Reserve Valentine’s Day Tables Now At McLean's Top Restaurants

MCLEAN, VA — Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this year, and if you haven’t made reservations for dinner out at one of McLean's best local restaurants, do it now.

About 39 percent of U.S. adults plan an evening out to celebrate Valentine’s Day, according to a National Retail Federation survey. Because Feb. 14 falls on a Saturday this year, McLean restaurants will likely be busy through the weekend, as well as a day or two earlier than the holiday.

Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen at 6641 Old Dominion Drive in McLean is honoring Virginia's official motto, "Virginia is for Lovers," with a curated Valentine's Day menu. In addition to the regular dinner menu, highlighting ingredients sourced from local farms and waterways, this deepens his passion in supporting what is grown under 90 miles from the restaurant's front door.

Raise a glass to love with the Blushing Heart cocktail featuring hibiscus-infused gin, house-made grenadine, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and egg white. Seduce the palate with deep-cut, high-salinity Salty Kiss Oysters from Assateague Island. The Valentine’s season will bring Oyster Fest on a plate with Oysters Three Ways:

• Fired: golden, crispy, and perfectly cornmeal seasoned
• Stewed: classic oyster potato stew, rich and creamy like a bisque
• Nude: nothing fancy, just oysters in the altogether

Order the Fried, Stewed, and Nude Tasting or choose a favorite by the half dozen or dozen. These beauties are shucked and cooked to order – and Guas has tapped into the perfect pairing of an ice-cold beer.

Many, but not all, local restaurants handle reservations through OpenTable, an online service. Romantic restaurants typically fill up a week before Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few still accepting Valentine’s Day reservations, according to OpenTable:

• Town Kitchen & Bar
• Aracosia McLean
• J. Gilberts - Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood
• Capri Ristorante Italiano
• Ometeo
• Divan - Virginia