Date night in Jacksonville: restaurants, shows, late openings

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Hours come from each restaurant’s or venue’s own website, linked below. We list places, not rankings, and only what each says about itself. Check before you go, especially on holidays.

A Jacksonville date night can be a steakhouse with a rooftop downtown, a candlelit chamber concert, a show at a historic downtown theater or a late evening at an art museum. Here are options in each category, with hours and links from the places themselves.

At a glance

• Dinner downtown: Cowford Chophouse, Tuesday to Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m.
• On the water: Marker 32 on the Intracoastal
• Shows: Florida Theatre, Jacoby Symphony Hall
• Late museum nights: Cummer (Thursday to 8 p.m.), MOCA (first and third Wednesday to 9 p.m., free)
• Downtown parking: free on the street after 6 p.m. and on weekends

Dinner

Cowford Chophouse takes its name from Jacksonville’s original name, a nod to the narrow point where settlers forded cattle across the St. Johns River, the restaurant says. It serves steak and seafood with rooftop views, and reservations are on its website. Taverna on San Marco Square serves modern versions of classic recipes. The Blue Fish is a seafood restaurant and oyster bar in Avondale with a separate banquet room. Marker 32 sits on Beach Boulevard at the Intracoastal Waterway.

For a later start, River & Post, 1000 Riverside Ave., has a rooftop lounge that is first come, first served. See brunch in Jacksonville for weekend daytime dates.

Shows and concerts

• The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St.: 1,865 seats, on the National Register of Historic Places. Box office 904-355-2787.
• Jacksonville Symphony, Jacoby Symphony Hall, 300 Water St. Its Chamber by Candlelight series is “an intimate concert experience limited to 100 seats”: Valentine’s Arias and Songs by Candlelight on Feb. 11 and Rachmaninoff by Candlelight on June 3. Holiday Pops runs Dec. 3-6. Box office 904-354-5547.
• Live music venues and the city’s arena are on our live music and nightlife guide.

Museums open late

• Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, 829 Riverside Ave.: open until 8 p.m. Thursday, with gardens on the river. Adults $20.
• MOCA Jacksonville, 333 N. Laura St.: Museum Nights on the first and third Wednesdays, 5 to 9 p.m., with free admission and the MOCA Bar. Pair it with the First Wednesday Art Walk, 5 to 9 p.m., in James Weldon Johnson Park.

A walk after dinner

The Southbank Riverwalk, 1001 Museum Circle, is a 1.25-mile boardwalk facing the downtown skyline, open 24 hours, past Friendship Fountain. See walking and biking trails.

What this means for you

• Downtown street parking is free after 6 p.m.; garages charge around the clock.
• The symphony’s candlelight concerts have 100 seats; book early.
• First and third Wednesdays are the best value: free MOCA nights, and Art Walk on the first.

Related: Valentine’s Day, downtown Jacksonville and free things to do.

Frequently asked questions

Where should we go for a date night dinner in downtown Jacksonville?

Cowford Chophouse, 101 E. Bay St., is a steakhouse with rooftop views, open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations are on its website.

Which Jacksonville museums are open late?

The Cummer Museum is open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. MOCA Jacksonville stays open until 9 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays, with free admission from 5 p.m.

What is Chamber by Candlelight?

A Jacksonville Symphony series of intimate concerts limited to 100 seats. The 2026-27 season has Valentine’s Arias and Songs by Candlelight on Feb. 11 and Rachmaninoff by Candlelight on June 3.

Where can we eat on the water in Jacksonville?

Marker 32, 14549 Beach Blvd., sits on the Intracoastal Waterway and serves dinner from 5 p.m. every day, until 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. River & Post in Riverside has a rooftop lounge.