Casual dining, fast food and sports bars are certainly quite popular in the Murfreesboro area. Sometimes though, particularly around Valentine’s Day, many may want to impress their date with a more elegant experience, and take them for a fantastic meal—perhaps without having to travel to that slightly larger city just to the northwest, which may still be keeping restaurants under partial shutdown.

While these eateries comprise the most upscale of dining in Murfreesboro, and all certainly have great reasons to pay them a visit sometime, most are still quite casual and unpretentious. Don’t worry about a strict dress code or too much snobbiness in Murfreesboro for the most part.

Consider taking a date or a group to one of these excellent Murfreesboro restaurants (any time of the year, if you do not get a Valentine’s Day reservation).

Primrose Table
1650 Memorial Blvd.
615-900-5790

This Murfreesboro restaurant, which serves some fantastically flavorful creations, all presented beautifully, opened in 2019 and has quickly earned some pleased and loyal customers. Selections include lamb chops, filet, pork belly, steak tips, a chicken Wellington and a special Sunday brunch menu.

Five Senses
1602 W. Northfield Blvd., Suite 515
615-867-4155

Always in the conversation of Murfreesboro’s top restaurant, Five Senses sources many of the ingredients for its creative dishes locally, and changes its menu seasonally. Find scallops, grouper, duck breast and filet mignon on the current menu. Monday is date night (get one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert for $60) at Five Senses, a restaurant founded upon the idea that mastering the art of cooking requires the use of all five senses.

Steakhouse Five
1500 Medical Center Pkwy., #1K
615-396-3225

The second local restaurant owned and operated by Five Senses founder Mitchell Murphree, Steakhouse Five, located in Fountains at Gateway, serves quality steaks, wines and whiskeys at its bright new location. Local consumers say expect fine, high-end steaks, but high-end prices to match.

The Alley on Main
223 W. Main St.
615-203-3498

Known for tenderloin kabobs, massive meatballs, steaks, whiskey, a rotating selection of sushi-grade seafood, goat cheese bruschetta, pork chops, wine, pasta, gumbo and more, The Alley on Main has become a hoppin’ Murfreesboro spot. The local establishment occasionally hosts special dinners for charitable causes, and also has a food truck that visits different area neighborhoods.

Marina’s on the Square
125 N. Maple St.
615-849-8881

The Marina’s menu is packed with pasta—spaghetti, fettuccini, eggplant parmesan, ziti, shrimp pasta and ravioli, to name a few, as well as delicious pizzas and calzones. The downtown Murfreesboro restaurant also offers a popular Thursday date night special, featuring two entrees, an appetizer and a choice of two glasses of wine or two desserts for $32. Dessert selections include tiramisu, cannoli, molten chocolate cake, spumoni (a blend of cherry, chocolate and pistachio ice creams) and cheesecake.

Milano II
114 E College St.
615-624-7390

This Italian-themed restaurant, located in a large, old house on College Street in downtown Murfreesboro, offers veal, pasta, steaks, martinis, fish, chicken marsala, wine and more. Find a fireplace in the dining room, soft opera, classical or jazz music generally fills the air and the establishment also contains a small bar, Jack’s Place, and a private room upstairs.

Hickory Falls
999 Industrial Blvd., Smyrna
615-459-3900

With steaks, cedar-planked salmon, bacon-wrapped scallops, pasta, prime rib, rotisserie chicken, desserts, tacos, burgers, soups, shrimp & grits and more, Hickory Falls, one of the top independent restaurants in Smyrna, has something for just about anyone. Guests can go with filet mignon, cocktails and scallops if they wish for a splurge, but the majority of items at Hickory Falls are reasonably priced yet delicious.

Tandoor Indian Restaurant
529 N. Thompson Ln.
615-907-9555

Vindaloo and tikka masala may not be the most common American fare, but for some beautifully presented and well-spiced dishes in a nice atmosphere, many will suggest Tandoor. The Indian restaurant has pleasantly surprised some local diners with its somewhat elegant ambiance. Tandoor offers a wide variety of lamb dishes, shrimp tandoori and other seafood selections and the staff can adjust spice level to taste.

Bonefish Grill
505 N. Thompson Ln.
615-217-1883

Not exactly a local establishment, but for a fine seafood dinner in Middle Tennessee, try the local Bonefish Grill, one of over 200 locations nationwide. Selections include tuna sashimi, lobster tail, mahi-mahi, sea bass, scallops and lobster thermidor gnocchi, along with the famous Bang Bang Shrimp.

Parthenon Grille
1962 S. Church St.
615-895-2665

A Murfreesboro mainstay for over 30 years, Parthenon Grille grills some fine steaks and lamb chops and also offers delicious seafood, Greek items, calamari, oysters Rockefeller, pasta, sandwiches and crab cakes. The restaurant has a nice outdoor patio area, a popular Sunday brunch and on Wednesday all appetizers—including fried mushrooms, spankopita, smoked salmon, bacon-wrapped scallops, Parthenon dip (a veggie cream dip served with fried pita), oysters Rockefeller and raw oysters—are only $6.

The Chop House
541 N. Thompson Ln.
615-849-9339

For a fine steak experience, try the Tennessee-based Chop House, serving premium, uniquely seasoned, hand-selected steaks, chops and tender prime rib. The Chop House also grills jumbo shrimp and other seafood selections and even offers burgers, trout, chopped steak and other items, with a side, for $10 prior to 4 p.m.

Demos’ Restaurant
1115 NW Broad St.
615-895-3701

Fairly casual and affordable, but if the service staff grinds pepper for you, it must be fine dining, right? Demo’s does offer some good steaks, an abundance of pastas and sauces, seafood dishes such as the Salmon Imperial (topped with shrimp, surimi and Alfredo sauce) and some of the most famous bread and soup in Murfreesboro.