Are you local to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area? We live a tiny town just west of Denton, Texas. When my husband and I are looking for a romantic date night, we head to Denton to one of the local restaurants. It’s a wonderful eclectic college town full of interesting places. Our favorite date nights revolve around The Square in Denton.

The Square is the square of downtown around the old courthouse. We go to a restaurant and then off to a few of the shops. There is the “mini mall” which is a wonderful antique/junk store packed with booths with all kinds of things. There’s restaurants, shops, bars, and one of our very favorites, Recycle Books. It’s located in an old opera house. This is the place where Nate and I had our first date and where he later proposed.

Another of our first dates was at Mr. Chopsticks. It’s a quiet, hipster restaurant right next to the University of North Texas, but it is always packed. It’s always a popular restaurant. Eating on the patio is wonderfully romantic in the summer. They have lots of vegetarian meals as well as sushi and typical Asian style food. My favorite dish is the Pad See Ew.

Bagheri’s is probably Nate’s favorite Italian restaurant ever. It’s not near the square, but it’s well worth it. The front doesn’t look like much, but inside is all pretty with white tablecloths. The Dama Bianca sauce is AH-MAZING! It’s a pink sauce that tastes good on everything from tortellini to ravioli. The house salad is served with fruit all around it and is one of my faves. The owner is always there making delicious food. It’s BYOB, and they happily bring you an frosted glass. There’s a store right in front of the restaurant that has all kinds of microbrews and European beers and ciders. My favorite is to grab a Framboise Lambic, which is a deliciously sweet raspberry beer.

Guiseppe’s is a wonderfully romantic Italian restaurant. We’ve been here on two of our wedding anniversaries. It even has a Bed & Breakfast, too. My absolute favorite meal is the Capellini Rustico. It’s a “pasta served with sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and chopped tomatoes tossed in a champagne marinara garlic sauce.” I think the champagne marinara garlic sauce is just perfect. It’s one of my favorite Italian dishes of all time.

Greenhouse is another local restaurant with a relaxed feel. Lunch time is quiet and very intimate, and at night they frequently have live music. The food is wonderful and has several vegetarian options. My favorite meal is the roasted garlic hamburger. It’s topped with delicious whole cloves of roasted garlic.

Keiichi is a hidden gem. It does not look like much from the outside. Heck, it looks like an abandoned building. But, inside is completely different. It’s a Japanese sushi restaurant and is a very intimate experience with just a few seats. Make sure you make a reservation because it is so small. You must call between 1 and 5 pm Wed-Sat. You sit at the bar for a hibachi like experience and watch your food made right before your eyes. The fish is flown in every day for what many have called the best sushi in Texas. He also makes fresh pasta and Italian dishes right before your eyes, too.

Lastly, if you’re wanting dessert, head to Beth Marie’s on the Square. They make their ice cream fresh every day with so many interesting flavors. I love bubblegum and butterfinger. Frequently, the line is out the door. We’ve had some very romantic dates here. One of my favorite dates was after we had gone to Recycle Books. We sat down outside of Beth Marie’s on a hot summer day with some ice cream, and Nate read me a short story. Then, in the middle of the story, it began to rain. But, it was perfect since we were tucked under the awning. We both still talk about how great that date was.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day date with your sweetie. Where is your favorite romantic place?
10 comments
Great post!! I’m glad I found it! I just moved to Denton not too long ago and I don’t really know all the popular spots yet so this post will definitely help me decide where to go for Valentines Day. 🙂
That’s great! It’s definitely a great town for going out.