Sometimes, rather than trying to impress your significant other with your chef skills and risking burning the meal or the house down (we kid!), you take the easier (and safer) route by going out to dinner (after spending the day on a romantic outing, of course). Fortunately, Florida has plenty of restaurants that help set the mood with their charming yet intimate atmospheres and breathtaking views of the city. Not all of them are super expensive or require you to dress like you’re about to walk down the aisle, either (unless, of course, you’re planning to propose). Here are some of the most romantic restaurants in Florida:
Pane & Vino, Miami Beach: Italian Cuisine
1450 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, Florida 33139
305. 535.9027
Pane & Vino provides authentic rustic Italian flare blended with a vibrant nightlife and has become a favorite destination on Española Way. This Italian eatery and wine bar offers a relaxed and at-home feel inviting atmosphere. A cultural journey where Italian philosophy is reflected in every single detail. Owner Lino Anastasia, created a pastaiolo out front to both draw in customers, enchanted by the process of pasta making, and to display the hand-made care taken in their pastas.
Collage Restaurant, St. Augustine: European Influence Cuisine
60 Hypolita St., St. Augustine, Florida 32084
904.829.0055
Collage Restaurant’s goal is to provide their guests with a warm inviting atmosphere and a menu that uses fresh local ingredients including seafood and produce. Choice steaks, lamb, veal, chicken, and pastas round out the menu. Dishes made from scratch using the finest and freshest ingredients available—using fish from local waters and local produce from nearby farms, as often as possible to optimize freshness. Most of the dishes are original recipes that owners Mike Hyatt and Cindy Stangby have developed over the years. As always, their wait staff provides impeccable service without being pretentious and makes your dining experience memorable. You’re sure to find something pleasing for your palate on their extensive wine list.
Beach Walk Cafe at Henderson Park Inn, Destin: Seafood and Companion Cuisine
2700 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin, Florida 32541
850.650.7100
Overlooking the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Beach Walk Café is located at the Henderson Park Inn on a stretch of private beach neighboring Henderson Beach State Park. The Inn has been named “The Most Romantic Hotel in North America” and Beach Walk Café was also selected as one of the top most romantic restaurants in the United States by OpenTable. The Beach Walk Café dining experience allows guests to kindle the flames of romance over a variety of coastal cuisine with fresh selections including Grouper Vince, named in honor of Country Music superstar Vince Gill; Pepper Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna; and Seafood Pasta Rockefeller. For a special romantic encounter, reserve “Beach Walk Café’s Toes in the Sand” dining experience which provides a private table at the water’s edge under the stars with a dedicated server, so you can watch the sun set into the Gulf for a truly memorable evening.
Caffè dell’Amore, Naples: Italian Cuisine
1400 Gulf Shore Blvd N #154, Naples, Florida 34102
239.261.1389
Wanting to bring a piece of Italy to Naples, Florida, you will find a small, family-run restaurant where the owners are the chefs at Caffè dell’Amore. The menu is simple and offers time-honored classics made with special care. The recipes and ingredients are as they were a century ago, modernized only by the style of cooking or in the presentation. They use no preservatives, no pre-made sauces, or artificial flavorings, but locally grown, organic produce for ripeness and flavor, as well as all-natural meats and wild-caught seafood. The authentic ingredients used are imported from Italy: balsamic vinegar from Modena, extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany, and capers packed in salt from Sicily, and Parmigiano Reggiano, which comes only from the Parma region of Italy and is government protected. Flavorful Italian meats and rich cheeses arrive daily. Breads and desserts are baked fresh every morning. Served in an award-winning, well-appointed dining room whose walls are adorned with frescos, hand-painted by an Italian artist creating a warm, intimate, romantic setting.