Boston's Best Restaurants For Valentine's Day 2017
For many couples, Valentine's Day is marked with a meal - and not just any meal. The food and the setting have to be special, and serve as the appetizer to another kind of feast, a feast of love, to follow. To some this means dressing up for haute cuisine dining at a fancy restaurant, while for others, it can mean returning to a more simple place, one that has not only good food but also brings back fond memories of a time when love was new. From the straightforward to the sublime, here are just five of Boston's Best Restaurants for Valentine's Day 2017.
Mooo Restaurant
15 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 670-2515
www.mooorestaurant.com
Beacon Hill is where old Boston is its classiest, and most romantic, especially on a late winter's eve with snow on the ground - as is so often the case on Valentine's Day in the city. Mooo Restaurant is the epitome of that old school class, but with just enough of a modern twist to make every visit fresh. Whether settling in to the comfort and warmth of the Wine Cellar or taking in the elegance of the secluded private dining room, patrons will find their romance teased by the exquisite offerings of Chef and owner Jaime Mammano. While there is usually a prix fixe menu for holidays, including Valentine's Day, there are also many other wonderful choices from land and sea to choose from. Mooo is especially well-regarded among steakhouse aficionados, although not everyone can or will pony up $160 for six ounces of Japanese A5 Wagyu sirloin. Then again, a little red meat at Valentine's Day might be just what is needed.
The Original Strega
379 Hanover St.
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 523-8481
www.stregaristorante.com
Nick Varano has branched out across Boston to give dinners around town such wonderful and varied restaurants as STRIP by Strega, Strega Prime, Strega Waterfront among others, and as fine as they all are, for romance none can compare with what is still known as "The Original Strega." Situated on Hanover Street in the North End - which itself is a wonderful place to rekindle or start a romance - Strega Ristorante is a five-star restaurant that offers classic high table Italian cuisine. Although getting a table is not easy, and requires either a lot of advance planning or some darn good luck, the dishes prepared by Sicilian-born and trained Executive Chef Salvatore Firicano are hearty, authentic, rich and although pricey, with most in the $30-$40 range, are well worth it. Lovers will savor every bite, and start their special night of amore off right at Strega Ristorante.
The Beehive
541 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 423-0069
www.beehiveboston.com
A fairly laid back but still very nice Bohemian restaurant, The Beehive on Tremont Street offers hearty and varied fare at reasonable prices. Most entrees, including Duck au Poivre (with "Schmaltz" fried rice), grilled swordfish and hand-cut parpadelle with rock shrimp are under $30. There is also a solid burger, sandwich and salad menu, as well as a lengthy and tantalizing list of appetizers which can be combined or shared as a meal. As an added benefit to help set the Valentine mood, The Beehive is also acknowledged as one of the top Jazz clubs in the world, and regularly features live music by name musicians.
City Bar Backbay
65 Exeter St.
Boston, MA 02116
www.citybarboston.com
Not every couple want to sit down for a big, fancy let alone expensive meal on Valentine's Day. Many want to keep the fare and the mood a bit lighter and more laid back. City Bar Backbay (and its sister restaurant, City Bar Waterfront) offer just that. An upscale and comfortable bar with world-class mixologists, City Bar also has a strong kitchen staff, and their presentation of such classics as Bouillabaisse, pan-seared Filet Mignon and Lobster Bisque put them right up there with the big boys. They also make a mean burger, a Lobster Roll that would put a Maine seashore place to shame and a Cajun shrimp and grits that will call up fond memories for anyone who ever visited New Orleans.
The 21st Amendment
150 Bowdoin Square
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 227-7100
www.21stboston.com
Valentine's Day does not have to be formal and quiet; it can be laid back and noisy, and that is exactly the kind of atmosphere lovers will find at The 21st Amendment on Bowdoin Square. A great place to go before or after the theater or cinema, or to end a romantic day out, The 21st offers some of the best and most affordable thin crust pizza, loaded nachos, thick burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches in Boston. For those on a budget but who still want someplace special - and where they can get a table without too much hassle - the 21st is a very good place to mark Cupid's holiday.
Related: Phantom Gourmet: Romantic Restaurants With Shareable Plates
