Sometimes you need to recharge with a date night out. Turn to some of our area’s hotels for outstanding dining and book a room for a full-blown staycation.
Crossroads Chapel Hill
Known for its gracious hospitality, the nearly 100-year-old Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill – which recently underwent a lobby renovation – is adjacent to UNC’s campus. Its top-notch care extends into the dining room, where you’ll find Southern seasonal specialities like grilled pork tenderloin with creamed leeks, fingerling potatoes and a watermelon radish salad and beer from Carolina Brewery, just down the road. Make plans to catch a Carolina Performing Arts show – from expressive jazz and classical concerts, to transformative theater, dance and more – at Current Art Space + Studio or Memorial Hall, each just a block away, before returning to the inn for a nightcap and to turn in.
Herons
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to dress up for dinner, look no further than Herons’ 98-seat dining room, which boasts a private art collection and sumptuous views of The Umstead Hotel and Spa’s grounds and gardens. One of only 64 Forbes Five-Star restaurants in the world, its four-course menu is seasonal and features artfully plated options like cucumber gazpacho, scallop with turnips in a horseradish broth, and duck with rhubarb, barley and beets. The extensive wine list spans the globe while beer lovers will find local brews like “Backspin IPA” from Raleigh’s R&D Brewing.
Counting House
Bourbon and whiskey dominate the drink menu at this swanky hotel restaurant in the heart of downtown Durham. Executive chef Jeff Seizer provides playful courses with simple preparations utilizing old-school European techniques – you’ll find pastas and grilled mains and enjoy them in a sophisticated setting. The 21c Museum Hotel doubles as a museum so when you’re done with dinner, check out the exhibits (the newest, “Truth or Dare: A Reality Show,”which highlights confusion of reality and the slippery slide into alternative worlds of alternative facts, is on view through March 2024) and explore the former bank vault in the basement.
The Willard Rooftop Lounge
Located atop the AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown, The Willard has gorgeous views of downtown Raleigh and then some. With two heated outdoor terraces, there’s plenty of room to savor a creative cocktail – the “I’m On a Boat!,” for instance, is made with Durham Distillery’s Conniption Navy Strength Gin, St-Germain and house-made triple sec and fruit punch. Food-wise, the menu takes on international inspirations for its shareables, from papas bravas to bulgogi steamed buns, and features a variety of flatbreads, burgers and seafood-inspired dishes.
Spencer’s Tavern
Recently restored, The Colonial Inn’s kitchen serves BLTs and hot roast beef sandwiches all day long and offers entrees like filet mignon in the evening. Sit at the plush banquette and have a drink – the menu is full of Hillsborough-inspired cocktails, like the aptly named “Orange County,” with bourbon and orange liqueur. Or if the weather is nice, sit awhile on the welcoming historical porch.
The Durham Hotel
Enjoy a meal on the rooftop and stay the night for a downtown Durham experience. The Durham Hotel’s coffee soda is a must-try for coffee lovers – cold-brew coffee mixed with sugar, vanilla bean, sparkling water and crushed ice.
