Best Restaurants in Arlington, Virginia
As a small business providing house cleaning and handyman services in Arlington, Virginia, we love to indulge in the local food scene. Previously, we explored the best coffee shops in Arlington. This time, we’re highlighting some of the best restaurants the area has to offer. This is no easy task as there are so many options to choose from. Arlington is a melting pot of a diverse food scene and all of them provide a quality and authentic experience. In all honesty, we could probably do a curated “top 5” list for each of Arlington’s neighborhoods. Whether you’re in Clarendon, Ballston, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Crystal City or anywhere in between, there is a plethora of quality dining options.
Below are my personal top 5 favorite date night restaurants in Arlington, Virginia. The list is in no particular order and it was extremely difficult to only choose 5. There are so many others that I would want to include here and this list could continue to change depending on the day as there are simply too many excellent dining options to choose from.
Top 5 Date Night Restaurants in Arlington, VA
Screwtop Wine Bar has got to be my personal favorite at the moment. At first glance it’s easy to write it off as a simple “wine bar”, yet they serve some of the best appetizers and entrees in Arlington. Don’t get me wrong, their wine selection is vast. Whether you like reds, whites or anything in between they have you covered. On select days they offer a deal on their flights as well as whole wine bottles.
Besides the wine, their food is top-notch. I have yet to order anything off of the menu and not like it. Some of the menu highlights for me have been their Butternut Squash Tacos, Maple Bacon Bourbon Chicken, Toked Goat Chicken Sandwich, Burrata Caprese Sandwich, and Grilled Cheese Sliders. My absolute favorite thing to order here is their Nachos as an appetizer and the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Bisque as the entree. The grilled cheese is warm and melty, and the tomato soup is the perfect cherry on top. If you can’t tell, I frequent this place quite often and have had the pleasure of trying various different food items on their menu. It’s still funny that I choose a basic order of nachos and grilled cheese as my favorites-ha!
Located in the heart of Arlington’s Cherrydale area, Pines of Florence embodies neighborhood charm, perfect for a memorable date night. The restaurant has free parking in the lot out front; For Arlington, this is a huge plus! They don’t have an outdoor patio, but the ambience inside is cozy and family friendly. Feels like an Italian home!
Pines of Florence is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Arlington, Virginia. They have a good selection of wines to choose from and their traditional Italian dishes are some of my favorites in the Northern Virginia area.. For appetizers, my go-to options are their Mozzarella Caprese and the Bruschetta. For seafood lovers, their Steamed Mussels are delicious. And of course, they serve warm bread that pairs well with melted butter or olive oil and salt and pepper. For entrees they have a range of homemade pastas to choose from… and Pizza! All in all you can’t go wrong with anything you choose off of their menus and they usually have specials your server can recommend. If you’re in the area, definitely try this place out on a date night, or a family night out.
Located in the middle of the bustling Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, Layli’s offers some of the best downtown Arlington views coupled with amazing Mediterranean cuisine. This is a fairly new opening and they offer both indoor and outdoor seating. The interior seating has beautiful interior design, however, I always find myself sitting outside under the trees and city lights. Their outdoor seating and the modern city ambiance is really the highlight for me.
They have a vast selection of appetizers and entrees to choose from. They cater to different food allergies and have gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options as well! From falafel, chicken shawarma sliders, various spreads and dips, they have something for everyone. Their options are delicious but portions are small, we recommend ordering several options to pick at and share!
Ruthie’s All-Day is one of the gems of Southern Arlington. Located in Arlington Heights on South Glebe Road, this restaurant has it all. They have excellent service, a large indoor seating area and a shaded outdoor patio as well. Ruthie’s All-Day is the perfect laid back casual eatery, especially in the summer. They’re not exactly known as a date-night restaurant for dinner, however, they do have a dinner menu that I am sure is delicious.
Some of my favorite dishes here include their Deviled Eggs, Three-Egg Ommelette with tomatoes, spinach and cheddar; and their Hand Punched Fries are the perfect combination of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you have a sweet tooth, their apple pie pancakes are delicious and unique. They come with whipped cream and maple poached apples that burst with flavor.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait… isn’t this all brunch food?” You’d be absolutely right. Ruthie’s All-Day has a rotating menu throughout the day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have only had their breakfast/ brunch. This goes to show that breakfast really is my favorite meal of the day; Even in a date-night restaurant’s list, I couldn’t help but squeeze in brunch somehow. In my defense, I am sure their dinner menu is just as tasty. If you want to explore some of the best breakfast spots in Arlington, check out our previous blog: Best Coffee Shops in Arlington, Virginia.
I know, I know… we’re breaking a lot of rules here. The Secret Garden Cafe isn’t technically in Arlington, Virginia, but it’s only a thirty-minute drive away, in the heart of Old Town Occoquan, Woodbridge, VA. Secret Garden is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the Northern Virginia area. They have a quaint and cozy indoor seating area that truly feels like a good friend’s home. They also have a beautiful outdoor seating area that feels like Little Italy, with brick-lined pathways and a gentle waterfall that adds to the ambience. While nostalgia and years of visits play a role, the truth is their food is consistently top-notch.
My go-to entree here has always been the Penne Rosa. The pasta is drenched in a rich tomato and vodka sauce, and I top it off with cheese and chili flakes. To this day, it’s my favorite pasta I’ve ever had… and I’ve had a lot of pasta. Among family and friends, other favorite menu items include:
Cauliflower Mash
Roasted Potatoes
Stir Fried Noodles
Crab Cakes
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Honestly, I could go on about their entire menu… and we haven’t even gotten into their brunch menu yet. Overall, it’s one of my favorite restaurants of all time, which is why we bent the rules a bit to include it on this list — even though it’s technically not in Arlington, but in the broader Northern Virginia area.
Honorable Mentions
Narrowing this list down to five was no easy task. Here are a few other Arlington restaurants for date nights or casual nights out:
Green Pig Bistro (Clarendon) - inventive American cuisine with rustic charm
MeJana (Courthouse) - cozy Lebanese spot with great mezze and wine
Ambar (Clarendon) - unlimited small plates, perfect for foodies
Yayla Bistro (Westover) - Turkish food with warm hospitality
Carlyle (Shirlington) - reliable upscale comfort food
Lassan (Burke, VA) - traditional Indian food in a modern upscale environment
Final Thoughts on Arlington’s Food Scene
Arlington, Virginia, and the broader Northern Virginia area are a melting pot of some of the best cuisines and restaurants the nation has to offer. Whether you're planning a date night or a casual evening out with family and friends, Arlington offers a plethora of amazing options. We've outlined some of our favorite restaurants in the area. For some of them—like Layli Mediterranean in Clarendon—the highlight is the atmosphere and ambiance, while others boast some of the most delicious menu items around. Screwtop Wine Bar, also in Clarendon, is one of those places where it's impossible to go wrong with anything on the menu. We know we broke a few rules by venturing beyond just dinner spots and Arlington’s city limits, but as someone once said, “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
Need a Trusted Handyman in Arlington, Virginia?
When we're not out enjoying Arlington’s incredible food scene, we're busy helping local homeowners and renters tackle their home projects—big and small. At HandiHuman, we provide trusted home repair solutions in Arlington, Virginia and the surrounding Northern Virginia area.
Some of our services include:
Drywall repair (no more cracks or holes)
Interior painting (fresh walls for a fresh start)
TV mounting (perfectly leveled and safely installed)
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