In what has been called “the most improbable run by a Hoosier this century, and yes, that includes Indiana football,” I still have a (wonderfully kind and lovely) girlfriend.

That, along with my job writing about restaurants, has made me something of a date spot consultant among my friends. Now, I’m extending that service to you. The following is a comprehensive Valentine’s Day dining guide, whether you’re looking to keep things somewhat casual (and cheap) or eat like royalty. Plus, an honorable mention for those simply celebrating a love of good friends — and good food.

Budget-friendly Valentine's Day restaurants ($25 or less per person)

Showing love doesn’t demand you financially ruin yourself. Whether you’re in the early stage of a relationship or longtime partners who want to celebrate frugally, these spots all offer flickers of romance.

Baan Thai Bistro

Khao tom is a popular Thai rice soup that is labeled as "the hangover cure" at Baan Thai Bistro at 8705 Southeastern Ave. Aug. 25, 2025

I tend to believe every restaurant becomes about 20% romantic when you cram it into a house that, arguably, was never meant to be a restaurant. Baan Thai Bistro in Wanamaker supports this hypothesis with an impressively varied menu of Thai curries, stir fries and soup, all crowded into an unassuming cottage on Southeastern Avenue. Personally, I have to imagine the constant aroma of garlic and peanut sauce has only increased the home’s property value.  

Macizo

Macizo is hardly flying under the radar at this point, but the 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist still feels like a secret when you’re in it, tucked in an office park just off Interstate 65. Chef and co-owner Omar Ramirez’ rendition of Mexican and Peruvian cuisine outshines the food at far more expensive restaurants in Indy, while the service, courtesy of co-owner Luz Gonza, is warm and extremely attentive. Macizo doen’t have dim lights, exotic wines or roses, but it does have a distinctly charming setting, fresh-baked bread and some very good soup — frankly, more than enough for me to feel the love.

Yazsh

This Near Eastside Bulgarian and Mediterranean café cranks up the coziness quotient with a snug blue dining room lined with Balkan heirlooms from owner Lora Popov’s family. While Yazsh’s quaint bistro atmosphere and ambitious coffee lineup setting bring something of a European flare, any longtime Midwesterner will appreciate the amount of peppery stewed meats and cheese sauce on the menu. Grab a two-top, order some wine and save room for the delightful syrup-streaked halva.

Valentine's Day spots for drinks, small plates ($25 to $50 per person)

If you don’t want to commit to a full meal but want a splash of the good life, drinks at one of these vibes-heavy establishments might be just what you need.

Ball and Biscuit

Not that Mass Ave is hurting for places that serve $15 cocktails beneath overhead lights that almost allow you to read the menu, but few have been doing so as long as Ball and Biscuit. The uber-swanky brick-walled bar offers ornate, cleverly named signature drinks — each one credited to the bartender who created them — and satisfying small plates like artichoke dip and meatballs. If you’re just looking for an excuse to dress up and get moderately tipsy with someone you love, this spot is hard to beat.

Daisy Bar

An ambitious new concept from the owners of longtime Mexican restaurant La Margarita, Daisy Bar serves up eclectic small plates and cocktails in a sleek café setting at the budding Factory Arts District. Former Delicia chef Andy Herrin’s dinner menu is a grab bag of cultural influences, with dishes made for sharing like Korean dumplings in birria consommé, pork belly tikka masala and gochujang-spiced pimento cheese. And while it feels a bit tacky to recommend you visit a trendy small plate spot and order French fries, I do think the sheer crispiness and salt content of those at Daisy Bar merit serious consideration.  

Honorable mention: The Alchemist

This year’s Galentine’s Day nomination, carefully vetted by a close personal acquaintance of mine who has performed extensive research on the phenomena known as “girl time,” is this coffee-to-cocktails operation on the Near Northside. The Alchemist offers a small, globally inspired signature drink menu alongside charcuterie and the pizza-like flatbread known as pinsa. Its industrial brick setting and myriad couches make for plenty of quiet corners, ideal for chatting, playing boardgames or reading. Not that The Alchemist is exclusively for the girls; my Valentine’s Day plans aside, knocking back some spicy margs with the boys on a cozy couch sounds pretty great to me.

Semiformal restaurants for Valentine's Day (around $50 per person)

Welcome to the red-sauce portion of the guide (we’re counting harissa as a red sauce), where the atmosphere is in a league of its own but the food doesn’t deliver quite the same financial hit as even more upscale spots.

Iozzo’s Garden of Italy

It’s about 40 degrees too cold to enjoy the outdoor garden at Iozzo’s, but fortunately, the winter chill has no effect on the downtown restaurant’s house-made pastas and robust wine selection. White tablecloths and a rustic brick interior create a classic date night atmosphere, perfect for the eatery’s sleeve-staining selection of Italian and Italian American favorites. And while plenty of restaurants in Indy offer ricotta donuts for dessert, none of them haunt me quite like the deep-fried, chocolate and hazelnut-sauced zeppole at Iozzo’s.

Mama Carolla’s

Big house, small tables, inexpensive wine. Not a bad place to start where romance is concerned. Mama Carolla’s has garnered a reputation for romance over the years thanks to its intimate movie-like atmosphere and commendable Italian food, so much so that it has become a popular place for proposals. Even if you and your significant other aren’t quite there yet, I can’t imagine a little fried ravioli and tiramisu would hinder your relationship.

Marrakesh Moroccan Cuisine and Bar

Owner Fouad Zoubaa and chef Aziz Mountassar simply wanted to bring the flavors of their home country to Indianapolis when they opened Marrakesh; it just so happens the resulting restaurant is rather romantic. Ornately carved lamps imported from Morocco cast low, warm light over two-top tables and couches. An attentive wait staff guides you through Marrakesh’s roster of salads, soups and multi-ingredient tagines, as well as cocktails crafted with North African spices and aromatics by Ball and Biscuit’s Kendall Lockwood. The fact that the wine list features bottles imported from one of the world’s most celebrated grape-growing regions certainly doesn’t hurt matters, either.

Fine dining restaurants for Valentine's Day (more than $50 per person)

Valentine’s Day reservations are full at these sought-after eateries, but I suspect anyone you like enough to buy dinner at one of these places will also like you enough to go on a night other than Valentine’s Day.

9^th Street Bistro

Chef and co-owner Samir Mohammad’s monthly cross-cultural menus strike an elusive balance between familiarity and intrigue at this downtown Noblesville spot. Each seat occupies a different alcove of the bistro’s small brick dining room, which oozes character thanks to all the trinkets and oddities from Samir’s world travels with his wife, co-owner Rachel Firestone Mohammad. Romantic dinners look a little different for everyone, but I’d argue it’s tough to beat trying a new dish with someone you love, possibly beneath a hanging sculpture of a winged cow.  

Oakleys Bistro

It should be impossible for a nearly 20-year-old restaurant run by one of the city’s most celebrated chefs to feel like a secret, but that’s sort of the case with Oakleys Bistro. Situated in a strip mall at Ditch Road and 86^th Street, Chef-owner Steven Oakley’s contemporary American restaurant throws a curveball with every dish, whether it’s turning a pork belly appetizer into a dip or transforming wild mushrooms and vegetables into a Spanish rice dish. Whatever the open, well-lit bistro lacks in cuteness (by no means an unimportant factor in a Valentine’s destination), it more than makes up for by serving some of the most memorable food in Indy.

Vida

Chef Thomas Melvin’s artfully arranged small plates, available as part of a tasting menu or four-course dinner at the Cunningham Restaurant Group's Lockerbie Square destination, are aesthetically mystifying to the point that it almost feels wrong to jab a fork into them. Those farm-to-table offerings join an extensive wine list curated by 2026 James Beard Semifinalist Jared May, plus an expansive cocktail menu. Always a coveted reservation, Vida excels in the area that in my mind defines romantic dining: making you, personally, feel like you are eating the most important dinner, maybe ever.

Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.