Best Valentine's Day Dinners In The Bay Area

La Folie is one of San Francisco's swankiest contemporary French restaurants. The Michelin-starred restaurant is located in Russian hill and is run by husband and wife team Chef Roland and Jamie Passot. This Valentine's Day, the restaurant will feature a six course holiday-inspired prix-fixe menu that includes poached oysters as a starter. Entrée options range from local beef tenderloin with truffle Madeira sauce to a leek and mushroom filled lobster risotto. Several upgrades are available including wine pairings, caviar selections and an entrée of wagyu ribeye.

Nestled in South San Jose's Almaden Valley, La Foret is another French fine dining restaurant. Situated in a romantic forested creekside spot, the building that houses La Foret has a long history, having served as a boarding house in the mid-1800s, and another popular restaurant after the 1930s. On Valentine's Day, there will be a five-course holiday prix fixe menu replete with variety from the roasted quail with huckleberry sauce to a salad of mixed greens with smoked duck. Entrée options include everything from elk and poached salmon to Kobe beef and buffalo steak.

Since 1971, Alice Waters' Chez Panisse has been a defining center of the Bay Area food scene. The menu has always been dedicated to featuring seasonal, organic and locally-sourced ingredients, long before the concept became mainstream. While typically open for dinner six days a week, Monday to Saturday, the establishment occasionally opens for select Sunday events. This Valentine's Day, the restaurant will be open for holiday dinner. Diners will enjoy the addition of champagne, flowers and live music. Advance reservations are a must.

Regularly rated by both Zagat and Michelin guides, Napa Valley's Celadon offers an unpretentious but upscale dining experience. Chef Federico Guillen has crafted a menu around the concept of global comfort food influenced by the seasonality of ingredients. On Valentine's Day, the regular menu will be available, along with several holiday-themed specials. Entrée choices run the gamut from a pork porterhouse with jerk marinade and jicama slaw to seared hanger steak with blue cheese and grilled potatoes.

Ever popular with locals and tourists alike, the Napa Valley wine train is the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening full of fine food and drink. The vintage rail cars house a traveling fine dining experience that winds its way through 25 miles of scenic wine country. Book a special three hour Valentine's Day dinner trip that includes a multi-course dinner, chocolate, sparkling wine and live music. Pricing starts at $139 per person and the holiday dinner is also available on Saturday, Feb. 13.