8 Romantic Restaurants for a Date Night in London

Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day is just next week so here are the restaurants I adore for a romantic date night or a catch-up with your favourite girls. If you've already made reservations or somewhere is fully booked, I would recommend them all year round, not just love season.

Zephyr - Notting Hill

I finally tried Zephyr after months of meaning to go and it really did not disappoint. Like everyone else on the internet, I was obsessed with the cool decor and the food was absolutely impeccable - who knew a Greek salad could be that life-changing? The tzatziki was perfection, the raw yellowtail was so so fresh and flavoursome and the truffle fries were DRENCHED in a very generous amount of truffle shavings - as they should be (especially for £11). I went for a girls' lunch and I would love to go for a date night, I imagine candlelight would make it really romantic plus there's a bar downstairs that I'd love to try for a cocktail after supper. I can't recommend it enough and I'll definitely be back.

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Jacuzzi - High Street Kensington

Overhyped? Ummmmm possibly a little bit. Stunning and yummy? Definitely.

Ok so, I was super excited to try Jacuzzi for a belated Valentine's Day date night last year when it was newly opened and all over TikTok. The decor and atmosphere are 100% worth the hype - every floor has a different theme, the staircase is something out of a fairytale and in true Big Mamma Group fashion, the bathrooms are mirrored, fabulous and Instagram-worthy. The food is definitely delicious, but nothing you can't get at any other Italian restaurant. I really wanted the truffle pasta but you can only get it to share between two people and my boyfriend doesn't like truffle (question: do I keep him?) so I got the truffle pizza instead which was good but not particularly memorable, I also can't get on board with parsley on a pizza... I don't want to judge off of just two cocktails, but ours were disappointing - super strong which I don't have a problem with as long as they're tasty, which they were not.  I don't want to put you off as I would go again for the theatricality and lovely service, I just want to manage expectations. Our starters were delicious so we could tell that the food was capable of being good, I would just order a different main.

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Harry's Bar - Marylebone

I'd wanted to try one of the Harry's restaurants for ages and we finally went just before Christmas but I think it would be a perfect Valentine's spot if you want a dimly lit Italian. It was exactly as I'd imagined and I'll definitely be back. The restaurant was pretty dark - not to the point where you couldn't see the menu, it was just atmospheric and candlelit. The seating consisted of lots of comfy leather booths and the interior just had decadent vibes in general. There were signature Christmas cocktails at the time so I imagine they do some specials depending on the season or holiday. The service was absolutely amazing - super attentive and our waitress was really friendly. I had a couple of starters rather than one main because I just loved the look of them - the burrata (obviously), the calamari which was a particularly good one (not elasticy or chewy) and the truffle taglioni which was a really thin pasta that came in a little metal pan and was plated up in front of me. I LOVE it when things come in little metal pans. We were having such a nice time at the restaurant that we had dessert, which we don't usually have, just to stay longer.

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Balthazar - Covent Garden

What is sexier than lobster with a side of mac and cheese? Balthazar is a gorgeous French Restaurant that feels so special and brings a slice of the cool Manhattan dining scene to London. While I choose some kind of crustacean, my boyfriend will always pick the fillet steak and he has reported that Balthazar's is fantastic (I don't eat meat but I can confirm that it looks delicious). The atmosphere is buzzy and vibrant while the service is attentive and personal. This is a really special spot and definitely a must-try.

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Sticks 'n' Sushi - Chelsea

This is one of my favourite sushi spots - you can't go wrong with Sticks 'n' Sushi. It's a chain but it still feels special - the King's Road restaurant is the one I've been to a bunch of times but they also have branches in Soho, Covent Garden, White City, Victoria, Shoreditch and more. Make sure you ask to be sat downstairs as the decor, lighting and the general atmosphere is sexier and much more romantic. If you can only get a seat at the bar, don't worry - you get to see the sushi being made which is a fun experience and I thought it was cute sitting next to each other on the bar stools. Make sure you order the Ebi Bites and the Hell's Kitchen Roll but everything I've tried has been delicious - especially any sashimi/tataki/ceviche dishes I've ordered have been delicious as well.

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OKA - Chelsea

OKA may not be the sexiest sushi spot with the fanciest decor but in my opinion, it's honestly the best sushi in London. The crispy rice salmon bites frequently appear in my dreams and when we discovered the red dragon rolls, our lives were changed. It could be considered a little more affordable than other sushi spots and whilst the atmosphere isn't elaborate it's still intimate and cosy. I'm not above some smoke and mirrors AT ALL - I'm definitely guilty of choosing a restaurant based on how Instagrammable it is and whether the bathrooms are suitable for mirror selfies, but OKA is an exception because it's just that good.

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Brother Marcus - Borough Yards

I really didn't think Brother Marcus would be my kind of cuisine, it's just not the menu that I would personally gravitate towards but it was booked by someone else for a big group so off I went. Everyone decided to do the chef's choice menu - hence the somewhat alarming whole fish. I was so surprised that I absolutely loved it and have since been back for a lunch date with my boyfriend. Those fluffy pittas paired with authentic taramasalata (of which I used to be terrified) were absolute perfection. The whole baked honey halloumi was stunning and the calamari was some of the best I've tried. Speaking of trying things, I was put out of my comfort zone with all sorts of dishes I would never have ordered myself including this aubergine skewer that was absolutely divine. The restaurant was bright and spacious by day but felt intimate and candlelit in the evening. I often go past their South Kensington branch and I would love to try that one as well.

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Bancone - Soho

I think that picking a couple of pasta dishes to share and sipping a Gin & Basil Smash make for a pretty perfect date night and you won't believe how affordable Bancone is (the mains are as cheap as £9 with the most expensive dish being only £17) when the restaurant is so chic and the food is so good. You have to get their "silk handkerchiefs" pasta with walnut butter and confit egg yolk.

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