OpenTable Diner Reviews named the most romantic places to dine in America for 2017 and Albuquerque’s Vernon’s Speakeasy made the list. Thirty-six states had winning restaurants and New Mexico was one of those named just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Vernon’s Speakeasy is located in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque at 6855 4th St. It’s set up like an old speakeasy, requiring a password to get through the door and its website features pictures of mobsters and 1920’s-esque art on the walls. It’s won awards from CoolMaterial.com and MSN.com. It was also named “Most Romantic Restaurant” by Albuquerque the Magazine. Last year, Business First readers ranked Vernon’s as one of the city’s restaurants with the best atmosphere.
Over 10 million reviews for more than 24,000 restaurants were looked into in order to formulate the list. Those millions of reviews had to meet OpenTable’s minimum overall score in order to be considered for the list. If a restaurant made the cut, it was then scored and sorted based on the number of reviews that also were recognized for being romantic.
“These winning restaurants understand that sharing a delicious meal is a universal rite of courtship at any stage of a relationship,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable chief dining officer, in a statement. “Whether diners are out celebrating Valentine’s Day or simply connecting over a flirty dinner, this year’s honorees excel at setting the table for romance.”
Virginia had the most winning restaurants with 13 of its eateries getting recognition. Florida had 10 of its restaurants make the list and Ohio had eight. Vernon’s was the only restaurant in New Mexico that made the list. The list did not rank the winners; rather, it put them in alphabetical order.
The OpenTable Review Program has generated more than 40 million restaurant reviews by verified diners. It has restaurant partners across the US, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Forbes found that Valentine’s Day was lucrative for the US economy in 2016 and spending reached nearly $20 billion. An evening eating out was among the top ways Americans celebrated.
Shelby Perea
Digital Producer
Albuquerque Business First
Leave a Reply