Valentine's dinner: New romance? Old married couple? There's a Nashville spot for you

Valentine's Day can be expensive and fraught. It can also be the kind of holiday that makes you shrug and avoid restaurants altogether. People who have worked in the service industry might fall in the latter camp. Hopeless romantics with a fondness for tradition might fall into the former.

Wherever you are in your approach to this Valentine's Day business, which we still sometimes contend was made up to sell Hallmark Cards, we have a venue for you. Here, we present a place for nearly every type of date.

Where to go if you're still testing the waters

They're cute. You're interested. It's brand new. Is a Valentine's Day date a bridge too far? Is it too couple-y? You need to walk a fine line. You want a place that's not too romantic, not too friend zone. How about pizza? Hear us out.

We love the look of the NOLA-inspired prix fixe dinner at Nicky's Coal Fired in The Nations (5026 Centennial Blvd.).

The ticketed meal is $75 per person and includes coal-roasted oysters with tasso ham, a Little Gem Caesar, lobster cannelloni, a muffuletta pizza and a couple of fun, unfussy desserts. Nicky's atmosphere is casual and nice, they have great drink options and it's not too quiet. What more could you want for one of the most awkward stages of dating? Clarity? Good luck with that.

Our top picks: The top 25 restaurants in Nashville in 2023

Also in The Nations is Daddy's Dogs (5205 Centennial Blvd.), which once again this year hosts Daddy's Date Night on Feb. 10 and 14. For $99, you'll get all this for two: drinks, salads, dogs, sides, desserts and a special take-home gift. And man, if your hopeful romantic partner isn't charmed by that? Find another. Hot dogs! Under a tent! With music!

Where to go if you've been married for years

You love them. Right? Between taking care of the kids and paying bills and occasionally forgetting to close the bathroom door things are ... feeling stale.

Hit a spot where the venue gives you something to talk about, something to see, something to do. This might be a great time to drop some coin and go to a fancy tasting menu, one where the chefs talk with you and cook things you may have never eaten before.

But hurry! Reservations at our favorite tastings restaurants (open on Feb. 14, anyway) — The Catbird Seat (1711 Division St.) and Bastion (434 Houston St.) — go really fast for Valentine's Day. It's worth getting on their Feb. 14 waiting list if nothing's immediately available.

Or how about House of Cards (Lower Level, 119 3rd Ave S.), where you get a magic show with your meal? Then again, a lil' Ol' Blue Eyes might reignite the flames, so try one of our favorite themed restaurants, Sinatra Bar & Lounge downtown (222 Fourth Ave. N.), where live music is engaging and charming without being so loud that you can't hear your partner.

Where to go if you're broke

We rarely make a fast-food recommendation, but hey, if there's ever a time to go, you might want to check out the annual White Castle Valentine's Day celebration. Two Nashville stores — midtown at 1404 Broadway and South Nashville at 2901 Nolensville Pike — get out white tablecloths and a whole bunch of kitschy pink-and-white Valentine's decorations.

Adorbs! It's great for the 'Gram and eeeeeaaasy on the budget. And check it out, they even take reservations, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 14.

Where to go if they're a vegetarian

Listen, you don't necessarily need a vegetarian restaurant for this. Plenty of local "conventional" restaurants have great vegetarian options. Take for example Lyra, (935 W. Eastland Ave.) with its fabulous hummus and an entire section devoted to vegetables, including wood-roasted cauliflower with smoky charred tahini and honey-roasted delicata squash. Henrietta Red (1200 4th Ave. N.) in Germantown has excellent vegetarian options, too, including chipotle-winter squash gnocchi and broccoli toast.

We also love the diversity of the restaurants on the south side of town and have a soft spot for the Turkish flavors of Edessa (3802 Nolensville Pike) and its vegetarian appetizers and salads. DegThai (3025 Nolensville Pike) also has a ton of bright, flavorful vegetarian options.

Where to go when you just want to break up

Taco Bell. That's the answer. And if you go to the one downtown (131 Second Ave. N.), you can even get a drink afterward.

Where to go for the sexiest dinner

It's classic old-school Hollywood glitz. Classy cocktails. A converted movie theater that captures a vibe, man. Even the co-owner at Sinema Restaurant & Bar (2600 8th Ave. S.) is sexy.

And of course, there's the Sinema selfie you must get if you go inside the hyped women's glam room. It might be tough to get in, though, so look for reservations there now. The restaurant is offering a $95, three-course dinner with a choice of three entree options, including stuffed Maine lobster with uni butter and tarragon fettuccini. Talk about sexy!

Also on our list of sexy spots is Alex Burch's wine-forward restaurant Bad Idea (1021 Russell St.), set in a gorgeous light-filled former church in the Five Points neighborhood. It's lit beautifully, full of gorgeous wood and just plain pretty. In fact, luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report just placed the restaurant on its list of the 27 Most Beautiful New Restaurants in America.

More: This Nashville restaurant landed on the Robb Report's list of most beautiful in the US

Make sure to order the luscious scallop crepe from chef Colby Rasavong, whose menu is inspired by his Lao heritage and nods to French influences in Laos.

Where to go if you want to get fancy cocktails

Mackensy here. I don't like going out to dinner on Valentine's Day. The crowds. The expensive Ubers. I love to cook at home, and I really turn it out, too. That being said, I'll rarely dismiss an invite for a nice cocktail. Like, one of those drinks that are so complex and sexy that your eyes roll back in your head a tiny bit.

That's what you'll find at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club (2905B Gallatin Pike). I love, love a savory drink and, honestly, get out of here with this menu. The Sunday Gravy with sun-dried tomato, gentian, dry sherry, bay leaf and parmesan rind? I don't care how crazy you think it sounds. Amazing.

Where to go if you're in more of a dive bar mood

Mackensy again. I'm not divulging all of my secrets here. But if I wanted to go to a dive bar that's not like, my ordinary dive bar (not telling), I'd head to Duke's (1000 Main St.) for a spicy Italian sandwich and a space beer, which is orange juice, vodka and cheap beer. Don't knock it until you try it, OK?

On the West Side, it's Bushwackers at The Centennial (5115 Centennial Blvd.). And downtown it's always gonna be Robert's Western World (416B Broadway). What kind of person wants to go to dive bars on Valentine's Day? Me. I'm that girl.

Where to go if you want to propose

Honestly if you've made it this far in your relationship, we hope that you know what your special place is and you don't need us for this. But if you're at a loss, we suggest the views at Bourbon Steak would make a stunning backdrop to a proposal.

Think about it: fancy champagne, the Nashville skyline unfolding below, and the promise of a big juicy steak. And not for nothing, you're on top of a hotel full of guest rooms should you decide to, ah, extend your date through the evening. Bourbon Steak is on the 34th floor of the JW Marriott, 201 8th Ave. S.

What did we miss? Email Brad Schmitt at bjschmitt@tennessean.com and Mackensy Lunsford at mlunsford@tennesean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Valentine's Day in Nashville: A guide to every kind of V-Day dinner