20 Best Date Night Restaurants in Boise

If you find yourself in Boise and are wondering where to go for dinner out, look no further: I’ve listed 20 of the best local restaurants for date night in Boise! I’ve not made it to all 20 of these restaurants yet, but I do highly recommend those that I have been to, and I’ve only heard great things about the others and can’t wait to try them. I’ll definitely be referring to this list next time I’m in need of a date night restaurant idea! Whether you and/or your date are looking for a classic American cuisine, hearty Italian, or even pizza, there’s a date night dinner option for everyone on this list.

Below, I listed the 20 restaurants in alphabetical order and included information on price, location, hours, and if they take reservations or not. Read through all of the restaurants to pick out where you want to eat on your date night, then determine directions via the map at the bottom of the post! I wouldn’t blame you for eating at more than one restaurant. 😉 Don’t forget to pin this post to Pinterest for future reference, too. Hope you have a lovely night out!

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20 Best Date Night Restaurants in Boise, Idaho

ALAVITA • $$$ • Idaho Street, downtown Boise

Pronounced like “ah-la-vee-ta”, Alavita is an upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Boise. Founded by the same folks as Fork, they use locally- and regionally-sourced ingredients as much as possible, and all of their pasta is made fresh in house. The atmosphere is cozy and eclectic. Alavita is open for dinner 7 days a week. Reservations are accepted.

ALYONKA RUSSIAN CUISINE • $$ • State Street, northwest Boise

Enjoy authentic Russian cuisine at Alyonka! They’re best known for their beef stroganoff, shuba (layered salad), and pelmeni (meat dumplings) dishes. Alyonka is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are encouraged.

ASIAGO’S • $$ • Main Street, downtown Boise

Asiago’s is a homey Italian restaurant; go here or Luciano’s (below) if you want as close to authentic Italian as possible! They offer a variety of meat and seafood dishes. Asiago’s is open for dinner 7 days a week. Reservations are accepted for any number of people. They have a small outdoor patio that’s open in the warmer months.

BARDENAY • $$ • Old Boise (Grove Street), downtown Boise

Bardenay is one of our absolute favorite restaurants! We eat there any time of day. They offer a variety of American cuisine, including meats and seafood. Their burgers, sandwiches, and salads are great. Bardenay is a distillery with a great full bar and is one of the more casual restaurant options if that’s more your speed. Bardenay is open for brunch on Sunday mornings and lunch, dinner, and late night 7 days a week. There is also a location in Eagle, northwest of Boise.

CHANDLERS • $$$$ • Grove Street, downtown Boise

If you’re looking to dress up and experience TRUE fine dining, look no further than Chandlers. Located in Hotel 43 in downtown Boise, Chandlers offers upscale meat and seafood dishes and a three-course prix fixe dinner option. Vegan and vegetarian options are available. Chandlers is open for dinner 7 nights a week (with live jazz every night!). Reservations are required to dine in, and they offer complimentary valet parking.

COTTONWOOD GRILLE • $$$ • River Street, downtown Boise

Cottonwood Grille is another spot that offers upscale dining—this time along the Boise River. They offer a variety of salads and meat and seafood entrees. I ate there a couple of years ago during the Dine Out Downtown Boise restaurant week, and it was fantastic! Cottonwood Grille is open for Sunday brunch and lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Reservations are accepted.

DIABLO & SONS SALOON • $$ • 8th Street, downtown Boise

Diablo & Sons offers an extensive drink selection in a fun and rowdy dining environment. I went for late night once pre-pandemic and enjoyed tacos—they were absolutely delicious! They also offer a variety of appetizers, salads, burgers, and other entrees. Diablo & Sons is open for weekend brunch and lunch and dinner Wednesday to Monday. Reservations are accepted.

FORK • $$ • 8th Street, downtown Boise

Founded by the same folks as Alavita, Fork is known for their unique and local cuisine; it’s always at the top of my list when recommending a restaurant to a Boise newcomer. The dinners I’ve eaten at Fork have been fantastic (see the top right photo above for an example of what you can get). Fork is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week. They have an outdoor patio open in the warmer months. Reservations are accepted and encouraged.

KIN • $$$$ • Main Street, downtown Boise

Kin is an upscale, multi-course dining experience in downtown Boise. They offer a five-course tasting menu with optional drink pairing that changes seasonally. Kin is open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are required.

THE LIVELY • $$ • Bannock Street, downtown Boise

The Lively—and the accompanying Bar Gibbon—are a couple of the newest bars and restaurants to hit the downtown Boise scene. They offer unique, chef-crafted American cuisine in a fun—and lively, of course—space. The Lively is open for lunch Monday to Friday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Reservations are accepted.

LOCAVORE • $$ • Bown Crossing, southeast Boise

Locavores are people that eat locally-grown food as much as possible; the restaurant follows that mission well—most (if not all) of their food is locally-sourced. We love Locavore for brunch, but they have a fantastic lunch and dinner menu, too (when dinner is available more often!). I love the mac and cheese; the portion is giant and so yummy! It’s a cozy hangout spot with a nice patio in the warmer months. Locavore is open for brunch and lunch 7 days a week and currently only open for dinner on Friday (subject to change).

LUCIANO’S • $$ • Orchard Street, Boise west bench

Boise has got authentic Italian pretty much covered between Asiago’s and Luciano’s. Located on the Boise Bench, Luciano’s offers a variety of pasta dishes as well as pizza and other Italian favorites, but good luck not filling up on the bread they serve ahead of the meal. It’s so good. Haha! Luciano’s is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. In the past, they’ve only accepted reservations for parties of 7 or more.

OWYHEE TAVERN • $$$ • Main Street, downtown Boise

Owyhee Tavern, owned by the same folks as Tavern at Bown, is a fine dining establishment known for their steak, seafood, and extensive wine menu. Owyhee Tavern is open for dinner Monday to Saturday. Reservations are accepted.

PETITE 4 • $$ • Latah Street, Boise bench

Petite 4 offers French-inspired cuisine in a casual, cozy space on the Boise bench. A couple of my colleagues rave about this place! Petite 4 is open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are encouraged; they can only accommodate parties of 8 or fewer people.

RICHARD’S • $$$ • Capitol Boulevard, downtown Boise

There is no shortage of upscale dining options in downtown Boise! Richard’s is located at the Inn at 500 boutique hotel downtown and features locally-sourced food and a variety of wines and other beverages. Richard’s is open for weekday breakfast, weekend brunch, and dinner 7 days a week. Reservations are accepted.

SAINT LAWRENCE GRIDIRON • $$ • Bannock Street, downtown Boise

Saint Lawrence Gridiron offers American barbeque/Southern cuisine with their own twist. The menu is small—and the location is too, but it feels homey. Saint Lawrence Gridiron is open for weekend brunch, lunch Thursday to Sunday, and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Reservations are recommended and accepted for parties of 7-10 people. They have an outdoor patio that opens up in the warmer months.

TAVERN AT BOWN • $$ • Bown Crossing, southeast Boise

Tavern at Bown, owned by the same folks as Owyhee Tavern, is right across the street from Locavore in Bown Crossing and offers great burgers, steaks, seafood, and salads. I don’t eat sushi, but they offer that as well and I’ve heard great things from others! There is a bar, and their outdoor patio is open in the warmer months. Tavern is currently open for Sunday brunch, lunch Tuesday to Saturday, and dinner Tuesday to Sunday (sushi is served Tuesday to Saturday). Reservations can be made for parties of 6 or more; smaller parties can call when you’re on your way to get your name on the list.

TXIKITEO • $$ • 14th Street, downtown Boise

Pronounced “chee-key-tay-o”, Txikiteo is a restaurant and bar (and coffee shop!) located within the Modern Hotel. It’s a Basque restaurant offering a variety of Spanish-inspired small bites, including tapas! Meat and cheese boards and other small plates are also available. Txikiteo is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday. They do not take reservations.

WILLOWCREEK GRlLL • $$ • Vista Avenue, Boise bench

Willowcreek Grill is a standby favorite for my family; they offer a variety of different food options (including Mexican-inspired and Asian-inspired cuisine), and they are co-located with RAW Sushi, so you can opt to order sushi if that’s your thing! They have a really nice outdoor patio. Willowcreek Grill is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday. I do not believe they take reservations but would recommend calling to ask.

THE WYLDER • $$ • Broad Street, downtown Boise

The Wylder is one of Korri’s and my favorite restaurants! Their pizza is WONDERFUL (I personally love Margherita, Crispy Pepperoni, and Gem State of Mind), and I always get at least 1 or 2 sides of veggies (try the Charred Broccolini, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and/or Fingerling Potatoes)! I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with anything. The Wylder is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. No reservations; I recommend getting there no later than 5:30 pm on weekends to secure a table with little to no wait. They open their small outdoor patio in the warmer months.

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