The Most Romantic Restaurants in Washington

Where to eat when you're young and on a budget, romancing a boy toy, single and on the prowl, and more. By Ann Limpert, Cynthia Hacinli

Comments () | Published February 3, 2009

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>> Back to Washingtonian.comLooking to find a hottie: Sei, the new sushi restaurant/lounge from the owners of Oya, is primed for beautiful-people watching. Sleek and all white like its sibling, the narrow bar attracts a flurry of spiffily dressed twenty- and thirtysomethings. While you hang by the bar, the lychee-and-ginger-scented cocktails, although expensive at $14 a pop, go down easy. There’s no doorman à la Oya, but you might feel out of place in just any old pair of jeans.

Sei, 444 Seventh St., NW; 202-783-7007

Dating a chocoholic: Indulge cravings for everything milk and dark, malted and molten at Co Co. Sala, an amber-lit, chocolate-obsessed lounge/dining room in Penn Quarter. This year’s three-course Valentine’s menu ($75 per person) includes Brie vol au vent with cinnamon-chocolate cream, a cocoa-spiced filet mignon, and a chocolate tasting for dessert. But you can also order off a limited version of the regular menu. We like the bleu-cheese sliders with mole sauce, the swordfish sliders drizzled with hazelnut dressing, and the Aztec-themed dessert tasting
Co Co. Sala, 929 F St., NW; 202-347-4265

Feeling flush: The tabs are high (like $65-for-an-entrée high), but the rewards are many at celebrity chef Michael Mina’s new restaurant, housed in Georgetown’s Four Seasons hotel. Dinner kicks off with both a cone of French fries and a skillet of buttery truffled buns and ends with knockout desserts such as passion-fruit panna cotta and a coconut-filled candy bar. In between are luscious butter-poached steaks and an endlessly rich lobster pot pie (it’s market price, which translated to $72 when we had it) that’s good for sharing. In the cushy, leather-clad lounge, the long list of cocktails—both classic and nouveau—are well made too.
Bourbon Steak, Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-944-2026

Just wanting to hang out with your friends: If you’re in the Valentine’s-Day-is-the-lamest-holiday-ever camp and want to escape any cutesiness, bring a group of friends to Comet Ping Pong. It requires no advance planning, the booths are large, the music is loud, and the pizza is delicious (we especially love the Yalie, with clams, lemon, and melted onions). And there’s Ping-Pong!
Comet Ping Pong, 5037 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-364-0404

Tags: Dining Guides