Even at the coziest table at Nancy’s Hustle, the staff will keep dinner running smoothly so that you, your date, and your nancy cakes have as much elbow room as possible. And the food is just as impressive as the service. This dimly-lit, charming EaDo joint serves creative, bistro-y dishes like lamb tartare on a crisp sesame flatbread, pastas you can share, or a juicy cheeseburger served on an english muffin (that you can also share but you probably won’t want to).

Eating at this tasting menu restaurant in Spring Branch feels like dining at one of those new age, minimalist resort spas, but if it was exclusively focused on interior Mexican cuisine and heirloom corn varieties. Everyone working there seems focused on you and maintaining a cocoon of calm around you. Plus, paying in advance when making a reservation ensures you never have to do something as unsexy as fiddling with credit cards. They’re only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday, so plan ahead.

Romance may be a construct, but delicious dry-aged beef is a reality. At Pappas Bros, a classic Houston steakhouse with locations in downtown and by the Galleria, you’ll certainly be able to find one of those things. The dining room is pleasantly dim, the wine list is dubiously long, the staff is diligent, and the prices run high (as you might expect).

Everything here feels upscale—the building is from 1925, and the historic, Latin-inspired space is stunning, with chandeliers that look like they were shipped in from a local castle. You and your date can cherish your milestone anniversary over pulpo al carbón, slow-roasted lamb barbacoa, and margaritas shaken tableside. The staff here seems prepared for anything, so expect a date to go seamlessly, save for maybe a heated debate about which one of you gets the last handmade blue corn tortilla.

Dining at Nobie’s is always fun: maybe it’s because the seasonal spot has as killer of a record collection as they do cocktails. Or maybe because like every great house party, it’s in a bungalow in Montrose. Everyone here feels like they’re ready to let loose, including the staff, so go along with it. Break in a first date over some buttery pull-apart milk bread, snacks like cast iron spinach dip served with focaccia, and some pasta.

If you’re not in the mood for an activity that requires a lot of effort, the people-watching at Brasserie 19, a classic French bistro in River Oaks, never disappoints. Everyone dining there wants to be seen, or at least be part of the scene, so get cozy on the patio, or settle in on the plush seating inside. Share a plateaux de fruits de mer (or at least some oysters), a delicate beef tartare, and maybe some boeuf bourguignon.

Early-in-the-game date jitters get the best of us all, so if you want a spot that makes everything feel a little easier, try Ostia, the Italian/Mediterranean restaurant in Montrose. Book a table on the airy patio, or even better, in the dreamy greenhouse room, with rustic brick walls, enormous skylights, and enough plants to make you forget that you’re dining indoors.

From the second you walk up to Bungalow, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant in Downtown, you feel the fantasy. Hosts in matching dresses hand you complimentary champagne and lead you to a plush booth in a dimly lit, high-ceiling room. Order excessively decadent cocktails alongside a juicy pork chop. The food is decadent—a great excuse to playfully feed your date a forkful of lobster macaroni and cheese, if that’s your thing.

The Warwick is one of our favorite date night spots in the Galleria neighborhood. Every person in the restaurant is dressed to the nines, but that's just the sort of energy this spot requires. The decor all but shimmers in the dim mood lighting, and the meals are made for sharing. So bring your honey, snuggle close in one of the plush green booths, and split a rack of ribs over a tequila-based drink and the sounds of every 90s R&B singer you can possibly imagine.

The Acadian and Cajun restaurant Prey in the Galleria neighborhood is cool and so romantic—it’s the sort of place that inspires you to sit on the same side of the booth as your date. During the day there’s plenty of natural light, but at night the lamps give off just enough light for you to see your date and the spicy seafood gumbo when it hits your table. So stop in, canoodle over creamy crawfish fondue, and watch the sunset through the floor-to-ceiling windows.