Discover 10 Romantic Dinner Ideas for Two for an Unforgettable Evening–Will You Impress Her With These Modern Classics?
Cooking dinner for a woman is one of the easiest (and when done right, cheapest) ways to impress a woman.
However, if you don’t cook all the time or are used to fast and easy meals, it can feel overwhelming to plan a romatic meal.
But it doesn’t have to be — and in fact, with the right preparation, you can serve up a five-star meal using very little effort.
The key is to pick the right recipes. So today, I’m going to show you 10 failsafe recipes that any guy can make for a romantic meal in. These recipes are tried & tested, and work for any and every palate.
Feeling hungry yet?
Let’s dive in. 🙂
1) Roast Chicken & Vegetables
This dinner is a classic and is universally appealing — given that she’s not a vegetarian or vegan, of course.
Plus, you can customize it to your (or your date’s) palate. Are you a fan of the classics? Try a roast chicken with lemon and rosemary.
Want to try something more interesting? Go for a Moroccan spin with preserved lemons, dried apricots and olives.
This recipe from Food Network provides an excellent template to get you started. With just a few simple ingredients and a couple hours, you’ll have a delicious meal and a very happy date.
2) Spaghetti & Meatballs
It might be cliche, but it’s a classic for a reason — the Lady and the Tramp were onto something with their romantic spaghetti and meatball dinner.
Meatballs are another dish that might sound like a “project,” but the reality is that they only have to be as complicated as you want to make them.
Get some ground beef, add in some spices, an egg or two and some breadcrumbs — don’t forget the salt and pepper. Cook a little bit in a pan with olive oil and adjust for seasoning.
Then comes the easy part: The pasta.
The trick with pasta is not to overcook it, so watch the spaghetti carefully once you drop it into the boiling water.
You can serve it with garlic bread, but if you want to skip the garlic breath then a nice salad is a great place to start.
This recipe comes from a classic Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, and the raisins and the pine nuts really make the meatballs a standout star.
3) Asparagus Risotto
Risotto gets a bad rap for being time-consuming and labor-intensive, but with a few simple hacks, it’s really very simple.
This is also a great option if your date is vegetarian — rather than serve her a boring plate of roasted vegetables, this asparagus risotto is composed, balanced, and still light enough not to feel like you’ll enter a food coma afterward.
Not a fan of mushrooms? Leave them out! Even plain risotto served with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil on top can be a really impressive date night dinner.
Serve this with a nice chilled white wine, like a Sancerre or an unoaked Chardonnay, and you’ll be sure to “wow” her (in more ways than one). 😉
4) Chili Garlic Shrimp & Rice
It’s often said that spicy food and seafood are aphrodisiacs, so get the night off to a good start with this tasty chili garlic shrimp and coconut rice.
Bonus: The entire meal comes together in less than 30 minutes!
This is a great choice if your date is more of an adventurous eater or has spent time traveling abroad.
Plus, if you’ve ever traveled abroad, then it also serves as a great conversation starter.
5) Pesto With Peas & Orecchiette
If spaghetti and meatballs aren’t your jam or your date is vegetarian, then this refreshing and light pasta dish is a great choice for you.
The trick is to splurge on a nice bottle of olive oil — look for something in the $15 – $20 range that reads “DOP” on the bottle. (It’s a sign of high quality.)
Also keep in mind that younger olive oils tend to be spicier, so if you want a smoother flavor balance then perhaps an aged olive oil is best for you.
Beyond that, putting everything together is a breeze — you can even buy the canned pesto if you don’t have time to make your own.
This recipe calls for bowtie and fusili pasta, but I’d actually recommend orecchiette. It’s not an “everyday” kind of pasta and has pockets to absorb the delicious sauce, so it’ll feel like a real treat for her.
6) Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
I know, I know — a salad doesn’t exactly scream “romantic date night.” But this is no ordinary salad.
Grilling the lettuce adds an extra dimension of flavor to this that will really make it stand out. Plus, the homemade dressing gives it an extra “oomph” that definitely will not go unnoticed.
Because this is relatively light as far as dinners go, make sure to plan something nice for dessert as well. Some chocolates from a local bakery or fresh fruit with homemade whipped cream are both excellent options.
7) Boeuf Bourguignon
Boeuf Bourguignon is basically French for “beef stew.” Really, really delicious beef stew.
This foolproof recipe comes from French chef all-star Julia Child and is something you can simply “set and forget.”
In fact, you could even make this a day in advance. Then about an hour before your date comes over, get it simmering on the pot. She’ll be overwhelmed by the delicious smell as soon as she walks into your place — trust me. 😉
8) Fancy Tacos
Tacos are a blank slate for whatever you want to do with them. This makes them a perfect choice for a date night.
Has she mentioned an affinity for Thai food? You can make some Thai curry shrimp tacos.
Or maybe she’s into more standard Mexican fare? Try some spicy chipotle chicken tacos.
If you want to really impress her, you can even make your own chips and guacamole!
Buy some small corn tortillas, get your fillings together, and then the rest is left up to assembly. Have it all set out by the time she gets there, and she can even make her own.
9) Roast Pork Loin With Port Sauce
This is a simple dish, but all of the elements come together in one beautifully composed masterpiece.
The hardest part is finding the port, though most wine or liquor stores should have a decent bottle (look for something in the $10-$20 range).
All you have to do is make the sauce, rub the pork with oil and roast it until it reaches your desired doneness — usually, somewhere between medium-rare and medium is ideal for roast pork loin.
You can serve it with some sauteed green beans or other seasonal vegetables. Or if you want to stick to the classics, some mashed potatoes would work really well with this dish.
10) Souped Up Steak & Potatoes
I know you were waiting for this one — good ol’ steak and potatoes.
But don’t be fooled; this is not your grandmother’s steak and potatoes.
The meat is the star here — so visit a specialty butcher shop. If you don’t want to stick with a classic filet mignon, then hangar steak provides a great alternative as well.
Season it with salt and pepper, and sear it in a smoking hot pan. Have a meat thermometer around to test it after you finish cooking, and be sure to let it rest.
Serve it with smashed baby red potatoes and a pat of butter on top — some sauteed spinach on the side would serve as a great foil to the heavy meat and potatoes as well.
These recipes can help transform what would otherwise be a typical night in into a fancy and very romantic evening that she won’t soon forget.
And if you play your cards right, then chances are you’ll get a little something “extra” after dessert as well. 😉
Here’s how to make sure things go the way you want:
The Ultimate “Aphrodisiac” for MAXIMUM Performance In Bed…
The last guy who cooked me dinner… well, it turned into breakfast the next morning. 😉
It was only Drew & I’s second date… and honestly, I thought it would be our last.
Our first date had gone “OK”… but there weren’t really any sparks. (Plus, he was in his 40’s… I’ve never dated a guy over 35.)
So when I got to his place, I expected the night to end with us watching some old boring movie… boy, was I wrong!
After we finished eating (fettuccine with lemon cream sauce, yum!!), he got up to do the dishes… a few minutes later, I brought my empty wine glass over to get a refill…
Though when he grabbed it from my hand… he didn’t refill it.
Instead, he wrapped his arm around my lower back & leaned in to kiss me… I kissed him back, and a few seconds later he pulled my hips into his…
OMG!!! He was rock. Hard.
Naturally, I assumed he had slipped a Viagra while I wasn’t watching… though I forgot all about that when he sat me up on the counter, reached his hand up my dress and *mmmmmm*…
Afterward, I was still curious how a guy his age could get so hard, so fast… so I asked him about it.
He kinda laughed at first… but then he said, “Nope! No prescriptions or wacky drugs for that.” And showed me this:
Get the Ultimate “Aphrodisiac” for MAXIMUM Performance In Bed…
