Eat & Drink

The procrastinators guide to last-minute Valentine’s Day dining

Most restaurants are booked, but there are still some options.

By Joy Summers

The Minnesota Star Tribune

February 9, 2026 at 5:00PM

Even though the reservations at the obvious restaurants are all booked up, there's still plenty of romantic date options for Valentine's Day. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It’s entirely understandable if it slipped your mind to make dinner reservations for Valentine’ Day. To live and love in the Twin Cities during these times of national headlines about our neighborhoods has been a lot. But this year, Feb. 14 falls on a Saturday, which means the entire day, if not the whole weekend, can be used to celebrate love and enjoy a meal out at an independent restaurant.

In solidarity for the other lovers who weren’t able to make a big showy plan weeks in advance, we’ve done some legwork and rounded up the best local restaurants that still have tables available for reservations. Below are romantic candlelit dining rooms and a few slightly more creative dinner options that still feature incredible food.

These are the reservations we found with availability, but they are subject to change.

1881 Eating House offers a wide selection of cocktails. (Sharyn Jackson/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Dinner

1881 Eating House

Step back in time at Union Depot, where the soaring train station leads to this elegant dining spot run by the same people who operate the classic dining destination Lake Elmo Inn.

214 4th St. E., St. Paul, 1881eatinghouse.com

Bebe Zito

Go old school sweetness at the Woodbury Lakes ice cream shop. Share burgers and treats inside this cozy, whimsical space.

9000 Hudson Rd., Woodbury, bebezitomn.com

Bennett’s Chop & Railhouse

A classic steakhouse on West 7th that’s just the right mix of fancy, but not too formal. And ideal spot for steak bites and a Manhattan.

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1305 W. 7th St., St. Paul, bennettschopandrailhouse.com

Coconut Thai

What Valentine’s Day isn’t made better with a little spice? This undersung Thai eatery has two locations — one in St. Paul and the other in Edina. Both have lunch and dinner availability.

720 Grand Av., St. Paul; 3948 W. 50th St., Edina, coconutthaimn.com

Hazel’s

This all-day diner/cafe still has availability for prime time dinner or a romantic brunch. With entrees like butternut squash ravioli and asparagus-mushroom risotto, this is a too-often slept on date night darling.

2859 Johnson St. NE, Mpls., hazelsnortheast.com

Pig Ate My Pizza

The original brewpub location of Travail’s pizzeria still has openings for lunch and dinner. So does the brand new Bloomington outpost. Both serve more than just the pizza and it could be a fun, slightly less fussy date night.

4124 W. Broadway Av., Robbinsdale; 10700 Bloomington Ferry Rd., Bloomington; pigatemypizza.com

Pau Hana's beverage director Bryan Gooding pours tropical drinks like Kona Mai Tai, foreground, at the Hawaiian restaurant in Savage. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Pau Hana

The Polynesian vibes at Pau Hana are strong enough to imagine it’s a vacation destination with feast-worthy food and top shelf cocktails.

14435 Highway 13 S., Savage, pauhanamn.com

Pho Mai

Before stopping in for dinner, you could even include a little shopping. Located inside Eden Prairie’s Asia Mall, this restaurant serves an array of Vietnamese dishes, plus there are mochi donuts as a fun dessert option.

12160 Technology Dr., Eden Prairie, phomai.com

Green chili chicken and cheese egg rolls at Heather's in Minneapolis. (Sharyn Jackson/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Brunch/Lunch

The bonus of a weekend Valentine’s Day is the chance to snag a day date. These are the places taking reservations that would make for some sweet romance.

Copper Hen

This adorable spot is a brunch classic for comfort fare and it’s in a dreamy farmhouse chic setting.

2515 Nicollet Av., Mpls., copperhenkitchen.com

Heather’s

Behind this south Minneapolis cafe is a huge tent with a glittering chandelier that went up during the pandemic, but stuck around as a cool (but not too cold) extra dining space. It still has a decent amount of seats for the weekend.

5201 Chicago Av., Mpls., heathersmpls.com

Offerings at Hola Arepa in Minneapolis. (Joy Summers/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Hola Arepa

James Beard winning chef Christina Nguyen’s Hola Arepa has a lot going for it — a multitude of gluten-free options, reasonable prices and a boho chic, heated patio. A longstanding popular brunch spot, it’s impressive that there are still a handful of reservations open.

3501 Nicollet Av., Mpls., holaarepa.com

Red Rabbit St. Paul

Spend the day wandering the cute shops along Grand Avenue and then stop by for a lunch of pastas, pizzas and small plates perfect for sharing. Plus, this place has an exceptional wine by the glass and beverage list for pairing.

788 Grand Av., St. Paul, redrabbitmn.com

Red Cow North Loop

Recently remodeled with an influx of elegance, this neighborhood eatery makes for a lovely brunch/lunch stop in the North Loop.

208 1st Av. N., Mpls., redcowmn.com

Ann Ahmed Gai Noi in Loring Park features Lao fare. (Joy Summers/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

No reservations

One last option is to embrace the laissez-faire and just wing it. There are a few date-night spots that don’t even take reservations. Go with flexibility and maybe it’ll pay off.

Aki’s Wunderbar

By day Aki’s Breadhaus is a German bakery, but by night it’s a low-key Aki’s Wunderbar with a great wine selection and a savory menu.

1712 Marshall St. NE, Mpls., akisbreadhaus.com/wunder-bar

Al Church, left, performs with a full band at Animales BBQ Co., the hotly hyped restaurant that doubles as a performance venue focusing on singer/songwriters and Americana acts. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Animales BBQ Co.

Jon Wipfli’s new Animales restaurant has been popular family-friendly destination with an artist-designed playroom for the little ones and a live music venue. Plus, for the whole month of February, it offers a cheesesteak and two cocktail special menu deal for $35. And if the room is already packed, La Doña Cerveceria next door also takes food orders for Animales.

241 Freemont Av. N., Mpls., animalesbbq.com

Bellecour Edina

Gavin Kaysen’s cafe/bakery near 50th and France has a light-filled setting, pastry case stacked with French pastries and a few heartier food options.

3934 Market St., Edina, bellecourmn.com

Darling

From morning through night, Seward’s Darling restaurant serves seasonal comforts in a Nordic-chic styled room. It’s a day brightener in the morning and an under-the-radar date night gem by night.

3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., darlingmpls.com

Gai Noi

Ann Ahmed’s Loring Park beauty has a menu of Lao dishes mixed with fare she’s made into Minneapolis classics.

1610 Harmon Pl., Mpls., gainoimpls.com

If all else fails, there’s always the hope of walking into your favorite spot and crossing your fingers that someone else doesn’t show for their reservation, or there are open seats at the bar. Which reminds us - if you’ve got extra reservations at more than one restaurant, please cancel them now and share the love with those of us still angling for some seats!

about the writer

Joy Summers

Food and Drink Reporter

Joy Summers is a St. Paul-based food reporter who has been covering Twin Cities restaurants since 2010. She joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2021.

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