Romantic Dinner Ideas

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When you’re pressed for time or feeling flustered over an upcoming date, it can be a challenge to think of good romantic dinner ideas. With a little bit of planning and foresight, however, it’s possible to pull off a lovely meal that both you and your date will enjoy.

Romantic Dinner Ideas

Grilling is a great idea for a romantic meal.

A good starting point for compiling a list of romantic dinner ideas is to think about what you most enjoy eating or what you might like to eat on a special occasion. It can be very exciting to try a new recipe or go with something you know for sure is delicious.

Shepherd’s pie is a homey dish that is sure to make take some pressure off the date. Preparing homemade pie crust may seem intimidating to bakers without a lot of experience, but the taste of pie dough made at home is far superior to that of a shell from the store. Serve this dish with fresh vegetables and dip for an appetizer or side and a fruity dessert.
If the weather is favorable and you have a grill, it’s a great idea to use it. Try making chicken, steaks, vegetable kabobs, portabella mushroom burgers, or just grilled vegetables to serve as a side with another main dish. Grilled food goes well with typical summertime fare, such as fruit salads and citrus desserts.
Pasta is an excellent dinner option for cooks without a lot of experience. You can dress up a jarred marinara sauce by adding fresh herbs and sautéed garlic, or you can choose to make your own tomato, pesto, or alfredo sauce to serve with the dish. Pasta pairs well with wine and is especially good with bruschetta for an appetizer and chocolate for dessert.
If your meal is going to be heavy on appetizers or dessert, try making a light dinner such as a chef salad. Or make up your own salad by pairing a fruit, such as pears, with an interesting cheese (such as blue cheese), homemade candied nuts, and a simple homemade dressing.
The idea of serving tapas, or a variety of small appetizers, comes from Spain. If you really enjoy cooking and want to try a lot of different tastes in your meal, tapas are a good bet. You’ll need to make only small amounts of four or more different dishes.

Notes and Tips

Keep your date’s dietary restrictions in mind. Does he or she have any allergies? Are there any foods or dishes that he or she strongly dislikes? Any special preferences? It’s not a good move to serve pigs in a blanket to a vegan, for example, so make sure to ask your date what he or she likes to eat before you make your meal plans.

If you don’t have many cookbooks or aren’t sure about what to make, try doing a search for recipes online. Good sites to try include the Food Network, Epicurious, Cooking Light, Gourmet, Cook’s Illustrated, and Eating Well.

Carefully read recipes in full ahead of time. You may do a quick scan to confirm that you have all of the ingredients only to find out later that you needed to make one part of the recipe 24 hours ahead of time. Avoid panicking at the last minute by allowing yourself extra time to prepare.

A nice meal is often made up of more than just a main dish. Consider putting together a simple appetizer, salad, soup, or dessert as well.

In addition to the food, think about creating an atmosphere. Tidy up your living space and use nice linens to set your table. Light the room with candles and choose a collection of relaxing music to play in the background.

If something goes wrong on your date, try to laugh it off. Great food is only part of what makes a fun date. If your meal is a home run but you act nervous all night, you won’t enjoy yourself. But when you act relaxed, confident, and happy, your date is likely to be a success even if the food doesn’t taste as good as you’d hoped.

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