The work of celebrated chef Daniel del Prado, Martina has a range of dishes for special occasions: share plates like the celery root ravioli with king crab, the pork with parsnip puree and manzana juice, or the octopus with kalamata olives and fingerlings. The panqueque with dulce de leche, bananas, and crushed caramel is a favorite from the dessert menu.

Broder’s is worthy of a Lady and the Tramp pasta moment. Try the classics — like the spaghetti carbonara or the bolognese — or creative takes like the fettuccine with boar and fennel or gnocchi with veal and roasted carrots. (A simple eggless pasta with tomatoes and olive oil is available for vegans.) Broder’s is elegant but not overly formal — the wooden wrap-around bar is a great place to share a cozy dinner.

Okay, sure: Bryant Lake Bowl is not the Twin Cities’s most buttoned-up date spot. But there’s an undeniable romance to its vintage set-up: the lustrous wooden bar, the wrap-around benches, the eight lanes crammed into the tiny bowling alley. There’s often a wait to bowl, even on weeknights — so show up ahead of time, get your name on the list, and grab a patty melt or Bryant Lake Bowl’s signature bloody mary wings while you wait.

Renowned chef Gavin Kaysen’s hit restaurant Demi is a great option for a date night at a higher price point (around $95 to $200 per person, depending on your drink choices). Hedge your bets with the acclaimed tasting menu — details aren’t posted on the restaurant’s website to see in advance, but previous menus have included Rohan duck with braised endives and honey soy ice cream with cashew butter and kiwi. Reservations for the intimate North Loop restaurant can be made via Tock.

One of last year’s hottest restaurant openings is a great date-night spot in the North Loop. Two culinary powerhouses (Daniel del Prado of Martina and Colita, and Shigeyuki Furukawa of Kado No Mise) fuse their talents with a unique Japanese-Italian menu, unlike any other restaurant in Twin Cities. Share a memorable night with dishes like pork gyoza with wood ear mushroom and foie gras, squid ink pappardelle, and pizzas with flavor combinations like fontina, preserved lemon, and maitake mushrooms.

Tucked into a cozy brick building on University Avenue, Alma is a great date night spot that’s especially accommodating to vegetarians. In addition to its regular prix-fixe menu (with options like arctic char, whey-braised pork shoulder, and apricot and orange cake) there’s an entirely separate version for vegetarians (think crispy saffron rice, gnocchetti with porcini cream, and buckwheat crepes). It’s also attached to a hotel of the same name — make date night a weekend stay, if you’re so moved.

Chef Karyn Tomlinson’s standout restaurant opened last year and fast became essential Twin Cities date-night dining. Choose from the tasting menu or a la carte options: both change often (sometimes daily) and are not available online, but expect dishes like Muscovy duck eggs and apple pies made with local ingredients. At the end of your meal, enjoy a Scandinavian-style egg coffee.

Hyacinth is perhaps Grand Avenue’s most romantic dining room. Here, standout dishes include beets with stracciatella, linguine with mussels and saffron, and risotto with squash and candied walnuts. The petite dining room has an intimate, New York City feel — appropriate, as chef Rikki Giambruno returned to the Twin Cities after a period in Brooklyn.