America's most romantic restaurants: Worth it?
If you plan on taking your sweetheart out to dinner on Valentine's Day, you're going to want it to be romantic. And no matter how much you plan on spending, you'll want your dollars to count.
We examined 50 of the most romantic restaurants in the U.S. according to OpenTable.com, which developed a list based on five million user reviews. To determine which romantic restaurants were worth it, we plotted out each restaurant by the typical amount diners spent at each restaurant, and by the restaurant's Bundle score. Our ratings use an algorithm comprised of the popularity of a restaurant, the number of repeat visits by customers, and the amount customers are willing to pay when dining out (learn more about how Bundle's ratings work).
The restaurants with the highest Bundle scores and lowest checks per visit are the most worth it:
(Click image to see in high resolution.)
According to our data, spending at these restaurants increased by 61 percent on February 13 and 14 last year compared to a typical day in 2011, proving that romantic restaurants do see a significant bump during Valentine's Day. For example, at the highly rated Little Door restaurant (#6) in Los Angeles, California, spending increased by 17 percent during Valentine's Day.
If you're looking for the most bang for your buck (and happen to be in Oklahoma City for Valentine's Day), The Coach House (#1) scores a near perfect 99 according to Bundle's algorithm, with diners typically spending $111 per visit. Reviews of the restaurant are stellar — one reviewer calls The Coach House "the complete package of great food, wonderful atmosphere and top-notch service."
There's a romantic restaurant for every budget. If you've gambled a bit too much in Vegas and don't want to shell out nearly $300 at Alize at the Top of the Palms (#26), you can still have a great Vegas V-Day dinner for nearly half the price at Pamplemousse Le Restaurant (#50), which received a moderate but respectable 46 Bundle score. Restaurants that score between 80 and 100 earn our highest rating, but a score between 50 and 80 is also considered high. For example, a restaurant with a score of 50 is still considered relatively better than 50 percent of similar restaurants in the same area. Pamplemousse gets a score of 46 due to its low number of repeat customers, but that may just mean that diners are only choosing to go there for special occasions. The Las Vegas Review Journal calls Pamplemousse "one of Las Vegas's many well-kept secrets," so although the restaurant is less worth it than other romantic restaurants in the area according to our data, many still feel it's worth a visit.
Here's our ranking of the most romantic restaurants in the U.S. according to the Bundle scoring system:
1. Coach House
• Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.
• Typical Check: $111
• Bundle Score: 99
2. Boulevard Steakhouse
• Location: Edmond, Okla.
• Typical Check: $120
• Bundle Score: 96
3. Chez Francois
• Location: Vermillion, Ohio
• Typical Check: $127
• Bundle Score: 96
4. Eiffel Tower
• Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Typical Check: $168
• Bundle Score: 95
5. Café Central
• Location: El Paso, Texas
• Typical Check: $112
• Bundle Score: 94
6. The Little Door
• Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
• Typical Check: $58
• Bundle Score: 94
7. Michel's at the Colony Surf
• Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
• Typical Check: $214
• Bundle Score: 93
8. The Refectory Restaurant & Bistro
• Location: Columbus, Ohio
• Typical Check: $117
• Bundle Score: 93
9. Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola
• Location: Capitola, Calif.
• Typical Check: $101
• Bundle Score: 93
10. French 75 Bistro
• Location: Laguna Beach, Calif.
• Typical Check: $100
• Bundle Score: 92
11. Genoa Restaurant
• Location: Portland, Ore.
• Typical Check: $68
• Bundle Score: 92
12. Craftwood Inn
• Location: Manitou Springs, Colo.
• Typical Check: $135
• Bundle Score: 90
13. The Elkridge Furnace Inn
• Location: Elkridge, Md.
• Typical Check: $112
• Bundle Score: 88
14. Sarento's Top of the "I"
• Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
• Typical Check: $86
• Bundle Score: 88
15. Bertrand at Mister A's
• Location: San Diego, Calif.
• Typical Check: $151
• Bundle Score: 87
16. SASSI
• Location: Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Typical Check: $133
• Bundle Score: 87
17. The Sky Room
• Location: Long Beach, Calif.
• Typical Check: $97
• Bundle Score: 87
18. The Old Warsaw
• Location: Dallas, Texas
• Typical Check: $180
• Bundle Score: 86
19. One if by Land, Two if by Sea
• Location: New York, N.Y.
• Typical Check: $148
• Bundle Score: 85
20. Yamashiro
• Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
• Typical Check: $109
• Bundle Score: 84
21. Capische
• Location: Wailea, Hawaii
• Typical Check: $192
• Bundle Score: 83
22. Geja's Café
• Location: Chicago, Ill.
• Typical Check: $101
• Bundle Score: 82
23. Canlis
• Location: Seattle, Wash.
• Typical Check: $260
• Bundle Score: 81
24. Il Cielo Gardens
• Location: Beverly Hills, Calif.
• Typical Check: $147
• Bundle Score: 79
25. Club A Steakhouse
• Location: New York, N.Y.
• Typical Check: $100
• Bundle Score: 77
26. Alize at the Top of the Palms
• Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Typical Check: $268
• Bundle Score: 76
27. Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern
• Location: Raleigh, N.C.
• Typical Check: $268
• Bundle Score: 76
28. Cacharel Restaurant
• Location: Arlington, Texas
• Typical Check: $141
• Bundle Score: 73
29. Roof Restaurant
• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Typical Check: $97
• Bundle Score: 72
30. La Caille
• Location: Sandy, Utah
• Typical Check: $163
• Bundle Score: 71
31. Red Fish Grill
• Location: Miami, Fla.
• Typical Check: $136
• Bundle Score: 70
32. Restaurant Iris
• Location: Memphis, Tenn.
• Typical Check: $150
• Bundle Score: 69
33. Zenkichi
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Typical Check: $125
• Bundle Score: 74
34. Chez Shea
• Location: Seattle, Wash.
• Typical Check: $111
• Bundle Score: 66
35. Coach Insignia
• Location: Detroit, Mich.
• Typical Check: $101
• Bundle Score: 65
36. Fearrington House Restaurant
• Location: Pittsboro, N.C.
• Typical Check: $277
• Bundle Score: 63
37. French Café
• Location: Omaha, Neb.
• Typical Check: $80
• Bundle Score: 63
38. Log Haven
• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Typical Check: $155
• Bundle Score: 63
39. Fleur de Lys
• Location: San Francisco, Calif.
• Typical Check: $307
• Bundle Score: 62
40. Pepper Tree Restaurant
• Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Typical Check: $167
• Bundle Score: 58
41. Briarhurst Manor
• Location: Manitou Springs, Colo.
• Typical Check: $100
• Bundle Score: 56
42. Riverview Restaurant
• Location: Troutdale, Ore.
• Typical Check: $64
• Bundle Score: 54
43. The Melting Pot
• Location: Arlington, Texas
• Typical Check: $99
• Bundle Score: 53
44. Acquerello
• Location: San Francisco, Calif.
• Typical Check: $288
• Bundle Score: 52
45. Ristorante Massimo
• Location: Portsmouth, N.H.
• Typical Check: $138
• Bundle Score: 52
46. A Caprice
• Location: Tiburon, Calif.
• Typical Check: $137
• Bundle Score: 51
47. Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant
• Location: Manitou Springs, Colo.
• Typical Check: $102
• Bundle Score: 51
48. Nana
• Location: Dallas, Texas
• Typical Check: $164
• Bundle Score: 48
49. Chez Nous French Restaurant
• Location: Humble, Texas
• Typical Check: $164
• Bundle Score: 48
50. Pamplemousse Le Restaurant
• Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Typical Check: $146
• Bundle Score: 46
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