Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Enjoy Date Night in NYC
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s relationship is going strong into the new year.
After spending the holidays together, the couple was spotted on a dinner date in New York City on Monday, Jan. 18. According to E! News, the singer and rapper, both 32, dined at popular Italian restaurant Emilio’s Ballato, which is owned by Katie Holmes’ boyfriend, chef Emilio Vitolo Jr.
“Rihanna arrived with a group of friends and met A$AP Rocky there,” said the source. “They entered the restaurant through different doors and tried to be discreet. A$AP Rocky entered behind a bodyguard and ducked inside quickly. Once everyone arrived, they sat together with a group of friends.”
They were there to celebrate the life of A$AP Yams. Each year, A$AP Rocky and friends host Yams Day in honor of the late A$AP Mob founder, but this year, a virtual celebration was held in the wake of the pandemic.
“Everyone gathered together for dinner and to share stories,” the source added. “There was lots of food passed around the table and laughter coming from inside. They stayed for over two hours before leaving separately. Rihanna left with friends and avoided being seen with Rocky.”
A year ago, Rihanna and Rocky first sparked romance rumors when they were spotted laughing backstage at Yams Day at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center following Rihanna’s split from Saudi businessman Hassan Jameel.
However, their relationship didn’t become serious until recently. For Christmas, Rocky traveled to Rihanna’s native Barbados where they enjoyed a Catamaran cruise with friends and family. In early December, they were photographed together on a nighttime stroll through New York City following a dinner date at NYC hotspot The Beatrice Inn just days earlier.
“They’ve been inseparable the past few weeks,” a source told PEOPLE last month. “It’s a new relationship, but they both seem very into it.”