Date night in Chattanooga: dinner, shows, cruises and late hours

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Hours, addresses and phones come from each venue’s own website. Hours change; call ahead, and book on weekends.

A Chattanooga date night can be dinner on Chestnut Street, a show on McCallie Avenue, a sunset on the river or an evening in the galleries on the bluff, all within a few minutes of each other downtown. This guide lists places with official links and published hours; it is not a ranking. For the seasonal picks around Feb. 14, see our Valentine’s Day page.

What this means for you

• Dinner: St. John’s, Easy Bistro and Bridgeman’s are a few blocks apart downtown.
• Late museum: the Hunter is open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
• On the water: Southern Belle sunset cruises from the downtown landing.
• After: a show at Memorial Auditorium or The Signal, or live music on Station Street.

Dinner

• St. John’s describes itself as “Southern craft. Historic soul,” in one of downtown’s most storied buildings, with a wine cellar among its private dining rooms.
• Easy Bistro & Bar, opened in 2005 by Erik and Amanda Niel, serves a menu meant to be shared, family style, with a bar program the restaurant calls robust.
• Bridgeman’s Chophouse, in the Read House, is named for Peter “Rabbit” Bridgeman, who worked at the hotel for 47 years.
• Bluff View Art District: Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria serves old-world Italian dishes with house-made sauces and pastas and plenty of outdoor seating, and Rembrandt’s Coffee House does dessert and coffee (bluffviewartdistrict.com).

A show

• Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium and the Walker Theatre, 399 McCallie Ave.: a 3,866-seat hall for full-scale theater and concerts, where the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera performs. Box office 423-757-5580 (tivolichattanooga.com).
• The Signal, 21 Choo Choo Ave.: concerts in a 1,500-person hall, with cocktail seating in the mezzanine (thesignaltn.com).
• Songbirds, 1407A Market St.: concerts in a room that doubles as a guitar museum (venue.songbirds.org).

More venues are in live music and nightlife.

Late openings

• Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave.: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Tuesdays. Free parking in the museum lot once you register your plate (visit the Hunter).
• Tennessee Aquarium, One Broad St.: hours change by season; in mid-October 2026 it was open to 7 p.m. with last entry at 5 p.m. Its 21-and-older Nightlife evenings in 2026 included a February date-night edition (tnaqua.org).
• Backstage Bar, 29 Station St. at the Choo Choo: from 4 p.m., to 2 a.m. on late nights, with live music Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Backstage Bar).
• The Bitter Alibi, a basement bar and sister to The Daily Ration: open 5 p.m. to midnight every day (thebitteralibi.com).

On the river and the rails

• Southern Belle Riverboat, 151 Riverfront Parkway, 423-266-4488: sightseeing, sunset and dinner cruises on the Tennessee River, with wine from the concession on the open-air deck (chattanoogariverboat.com).
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Road: the Chattanooga Dinner Train Experience in vintage dining cars, March 6 to Oct. 24 in 2026, plus holiday dinner trains (tvrail.com).

A walk after dinner

The pedestrian Walnut Street Bridge is open to walkers, linking downtown and the North Shore; from there, Coolidge Park’s lawns run along the river. See our riverfront guide.

Related: brunch, free things to do and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Where should we go for a date night dinner in Chattanooga?

Downtown options that publish their dinner hours include St. John’s, 729 Chestnut St.; Easy Bistro & Bar, 801 Chestnut St.; and Bridgeman’s Chophouse in the Read House, 107 W. M.L. King Blvd. Bluff View Art District adds Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria.

Is there a sunset cruise in Chattanooga?

Yes. The Southern Belle Riverboat runs sunset cruises on the Tennessee River from 151 Riverfront Parkway, along with sightseeing and dinner cruises. Call 423-266-4488.

Which Chattanooga museum is open late?

The Hunter Museum of American Art stays open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. It is closed Tuesdays.

Is there a dinner train in Chattanooga?

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum runs the Chattanooga Dinner Train Experience; its 2026 season ran March 6 to Oct. 24, with special Valentine’s and New Year’s Eve dinner trains.