Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
We're working towards a massive article for The Best Restaurants In Polk County that stems from our larger category of The Best Food In Polk; and you can't do that without the best date night restaurants!
I was holding off a little bit before getting to this one until we could get a decent amount of other ranking done so that we had a good baseline for restaurants to make it onto other lists that were more specific to how good the food was.
So this one is a mix of good food, good vibes and romantic settings.
Some of this list may be obvious to you if you've been reading through our other rankings, but I promise I also have some hidden gems in there as well.
But, without further ado:
The Best Date Night Restaurants In Polk County.
And, as always, this isn’t just a list I’ve put together based on my own preferences…
This list was built from HUNDREDS of votes, from locals just like you.
Let’s go 
Special Author’s Note:
This is the most excited Katie and I have been to try out some new spots. We've been the the spots that we've seen a few times on other lists here on The Polk Squeeze, but there are a few hidden gems we're really excited to hit on date night! 🙂
First Place: Nineteen61
The Best Date Night Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Nineteen61 — 215 E Main St, Lakeland
Coming in as the best overall date night location in all of Polk County is Nineteen61 in downtown Lakeland.
If someone from outside Polk County asked me where they should go for a date night, this is probably where I'd send them.
It also just came in at number two on our list of The Best Brunch In Lakeland.
Nineteen61 earned recommendations from locals all across the county and continues to be one of the most talked about restaurants in Lakeland.
It also recently received Michelin recognition; which just goes to show you how good the food is.
Voters said things like:
- "Nineteen61 was great for our anniversary date night."
- "Nineteen61 is absolutely incredible!"
- "Perfect date night."
If you're looking for the complete package of food, drinks, atmosphere, and a night that feels a little special, Nineteen61 comes in at number one.
Second Place: Arabella's
The Second Best Date Night Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Arabellas — 346 W Central Ave, Winter Haven
Coming in at number two on our list of the best date night restaurants in Polk County is Arabella's in downtown Winter Haven.
If we were categorizing these a bit, Arabella's would come in as the most romantic option on the list.
Arabella's took the top spot on our list of The Best Italian In Winter Haven (and I wouldn't be surprised if we see it take the top in Polk soon as well).
Voters said things like:
- "Arabellas for sure. They have tableside cooked dishes and a piano player."
- "Arabella's is worth every penny."
- "Most romantic restaurant we've been to that's local."
Between the piano player, tableside dishes, and romantic atmosphere, Arabella's feels like it was built for anniversaries and celebrations.
Third Place: Scarpa's
The Third Best Date Night Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Scarpa's — 1833 E Edgewood Dr, Lakeland
If there was ANY restaurant that would give Arabella's a run for their money among the best Italian restaurants in Polk County, this is one of them.
Among the best date night options in Polk County, this one would be categorized as the best date-night Italian option in Lakeland.
Voters said things like:
- "Scarpas is the absolute best."
- "Scarpas on Edgewood. Will not disappoint."
- "Great Italian food in a cozy romantic atmosphere."
Scarpa's came in being recommended as "cozy" as opposted to Arabella's "romantic". This one isn't as flashy, but it definitely has the local recognition.
Fourth Place: Harborside
The Fourth Best Date Night Restaurant In Polk County, Florida
Harborside — 2435 7th St SW, Winter Haven
Since I added a "if we were doing categories" comment to most of the other spots in the top 5, I'll keep it going for Harborside...
Harborside comes in as the fourth best date night restaurant in Polk County and this one would classify as the best waterfront date night.
Dinner with a view.
Harborside also came in at number two on our list of The Best Seafood In Winter Haven; so this is clearly a local favorite.
Voters said things like:
- "Harborside easily."
- "Love Harborside."
- "Harborside (waterfront)."
The combination of the lake view, seafood, steaks, and sunsets makes it one of the most recommended date night spots.
Fifth Place: Nutwood
The Fifth Best Date Night Restaurants In Polk County, Florida
Nutwood — 132 Ave B SW, Winter Haven
Nutwood comes in as the top five and is definitely the hidden gem on our list of date night spots in Polk.
When people recommended Nutwood they REALLY recommended it.
It was like they were proudly sharing their little secret.
Voters said things like:
- "Nutwood. Amazing food."
- "Nutwood is amazing."
- "Nutwood hands down."
This is one of the spots that Katie and I are most excited to try out on the list; and I'm hoping it'll be the spot that grabs the "Saving This Spot" on my top three below.
Other Great Date Night Restaurants In Polk County, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the best date night restaurants in Polk County, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here are the rest of the top ten date night restaurants in Polk County, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6 — Bay Street Bistro
- #7 — Chef T's
- #8 — Frescos
- #9 — Lucille's
- #10 — Il Forno
Which gives us the full top 10 date night restaurants in Polk.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my [current] top date night restaurants:
- Nineteen61
- Arabella's
- Saving This Spot
This is probably the most excited Katie and I have been for a list of places for us to go out and explore.
We love places like Frescos in Lakeland, Lucille's in Winter Haven, and the obvious options on this list — but we are really excited to try out spots like Nutwood and Chef T's!
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best date night restaurants in Polk County.
- Mike Romaine
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