Cutting back this Valentine’s Day? You're not alone. According to a recent survey by PayPal, an eBay company, only half of shoppers plan to spend more than $50 this Valentine's Day, compared to 2008, when 75 percent of shoppers planned to spend more than $50 on gifts. If you can't afford to spring for an amorous evening out, take a cue from some of the most romantic restaurants around for a domestic dinner party you’re both sure to love. With a little help from the owners and chefs, we help translate the warmth of these intimate dining spaces (and then source these special occasion style statements on eBay) so you can pull off the look at home—or at least integrate a few inexpensive accents. Bon appetit!
Local 11 Ten
1110 Bull Street; Savannah, GA; 912-790-9000 Housed in a 1950’s bank among the century-old oaks in downtown Savannah, the restaurant's owners, Reed and Meredith Dulany, restored the space to reflect a more contemporary elegance with, natural wood textures and exposed brick walls. Chef de Cuisine Jeff Rodgers serves seasonal fare sourced close to home and seasoned with popular southern flavors, like soft shell crabs caught off the Georgia coast and figs and loquats grown just down the street.
Steal the Look:
Curly Willow Branches (buy it now price, $26) Partition a large space with grouping of tall dried curly willow, one of the most popular decorative branches, to create an intimate nook.
Tommy Hilfiger Pillow (buy it now price, $25.99) A decorative bolster pillow in a vibrant textile adds a pop of color and offers an opportunity to sit back and relax.
Geja’s Café
340 West Armitage, Chicago, IL; 773-281-9101 This dimly lit, subterranean spot in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood has been around since the mid-sixties and, each year, is tops the city's lists of the romantic restaurants. The draw: fondue dining! “It’s truly the last form of communal cooking in America,” says managing partner Jeff Lawler, who adds that he has the pleasure of seeing two or three couples get engaged here every week. As for the setting, “The burners on the table cast an amber lighting and the wine bottles lining the wall give the room a cozy, wine cellar feel,” Lawler says.
Steal the Look:
Swissmar Fondue Set (buy it now price, $62.95) There's a reason fondue keeps coming back—D.I.Y. dinner is so much fun.
Copper Mirror (buy it now price, $169.95) A rustic mirror lends an old-world feel, and its reflection amplifies the candle light.
Bobo
181 W. 10th Street, New York, NY; 212-488-2626; The only way to be sure you're at the right place is to look at the address, 181, at the basement entrance of the townhouse where Bobo is located. Pass through a candle-lit lounge area and then up a flight of stairs to an intimate eatery with fireplaces and plush curtains that make you feel like you’re eating in your eccentric New York aunt’s living room. “A hexagonal shelving unit in the middle of the dining room, strewn with books and objects meant to look as if they were gathered over a lifetime adds warmth and creates a library feel,” says Dolores Suarez, who along with Caroline Grant, designed the space.
Steal the Look:
Small Candle Lantern (starting bid, $12.99) On warm nights, small candle lanterns like this one illuminate the fireplace and cast a romantic glow.
Ceramic Food Dog (buy it now price, $9.99) “The found objects on the mantles and bookshelves, which include a porcelain foo dog, a mask from carnival in Rio and a 60’s lacquered orange kitchen canister, are a medley of things purchased to give the restaurant a certain collected-over-a-lifetime look, as opposed to referencing a certain period,” says Suarez.
Bond Street Lounge
150 20th Street, Miami, FL; 305-398-1806 Tucked in the basement of the Townhouse Hotel, this sushi bar—a New York export and hipster favorite—is defined by upholstered love seats in modish, petal-pushing prints. Sexy low lighting, fishbowls filled with clean-cut daisies and minimalist furniture keep the fanciful décor from veering into dainty territory.
Steal the Look:
Rachel Ashwell Fabric (buy it now price, $4.99) Fabric with botanical prints can be used as a table covering. Or for craftier types, try framing it or using it to upholster pillows.
Leather Cube (buy it now price, $49.99) A cube can function as a seat, footrest or stool.
Wink
1014 N. Boulevard, Austin, TX; 512-482-8868 Fresh ingredients and a menu that is updated daily keep a steady flow of regulars flocking to this Austin eatery. The parlor is intentionally sparse: tables topped with white clothes and fresh flowers and a mod, sixties-style banquette. “It’s sophisticated in its simplicity, which allows the food to shine,” says chef Mark Paul.
Steal the Look:
Heart Shaped Baking Molds (buy it now price, $9.99) “Our Chevre Cheesecake is an example of one of the little things that we do for special occasions like Valentine’s Day,” says Paul. “We take heart-shaped molds and bake the cheesecakes in them. We use the same molds to shape the caramelized Texas Hard Pears on the plate with some glazed raspberries for color.”
Set of Six Wine Glasses (buy it now price, $38) If you don't have a set of classic wine glasses, now is an excuse to get one. Don't spend too much, though, as they're sure to break over time (especially if you're having fun).
Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA; 404-365-0410 Set in a renovated factory in this southern capital’s industrial Westside, this restaurant, beloved by locals and critics, achieves an understated elegance with a crisp design that includes mini table lamps, white lacquer chairs and sheer curtains.
Steal the Look:
Table Lamp (buy it now price, $43.99) This lamp is larger than the ones at Bacchanalia, but it achieves the same modern look and is probably more practical for your home.
Restoration Hardware Thai Silk Drapery Panel (buy it now price, $98) While you may not have sweeping views of a midtown skyline like Bacchanalia does, you can still frame your windows with silk drapes in a rich shock of color.
**Images provided by featured restaurants.**
Amy Flurry is a freelance writer and style editor whose work has been featured in Lucky, Refinery 29, InStyle, Conde Nast Traveler, O @ Home, Four Seasons magazine, House Beautiful, Country Living, and The Atlantan.
