The 10 Most Romantic Restaurants in San Antonio

By Sara Branstetter | July 19, 2023

Restaurants are so much more than food. They are places to gather and take pleasure in good company. They are places to experience new cultures and ways of living. And they can be great places to kindle a relationship or romance. If you are looking to create the perfect date night, impress on Valentine’s day, or celebrate an anniversary or special occasion, San Antonio has a great collection of restaurants that are sure to wow with both food and atmosphere. Below are the 10 most romantic restaurants in San Antonio.

The 10 Best Romantic Restaurants in San Antonio

Ocho

Ocho, located behind the Hotel Havana in downtown San Antonio, is not only one of the best places to eat on the Riverwalk, it is one the most romantic restaurants in San Antonio. With a beautiful glass conservatory overlooking the river, stunning chandeliers, and blue velvet chairs and booths, Ocho is absolutely gorgeous and a great choice when it comes to places to cuddle up for some cocktails and delicious pan-Latin food.

Ocho’s award-winning chef, Chef Jesse Kuykendall (winner of Chopped on the Food Network), has created an outstanding menu with flavor inspiration from Mexico, Cuba, and Texas, culminating in top-notch dishes that you can get for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Favorites here include the beer-marinated ribeye with chimichurri sauce, the chile relleno with Cuban black beans, and the churros which were one of Chef Kuykendall’s winning dishes on Chopped.

WEBSITE | 1015 Navarro St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Maverick Texas Brasserie

Maverick Texas Brasserie is my personal go-to romantic restaurant in San Antonio. The industrial/chic décor of the restaurant which includes exposed brick, Edison bulbs, black steel beams, and a shiny copper-top bar makes for a cultured and cozy evening of excellent food, and beautiful surroundings.

Maverick is a pretty large restaurant with a few separate rooms, each of which has a different design aesthetic – all unique, yet equally attractive and snug. So, regardless of where you sit, make sure to do a little exploring to enjoy the whole restaurant experience.

Maverick describes its food as a “Texas take on European staples” and the menu reflects this with a number of foods you might see on a menu in France (pâté de campagne and an au poivre burger), in Germany (pork schnitzel), and in Italy (calamari and octopus). If you need a little help deciding, they offer a nightly plat du jour that includes a salad, entrée, and dessert, all for $35, and all exceptional.

WEBSITE | 710 S St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

Nothing screams romance quite like a cute French bistro with impeccable food and a classically Parisian ambiance. Enter Brasserie Mon Chou Chou – one of the most romantic restaurants in San Antonio as well as one of the best restaurants in the city.

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou is located at the Pearl Brewery right across the walkway from the breathtaking Hotel Emma (BMCC’s outdoor patio has lovely views of the hotel). But inside the restaurant is something altogether different. Stepping into the restaurant itself is like stepping into a bistro in France. The entire experience from the striking hexagonal tile floor to the marvelous French cuisine simply feels like a meal in Paris, minus the views of the Eiffel Tower.

BMCC’s menu is chock full of the French classics like Cordon Bleu and Croque Monsieur, but also includes some of the more elegant options like the filet de beef and a pan-seared veal chop. If a little wine and cheese is what you’re after though, be sure to give the ooey-gooey, oh-so-cheesy Sandwich Au Fromage Raclette a go, and pair it with one of BMCC’s wines by the glass (but if you’re going for romance, maybe upgrade to the full bottle).

WEBSITE | 312 Pearl Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78215

Little Em’s Oyster Bar

Little Em’s Oyster Bar, one of the many excellent eateries owned and operated by SA restaurateurs Houston and Emily Carpenter, is a chic little gem located in San Antonio’s Southtown. This exquisite restaurant is outfitted with bright white lines, soft blue awnings, and pops of pink, making it an enchanting, romantic, and instagrammable place to dine.

Oysters and champagne, need we say more? At Little Em’s Oyster Bar, the entire menu seems designed specifically to summon romance with its seemingly endless oyster options and extensive wine list. Ask your server which type of oysters pair best with which type of bubbly and then sit back and enjoy an intimate and classy dinner.

WEBSITE | 1001 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78210

Chart House

This restaurant is on our list for one reason, and one reason only: the views. When it comes to romantic views, the Chart House is as good as it gets in San Antonio.

Located 750 ft in the air, high atop the Tower of the Americas, the Chart House is a rotating restaurant that gives patrons 360° views of the city of San Antonio. To capitalize on what Chart House does best, make your reservations for right around sunset and enjoy your meal as you enjoy a beautiful Texas sunset over the Alamo city.

Chart House’s menu is pretty standard surf and turf with a variety of seafood and steaks available to order. To be totally honest, the food here can be wildly inconsistent with dishes being great during one visit, and abysmal the next. To decrease the chances of a disappointing food experience, I suggest that you ask your server what he recommends as he will have his thumb on what’s working food-wise (and what’s not) at the time you’re there, and then go with it.

And in the end, if the food doesn’t live up to your standards, the sensational view may more than compensate for it.

WEBSITE | 739 E César E. Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78205

10 Epic Photos Of The View From the Tower Of The Americas RELATED: INSERT RELATED BLOG POST HERE

Bliss

Bliss is restaurant perfection. Seriously, I don’t think there is anything that they don’t do well. The restaurant is gorgeous, the service is flawless, and the food is immaculate. If you are in the market for a romantic evening with a guarantee of perfection, Bliss is your place.

Housed in an old gas station, Bliss has managed to maintain the charm of an old building, while updating it to a fine dining establishment. Décor includes walls of exposed brick, cedar beams, black leather chairs, and local art. Lighting is on the dimmer side, making the whole experience truly quiet and intimate.

When it comes to the food, my recommendation is to ORDER SOME. Everything I have ever eaten at Bliss (the gulf red snapper, the sea scallops, the branzino, the oyster sliders, the braised short ribs) has been so, so delicious. Never a bad thing in the bunch. And, with an occasionally rotating menu, there is always something new and wonderful to experience.

WEBSITE | 926 S Presa St, San Antonio, TX 78210

Signature

Signature is a romantic restaurant, in a romantic location, at a romantic resort. Really, the whole experience smacks of romance and class, perfect for a romantic staycation or night of culinary bliss.

Originally opened by renowned San Antonio chef Andrew Weissman, Signature is now under the leadership of executive chef John Carpenter, who has done a bang-up job of ensuring that Signature holds to the high standards it maintained while under Weissman.

The restaurant itself is lovely. It is situated at the stunning La Cantera Resort and Spa, right near the golf course, so the grounds are beautiful, green, and well-manicured, making the views from the restaurant dining room some of the best in the city. The interior of the restaurant has a rustic chic design theme with lots of dark wood, Persian rugs, and dramatic lighting. Everything is pristine and well thought out. And that’s just the environment and design.

Let’s not forget the food. Signature’s new American menu is world class. Food here is at the top of its game and includes everything from the pedestrian Caesar salad to the high-end foie gras and Maine scallops. Signature’s menu does rotate on occasion so be prepared to be surprised and delighted by whatever they are offering for the evening.

WEBSITE | 16401 La Cantera Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78256

Bohanan’s Prime Steak and Seafood

Photo Credit: Yelp Na L.

There’s got to be a steak place on any list of romantic restaurants. And in San Antonio, the best is Bohanan’s. This classic, old-world style restaurant is a quintessential upscale restaurant – white tablecloths, fine China dishes, crystal wine glasses, low lighting, and dark wood EVERYTHING. Despite the size of the restaurant, the quiet atmosphere and ambiance make it feel private and intimate, the perfect place for a little romance.

And the perfect place for meat. If you’re coming to Bohanan’s, order a steak. Maybe some seafood, but really, you should get steak. Á la carte sides include a number of uber-rich sauces, foie gras, and lobster tail. It will be a LOT of food, but excellent food. Add a deep-bodied red wine, and you have the makings of a lovely and romantic evening.

WEBSITE | 219 E Houston St #275, San Antonio, TX 78205

Biga on the Banks

Photo Credit: Yelp Kristy T.

Biga on the Banks is really the whole package when it comes to a romantic restaurant. It has front-row river views from the patio overlooking the San Antonio River in downtown SA. It has fabulous and inventive food created by famed San Antonio chef, Bruce Auden (a James Beard award nominee 6 times over). And it has an engaging design aesthetic with Moroccan influences that aren’t over the top. Views, food, ambiance, as we said, the whole package.

Biga’s menu changes daily but usually offers a sizable variety of appetizers, salads and soups, entrees, and desserts. Hungry guests can take advantage of the $49 three-course prix fixe menu and can choose from 4-5 options for each course. Go with what sounds appealing to you for your appetizer and entrée but be sure to order the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. It is a Biga classic and has withstood the passing of time because it is UNREAL how good it is.

WEBSITE | 203 S St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Rebelle

Photo Credit: Yelp Ruthie W.

Upscale/sexy. If that’s not a current genre of restaurant, I’m inventing it, because it’s the best way to describe Rebelle, a seafood restaurant located at the historic St. Anthony Hotel in downtown San Antonio.

Rebelle is known locally for being quite dark on the inside. While that may bother some people, those in search of a little romance will be glad to take advantage of the mood and privacy the low lighting affords. Additionally, the darkness makes the modern, sweeping glass feature that hangs above the bar appear to glow in beautiful purples and blues. It really is beautiful and strikes a great balance between modern and classic.

Rebelle’s food is among the best seafood you can get in the non-coastal city of San Antonio. Perennial favorites include the blackened redfish, the diver scallops, and the charbroiled king crab legs with garlic parmesan butter. However, if you are looking for a little romance, don’t miss the east coast oysters served with either an apricot cocktail sauce or Rebelle’s signature “aggressive” cocktail sauce.

WEBSITE | The St. Anthony Hotel, 300 E Travis St, San Antonio, TX 78205