OpenTable Research: Gen-Z Ushers in New Era for Valentine's Day Centered on Broader Celebrations of Love
52% of Americans plan to dine out this Valentine's Day – discover how diners are celebrating and explore OpenTable's Top 100 Romantic Restaurants
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new OpenTable research, Valentine's Day dining is continuing to expand beyond tradition, as diners reimagine the holiday to celebrate more than just romantic connections. In fact, 57% of Americans believe Valentine's Day is becoming more about celebrating all relationships than just romantic, a trend led by 70% of Gen Z.* The research also shows culinary compatibility emerging as a point of interest, with 55% of Americans saying shared food preferences play a meaningful role in connection.*
Highlights from the research, alongside OpenTable data, revealed:
The new dining landscape:
- Friendship gets the spotlight: Last year, dining on Galentine's Day (February 13) increased 34% year-over-year per OpenTable data,** as consumer research revealed 60% of Gen Z and 41% of all Americans are likely to celebrate Valentine's Day with friends instead of a romantic partner this year.* As the holiday broadens in meaning, 43% of those celebrating Galentine's or Palentine's Day this year say they'll be soft-launching a new friendship.*
- Solo dining = self love: More than half of Americans (58%) view solo dining on Valentine's Day as more socially acceptable than year's past, a belief most prominent among Gen Z (69%) and Millennials (68%).* Last year, solo reservations on OpenTable rose 35% year-over-year, reinforcing the trend's momentum.**
- V-Day goes group: 41% of Americans would consider going on a double date at a restaurant this Valentine's Day. This jumps to 50% among Gen Z, showing how younger diners are expanding the holiday to be more a more group-friendly, experience-first occasion.*
How relationship dynamics play out in restaurants:
- Culinary compatibility: 55% of Americans say it's important to share food preferences or dining styles with their partner, including enjoying the same food and/or sharing plates. This rises 67% among Gen Z and 62% among Millennials.*
- Dining red vs. green flags: It's not just about what's on the plate, it's about how you behave at the table. Some of the biggest dining red flags include rudeness to staff (79%), bad manners (77%) and lateness (65%), while leaving a generous tip (68%), complimenting service (64%), and offering to cover the bill (65%) are green flags that leave a lasting impression.*
"Gen-Z is leading the charge in making Valentine's Day more inclusive," said Cheryl Paniagua, VP of Restaurant Sales & Services at OpenTable. "From partners and friends to family and self-love, restaurants will be the gathering place as over half of Americans plan to dine out this year.* We're here to help every kind of diner find the right table, with tools like our Top 100 Romantic Restaurants list and our curated guides to get inspired."
Find a restaurant you love on OpenTable's 2026 Top 100 Romantic Restaurants list
Americans spend an average of two hours and 14 minutes searching for the right Valentine's Day dining venue.* This may be why some diners waited until the last minute: last year, 24% of OpenTable reservations were made within 48 hours and 14% within just 24 hours – but that procrastination may not have paid off, as diners set more 'Notify Me' alerts for Valentine's Day than any other holiday in 2025.**
To help diners skip the search, OpenTable's Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America for 2026 offers standout options for every kind of celebration, compiled by analyzing more than nine million diner reviews, along with diner ratings, reservation trends and the percentage of five-star reviews. For additional inspiration, OpenTable's Valentine's Day hub features guides for first dates, a forever love, or a night out with friends.
The Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America for 2026 are (listed alphabetically by state):***
Alabama
- Voyagers – Perdido Beach Resort – Orange Beach, AL
Arizona
- Cafe Monarch – Scottsdale, AZ
- Vivace Restaurant – Tucson, AZ
California
- Boulevard – San Francisco, CA
- FARM – Palm Springs, CA
- Gary Danko – San Francisco, CA
- Jeune et Jolie – Carlsbad, CA
- Mister A's – San Diego, CA
- Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch – Santa Barbara, CA
- Summit House – Fullerton, CA
- The Marine Room – San Diego, CA
Colorado
- Barolo Grill – Denver, CO
- Shanahan's Steakhouse – Denver, CO
Connecticut
- J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood – Glastonbury, CT
- Millwright's Restaurant – Simsbury, CT
Florida
- Angelina's Ristorante – Bonita Springs, FL
- Bern's Steak House – Tampa, FL
- Charley's Steak House – Tampa, FL
- Collage Restaurant – St. Augustine, FL
- KRES Chophouse – Orlando, FL
- La Nouvelle – St. Augustine, FL
- Sails Restaurant – Naples, FL
- Sale e Pepe – Marco Island, FL
- Savour – Tallahassee, FL
- The Black Pearl – Dunedin, FL
Georgia
- Canoe – Atlanta, GA
- Marcel – Atlanta, GA
- The Olde Pink House – Savannah, GA
Hawaii
- Honu Oceanside – Lahaina, HI
- Merriman's – Lahaina, HI
Idaho
- Chandlers Steakhouse – Boise, ID
Illinois
- Geja's Cafe – Chicago, IL
- Meson Sabika – Naperville, IL
- Mon Ami Gabi – Chicago, IL
- North Pond – Chicago, IL
Indiana
- Vida – Indianapolis, IN
Kentucky
- Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano – Lexington, KY
Louisiana
- Irene's – New Orleans, LA
Maine
- Earth at Hidden Pond – Kennebunkport, ME
Maryland
- Osteria 177 – Annapolis, MD
Massachusetts
- Pellana Steakhouse – Peabody, MA
- Sorellina – Boston, MA
Michigan
- Leo's – Grand Rapids, MI
Minnesota
- Baldamar – Roseville, MN
Missouri
- Charlie Gitto's 'On the Hill' – St. Louis, MO
New Hampshire
- Ristorante Massimo – Portsmouth, NH
New Jersey
- 618 – Freehold, NJ
- Franklinville Inn – Franklinville, NJ
- Il Mulino New York – Atlantic City, NJ
- Washington Inn – Cape May, NJ
New Mexico
Nevada
- Eiffel Tower – Las Vegas, NV
- Ferraro's Ristorante – Las Vegas, NV
- Ocean Prime – Las Vegas, NV
- Piero's Italian Cuisine – Las Vegas, NV
New York
- The Northport Hotel – Northport, NY
- The River Cafe – Brooklyn, NY
North Carolina
- JOLO Winery & Vineyards (EndPosts Restaurant) – Pilot Mountain, NC
- Ryan's Restaurant – Winston-Salem, NC
- Steak 48 – Charlotte, NC
Ohio
- BOCA – Cincinnati, OH
- Butcher & Rose – Columbus, OH
- Carlo & Johnny – Cincinnati, OH
- Cento – German Village – Columbus, OH
- Jag's Steak & Seafood – West Chester, OH
- Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse – Columbus, OH
- Lindey's – Columbus, OH
- Pier W – Cleveland, OH
Oregon
- RingSide Steakhouse – Portland, OR
Pennsylvania
- Alla Famiglia – Pittsburgh, PA
- Altius – Pittsburgh, PA
- Belvedere Inn Restaurant and Bar – Lancaster, PA
- Butcher & Singer – Philadelphia, PA
- Monterey Bay Fish Grotto – Pittsburgh, PA
Puerto Rico
- Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar – Old San Juan, PR
Rhode Island
- Boat House Waterfront Dining – Tiverton, RI
- White Horse Tavern – Newport, RI
South Carolina
- Charlie's Coastal Bistro – Hilton Head, SC
Tennessee
- Coastal Fish Company – Memphis, TN
- Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro – Townsend, TN
- Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse – Memphis, TN
- Sinatra Bar & Lounge – Nashville, TN
Texas
- Bohanan's Prime Steaks and Seafood – San Antonio, TX
- Jeffrey's Restaurant – Austin, TX
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – Houston, TX
- Perry's Steakhouse & Grille – Dallas, TX
- Truluck's – Austin, TX
Utah
- Log Haven – Salt Lake City, UT
- Ruth's Chris Steak House – Salt Lake City, UT
Virginia
- 2941 Restaurant – Falls Church, VA
- Bistro L'Hermitage – Woodbridge, VA
- Bookbinder's Seafood and Steakhouse – Richmond, VA
- L'Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA
- L'Opossum – Richmond, VA
- Le Yaca – Williamsburg, VA
- The Ivy Inn Restaurant – Charlottesville, VA
Washington
- Il Terrazzo Carmine – Seattle, WA
- The Pink Door – Seattle, WA
Wisconsin
- The Del-Bar – Wisconsin Dells, WI
*Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research among 1,509 American consumers, with minimum quotas applied across major cities. Fieldwork was carried out between December 20, 2025, and January 2, 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.
**OpenTable Dining Data: OpenTable looked at the number of seated diners from online reservations for all active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in the UK on Galentine's and Valentine's Day (February 13-14, 2025) and compared it to the same days the year prior (February 13-14, 2024).
***OpenTable's Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America List: OpenTable's Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in America List for 2026 list is generated from over 9 million reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from December 1, 2024 to November 30, 2025. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance, percentage of capacity and direct searches. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score. The qualified restaurants were then ranked by the percentage of reviews with the tag "romantic." The resulting list appears A-Z, not in ranked order.
About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.9 billion seats a year. OpenTable's world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.
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