2025: Manhattan Voted City Winery Best First Date Venue!
City Winery
25 11th Aveue
(646) 751-6033 – citywinery.com
A first date deserves more than just dinner and drinks — it deserves an experience that sparks connection. With its intimate ambiance, smooth live music, and carefully curated selection of wines, City Winery delivers just that. Recognized as the 2025 Winner in the First Date Venue category, this celebrated destination blends the charm of a working winery with the warmth of a live entertainment venue. Guests are invited to share handcrafted wines, locally inspired dishes, and memorable moments beneath the soft glow of candlelight. Every detail — from the acoustic soundscape to the inviting décor — sets the stage for genuine conversation and lasting impressions, making it the perfect backdrop for romance to begin and stories to unfold.
2024: Manhattan Voted BAR GOTO Best First Date Venue!
BAR GOTO
245 Eldridge St
(212) 475-4411 – bargoto.com
Your choice in bar or restaurant for a first date can give a little hint about what your taste is. Bar Goto is a perfect choice to show your date that you’re trendy and classy with a fine delicate taste. Bar Goto describes itself as a New York bar with a Japanese soul. Its warm, but minimalist interior design features a wall of Japanese whiskies to choose from. Its aesthetic will provide an intimate setting to get to know your date, an enclave away from the crowds of its Lower East Side surrounding. Kenta Goto, the bar’s owner, is known for his painstaking palette, which really comes out in his highballs like the Yamazaki made with 12-year single malt whiskey or his shochu and mezcal cocktail, the Koji-San.
2023: Manhattan Voted Bar Goto Best First Date Venue!
Bar Goto
245 Eldridge St
(212) 475-4411 – bargoto.com
Your choice in bar or restaurant for a first date can give a little hint about what your taste is. Bar Goto is a perfect choice to show your date that you’re trendy and classy with a fine delicate taste. Bar Goto describes itself as a New York bar with a Japanese soul. Its warm, but minimalist interior design features a wall of Japanese whiskies to choose from. Its aesthetic will provide an intimate setting to get to know your date, an enclave away from the crowds of its Lower East Side surrounding. Kenta Goto, the bar’s owner, is known for his painstaking palette, which really comes out in his highballs like the Yamazaki made with 12-year single malt whiskey or his shochu and mezcal cocktail, the Koji-San.
2022: Manhattan Voted Bar Goto Best First Date Venue!
Bar Goto
245 Eldridge St
(212) 475-4411 – bargoto.com
Looking to make a splash on a first date? You won’t go wrong with Bar Goto. Located in Lower Manhattan, this Japanese restaurant provides an intimate setting for you to get to know your next partner! If you are trying to make a great first impression, want to guarantee a night you and your date will remember and take some of the pressure off by going to a place where drinks, laughs and songs flow, this is the place to check out. It really is a hidden gem! With just a few small tables, you’ll be guaranteed to be able to have a great conversation, while chomping down on mouth-watering food. There’s also plenty of standing room to have drinks before or after your dinner, so you won’t be in a rush with your new friend! With a place like this on a first date, you might as well get on to planning date number two!
2021: Manhattan Voted Shake Rattle & Roll Dueling Pianos First Date Venue!
Shake Rattle & Roll Dueling Pianos
259 W 42nd St.
917-921-4128 – www.ShakeRattleRollPianos.com
First dates can be painfully awkward, can’t they? And if you’ve been in the dating scene for a while, it can get repetitive. If you are trying to make a great first impression, want to guarantee a night you and your date will remember and take some of the pressure off by going to a place where drinks, laughs and songs flow, why not check out Shake, Rattle and Roll Dueling Pianos? Two pianists play songs that are requested from the audience, allowing for the back-and-forth banter and singing that promises an easy going night of fun. Know the words? Even better, don’t know the words? No matter, everyone sings along at Shakes, Rattle and Roll Dueling pianos. It’s the perfect launch pad for date #2.
2020: Manhattan Voted Shalel Kitchen & Bar Best First Date Venue!
Shalel Kitchen & Bar
65 W 70th St
(212) 873-2300 – shalel.kitchen
As you walk down the candlelit staircase upon entering Shalel Kitchen & Bar, don’t worry that you didn’t see a sign out front. You’re definitely in the right place! As you and your date enter the Moroccan-inspired and beautifully decorated restaurant, see if you and your date can’t snag your very own private yet cavernous room to dine in. You might have to get there a bit early, but it’s worth it, especially if you want to impress your date.
