On the list of holidays that require a special dining experience to celebrate, Valentine's Day is probably tops. Let's take some of the guesswork out of your planning. 

RELATED CONTENT: 10 Ways to Spend Valentine's Day Weekend in The Bend

 

Café Navarre

An elegant downtown South Bend restaurant in a former bank, Café Navarre leans into its seafood options. The French onion soup is a must. As for an entrée, you need not scroll past the bouillabaisse, a French fish stew with lobster, shrimp, market fish, scallops, mussels and more.

Carmela's

In an area flush with Italian restaurants (we could do an entire list of them suitable for Valentine’s Day dinner), Carmela’s in South Bend rises to the top for ambiance to match the occasion. Start with the mozzarella fritti as you work through the wonderfully traditional menu. 

 

Cascade

Cascade is Downtown South Bend's newest date night spot with a beautiful floor to ceiling panoramic view of the waterfalls and River Lights on the St. Joe River. The chef-driven menu includes traditional cuts of prime beef as well as premium, fresh seafood and over 400 selections of wine. Ask their sommelier to find the perfect wine pairing for your meal.

 

Copper Rock Steakhouse

You could make a meal out of the Copper Rock Seafood Tower, which is something to behold. The steaks are prepared through an in-house dry aging program. Copper Rock is situated inside Four Winds Casino South Bend, which offers a massive gaming floor.

Corndance Tavern

You might visit for the dry-aged steaks or seasonal favorites like truffled chicken roulade but be prepared to have difficulty making a decision. Corndance’s menu is wide on variety and bold on flavor. Corndance only uses fresh ingredients making for incredible tasting meals.

Howard Park Public House 

Not every Valentine's Day dinner needs to be upscale. Howard Park Public House is a go-to spot in South Bend's East Bank Village neighborhood for a more casual meal and cocktails. Even better, it's located right in Howard Park. Pair dinner with some ice skating under the lights and you have the makings of a quality date night.

LaSalle Grill

Classic fine dining steakhouse and then some in downtown South Bend's oldest commercial building. Wood-fired steaks are the linchpin of a LaSalle Grill menu that also features fresh seafood, like Canadian lobster tail. Choose from an extensive wine list and don’t forget dessert. They’re all made in-house. Pro tip: you can personalize the cover of the menu!

Rohr's at Notre Dame 

A little more on the laid back side but still serving up some of the finest meals in South Bend. Rohr's, located inside the Morris Inn on Notre Dame's campus, reopened in 2020 after an extensive renovation. 

Woochi Japanese Fusion

Here’s one for the sushi lovers. Woochi has a chic space in downtown South Bend, plus some of The Bend’s best rolls. The Godzilla roll – shrimp, eel, red snapper – is a house favorite.

Yesterday's Food and Spirits

Forgive us if we skip straight to dessert. They're massive and flavor-packed. We lean toward the cheesecake at this quirky Granger restaurant, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the sweets on offer.