OpenTable ranks 4 NJ restaurants among most romantic in US

Four New Jersey restaurants are among the best in the U.S. for a romantic night out, according to OpenTable.

Released ahead of Valentine’s Day, this year’s top 100 ranking from the online reservation platform includes the following local spots:

• 618 – Freehold
  • Cuisine: American/cocktail bar
  • Dining style: Casual
  • Popular dishes: Skirt steak, chicken Milanese, pistachio martini
• Franklinville Inn – Franklinville
  • Cuisine: Steak/seafood/American
  • Dining style: Casual elegant
  • Popular dishes: Crab cakes, crab bisque, filet mignon
• Il Mulino New York – Atlantic City
  • Cuisine: Italian/seafood/steak
  • Dining style: Casual elegant
  • Popular dishes: Capellini II Mulino, fried zucchini, cannoli
• Washington Inn – Cape May
  • Cuisine: American/Mediterranean/seafood
  • Dining style: Casual elegant
  • Popular dishes: Filet mignon, seafood cioppino, escargot gratin

All four restaurants have been included in previous Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America rankings from OpenTable.

To develop the 2026 list, OpenTable said it analyzed more than 9 million diner reviews, as well as ratings, reservation trends and percentage of five-star reviews. This year’s compilation includes eateries from 38 states. Florida led with 10 restaurants, followed by California (eight), Ohio (eight) and Virginia (seven).

What’s hot?

According to a survey commissioned by OpenTable of more than 1,500 consumers, there are several hot trends for Valentine’s Day 2026, such as:

• More Americans celebrating the holiday with friends instead of a romantic partner
• Solo dining on Valentine’s Day being viewed as more socially acceptable
• Younger generations are more open to double dates for the holiday as a way to make it a more group-friendly experience

As for what makes diners “fall in love” with a restaurant, survey respondents said:

• 61%: The food
• 37%: Value for money
• 25%: The service
• 26%: Consistency
• 21%: The vibe