Love Is In The Air

If you left your heart in San Francisco, you wouldn't be the first.  San Francisco is considered a very romantic city.   Just look at the number of Rom Coms that take place here.  From Foul Play and What's Up Doc, to The Wedding Planner and So I Married An Axe Murderer, romance seems to permeate Hollywood films made in San Francisco. The city-by-the-bay is such a popular place to propose, there is even a website dedicated to the best location by the Golden Gate Bridge, with the most dramatic spots to pop the question.

The Romantic Golden Gate Bridge

In my upcoming book, Service Is The Business, I share a story about how newlyweds on a budget seemed to be the most appreciative when seeking guidance from their concierge, for the best way to enjoy their Honeymoon. Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I thought I would share some of the most romantic places in San Francisco to just hold hands, coo over a candlelit dinner, or even pop that question.

This just in... There are many quaint cozy restaurants to stare lovingly at one another, but two stand out as exceptionally romantic.  Brazen Head in the Cow Hollow neighborhood is darkly lit, save for the pools of light emanating from the lamps on the tables.  Many of the tables are in little nooks in what looks like a tight space, but feel secluded once you sit down. The best part is they serve food until 11:00pm.  This is a rare and wonderful thing in a city where even the Jack-In-The-Boxes close at 10:00pm.

My other favorite place to lose oneself in your lover's gaze is Le Central, in our French Quarter.  Yes, we have a French quarter, next to Chinatown and the Financial District.  It is the oldest French restaurant in the city and has a delightful intimate atmosphere.  Oh, and yes, they do serve oysters and Champagne.  

SF Botanical Gardens is a great place to go on a first date or a 20th wedding anniversary.  At 55 acres, this magical place is free for citizens of San Francisco and is peppered with little nooks and shady glades, featuring benches overlooking lush ponds.  This was a favorite place of mine to go on first dates because it is pretty, romantic, and affordable.

When I was a hotel concierge, I received many requests from first-time suitors who wanted to pop the question at the Golden Gate Bridge, and needed to know the best spot for it.  It seems like a no-brainer, but it goes without saying the grandeur and majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge is ideal for a gentleman caller to take a knee and ask that matrimonial question.

Sutro Heights Park rests on a bluff overlooking the Cliff House.  It was once the private property of prominent San Franciscan, Adolph Sutro.  He was an engineer, entrepreneur, and former mayor in the 1890s.   That's where we got the name Mount Sutro and the aforementioned Sutro Heights Park.  As he was by the standard of the day, a bit of an eccentric, he built himself a grand mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  He populated his grounds with a statue garden and thousands of exotic plant species.  Sadly, that is all that is left, but fortunately what is left is a lush public garden filled with statues and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.  The ideal spot for a romantic encounter.

Romantic City Hall?

City Hall is not the first-place people think of as romantic.  This century old edifice, built in the Beaux-Arts style with its wedding cake-y design, looks like a magical fairy book castle inside. It is why so many people get married there, as opposed to other less formal environments.  The grand staircase in the rotunda was where Indiana Jones chastised government bureaucracy in Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Sean Penn, who won an Academy Award for playing slain city supervisor Harvey Milk, approximated his actions dancing on it. Yet City Hall's rotunda and grand steps has also been the backdrop for, I'm guessing, millions of wedding photographs. 

For some, just holding hands and exploring the many quaint and diverse neighborhoods this city has to offer, is romantic on its own.