Need to defrost your frozen heart this wintry Valentine's Day? While frigid temps might make Netflix and chill sound tempting, all hope for romance doesn't have to be lost to hibernation. These Twin Cities restaurants and bars charm with their roaring fireplaces, the perfect backdrop to a cozy canoodle.
Have a favorite fireplace we missed? Tell us in the comments.
W.A. Frost & Co.
This place sure knows how to do the seasons. Its meandering back patio is a special summer spot for happy hours that stretch on into the night. In winter, the 1889 building's multiple fireplaces bring the beguiling historic interior alive.
374 Selby Av., St. Paul, 651-224-5715, wafrost.com
Wilde Cafe & Spirits
Armchairs? Check. Candles? Check. The gentle glow of flames dancing behind an arch of cast iron? Check. This riverside restaurant and cafe has all the makings of a very Victorian love story, including cocktails with names that nod to namesake author Oscar Wilde, and — why not? -- "The Golden Girls."
65 SE. Main St., Mpls., 612-331-4544, wildecafe.com
Hell's Kitchen
You devil, you. The underground ode to Minnesota cuisine, music and an over-the-top Bloody Mary bar knows how to dress up for a special occasion, in part by firing up its stone furnace. This weekend, it'll have a kissing booth, too.
80 S. 9th St., Mpls., 612-332-4700, hellskitcheninc.com
Cov
The restaurant's white hearth is double-sided and planted into the center of the restaurant for maximum effect. When it's roaring, it's easy to forget that your romantic seaside dinner is on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, not Martha's Vineyard.
700 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-473-5253, covwayzata.com
In Bloom
Does it count when the fireplace is also doing the cooking? Keg & Case Market's centerpiece restaurant is all embers — you'll go home smelling like campfire — thanks to the aphrodisiacal menu of meats and vegetables fired up on an extended hearth.
928 W. 7th St., St. Paul, 651-237-9630, inbloomstp.com
Hewing Hotel Lobby
You don't have to be a guest to enjoy the handsome hangout spot at the North Loop's hot hotel — though you might want to be. Grab a Hewing Old Fashioned from the bar at Tullibee, settle into a leather sofa by the hearth, and see where the night takes you.
300 Washington Av. N., Mpls., 651-468-0400, hewinghotel.com
St. Paul Hotel Lobby
An entirely different vibe from the Hewing, this hotel lobby is classic as can be. Nestle into a tufted armchair by the grand fireplace, underneath chandeliers dripping with crystals, and sip on a Judy Garland martini while you contemplate checking in.
350 Market St., St. Paul, 651-228-3804, stpaulhotel.com
Punch Bowl Social
The sprawling eatertainment complex has a sneaky little hideaway in plain sight. The so-called "Holiday Lodge" may be flanked by Ping-Pong tables, but the fireplace, leather chairs and faux-book wallpaper create a whimsical respite to the game-night party.
1691 Park Pl. Blvd., St. Louis Park, 763-400-3865, punchbowl social.com
Kieran's Irish Pub
This downtown favorite — romantic in that dark wood, Irish pub sort of way — has got a showstopper of a fireplace smack dab in the middle of one of the booth-lined dining rooms (complete with JFK portrait on top, that hunk). You know you've found The One when you can share a plate of braised cabbage.
85 N. 6th St., Mpls., 612-339-4499, kierans.com
