Austin Butler and Emily Ratajkowski were seen together at the Waverly Inn in New York City last Friday, sitting in a visible booth and talking for about two hours, multiple outlets reported.
An insider told Page Six the two, both 34, were seated in a "big half booth in the center of the restaurant for everyone to see." TMZ reported they sipped cocktails and did not engage in overt public displays of affection despite being close; the outlet said Butler had his arm "kind of around her" and was attentive, frequently nodding as Ratajkowski spoke. Social-tip account DeuxMoi described the pair as "very giggly and cute."
The restaurant outing follows appearances by the pair at the New York City premiere afterparty for "Caught Stealing," a project that Butler stars in with Zoë Kravitz, according to published accounts. At that afterparty a few weeks earlier, photos showed Butler and Ratajkowski together; observers noted Butler looking at Ratajkowski in one image while she looked away from the camera. The two have not publicly commented on the nature of their relationship.
Butler has been linked in recent months to several high-profile figures. Earlier this year tabloids reported he and Kravitz had been spending time together after wrapping the Darren Aronofsky-directed film, and photographs from a Paris red carpet showed the co-stars sharing an intimate moment. At the time, some outlets said the pair were just friends. Butler ended a three-year relationship with model Kaia Gerber late last year.
Kravitz, meanwhile, has been the subject of her own romance reports; she was romantically linked to musician Harry Styles after they were seen together in Rome in August, and the couple later appeared holding hands in New York City. Kravitz previously split from actor Channing Tatum.
Neither Butler nor Ratajkowski has issued a statement about the Waverly Inn outing. Representatives for both individuals did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Waverly Inn, a well-known West Village restaurant, has long been a site for celebrity sightings, and recent appearances by Butler follow a period in which his social life has drawn media attention as coverage tracked his public interactions with co-stars and other celebrities.
The dinner adds to an ongoing pattern of celebrity pairings that prompt scrutiny and speculation in entertainment coverage; outlets continue to report details from on-the-ground sources, social accounts and photos when public figures are seen together. Fans and tabloid outlets alike frequently parse such appearances for signs of romantic involvement, while the parties involved often decline to confirm the nature of their relationships.