Situated in the quaint north-of-Charlotte college town Davidson, Kindred is a well-known, but timeless, date night dream, with a soft, moody color palette and a hospitality style birthed from the ethos of its very name, meaning family or tribe. This creative, ever-changing menu goes beyond predictable entrees and instead boasts seasonal renditions of wagyu beef tartare, crispy oysters, and a squid ink conchiglie. Share them Lady and the Tramp-style for any special occasion.

The sleek couches, dim lighting, and high ceilings at Fairweather set a chic, sensual tone for a date night. Half of Fairweather’s menu is a dozen or so classic cocktails, but the other half is the bartender’s innovative twist on those classic drinks. A simple margarita becomes a smoky, bell pepper sipper, and a piña colada becomes an earthy matcha blend, priced $16 across the board. The dim lighting, coupled with small plates highlighting seafood, lends itself to intimate conversations. For an insider tip, make Monday the new date night with Fairweather’s $1 oysters, or pop over next door to its sister joint Idlewild.

Up the steep staircase of Salud Beer Shop is Jason and Dairelyn Glunt’s divey, low-key taproom and wood-fired kitchen joint. The plethora of rotating local beers on tap, including a banana stout and a Mexican lager with flaked corn, makes Salud a come-back-soon type of spot. Salud’s “Mamacita” meatballs, “Ain’t No Thang But a Chicken Wing,” and “Hootie Hoo” margherita pizza to split complement this trusty, casual ambiance.

Tucked back into the eclectic, laid-back Camp North End is chef Gregory and Subrina Collier’s Leah & Louise. The combination of a warm staff, a central communal table, and wood-crate-lined walls redefines a fancy date night. The dishes, shareable “Get Ready” plates, and “Big Ole” mains, showcase historic Southern foodways, like the green garlic collard green grits and staff-favorite lemon butter mussels. Priding itself on being “from the heart” and “for the soul,” Leah & Louise enhances those very two ingredients, heart and soul, essential to a non-stuffy, playful date night.

Lang Van may be a family favorite East Charlotte staple, but this twenty-plus-year-old Vietnamese restaurant decked out in green, white, and bamboo very well can be a date spot for two. Owner Dan Nguyen, who serves a vast array of hot pot dishes, vermicelli noodles, curries, and veggie rice dishes to the booths and tables herself, makes this always-packed spot an easeful, reliable atmosphere for lively conversation. It has all the cozy, connected energy of date night at home, but with a spirit of neighborhood-style service and craveable Vietnamese cuisine. 

On an idyllic Elizabeth Street corner lives the buzzy, candlelit Customshop. Some couples dine outside with small plates (like any of the three impressive crudo dishes) and a bottle of red for a relaxed street-style experience, while others pop inside to the granite bar or snug tabletops for pear butter burrata and a shiso lemongrass cocktail. Split whichever fresh catch that chef/owner Andres Kaifer grills that day, and conclude with his mom’s custardy flan recipe. It’s a menu that celebrates North Carolina’s produce, meat, and seafood (sourced from all of the purveyors listed at the bottom of the menu) with the technical style and romantic ambiance of coastal European fare.