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The month of love is upon us, and that can only mean one thing: romance. And what's more romantic than a beautiful dinner? Not much, if you ask us.
Luckily, Australia is known for its world-class dining scene, with a mind-boggling abundance of genuinely incredible restaurants. It's this fact that can make it exceedingly hard to decide which restaurant to choose for a special occasion – particularly when that special occasion is a hot date.
Our editors have rounded up their pick of the best restaurants in Australia in 2026, but it seems like many of our selections are favoured by more than just us. New data released from global restaurant booking platform OpenTable has revealed the 50 most romantic restaurants across Australia in 2026, with a huge mix of city favourites and regional gems.
OpenTable reported that in 2025, Valentine's Day was the biggest dining day of the year in Australia, followed by Mother's and Father's Day. It also showed dining increased by a wild 65 per cent year on year on V Day, with a nine per cent increase in average spend.
The consumer research also unveiled some interesting truths about the way Aussies dine out around this time of year, revealing that 22 per cent say they'll be eating out on Valentine's Day itself, and another 16 per cent say that they'll be making a reservation for the Valentine's Day weekend instead.
Overall, the numbers are clear – Aussies like to celebrate love by going out and eating delicious food.
To determine what kinds of restaurants Australians find the most romantic, OpenTable assessed diner reviews and audience metrics from venues all over the country, as seen via the OpenTable platform. It showed that we flocked to Italian, modern Australian and Japanese cuisines for Valentine's Day dinners, a fact that is backed up in the top 50 list. You can find your closest romantic restaurant below.
New South Wales
- 99 On Park – Coffs Harbour
- Bathers’ Pavilion – Mosman
- Blaq – Blackheath
- Glasshouse at Goonoo Goonoo Station – Timbumburi
- Lucetta Dining – Orange
- Neptune's Grotto – Sydney
- Osteria di Russo & Russo – Enmore
- The Union Bank – Orange
- Whalebone Wharf – Port Macquarie
Queensland
- A Touch of Salt – Townsville
- Amici Restaurant – Caloundra
- Black Hide Steak & Seafood – Petrie Terrace
- Bridgewater Restaurant + Botanic Bar – South Townsville
- Deer Duck Bistro – Auchenflower
- Doughcraft – Brisbane
- Essa Restaurant – Fortitude Valley
- King Ludwigs German Restaurant – Maleny
- Montrachet – Bowen Hills
- Mr. Vain – Fortitude Valley
- Olive and Angelo – Brisbane
- Palette Restaurant – Surfers Paradise
- Restaurant Labart – Burleigh Heads
- Sails Noosa – Noosa Heads
- Secrets on the Lake – North Maleny
- Sopra Cucina & Bar – Bli Bli
- The Arsonist – Manly
- Zinc Port Douglas – Port Douglas
South Australia
- Bistro Francais – Hyde Park
- Boatshed Restaurant – Hallet Cove
- Fiore at Down The Rabbit Hole Wines – McLaren Vale
Victoria
- Bar Yarra – South Yarra
- Bistra – Carlton
- Bistro La Provence – Brighton
- Blacksmith Bar and Grill – Melbourne
- Cecconi’s Toorak – Toorak
- Cognoscenti Food & Wine – Belgrave
- Fleet Rooftop Bar – Melbourne
- Funghi E Tartufo – Melbourne
- Kiss & Tell – Melbourne
- Love Letter – Richmond
- Lui Bar – Melbourne
- Maven by Morgan – Fitzroy
- Rococo Point Cook – Point Cook
- Rosebank North – Ringwood North
- Sir Loins – Bright
- The Woodhouse Bar & Grill – Bendigo
- Vue de monde – Melbourne
- Yugen Dining – South Yarra
Western Australia
- Bali Hai Cafe – Cable Beach
- Masonmill – Carmel