Though they've been dating for a while now, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel haven't shown any PDA ... until now!

TMZ was outside of JT's New York restaurant, Southern Hospitality, when the twosome exited while clutching each other's hands as they made their way to a waiting SUV -- a far cry from the split and run escapes they'd been pulling lately!

Their first public hand holding for snapping paps, how romantic!