If you’re looking to pop the question, it takes more than just guts and a diamond ring—it’s all about location. Before you get down on bended knee, consider Forbes Travel Guide's line-up of five restaurants and hotels that come with swoon-worthy settings and service that goes the extra mile to make sure she says “yes.”
Addison, San Diego
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Addison is a solid bet for a classic proposal in an intimate, Old-World setting. While a number of engagements have taken place in the high-backed booths near the fireplaces, we recommend Table 99—a crescent-shaped table that faces the wine cellar. Addison will work with you to ensure the timing is perfect and the night memorable. In one case, the chef created a special menu just for the soon-to-be-engaged couple, ending the meal with the bride-to-be’s favorite dessert. Most proposals at Addison happen during the dessert course, when a waiter will deliver the ring under a silver serving platter with a domed lid. After she accepts, the staff will send champagne to the table and welcome the couple into the kitchen to meet the chef.
Studio, Laguna Beach, Calif.
Positioned high on a 50-foot bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the main draw at this Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant is the view. Potential grooms usually aim for a table on the patio and a sunset proposal. With such a stunning setting, the proposals here don’t need to be much more complicated than a drop to the knee. But men looking to make more elaborate plans can take a cue from past Studio engagements. The restaurant has done everything from setting up a rose-strewn table on the patio near the fire pit to creating a customized menu in which the first page was a love letter to the soon-to-be bride.
Gilt, New York City
This Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant sets the stage for a quintessential Big Apple proposal. Sitting inside The New York Palace hotel, Gilt is known for its Gilded Age-design and nearly over-the-top romantic ambience. Grooms-to-be will have a dramatic backdrop—think dim lighting, high ceilings and gold walls—for a simple proposal. With some advanced noticed, the maître d’ can arrange flowers, special desserts and a romantic ring presentation. Even though Gilt draws a lively crowd (particularly to its bar, which serves as the restaurant’s centerpiece), it often reserves the corner tables for gentlemen who are about to propose. There, you’ll have the advantage of maximum privacy and a tucked-away feel.
La Mer, Honolulu
With its French cuisine and waterfront setting, this Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant inside Halekulani sees an average of 27 proposals a year. The best spot to pop the question here is at the corner table next to the double windows, where couples get extra privacy and clear views of Diamond Head volcanic crater and Waikiki Beach. Rather than waiting until dessert, La Mer suggests that grooms-to-be take care of business during the first course. A waiter can deliver the engagement ring to the table under a delicate silver dome with votive candles and a rose.
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
No two proposals are the same at the Five-Star Trump hotel in Chicago. After collecting vital details from the potential groom—where the couple met, their favorite song, a favorite city—the concierge team will create a customized engagement. Rose petals, chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne are almost always involved, but after that, the experiences range from simple to extravagant. Past proposals have included video montages, scavenger hunts and even a Moroccan-themed affair set up in a suite complete with a tent and violinist. One of the top question-popping spots at the hotel is at Sixteen, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant on the 16th floor, where grooms-to-be rely on the built-in romance from the dramatic city views. —By Ashley Hamilton
