feel stylish without trying too hard.

Try the arancini with Japanese curry. The room fills up fast, so come early for a table where conversation is easy. It is open Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 11pm, with later hours Friday and Saturday.

Vintage Wine Bar sits in the Santana Row courtyard, with a small indoor space and a larger patio that works well for a casual date. Order a wine flight and a cheese plate to share, then settle in and watch the crowd go by.

The flights have playful names like Party Chardy, which keeps the experience from feeling too formal.

Start the day with coffee at Moonwake, a roaster's cafe in West San Jose. Inside, wood paneling runs along the ceiling, a lit half-moon shelf glows behind the bar, and coffee cherry trees stand in the center of the room.

Try the elderflower espresso tonic or the SarSPROparilla float. The cafe is open 7am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends.

Take your time over Portuguese small plates at Petiscos, a casual downtown restaurant in the SoFA District where plates come in rounds and nothing is hurried.

Start with the Francesinha, the octopus, or the duck rice, and share the seafood rice, which is built for two. Twelve cocktails are named for places. Dinner runs 5pm to 9pm on weekdays, and weekends open at 11:30am. Walk-ins are welcome too.

A very long bar and a huge room full of nooks give Paper Plane its lively, party feel. The downtown craft cocktail bar sorts its drink menu by flavor, and the bartenders will help you find a new favorite.

Food is served until 11pm. Guests must be 21 and over, and the bar is closed Mondays.

Play a pinball machine or one of more than 30 arcade games at Miniboss, an arcade bar downtown. The city's tourism board calls it a fun pick for a night with friends or a date.

Try a Piccolo or Die, a cocktail of dark rum, ube, milk tea and matcha whipped cream. Pizza and wings are on the menu too. Miniboss is open Wednesday through Sunday and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Play 18 holes at Urban Putt downtown, where the course winds past a crashed UFO, a golf-ball-eating shark, and other playful obstacles. The restaurant and bar make it easy to turn a round of mini golf into a full date night.

Drinks from the 40-foot bar can come with you onto the course, and the menu includes pizzas, burgers, and shareable plates. Guests must be 21 or older after 8pm.

Each of you can choose your own food at San Pedro Square Market, a downtown food hall with vendors for pizza, Latin American food, craft beer, and sushi. Browse the stalls and meet back at a table.

The dog-friendly patio and frequent live music add something to linger over. The market is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Wander Santana Row, an outdoor district with more than 50 shops and 30 restaurants, and pick a place to eat or drink as you go.

The parks and plazas host live music and outdoor yoga, and a movie theatre is on the Row too. Parking is within walking distance.

Walk among more than 180 rose varieties at the Municipal Rose Garden, a free 5.5-acre park with lawns and a central fountain. Locals head there for a picnic, some photos, or a casual walk.

Pick up a map and tour the plants in a circle around the historic tiered fountain. Spring and early summer are the best times to go, and on-street parking is nearby.