Romance in Bloomington rarely means a hush and a candle. It means a kitchen that gets the pasta right, a room that turns tables without rushing the couple in the corner, and service that treats a Friday date the same as a shopping break at Mall of America. This list picks the rooms that actually earn a second date, not just a reservation.
№ 01
Hazelwood Food and Drink
Bloomington $$
8150 26th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19522224000
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Hazelwood works better for a leisurely brunch than a candlelit dinner, but the plant-lined room reads warmer than the average burger-and-salad spot, and it does not feel packed even when full. Couples splitting a sandwich or meeting halfway between two households will find steady service and a room built for lingering rather than turning fast.
What to orderburger, salad, sandwich
№ 02
Ciao Bella
Bloomington $$
3501 Minnesota Dr, Bloomington, MN 55435 · +19528411000
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The pasta and risotto carry the room, and the tiramisu closes a date night the way it should. Ciao Bella's dining room has the polish for an anniversary dinner, though the patio is worth requesting by name at booking, since indoor seating gets assigned even when the patio has open tables. Vegetarian options are genuinely plentiful here.
What to orderpasta, risotto, tiramisu
№ 03
Gyropolis
Bloomington $
2320 W 90th St, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19527462091
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Gyropolis is a gyro counter, not a candlelit room, but the baklava and fries make it a legitimate stop for a low-key date before or after a movie. The building has been updated recently, the staff are friendly, and parking is easy, useful facts for a couple who wants good food without ceremony or a wait.
What to ordergyro, baklava, french fries
№ 04
Luna Di Luna
Bloomington $$
8820 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55420 · +19523034111
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Luna Di Luna does not take reservations, but a Friday at 6:30 still gets a table without a wait. The bolognese and risotto lead a short, focused menu of classic Italian dishes, and the olive oil service at the table sets a warmer tone than the room's modest size would suggest. Good for a date that starts on impulse.
What to orderbolognese, risotto, tiramisu
№ 05
Cantina Laredo
Bloomington $$
300 W Market, Level 3, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19524068311
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The carne asada and enchiladas verdes anchor a menu built for speed without sacrificing flavor, and the dining room stays quiet even when the Mall of America crowd is thick outside. Attentive, fast service makes it a sound choice for a couple squeezing a real dinner into a shopping day, not just a pit stop.
What to ordercarne asada, chile relleno, enchiladas verdes
№ 06
Woolley's Kitchen & Bar
Bloomington $$
7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528541010
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Set inside the Embassy Suites, Woolley's crab cakes and steak play well for an occasion dinner, and the room handles both a two-top and a birthday party of ten without losing composure. It leans toward groups and families more than hushed romance, but the kitchen's execution on the crab cakes makes it worth the reservation.
What to ordercrab cakes, Asian salad, steak
№ 07
Itton Ramen
Bloomington $$
2137 W 80th 1/2 St, Ste D, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19526886566
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A pork ramen and udon counter with a stripped-down menu and self-service format, Itton trades candlelight for a room that genuinely feels transported to a neighborhood shop in Japan. Not a traditional date spot, but a good one for couples who want a shared bowl and a setting that doesn't try to be anything else. Pork-free diners have limited options.
What to orderramen, udon, pork ramen
№ 08
Hunan Restaurant
Bloomington $$
8066 Morgan Cir S, Bloomington, MN 55431 · +19528812280
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Small and plainly decorated, Hunan Restaurant earns its loyalty through the mapo tofu and kung pao chicken rather than the room itself. The weekday lunch buffet runs a genuinely deep bench of dishes for a casual midday date, and the dinner menu holds up for couples who want quality Chinese cooking over polish.
What to ordermapo tofu, kung pao chicken, chow mein
№ 09
Cadillac Ranch
Bloomington $$
352 South Ave, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528541004
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Live music and a bar-forward room make Cadillac Ranch a livelier date than a quiet dinner, built around pork chops and pasta that reviewers single out by name. Service here runs attentive and personable, the kind that checks in without hovering, which suits a couple settling in for a longer, noisier night out.
What to orderpork chops, pasta, burgers
№ 10
Chevys Fresh Mex
Bloomington $$
2251 Killebrew Dr, Bloomington, MN 55425 · +19528149555
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The smothered steak fajita burrito and fajitas make Chevys a dependable stop for a casual date after a mall run, with fast, clean service and generous portions. It is not a room built for romance, but couples who want a straightforward Mexican dinner without fuss will find consistent execution and quick turnaround.
What to ordersmothered steak fajita burrito, fajitas, quesadilla
№ 11
Scramblin' Egg
Bloomington
7828 Portland Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55420 · +19523148138
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A take-out-forward counter serving breakfast sandwiches, tots and a veggie scramble, Scramblin' Egg suits a morning date more than an evening one. It grew out of a Stillwater food truck before opening this brick-and-mortar location, and the sauces served alongside the breakfast sandwich are worth ordering on the side.
What to orderbreakfast sandwich, tots, veggie scramble
№ 12
Bullvino's Churrascaria Bloomington
Bloomington
5121 W 98th St, Bloomington, MN 55437 · +19528562412
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Bullvino's runs continuous tableside service of churrasco, grilled beef skewers and picanha, which makes it better suited to a group celebration than a quiet two-top, though couples who want a meat-forward night out will find the pace works in their favor. It operates out of an older strip mall, and the servers move fast once the meat starts coming.
What to orderchurrasco, grilled beef skewers, picanha
Frequently asked
What is the most romantic restaurant near me in Bloomington?
Ciao Bella and Luna Di Luna are the two Italian rooms on this list built for date night specifically, with pasta, risotto and tiramisu on both menus. Which one is closer depends on where in Bloomington you are starting from. Each restaurant's Insider Score reflects its own review record, and no restaurant paid to appear on this list.
Which restaurants on this list take reservations?
Woolley's Kitchen & Bar and Ciao Bella are the more formal rooms and reservations are worth making for both, especially if requesting a specific table like Ciao Bella's patio. Luna Di Luna does not take reservations at all, so arriving early on a Friday is the safer bet.
Is there a good date spot near Mall of America?
Cantina Laredo is built for exactly that: fast, attentive service and a quiet dining room even when the mall crowd outside is heavy. It is a better fit for a shopping-break date than a formal anniversary dinner.
Are any of these restaurants good for a bigger group instead of just a couple?
Woolley's Kitchen & Bar, Cadillac Ranch and Bullvino's Churrascaria Bloomington all handle larger parties well, with Bullvino's tableside meat service built specifically around groups. The Insider Score on each restaurant's page reflects its full review record, and none of these restaurants paid for placement here.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Hodan Abdi
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Hodan Abdi is a Staff Writer at Top of Minneapolis. Raised in Cedar-Riverside two floors above the Somali mall her aunt worked in, she now lives in Eagan and covers the whole metro ring. She writes the guides, sweeps the suburbs, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
