Top Restaurants for a Romantic Evening in San Diego

San Diego is known for its peaceful atmosphere and relaxed setting. While the nightlife is a little fast paced and clubs are a dime a dozen here, there are a few nice intimate restaurants perfect for any date. Whether you are out with that someone special for the first time or have been married for years, there are a some perfect places to build a perfect evening. For a very memorable date here, I would suggest one of these to start an early evening, followed by one of the many dance clubs or theaters (either live or film), and finished up with a nice stroll down the beach in either Mission or Pacific Beach areas. Sunset cliffs is nice as well, but for a walk, these two beaches can't be beat. These five spots will really set the mood and get the evening started off right.

Chateau Orleans

This little Cajun place is tucked away on the north side of Pacific Beach near La Jolla. It is a little tough to find, but well worth the hunt. On the weekends, they have live blues and jazz as the night progresses and is known to get pretty packed after seven. This is one reason that this restaurant is better around five or six. Any later, and you may not get a table. It looks fairly open and well lit, but once you get to the table, it is really cozy and private. They have one of the best wine lists in the city and you won't break the bank on a trip here. You can even share the dishes for an added bit of romanticism. The Holy Trinity (Jambalaya, Gumbo, and Etouffee) is perfect and more than enough to share. This is truly the best Cajun west of the Mississippi, and the service is awesome. I have been here several times on dates, and it was a hit every time. A very friendly staff, excellent food, and great atmosphere make this one of the best date sites in the city.

Humphrey's By the Bay

Humphrey's is a great place. Not only can you get all the above listed ingredients to a great night out, but the food is awesome. You can pair your meal with concert tickets so that you can get dinner and a show. It is also across the street from Shelter Island, so the walk on the beach is right there as well. This place is a little pricey, but definitely worth it. If you are ready to go all out, you can pair dinner, concert tickets, and a top notch hotel room in one package and get some great deals. They have some romantic getaway packages that also throw in a champagne breakfast for two. If you really want to wow that significant other, Humphrey's can help. It will cost you a little, but the atmosphere, five star food, and classy venue is well worth it. You can get a full list of concerts up to a year in advance, so you can price it now and start saving towards the perfect getaway for that special occasion. This is a great idea for birthdays, engagements, or anniversaries.

94^th Aero Squadron

94^th Aero Squadron is a top notch place to go. They have a more café and bar setting on one side, but on the other, romance and ambience are the understatement of the year. This is a little candlelit place with tables set back away from everything. It has a world War II type of setup that will immediately transport you away to France. This place has a little bit of everything on the menu as well. In fact, it is the only place I have ever had escargot (they are fantastic and I still drool when I go outside after a light rain). Everything about this place screams intimacy and romance. From cheeses and wine, to lamb and snails, you are sure to find something exotic and new here. This place will create some long time memories. Located just off of Montgomery Field, this is another place that is hard to find, but will get over packed if you go too late. This is a must for everyone in the San Diego area. They also have some great lunches and if you go to the café side, you can listen to the air traffic at the field as the planes take off and land.

French Gourmet

The French Gourmet is known for its catering and is one of the top places to turn to for your wedding, but they also have a nice little restaurant on Turquoise street on the north side of Pacific Beach. This place is a nice choice to take a date. They have some of the best cooks in the town. While their catering is better, the food in their restaurant is still pretty good. They have several sampler type dishes that make the perfect fare for a date. You can also sample several different cuisines this way. The best part of this place is the cakes. They know how to bake a fantastic cake. With so many different ones to choose from, the cake sampler is the only way to go for desert. This gives you a piece of all their fabulous cakes, all on one plate. The setting for French Gourmet is a little open and the romantic atmosphere is better in some other places, but the food is good and you will have plenty of privacy.

Black Angus

I am still a huge fan of Black Angus when it comes to a great place to take a date. This place is one of the most private and romantic settings you can get. The food is always great and the portions are large. With a nice and quiet atmosphere, you can easily get lost in each while dining here. It is also one of the cheaper places to take a date. If you are in need of a cheaper place that does not sacrifice quality and ambience, this is your place. The food is top notch and the service is superior. Even if you are not trying to save some dough, this place is a great spot. You need to move quick to get to one of these though, since most of them are struggling right now. This is truly sad since this is one of the best date night sites in town.

No matter where it is that you choose to go, San Diego has some of the best romantic settings in all of So Cal. With the expanses of beach stretching from Mission Beach to La Jolla and the entire Bay having walking paths, you can be assured of a nice and secluded time here. There is theater, cinema, concerts, and everything in between as well as the club setting. Starting off with one of these eateries, you are sure to have a nice night. No matter what cuisine you are looking for (steak, seafood, Asian, vegetarian, or anything else), you can find a great time at just about any of these places. This is really the tip of the iceberg in San Diego, too. With Benihana's and Gordon Biersch being add to the list, you can go out every night for a month and never visit the same place twice.