Stick these romantic dinner ideas in your back pocket to turn a night at home into a special evening together!
Spending quality time with your significant other is what really matters, but sharing that time over a delicious meal makes it that much better.
Whether for a spontaneous date night or for a special anniversary dinner, you need to have this list handy!
There is something very intimate about sharing a home cooked meal that was prepared with love and to spend that time in the kitchen preparing food for someone you care deeply about shows how much they mean to you.
After all, the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.
If you choose to spend the entire night together, go ahead and prepare everything together for extra quality time with your person.
These recipes have something for every expert level when it comes to cooking, from professional chefs to beginners who love ordering their take out dinners.
However, the hardest part for planning an at home meal is often coming up with what to make rather than actually cooking the dinner.
Lucky for you, we were able to come up with 32 special dinner ideas to help you express what your loved one means to you.
Don’t worry, this extensive list includes appetizers, side dishes, desserts, and cocktails to go along with your favorite dinner time dish so you can have your entire meal planned ahead of time.
Pick a few of your favorites from each category and you will have a special meal neither you or your partner will forget.
You can’t go wrong starting your night off with some Cheddar Fondue and ending it with a Chocolate Souffle.
Serve some Garlic Knots and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Creamy Tuscan Salmon and you have yourself a new date night meal perfect for special occasions, or just to show someone you love them.
Whatever you decide to go with for your dinner, it will be a step above your normal weeknight meals without being overly complicated so you won’t need expensive dinner reservations months in advance for a special night together.
Set aside a special date night every month and you can try out many of these tasty recipes without having to wait until your next anniversary.
Even if you or your partner have a particular taste, you are sure to find something (or many things) on this list you will want to try!
These bite-sized treats will get you so excited for the rest of your meal to come!
Remember to save room for the rest of your meal instead of filling up on these sweet and tangy pops of flavor!
You will only need just a few ingredients and a little bit of time for your goat cheese to soften and the end product to chill.
If you want to start prepping this ahead of time, make your goat cheese mixture a couple of days earlier and put it in the fridge.
The flavors will really come out making every bite so exciting and delicious!
Bacon and cheese and a bit of spiciness make these poppers a solid choice for starting your romantic dinners.
These are baked so you don’t have to use extra oil to deep fry them.
If this recipe caught your attention because you like spice, make sure you leave some of the seeds and ribs inside, which is where the heat comes from in the jalapeños.
This can also be prepped ahead of time so you can spend more of your evening focused on your main dish.
The challenge will be knowing that these are in the fridge waiting to be baked.
They taste so good, you will be thinking about them all day!
Fresh veggie platters deserve way more love than they receive!
This is a perfect way to start your dinner with something light and get a serving of vegetables in, too.
If you have seen the grocery store platters, you may not be too interested in preparing your own crudité (kroo-deh-tay), but making it yourself allows you to pick the vegetables you want and you can be sure you are getting the freshest items on your dinner table!
Adding on some white bean dip and cherry thyme butter takes your vegetables up to another level so you might forget you’re eating your greens with dinner!
There is no need to worry with this recipe!
It is much simpler than it looks but it will still give you an amazing appetizer that is a treat for both your eyes and your stomach.
Follow the instructions in this recipe and you can expertly make your own balsamic reduction which may be the shining star of this appetizer.
The sweetness of the strawberries and the reduction combined with the tang of the goat cheese all piled up on a toasted piece of French bread will make you a delicious snack before your meal that will be on your mind for days to come!
Staying home and enjoying a romantic dinner does not mean you can’t enjoy your favorite restaurant appetizers.
These vegetable potstickers will taste as good as, if not better than what you would get at your favorite restaurant!
The secret is in the spicy corn flakes sprinkled on top.
They add a little crunch and a whole lot of flavor!
You can’t forget the delicious ponzu sauce, perfect for dipping these potstickers in!
Melted cheddar fondue is an amazing way to start off a special dinner, especially if you’re looking forward to staying at home and enjoying a night in.
This is so much more than melted cheese.
It features onions, garlic, chicken broth, and so much more to make it a tasty option for your favorite dippers.
Nearly everything will taste good dipped into this recipe so have fun with picking all of the options for serving with this appetizer!
Side Dishes
Roasting these green beans in the oven will change the game!
Garlic and parmesan mix together so well.
Baking this in the oven allows for the flavors to stay on the veggies and also adds a bit of a crispy and tender texture.
After you try this method of preparing your green beans, you won’t turn back to steaming them again!
Nothing is better than spending very little effort on an aspect of your meal but having it turn out amazing.
And that’s why this simple salad belongs on this list.
There’s no secret trick to get it to taste amazing- just mix together the ingredients!
As long as you wash and dry your vegetables, this cucumber tomato salad will be a great addition to your romantic dinner for two!
There is so much you can do with perfectly roasted butternut squash, but there is nothing wrong with enjoying it as a simple side dish.
Although the garlic rosemary spices used in this recipe taste amazing, you can definitely make it a sweeter side with some cinnamon and brown sugar.
If your special date night is in the winter time when squash is at its peak, try roasting a side of butternut squash.
Both you and your partner will be thanking us!
Depending on what you decide to cook for the rest of your dinner, the sweetness of this grilled peach salad will complement your main dish so well!
This is much more filling than what you would normally have as a side salad.
Not to mention it’s full of flavor from the peaches and the champagne vinaigrette and some crunch from the pecans.
Considering how fancy this side dish looks, it is very easy to make!
You can even prep this ahead of time so the night of, it is all ready to go straight into the oven!
Sprinkle some parmesan and lemon zest over your prosciutto wrapped asparagus for even more flavor!
And if you want to make each bite a bit more substantial, combine a few pieces of asparagus together inside the prosciutto wrap.
12. Garlic Knots
So many dinner dishes go great with a side of toasty garlicky piece of bread.
This recipe gives you knots that are soft on the inside but slightly chewy on the outside.
Smother on some garlic butter on top of your knots once they are ready to go into the oven, and again when they are fresh out for some extra flavor!
You will want to make a ton of these because even if it is just for the two of you, they will fly off your plates!
This risotto is another great way to make a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your own kitchen.
If you are a beginner in the kitchen, this is a dish that will impress everyone you serve it to, even yourself!
Try to use arborio rice for this so you can get the most out of the creaminess.
After you master this recipe, you will be making it for every meal and every occasion, not just special date nights!
Main Dishes
If you’re craving an Italian tasting dish but want to watch your carb count, this is a great dish to consider for an easy romantic dinner!
Even without rice in the peppers, the ground beef and cheese are full of Italian flavors that ensure you leave the dinner table full and satisfied!
There is even a list of additional fillings you can use to satisfy whatever you are craving.
These peppers taste amazing when they are fresh out of the oven with the cheese melted over the top!
Many of us might avoid making a roast at home because it can be hard to cook properly.
Plan a couple of days ahead of time and you can easily make your own prime rib at home that is on par with your favorite restaurant’s dish!
Three days ahead of time, prep your marinade and let it chill for about a day.
The next day, you can marinate your prime rib roast and let it soak all of the flavor for a couple of days.
The day of, you can put it in the oven and let it cook!
This gives you and your partner a delicious and heartfelt homemade meal that will stay on your mind!
No matter how much you love your partner, you want to make dinner as easy a process as possible.
Luckily, this baked chicken Caprese recipe is quick and easy to make without lacking on flavor and taste!
Combining a chicken breast with your favorite Caprese salad toppings has never tasted so good!
No one will ever guess that it is all cooked in about 30 minutes!
Would you believe us if we told you that with five ingredients and 15 minutes you can have your meal on the table without sacrificing flavor?
Winner winner salmon dinner, this recipe does exactly that!
The browned butter mixed with honey garlic adds so much sweet flavor to the flaky salmon.
Chances are, you already have all of the ingredients for this in your kitchen so go ahead and add this to the menu for your next at-home date night!
18. Ratatouille
Watching the classic Disney cartoon may leave you wondering what it takes to make your own version of this famous dish.
It is a lot easier to make than you may believe, even for those of us who are not successful French chefs!
This vegetarian dish tastes as good as it looks!
This is a great way to incorporate your vegetables in a delicious way for your date night dinner ideas.
Lamb is already such a tasty choice of meat so there is little that needs to be done to make it even better!
Using a simple rub of olive oil and common seasonings, you can add so much to your rack of lambs without taking away from the delicious flavor it naturally has.
If you can, let the lamb marinate overnight in the fridge but be sure to let it come back to room temperature before cooking so that you can be sure that everything is fully cooked evenly!
It is highly recommended to cook this recipe to about rare or medium rare so use a meat thermometer to let you know when it is all done cooking!
What’s better than a delicious plate of pasta on your dinner table in under 30 minutes?
Sharing it with your special someone!
There are so many great choices for date night pasta recipes, but the mushrooms, goat cheese, spinach, and creamy sauce used in this recipe make it a top contender!
This recipe will prove everyone wrong who believes fancy and delicious couple dinner ideas take a complicated and long process to cook.
If you are craving steak and have a cast iron skillet or even a large stainless steel pan, you are in luck!
Preparing it with one of these tools gives you a great sear.
Even though this is a quick and simple recipe, it is sure to impress!
This recipe guarantees that in 15 minutes you can have a pasta dish on your table that is far from bland and boring.
Even though this pasta can be prepared quickly, that does not mean it lacks flavor.
With the garlicky butter, rich cream, and all the parmesan you want, this is a quick way to get a tasty meal on the table for an easy romantic dinner.
Whether you are celebrating an anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or even just want to make a special meal for your significant other, this creamy chicken dish is always a good choice.
The white wine sauce is what really takes your chicken to the next level.
If you have Herbs de Provence, that is a great choice but any Italian seasoning will be great.
It is a super easy dish to make but will taste like you spent all day working hard in the kitchen to prepare it.
Surf and turf is always a great idea for a special romantic dinner.
If you have stayed away from making it at home because you are worried it’s difficult or time-consuming, this recipe is here to save the day!
The hardest part of this recipe is letting the steak rest for a few minutes after it is done cooking because you will want to dig in right away!
Desserts
With everything that goes into preparing a special dinner, you probably have a lot of food needing to cook in the oven.
Fortunately, this tasty cheesecake has no need for the oven!
The gingersnap crust is easy to make with store-bought cookies and with a bit of lime zest, you will have a thick, rich crust for your creamy lime cheesecake.
You can make this the night before or the morning of, but just remember to let it chill in the fridge before serving!
Even if it is not the fall where fresh apples and cinnamon are in abundance, this simple dessert is a delicious way to end a tasty meal.
This tastes great if you decide to go with pork, chicken, or a cheesy dish for dinner.
A special bonus for this recipe is how great your kitchen will smell as its baking!
Can anything beat chocolate covered strawberries for a romantic dessert?
This cheesecake sure can!
You get a sweet Oreo cookie crust filled with a decadent strawberry cheesecake, and even more chocolate ganache and chocolate covered strawberries on top.
It may take a bit of time to cook, but this is a perfect choice for a heartfelt dessert made with love.
This light and fresh dessert ensures you are ending your at-home date night on a tasty note.
Feel free to use either fresh or frozen raspberries for this recipe, or even switch it out for another fruit you like such as strawberries or blueberries.
You can even make a graham cracker crust to make it into a strawberry mousse pie but even without the crust, it will taste amazing.
Souffle may sound complex but this recipe does a great job of breaking down the steps so even a beginner baker can make their own luxurious dessert!
All you need are seven ingredients and in less than an hour you will have a rich and fluffy dessert perfect for sharing with your special someone!
Make sure you use high quality baking chocolate to get the best tasting souffle.
Cocktails
30. Rose World
This pretty pink cocktail is full of rose flavor from a splash of rose water.
When making this, be careful with how much you add since rose water has a lot of flavor and a little goes a long way.
The rose flavors are balanced with sweet cranberry juice, lime, and orange bitters.
This can even be made into a non-alcoholic “mocktail”!
31. Rosita
This elegant cocktail is a great tasting way to enjoy some tequila alongside your at home anniversary dinner ideas.
This is similar to a Negroni but with more boldness.
Five ingredients may seem like a lot but each one adds so much to the intricate flavors in this cocktail.
Champagne is a go-to choice for romantic date nights but you can take it up a notch by making it into this cocktail.
By placing a sugar cube in your glass before you add your champagne, you can add a little bit more dazzle to your drink.
Add some bitters and a lemon peel for a simple way to make your champagne into a more elegant drink.
The bottom line
Whatever occasion you have where you want to prepare a special home cooked meal for your partner, you are sure to find plenty of great tasting options on this list!
Share your love for your special person by creating a delicious meal at home with no need to venture to an expensive or busy restaurant!
They will be sure to appreciate all the effort you put into dinner.
Even if you choose to go with the quickest recipes on this list, you are sure to have a dinner that both of you will love!
32 Romantic Dinner Ideas
Choose from our 32 special dinner ideas to help you express what your loved one means to you.
Ingredients
- Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Crudite Platter
- Strawberry And Herb Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Vegetable Potstickers
- Cheddar Fondue
- Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Grilled Peach Salad
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
- Garlic Knots
- Creamy Parmesan Risotto
- No-Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Texas Roadhouse Prime Rib
- Baked Chicken Caprese
- Honey Garlic Salmon
- Ratatouille
- Classic Rack of Lamb
- Mushroom Pasta With Goat Cheese
- Pepper Crusted Steak
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Chicken In White Wine Sauce
- Garlic Butter Skillet Steak And Shrimp
- No-Bake Lime Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake
- Fresh Raspberry Mousse
- Chocolate Souffle
- Rose World
- Rosita
- Champagne Cocktail
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of Romantic Dinner Ideas here!
- Create a romantic memory.
- Pat yourself on the back for making a romantic dinner at home for you to enjoy!
- Share and comment on our Facebook page.