10 sweet spots to take your love for Valentine's Day

  • Who says raw tuna can’t be sexy? Slip your shoes off and give your favorite sushi restaurant a ring to reserve a private tatami room for you and your love. Valentine’s Day may be the perfect time to split a sushi boat for two. Need sushi suggestions? Try Waraji, Yuri, Hayashi, Mura, Tokyo House, or Yamazushi.
  • Feast like a king at the Historic Dodd-Hinsdale House and eat a meal that really rules inside the elegant quarters of Second Empire.
  • Treat your sweetie to a luxurious, five-course meal for $95/per person prepared by Chef Scott Crawford at Heron’s, located inside Cary’s The Umstead Hotel and Spa with a wine pairing also available. Lovers looking for an extra special treat can also take advantage of an overnight Valentine’s Day Package at The Umstead. Dinner reservations are required and available at 919.447.4000.
  • Instead of a room with a view, how about a restaurant with a view? Dine at Boylan Bridge Brewpub, then step out onto the patio to take in one of the best views of the skyline in Raleigh.
  • Tired of eating at the same place? Get inspired by something out of the ordinary and try out a new restaurant like Zinda or Bolt Bistro and Bar. Afterwards, treat your special someone to a ride around downtown on a Raleigh Rickshaw.
  • Reward your taste buds with a palette of different flavors and take your valentine to Iris at the North Carolina Museum of Art for the special day. Preview the Iris Valentine’s menu here and call (with credit card) to reserve your table.
  • Keen on keeping Valentine’s Day more casual? Split a pizza pie at Lilly’s Pizza, round the corner at Five Points and hit up Hayes Barton Café to share a decadent dessert.
  • Looking for dinner and a show? Try dinner on Hillsborough Street at Porter’s Tavern or David’s Dumpling and Noodle Bar and then head over to Goodnight’s Comedy Club for a show with comedian Jake Johanssen.
  • Can’t fly to France for the weekend? Take a romantic, gastronomical journey to France instead and indulge in a Valentine’s meal at Saint Jacques Restaurant or keep it flirty at a French brasserie at nearby Coquette .
  • And if you’re celebrating an Anti-Valentine’s Day, Market Restaurant might be your perfect destination. $30 per person will score you and your anti-Valentine's Day party a three-course prix-fixe ticket to its annual Anti-Valentine’s dinner (vegan option available). Tack on an extra $10 for an alcohol pairing. Call Market Restaurant for reservations.
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, Raleigh Restaurant Examiner

Annie Chen is a local food enthusiast with a voracious appetite and is always scouring Raleigh's new eateries and old haunts. If the restaurant cooks it, she will come and tell you all about it. Email her: anniechen23@gmail.com

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