Balos
1940 N St., NW
The five-course special menu at this new Greek-isle-inspired estiatorio in Dupont starts off with an amuse bouche of mezze or sashimi, then moves on to avgolemono soup or Greek salad. Maryland crabcakes, seabass skewers, and lobster bucatini are among the other choices on the seafood-heavy menu ($150 per person). Baklava and galaktoboureko finish things off.
Caruso’s Grocery
914 14th St., SE; 11820 Trade St., Rockville
Our favorite classy and familiar Italian-American spots are offering a $95 dinner menu with dishes like lobster tagliatelle with tomato-brandy cream sauce; veal parmesan; and winter green salad with truffle vinaigrette.
Centrolina
974 Palmer Alley, NW
Chef Amy Brandwein is preparing a five-course, seafood-rich tasting menu ($185 per person) with items like monkfish with pink peppercorns; tortelloni with oyster cream; black cod with mole; and raspberry tiramisu. Or, pick up a fresh pasta kit that includes red-wine/truffle tagliolini, heart-shaped beet ravioli, and chestnut pappardelle, and make a pasta dinner at home.
Chang Chang
1200 19th St., NW
The four-course prix fixe menu ($158 per couple) at Peter Chang’s Dupont restaurant includes a good sampling of his modern Chinese fare, from Shanghai soup dumplings and Peking duck to wagyu lo mein. The menu will be available from Monday, February 12 through Thursday, February 15.
The Dabney
122 Blagden Alley, NW
Cozy up by the Dabney’s roaring hearth, and choose between a nine-course prix fixe ($235 per person) and the more modest three-course meal ($105 per person). The menus are focused on seasonal mid-Atlantic fare, and reservations will likely sell out quickly.
Evening Star Café
2000 Mt Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Along with live music from a Beatles cover band, this longtime neighborhood spot in Del Ray is offering a $75 set menu. Choices include lobster-and-prawn raviolo; foie gras parfait with challah French toast; seared scallops; and beef tenderloin.
Imperfecto
1124 23rd St., NW
For those hoping to find love—or at least a very special poached-shrimp ceviche—on Valentine’s Day, chef Enrique Limardo’s West End restaurant is hosting a singles dinner in its private dining room at 7 PM, for $220 per person. In the main dining room, parties of two can order the six-course prix-fixe menu ($180 per person) with Mediterranean and Latin American influences.
Iron Gate
1734 N St., NW
The lovely arbored carriageway space at this Mediterranean restaurant will be enhanced with “Tunnel of Love” decor starting Monday, February 5 and running through Sunday, February 18. White Stone oysters, lobster tortellini with three caviars, and a 24-ounce porterhouse for two are some of the highlights from the four-course menu ($99 per person). A la carte dishes will still be available at the bar.
Jônt
1904 14th St., NW
“Nothing succeeds like excess” might as well be the motto at Ryan Ratino’s extravagant upstairs tasting room, where luxurious touches are always turned up to 11. On Valentine’s Day, an eye-popping $695 tasting menu incorporates auction-grade uni, champagne, truffles, and of course, caviar. Special Valentine’s week dinners on February 10, February 11, and February 15 go for $495 per person.
Joon
8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
This Persian fine-dining spot—one of Northern Virginia’s best new restaurants—will offer a dinner menu ($120 per person) that riffs on typical V-Day cuisine. There’s seared halloumi or foie gras, grilled lobster tail and boneless ribeye kabob, and “Persian love cake.” For $30 extra, add a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne.
La Bise
800 Connecticut Ave., NW
Classic French fare is an undeniable choice for a romantic dinner, and DC has no shortage these days. At La Bise, Ashok Bajaj’s White House-adjacent bistro, a three-course Valentine’s Day meal ($150 per person) begins with the restaurant’s signature mini gougeres and moves on to items like oysters with bone marrow sabayon; a foie gras torchon with strawberry; wild mushroom risotto; Comté fondue; and duck Calvados.
L’Auberge Chez Francois
332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls
The singularly quaint, retro Alsatian cottage in the ‘burbs hosts a seven-course Valentine’s Day meal with seatings beginning at lunchtime and running through dinner. Prices vary based on menu choices, which include the restaurant’s classic chateaubriand, beef Wellington, and Maine lobster bisque. Guitarist Jarett Laskey, a Chez Francois regular, will serenade diners. If you’re not into that, there’s also a “chez vous” experience: for $225, take home an elaborate multi-course meal that culminates in either chateaubriand or twin 1.5-pound lobster thermidors.
Lutèce
1522 Wisconsin Ave., NW
The beloved Georgetown bistro, not usually open Wednesdays, makes an exception for Valentine’s Day with a six-course tasting menu that begins on the 14th and continues until Saturday February 17. Tickets for the “dinner party” experience from chefs Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss go for $150, and can be supplemented with a sparkling wine pairing from sommelier Chris Ray.
Opal
5534 Connecticut Ave., NW
Sit down for the $100-per-person Valentine’s Day prix fixe at this Chevy Chase restaurant and get an immediate choice of a tuna tostada or herb focaccia. Lobster bisque en croute or roasted-beet-and-grapefruit salad are options for the first course, then go for second and third courses like gnocchi with chanterelles, white shrimp and polenta bouillabaisse, and duck a l’orange.
Perry’s
1811 Columbia Rd., NW
The glow-up at this Adams Morgan institution has been real since chef Masako Morishita revamped its Japanese offerings last year. On Valentine’s Day, it’s offering a $95 three-course menu with starters like salmon kombu rolls or kabocha with prosciutto, mains like sushi or mushroom gnocchi with black truffles, and desserts like matcha cheesecake.
Petite Cerise
1027 Seventh St., NW
Reserve a spot at the Dabney team’s French restaurant in Shaw for an elegant four-course prix fixe ($85 per person). It features white asparagus, warm oysters, cauliflower-lobster veloute, and half lobsters.
Residents
1306 18th St., NW
The Dupont Circle café/bar cultivates a romantic vibe with its cozy indoor space and lush, floral, heated streatery. For Valentine’s Day, a three-course menu ($95 per person) comes with a welcome cocktail or glass of wine (plus a live DJ). The menu starts with P.E.I. oysters or duck confit croquettes and moves on to choices like braised short ribs and truffle tagliatelle.
