RICHMOND, Va. — Let’s go out to dinner and see a movie! Dinner is the base on which many couple’s first dates are built. The good news for Virginians in love is that the Commonwealth is home to seven of the country’s most romantic restaurants, according to OpenTable.
The online restaurant-reservation service compiled its 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America list by going through more than 12 million verified diner reviews.
“These 100 restaurants excel at setting the table for romance and creating intimate dining experiences at every service,” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a new special someone, a spouse or even a friend, you can count on this list to find not only a restaurant with the right ambiance but also an exceptional meal.”
Virginia — with seven restaurants — comes behind just Ohio (nine) and Texas (eight) in terms of the number of most romantic restaurants. North Carolina also had seven restaurants on the list.
Here are the Virginia restaurants that made the list.
Bookbinder’s Seafood and Steakhouse – Richmond, Virginia
Claire’s at the Depot – Warrenton, Virginia
Fleurie – Charlottesville, Virginia
The Ivy Inn Restaurant – Charlottesville, Virginia
L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, Virginia
Le Yaca – Williamsburg, Virginia and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel – Richmond, Virginia
OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2019 list is generated solely from diner reviews collected between December 1, 2017, and November 30, 2018. All restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. The overall score is made up of unique data points, such as overall diner rating, user klout, total number of reviews and regional overall rating. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of reviews for which “romantic” was selected as a special feature.
Eat It, Virginia! with Scott and Robey is a podcast driven by food. We discuss Richmond restaurants and food events, answer your most pressing food-related questions, and share listener-submitted dining suggestions. Email the show here.