Spend Valentine's Day with your loved one at these romantic Jersey Shore restaurants
Romance is synonymous with the Jersey Shore. Whether you met your "one and only" during a summer on the boardwalk, or got your first kiss atop the Ferris Wheel in Seaside Heights, Shore-goers have countless stories of finding love in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
So where else would you want to celebrate Valentine's Day? And local restaurants are ready to serve you and your special someone.
One of these restaurants, in fact — for the third year in a row — just made Yelp's Top 100 Romantic Restaurants for Valentine's Day. 618, the intimate Freehold restaurant, will be offering a four-course dinner with an optional wine or cocktail pairing on Wednesday, Feb. 14, featuring bites like gluten-free duck breast with celery root, roasted apples, escarole and apricot puree.
You also can try romantic cocktails like the Smoke & Roses, with Patron Reposado Tequila, X-Rated Passionfruit, blood orange, mango, lime and cinnamon. If you're interested in concocting love potions with your sweetie, there's also a Valentine's Cocktail Class on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Go: 618 Park Ave., Freehold; 732-577-0001, 618nj.com.
Here's a look at 16 other romantic restaurants at the Shore. Happy Valentine's Day!
Aarzu, Freehold
Reservations for this upscale Indian restaurant are available now for Valentine's Day on Google and OpenTable. For $135+ per person, enjoy a six course prix fixe menu featuring chef-designed specials.
Go: 30 E Main St.; 732-333-0933, aarzu.com.
B2 Bistro + Bar, Multiple Locations
Every B2 location is doing something this year, but all a little differently. The Red Bank and Point Pleasant restaurants will be celebrating Feb. 8 to 18. Red Bank will feature bites like the Crunchy Crab Cake with garlic aioli, lemon and kale salad. Point Pleasant will serve a romantic Surf 'n Turf for Two: 16-ounce bone-in ribeye with herb compound butter, 4-ounce lobster tail, pan-seared scallops, jumbo shrimp, potato dauphine and roasted vegetables.
From Feb. 12 to 18, Toms River has Love & Chicken with duxelles, saffron risotto, grilled asparagus, chicken demi and airline chicken. Bayville will celebrate Feb. 12, and Feb. 14 to 19, with The Way to My Scarp, a 10-ounce bone-in veal chop, crumble sausage, broccoli rabe, heirloom tomatoes, cherry peppers, scarpariello sauce and linguini.
Go: b2bistro.com.
Barrio Costero, Asbury Park
This upscale Mexican restaurant will be serving a four-course prix fixe dinner starting Thursday, Feb. 8, complete with a welcome cocktail, for $90 per person.
Go: 610 Bangs Ave.; 732-455-5544, barriocostero.com.
Gabriella's Italian Steakhouse, Red Bank
The dinner menu at this authentic Italian steakhouse features an array of cuts from filet mignon to Tomahawk, and some Italian specialties like Bistecca Alla Fiorentina: 40-ounce, 45-day dry-aged steak with fries, garlic confit, preserved lemons, bone marrow and parsley salad. Also try raw bar bites like the tartare trio with black truffle pepper tuna, salmon agrodolce, hamachi petardo and tempura seaweed crips. It's recommended to pair this dish with Junmai Ginjo sake.
Go: 447 Route 35; 732-456-6699, gabriellasnj.com.
Re-branding: Big changes coming to Beach Haven's Biggy's Beach Grill
Heirloom at The St. Laurent, Asbury Park
While many of Heirloom Kitchen's award-winning restaurants like Lita in Aberdeen are sold out for Valentine's Day, you can still dine in excellence at the "Lover's Lounge." Reservations are still available from 5 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 14 for a table for two, at $98 per ticket, which includes a half dozen East Coast oysters, two glasses of Gaston Chiquet Champage and chocolate-covered oishi strawberries.
Go: 408 7th Ave.; 732-795-2582, thestlaurent.com; For tickets visit resy.com.
Homesick, Asbury Park
On Valentine's Day, enjoy dinner specials like Manhattan clam chowder, tuna tartare, black sea bass with grapefruit beurre blanc, fennel and citrus salad. Steak frites is a 16-ounce New York strip Bordelaise with hand-cut fries. Among the special cocktails are Kiss from a Rose and Leslie's Love Potion.
Go: 522 Cookman Ave.; 732-774-1264, lovehomesick.com.
The Loaded Spoon, Freehold
This new restaurant is taking reservations for a four-course prix fixe experience for you and your loved one. Try everything from cocktails to appetizers like the pan-seared polenta cake with broccolini and shaved parmigiano. Entrees include pan-seared Chilean sea bass with pesto oregano crust, broccoli tree, sweet onion and mushroom risotto. For dessert, there's chocolate coffee caramel torte, or raspberry rose and lychee mousse.
Go: 108 Schanck Road; 732-813-8700, loaded-spoon.com.
Lovesick, Asbury Park
Visit this wine bar on Valentine's Day for the Newlywed Game Wine Tasting. For $95 per person, enjoy romantic wine and food pairings. Then on Thursday, Feb. 15, visit for the Vines and Vinyl: Spain edition ( $95 per person). There will be classic Spanish music paired with eight wines and classic tapas. There will also be a romantic poetry reading.
Go: 530 Cookman Ave.; 732-774-1264, dearlovesick.com.
Patricia's, Holmdel
You won't want to miss this homestyle Italian BYOB, complete with chandeliers. Try hearty meals like the Frutti di Mare with lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, linguine and spicy marinara. For dessert, there's the Affogato: vanilla and coffee gelato served bicchiere (in a glass) with whipped cream and Italian-roasted espresso.
Go: 2132 Route 35; 732-275-0234, patriciasofholmdel.com.
Pascale & Sabine, Asbury Park
What's more romantic than a fancy French dinner? Visit Pascale & Sabine on Feb. 14 for decadent dinner specials like wild mushroom risotto with mushroom puree, roasted crispy mushroom, parmesan fondue, parmesan foam and chives. Or try petit filet and lobster ravioli: seared filter, heart-shaped lobster, ravioli with leek butter, roasted heirloom cauliflower and Swiss chard. Also enjoy half price select wine bottles, and live music by The Wright Trio with Mike Noordzy and Chris Welcome.
Go: 601 Bangs Ave.; 732-774-3395, pascalandsabine.com.
Porta, Asbury Park
For the holiday, there will be a complimentary Prosecco or nonalcoholic rose toast for all dinner guests. Also enjoy specials like chocolate-covered strawberries and half price select wine bottles.
Go: 911 Kingsley St.; 732-776-7661, pizzaporta.com.
Reyla, Asbury Park
This upscale Middle Eastern restaurant will serve a four-course prix fixe dinner for $100 per person, featuring new dishes never before seen on Reyla's menu. You can also add on cocktails from Laylow Cocktail Lounge (in the same building) before or after your dinner when booking your reservation.
Go: 603 Mattison Ave.; 732-455-8333, heyreyla.com.
Saffron, Red Bank
This new Indian restaurant will be offering a $65 per person, specially-curated, three course Valentine's Day menu including popular items like crispy cauliflower and butter chicken, as well as new menu items by Chef Abhishek Patil.
Go: 31 W. Front St.; 732-230-6700, saffronredbank.com.
Salt Creek Grille, Rumson
This waterfront restaurant will boast more than beautiful views on Feb. 14, with bar service starting at 4 p.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. Try bites from the Valentine's Day menu, including appetizers like crispy Brussels sprouts with cubed tavern ham, maple glaze and sunflower seeds. Entrees include dishes like citrus brown-butter salmon with citrus brown rice, ginger butternut squash puree, plus sauteed spinach in a citrus brown-butter vinaigrette.
Go: 4 Bingham Ave.; 732-933-9272, saltcreekgrille.com.
Scarborough Fair, Sea Girt
This quaint restaurant was recently dubbed "most charming" in the state by Lovefood for its delicious cuisine, decor and spanning curved staircases. Go for a full fine dining experience complete with charcuterie boards and other delicious appetizers, a massive wine list, and entrees like gluten-free grilled New Zealand lamb chops marinated with fresh herbs and garlic, served with fingerling potatoes.
Go: 1414 Meetinghouse Road, Sea Girt; 732-223-6658, sfseagirt.com.
The Seacrest Grille at The Shore Club, Spring Lake
Looking for the perfect, Instagram-able Valentine's Day? "Cupid's Hideaway" takes an already romantic setting, with chandeliers and a fireplace, to the next level. It's dawned top to bottom in pink and red decorations, hearts, twinkling-lights and photo props. Try special cocktails like the raspberry truffle martini with Stoli vanilla, Chambord, Creme de Cacao, and a splash of half and half drizzled with chocolate and garnished with raspberries.
The pop-up will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays, through Feb. 18. A happy hour takes place daily, featuring $7 bar bites, specialty cocktails and wine.
Go: 700 Route 71, Spring Lake; 732-449-3666, facebook.com/theseacrestgrillenj, seacrestgrille.com.
Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA Today Network New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants to go for Valentine's Day
