Want a romantic spot for Valentine's Day? Greater Lafayette venues top lists

Deanna Watson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read

LAFAYETTE, Ind. − Maybe you want Mother Nature to set the stage for your romantic date. Perhaps sipping wine in a candle-lit lounge is your cup of tea. Strolling past impressionist paintings in a grand mansion might warm your heart.

A photo of a reserved table at Bistro 501, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Lafayette, Ind.
A photo of a reserved table at Bistro 501, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Lafayette, Ind.

Or maybe cupid could take aim while you're on a brisk bike ride across picturesque central Indiana.

A number of venues across Greater Lafayette appear on travel lists detailing the best places to take a date, either to eat, to enjoy the outdoors or to try Indiana-brewed spirits.

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the perfect romantic spot is up to a couple's taste.

Leisurely, romantic meals

The West Lafayette website, www.homeofpurdue.com, ranks the steakhouse Mountain Jack's No. 1 on a list of date-night treasures, detailing the restaurant on South State Street as the "best place for a calm, relaxing, leisurely meal!"

Mountain Jack's appears on other lists, not always at the top but is among the favorites.

A downtown Lafayette restaurant, Bistro 501, frequents a number of travel lists, including Trip Advisor's "Lafayette Romantic Restaurants." Located at the corner of Main and Fifth streets, Bistro 501 boosts a A French-American-inspired menu and a welcoming fireplace sure to inspire a swooning couple.

Bistro 501, at the corner of Main st. and Fifth st., Tuesday, July 2, 2019 in Lafayette.
Bistro 501, at the corner of Main st. and Fifth st., Tuesday, July 2, 2019 in Lafayette.

Also on the list of romantic restaurants is 8Eleven Modern Bistro located in the Historic Union Club Hotel at Purdue University. In addition to the ambience, the restaurant, named after the two missions of Purdue alum Neil Armstrong, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11, offers an Old Fashioned that one aficionado told the Journal & Courier is the best he's ever had.

Inside the 8Eleven Bistro at the Union Club Hotel, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 in West Lafayette.
Inside the 8Eleven Bistro at the Union Club Hotel, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 in West Lafayette.

Artwork and nature

The Haan Museum of Indiana Art sits atop the Trip Advisor list of "Best Things to do in Lafayette for couples." The museum, inside the Potter-Haan Mansion at 920 E State St., touts the largest collection of Indiana art in the world.

In this 2019 file photo, Bob Haan holds a postcard from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair depicting the Connecticut state pavilion, which was disassembled after the fair and moved to Lafayette. The building now stands at 920 E. State Street and houses the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art.
In this 2019 file photo, Bob Haan holds a postcard from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair depicting the Connecticut state pavilion, which was disassembled after the fair and moved to Lafayette. The building now stands at 920 E. State Street and houses the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art.

If taking in impressionist artwork isn't enough, the grounds of the mansion also have a sculpture garden as well as nature and bike trails. The weather may not be the best for a Valentine's Day date outdoors, so check the forecast -- or stay inside the museum, open Wednesday through Saturday, 1-4 p.m.

Also on the list of best places for couples, the Wildcat Creek Winery and the Clegg Memorial Garden, which overlooks the Wildcat Creek.

The antique Hoosier farmhouse serves as the tasting room for the winery, located at 3233 E 200 N in Lafayette.

Wildcat Creek Winery off of East 200 North in Lafayette.
Wildcat Creek Winery off of East 200 North in Lafayette.

There are plenty of places for a romantic date. That's the good news. The bad news, at least for the restaurants, you probably needed to make your reservations long before the month of February. Couldn't hurt to call and see if there were any cancelations.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Greater Lafayette venues top lists for romantic date locales