The best date-night restaurants in Des Moines
The best date-night restaurants in Des Moines: special-occasion splurges, intimate chef-driven rooms, cozy Italian, great cocktails, and a candlelit natural-wine bar.
The right date-night restaurant depends on the night, big-occasion grand, quietly intimate, or loud and fun. Here are the Des Moines rooms worth booking for two, sorted by the kind of evening you're after.
The special-occasion splurge
Proudfoot & Bird, inside the Hotel Fort Des Moines, is the grand one, marble, gold-inlay ceiling, a circular bar, handmade pasta and prime beef. 801 Chophouse is the clubby steak splurge. And Lucca in the East Village is the reservation you make to impress without a scene, chef Steve Logsdon's four-course Italian prix fixe in a small, hushed room.
Intimate and chef-driven
For a cozy, memorable meal, Aposto sets Tony Lemmo's seasonal Italian-Mediterranean menu inside an 1880s Sherman Hill mansion, hard to beat for romance. Alba in the East Village is the warm, artsy date classic with an open kitchen. And for adventurous couples, Harbinger on Ingersoll runs chef Joe Tripp's vegetable-forward tasting menu with Southeast Asian flavors, a real occasion.
Cozy and classic
Centro downtown is the lively, see-and-be-seen Italian mainstay, pasta, thin-crust pizza, a big wine list. And Eatery A on Ingersoll is the warm, wood-fired Mediterranean pick, with a fireplace inside and a big patio for summer.
Fun, unfussy, and great cocktails
Not every date needs to be hushed. Bar Nico in the East Village is sleek and buzzy, masa-forward modern Mexican and inventive cocktails. Bubba does swanky-but-relaxed Southern with a deep bourbon list. And Malo, in a restored Art Deco firehouse, is the festive, margarita-fueled option.
Just drinks and a nibble
If it's a low-key first date, The Cave downtown is a moody little natural-wine bar with charcuterie, vinyl, and the occasional live set, cozy and no pressure.
The quick cheat sheet
- Special occasion: Proudfoot & Bird, 801 Chophouse, Lucca
- Intimate / chef-driven: Aposto, Alba, Harbinger
- Cozy classic: Centro, Eatery A
- Fun + cocktails: Bar Nico, Bubba, Malo
- Just drinks: The Cave
Want ideas beyond dinner? See our date night in Des Moines guide for the whole night out. This is part of our best restaurants in Des Moines guide, and a great steak makes a great date, too, see the best steakhouses.
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