Valentine’s Day: Romantic Boston Restaurants

Valentine’s Day calls for romantic excess, so here are six Boston-area restaurants that deliver.

To rekindle the romance, you can’t do better than the  Top of the Hub (800 Boylston St., Boston) (map). The panoramic view of Boston from the 52nd floor windows is dazzling, the special Valentine’s Day 4-course prix fixe menu ( $250 per couple) is luxe, and there will be live jazz playing softly in the background -it’s all the help you will need. Reservations are a must!

For Mom and Dad’s big night out, a romantic restaurant in the suburbs will have to do. Here are two: Lumiere (1293 Washington St., Newton) (map) for cozy, elegant French and  Spiga Trattoria (18 Highland Circle, Needham) (map) for stylish, rustic Italian.

Explore the exotic and adventurous cuisine of Senegal at Teranga (1746 Washington St., Boston) (map). Because nothing is as unique as your love.

For college couples, dinner at  Jacky’s Table (1414 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton) (map) can be a manageable romantic splurge-  coq au vin is $13.25 and almost all the entrees are priced under $15.

With its pink and gilt painted walls, The Soiree Room at Upstairs on the Square (91 Winthrop Square, Cambridge) (map) is one of the area’s most ravishingly romantic dining spots. The 5-course Valentine’s Day menu ($125 per person) kicks off with a trio of oyster appetizers, moves on to entrees that include options such as butter-poached lobster or squab, and finishes with a choice among indulgent desserts including a chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate mousse butter cream.

Image Credit: Top of the Hub