One of our favorite things we love doing as a couple is to try out new restaurants around town. This is one of the reasons that we started Couple Bites In! We feel like there’s a lot of overrated places in the Iowa City area for date nights, and that there are a few hidden gems that would be great places for you and your lover or friends to try out! We’ve also included some places that would be great for a double date or for a group of friends to go to. This way, you can keep everyone happy with your restaurant suggestions!
BASTA: This is an Iowa City favorite, and it’s also one of ours. We will admit, it’s not a particularly unique date night spot, but it’s pretty dang good. Basta brings a modern take to Italian favorites, and has a menu that is has both uniquely Iowa ingredients and more traditional meals. It also has a yummy list of cocktails for you and your partner to try. We love going to Basta when we are in the mood for calamari (or as M calls it, calamarrrrrr). It’s seriously so good, and one of the few places in Iowa City where you can get it. Another one of our favorite meals here is the lobster pizza. It’s something that you can’t get anywhere else in Iowa City, so definitely give it a try!
ORCHARD GREEN: We would say this is definitely one of Iowa City’s hidden gems. Even when we lived on this side of town, we would always walk by and the ivy-covered building constantly intrigued us. We finally took a chance and tried it the other weekend, and it was so good! It’s got an old sporting club/train station kind of vibe and has two levels with multiple dining options. We both ended up trying something new – A got arctic char and M got a pork chop – and both were incredible. Since living in the Iowa City area, we have noticed that it’s really hard to get upscale food. Orchard Green is a great place to get an impressive meal without having to leave the area.
BACKPOCKET BREWING: We aren’t huge beer people, but we have learned to dive into the microbrewery scene ever since living in Iowa City. Backpocket has a really relaxed patio with a fire (all that M ever looks for in a place) in a cute part of town, Iowa River Landing. A lot of young professionals and graduate students like to hang out in this area, and it’s a great spot if you want to try some new beers without having a ton of college students around. We love this place if we aren’t super hungry, but want to try something out that we don’t normally do.
DUMPLING DARLING: We love this place! If you haven’t been to Dumpling Darling, we suggest trying out the “tasting menu” where you can have a bite of dumplings from around the world. By doing this, we found our absolute favorite, the Korean Chicken. Seriously, go try it – you won’t regret it! This is also an awesome date night option to pick up and take back home.
HEYN’S ICE CREAM: Heyn’s is hands down the best place to get ice cream in Iowa City. There are so many flavors that change seasonally, so it’s guaranteed that you and your partner will find something that you love. We personally love each getting a scoop (in a waffle cone of course) and trying out a new flavor every time we go.
Happy Eating!
M & A
Couple Bites In 