Best date spots: Chelsea

By Time Out editors Mon Feb 4 2013

Best date spots by NYC neighborhood

Photograph: Byron Smith, 2012, for the Wall Street Journal

Bistro La Promenade
Photograph: Deniz Ozuyguy

El Quinto Pino
The High Line
Photograph: Evi Abeler for the Rubin Museum of Art

K2 Nights at Rubin Museum of Art
Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

The Tippler
Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Photograph: Byron Smith, 2012, for the Wall Street Journal

Bistro La Promenade

RECOMMENDED: More best date spots by neighborhood

Bistro La Promenade

French toque Alain Allegretti draws on his childhood in Nice and his partial Italian heritage for this 100-seat French Riviera–inspired restaurant overlooking the London Terrace Gardens courtyard. Call ahead to reserve the intimate booth for two in the back, where you can share treats like escargot or moules frites in private.

461 W 23rd St (between Ninth and Tenth Aves)

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El Quinto Pino

Start an evening-long outing with a nibble at this small tapas bar; the idea is to graze, drink and chat before heading elsewhere for dinner. (An adventurous party of two could easily eat every single thing off of the short menu without feeling too gluttonous.) Order a glass of wine from the Spanish list and share a few dishes, such as the cult favorite uni panini.

401 W 24th St (at Ninth Ave)

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The High Line

Leave the hectic pace of the NYC streets behind with a jaunt along this elevated park. Ample benches provide perfect perches for canoodling amid a backdrop of breathtaking views, art installations and manicured gardens.

From Washington St (at Gansevoort St) to 30th St (at Tenth Ave)

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K2 Nights at the Rubin Museum of Art

Every Friday night, the Rubin Museum’s sleek café morphs into the K2 Lounge, offering a special menu of Pan-Asian tapas to kick off an evening of live or deejayed music. Friday nights also include the Cabaret Cinema series: Guest speakers introduce classic films (free with $7 bar minimum) that explore themes found in current exhibitions.

150 W 17th St (at Seventh Ave)

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The Tippler

Bring a cocktail-curious date to this Meatpacking District venture, a welcome respite from the neighborhood’s velvet-rope lounges. Pair a few of the shareable appetizers with one of 20 cocktails. We like the Gin & Chronic, a variation on the traditional G&T with the addition of allspice liqueur and whole dried hops.

Chelsea Market, 425 W 15th St (between Ninth and Tenth Aves)

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Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Gauge your companion’s sense of humor at one of the UCB’s weekly shows: If he or she is laughing hysterically during a set by the Stepfathers (Fri 9pm) or Death by Roo Roo: Your F’ed Up Family (Sat 9pm), then you have chosen well. Bonus: Since both tickets and beers can be had on the cheap, you can easily look like a star by picking up the tab.