Less a bar than a meticulous little jewel box, Angel Face is a front-runner for the ideal date spot. The horseshoe bar, which occupies most of the space, ran for years without a menu. Today, they’ve got one, but bartenders are still happy to whip something up based on spirit and flavor preferences. In warmer months, the patio (heated and covered) is probably Portland’s most Parisian, with tiny sidewalk tables and woven bistro chairs good for people-watching and same-side-of-the-table dining. Most come for the bespoke cocktails but, inconspicuously, Angel Face boasts a full French bistro menu: steak frites, pâté, duck confit, and a gloriously golden roast chicken. Come early and tuck into something hearty, or drop by for a Franco nightcap.  —Matthew Trueherz

French restaurants in Portland tend to be more homage, more “inspired by,” than a pound-for-pound replica of a Parisian bistro or country café. Then there’s the Woodstock neighborhood’s Bergerac, named for the southwestern French town that co-owner and chef Joris Barbaray hails from. Stepping into the cute and cozy dining room feels like crossing a portal to rural France, and that’s before the food hits the table. Good French wine, classics like beef bourguignon and escargot, and friendly service (a rare deviation from France) will have you and your date saying, “mais, oui!” by the end of the night. —Alex Frane

When night falls, this light-filled café morphs into an intimate neighborhood retreat, illuminated in part by the embers of a mammoth brick oven. Prime seats are at the small chef’s counter—a bird’s-eye view of the cooking show in the open kitchen (and a blessing, if conversation lulls). The mode is casual, à la carte, and handmade everything. Smart moves: the supreme marinated olives, heated to order; a seasonal salad; and dessert, perhaps a lusciously frosted chocolate cake. Pasta is a house passion. But what is romance if not splitting one of the city’s best pizzas, the Pomodoro? —Karen Brooks

At this neighborhood fine-diner, love comes in many forms: pristine oysters, hard-to-find champagnes, and heart-stopping chocolate chip cookies rich with smoky almonds. Coquine’s famed tasting menu has made its postpandemic return, but à la carte is still the way to go for casual date nights. Start with raw oysters or Ken’s bread and butter before splitting the bistro’s legendary roast chicken, served with seasonal vegetable sides. Caviar service doesn’t take itself too seriously—rotating options served in a jar with a little spoon to heap over sesame brioche. —KB

Years ago, the Driftwood Room at the Hotel DeLuxe was humorously referred to as the best spot in town to have an affair. Now we certainly wouldn’t suggest that infidelity is romantic, but a little roleplay might be. And where better to put on some fake identities and “pick up a stranger” than hidden in back of this dark and moody, wood-lined bar? With its tufted leather banquettes and splashes of purple, it rocks some retro vibes, enhanced by the array of champagne cocktails and absinthe fountains. Order some oysters, lobster mac and cheese, and the roast chicken for two, and see where the night leads. —AF

A trip to Heavenly Creatures can be the entirety of your night out. Though it’s technically a wine bar, deceptively humble snacks are more than enough to make a meal. Think grilled prawns with zippy ginger aioli, Tim’s potato chips to dip in an aerated camembert mousse, and the cult-favorite yellowtail toast—a sushi-grade nod to a lox bagel. Grab a seat at the plant-filled, candlelit chef’s counter, or around one of the small pink terrazzo tables. Be it the warm light, the laid-back but festive mood, or the palpable reverence for the titular heavenly creatures (the bottles of wine), being here carries the ineffable feeling of “going out.” —MT

From the agave-obsessed restaurateur Ketsuda “Nan” Chaison and dessert maven Gabriella Martinez, Libre mostly skips the savory stuff—cocktails and sweets are the deal here. Dark lighting and heavy curtains are a picturesque backdrop to dip spoons into intricately crafted cakes and sorbets with your boo—they’re often topped with candy lattices, fruit gels, or even breakfast cereals. Between bites, banter over glasses of mezcal set off by strawberry cheong or mole syrups, or a nonalcoholic concoction like the sombra, with mole negro, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, and lime. It’s the closest you’ll get to a Mexico City cocktail lounge without a plane ticket. —AF

You’ll find Joel Stocks’s French-ish restaurant in a converted house built in 1905, up a narrow flight of stairs that opens onto a renovated upper floor. A hefty wooden bar dominates the main space, while smaller dining spaces hide in wallpapered side rooms. There’s nothing quite like it in Portland, and thanks to Stocks’s unassuming cooking and business partner Jeff Vejr’s selection of wines (including those from his own winery, Golden Cluster), the dining experience matches the dreamy room. Indulge in French onion soup and rabbit confit crepes with a cool skin-contact wine, and consider adding some caviar. Or skip straight to dessert and a cheese course with a bottle of bubbles. —AF

A fixture on SE Hawthorne for decades, Sapphire Hotel offers opulent coziness with its dark, woody interior and low lighting. Its menu is chock full of date-night staples: bold cocktails, sparkling wines, bacon-wrapped dates, tinned fish, and a delicate lemon olive oil cake. Squeeze into the banquette with your partner for an Italian Coffee (a mad cocktail blending an Irish coffee with a Negroni) or get there early enough to secure that seat near the fireplace, tucked in the back corner. —AF

Tommy Klus’s dark and sexy whiskey bar doubles as a food destination, with seats in cozy nooks or at the handsome marble bar attended by a crack team of cocktail experts. Chef Tim Artale makes familiar foods fun, delivered with bistro-quality plating. Oysters are a must, topped with playful granitas. French fries get an extra zing from pickle brine. Some of Portland’s best pasta is found here (not to mention a world-class whiskey list). But the real date test: Are you going to share the monumental wagyu tartare, or hog it for yourself? —KB

Masquerading as a classy bistro on NW 23rd’s upscale strip, St. Jack is part of a modern wave of French restaurants pushing history book recipes into the modern era. Neo-Parisian flair melds seamlessly with the date night charm of the classy, dressed-down dining room. From rich pâté en croûte to a humble but delicately roasted salmon to impossibly airy gougères (yes, remarkable cheese puffs), the menu is full of exciting but unpretentious bites to nosh between longing gazes. The wine cellar is deep. The dessert menu is loaded with nostalgic favorites like baked-to-order madeleines and mille-feuilles. If you’re looking to woo a certain someone with a penchant for the French, this is your spot. —MT

Anyone who watched Lady and the Tramp knows that Italian cuisine is the food of amore—what’s more romantic than splitting a Tuscan red and a platter of radiatori bolognese? Tartuca is a lovely venue for exactly that. Cozy into the narrow, brick-lined dining room or head to the covered back patio that twinkles with string lights. Looking to recreate the iconic spaghetti-kiss? Tagliatelle is your best bet, but if you’re going to pass a meatball to your date, use a fork, not your nose. —AF

For a lot less money than a getaway to Spain, Urdaneta offers the low-lit vibes, fortified wines, and parade of pintxos of a cool San Sebastián taberna, all on Alberta Street. Along with an impressive selection of vermouth and sherry (get a flight for the full experience), seasonal sangria and plentiful Spanish wine flow as couples lean in to whisper among the buzzing dining room. The open kitchen churns out an impressive slate of tapas and pintxos, imbued with the balanced whimsy and sophistication modern Spanish cookery is known for: think spherified olives (inspired by Spain’s famous El Bulli), aerated truffle potatoes, and whipped Mallorcan soft chorizo. —Katherine Chew-Hamilton