Best Restaurants for a First Date in San Francisco

There is much to consider when deciding which San Francisco restaurant is perfect for your first date. One thing to keep in mind when planning your first date is the setting. San Francisco has a diverse choice of settings. But I have narrowed down it down to three San Francisco restaurant settings that can easily enhance your first date: Maharani, Foreign Cinema, and Waterfront.

Maharani
1122 Post Street
San Francisco, CA
415-775-1988

Maharani is one of the most romantic restaurants in San Francisco. The exotic ambience of this Indian restaurant is perfect for an enticing first date. You can choose to enjoy your date in either Maharani's palace-like peacock lounge or the intimate fantasy room. If you are hoping to drown your first date in romance, reserve a private table in the fantasy room and order the Karma Sutra Love Banquet.

The Karma Sutra Love Banquet is a four course "aphrodisiac dinner". It is currently priced at $101 per person. In addition to an excellent dinner, your date will receive an autographed copy of The Divine Perfume of Love.

Prefer a little less romance for your first date? No problem; Maharani has three other prix fixe tasting menu options for fantasy room diners priced under $60 per person. And the menu for peacock loungers offers a nice selection of Indian cuisine priced under $20 per entree.

If you are hesitant to eat Indian cuisine on your first date because you have heard it can be hard on your stomach (or saw the movie Along Came Polly), Maharani is at least one of the better restaurants to give it a try. Their food is not as spicy as most Indian cuisine.

Their restaurant is open for lunch and dinner dates. Their lunch hours: Monday thru Saturday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Their dinner hours: Sunday thru Thursday, 5 pm to 9:45 pm; Friday thru Saturday, 5 pm to 10:15 pm.

There are only six fantasy rooms, so make reservations early if you are intent upon a fantasy first date. Maharani takes reservations two months in advance of your dining date. Call (415) 775-1988 for reservations.

Also good to know: Maharani does not have a dress code.

Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
415-648-7600

Foreign Cinema is a San Francisco restaurant which mixes food and film. They serve mostly Mediterranean food with a Californian twist. And as their name suggest, they play mostly foreign films. You can either eat indoors where the focus is a fireplace, or you can eat outdoors where the focus is the film playing on a wall.

The setting of the restaurant is perfect for a first date. The modern design, the fireplace, the outdoor seating, and the film are all subtly romantic. Watching a film while you eat can help take some of the pressure off a first date. It helps get your mind off the little things you might be nervous about; it provides conversation starters; it makes the silences more comfortable; and it can enhance the overall enjoyment of your first date providing that it is a good film. And should your first date not be what you had hoped, at least you got to see a good film and have a good meal.

Most of the items on their dinner menu range between $10 and $25. You and your date should be happy with whatever you choose to order. Everything on the menu is good.

Dinner is served from 6 pm to 10 pm - Monday thru Thursday; 6 pm to 11 pm - Friday thru Saturday; and 5 pm to 10 pm on Sundays except during winter where they stop serving at 9 pm. Bar service is available until 2 am.

Brunch is served 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday. There is also limited menu available from 3 pm to 6 pm on Saturday, and from 3 pm to 5 pm on Sunday.

The film starts at dusk.

Also good to know: The dress code is casual. Valet parking is available for $10. Reservations are not required, but are recommended.

Waterfront
Pier 7
Embarcadero at Broadway
San Francisco, CA
415-391-2696

Taking advantage of San Francisco's natural beauty during a first date is safe bet. And in that sense, having your first date at Waterfront is not much of gamble. It is really all about the restaurant's location. There is nothing like getting to know someone with a stunning view of the Bay as the backdrop.

Your first date can take place at Waterfront indoors or outdoors. But, assuming the weather is decent, I think the outdoor setting is more romantic.

Waterfront is a seafood restaurant, but they do serve a few non-seafood items such as chicken and steak. However, I would stick with the seafood. Suggested entree is the petrale sole.

The restaurant is open for either a lunch or dinner date. Waterfront is open from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm every day. Most menu items range between $15 and $30.

The service at Waterfront can be a little slow some nights. But just consider it more time to get to know your date.

Also good to know: The dress code is casual. Valet parking is available. Reservations are not required, but are recommended.