11 romantic restaurants in Los Angeles for the best date night
With so many transplants from around the world settling there, the Los Angeles restaurant scene hosts a ton of first dates. Fortunately, there are hundreds of romantic restaurants to impress your date. With so many beautiful corners of Los Angeles, there are amazing restaurants overlooking the hills or the ocean that are the perfect place for a romantic date night. There are also nitty-gritty restaurants and food trucks that are perfect for a fun date night that won’t break the bank. There’s always a place with a vibey open-air dining room with good music for the trendy couples. Los Angeles even has a restaurant with a secret garden. There are also upscale steakhouses for grabbing a slab of meat and some Maine lobster.
Whatever type of romantic restaurant you're looking for, you'll find it in this busy city. To make things easier while navigating the crowds and even once you sit down for a meal, head to a Bounce luggage storage service in Los Angeles first. Then, you can enjoy your food and your date to the fullest.
Here are the best romantic restaurants in Los Angeles:
71Above
Located on the 71st floor of the U.S. Bank Tower in the Financial District, this ultra-high-end steakhouse is the antithesis of Silver Lake hipster hangouts or Koreatown holes in the wall. It’s absolutely one of the most opulent restaurants in Los Angeles and a must-try for anyone with a generous budget. The views of Los Angeles from this perch make this one of the most romantic restaurants for treating yourself.
Reservations are required, and you absolutely won’t want to wing it because heading up to the 71st floor only to U-turn is not the way you want a romantic date night to go.
Our recommendation
The premium (and we mean premium) prix fixe menu includes oysters, seared scallops, steak tartare, and other high-end delicacies. It’s a solid way to impress your date, and when paired with a nice bottle of wine, it really encapsulates what 71Above is trying to do. If you’re not a seafood person, there’s always the New York strip steak.
Location
633 W 5th St 71st floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Price level
$$$$
Sant'olina
This Beverly Hills Mediterranean restaurant has an open-air patio on the roof of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Covered in foliage and twinkling lights, Sant’olina provides a romantic and relaxed atmosphere for an impressive but affordable date night. The views are incredible, especially during sunset, so plan your reservations around that. While reservations are highly recommended for getting a table during peak hours, it's still quite a bit easier than getting a table at nearby Hotel Bel Air.
Expect classic Greek favorites like spanakopita, gyros, roast lamb, grilled octopus, and of course, saganaki. There’s a deep wine list centered around Mediterranean labels, and there’s always ouzo to consume if you want to turn up the energy.
Our recommendation
Get there on weekends for live Greek music from 7 pm to close. It’s not necessarily the most romantic genre of music available, but it’s a great conversation starter and will bring energy to your romantic meal.
Location
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Price level
$$
Ardor
This classy Sunset Strip restaurant is perfect for a vegan or vegetarian date. For one, the indoor dining room is one of the most attractive in LA, with wall-to-wall plants, moody lighting, amazing music, and minimalist designs. The food program is also helmed by executive chef John Fraser, who has won a Michelin Star. Reservations for most nights and all weekends are recommended. The clientele is stylish and hip.
Our recommendation
The menu rotates seemingly every night, with a strong focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. You can expect inventive dishes, like lamb cooked under pine and tandoor carrots.
Location
9040 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Price level
$$
Firefly
With a lush open-air dining room covered in foliage, palms, and exotic plants, this fine dining establishment is not only one of the best date night spots in Studio City but also one of the most romantic restaurants in Los Angeles. The menu blends modern American cuisine with a variety of Mediterranean and Italian ingredients. It’s stylish food in a stylish setting for stylish customers, which is perfect for a casual but romantic dinner. Reserving a table on the patio is the best way to set your date night up the right way because this spot is popular with every industry transplant living in Studio City.
Our recommendation
The menu rotates, but the veal meatballs with San Marzano tomatoes or an elevated catch-of-the-day in salsa verde are favorites. The drink menu features approachable but inventive signature cocktails.
Location
11720 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Price level
$$$
Grandmaster Recorders
“Fusion” has always been a loaded word in the modern restaurant industry. It can mean anything. It can mean next to nothing. But this West Hollywood bistro has come up with an interesting concept and executed it perfectly. Italian and Australian have never been paired in LA, as far as we know, but Grandmaster Recorders have pulled it off, melding Italian dishes like antipasti or cannolis with interesting flavor profiles and cooking techniques.
The restaurant is housed in a repurposed recording studio in classic LA fashion. The stellar food, fascinating concept, and interesting setting all make this place a popular spot for date night, so make reservations.
Our recommendation
Save room for the tiramisu, it’s the most delicious way to end a romantic meal, and this one (shaped like a vinyl record) pays tribute to the restaurant’s history.
Location
1518 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Price level
$$$
Inn of the Seventh Ray
This Topanga hideaway is one of the best spots in the area for a special occasion. Located well off the beaten path in an almost cabin-in-the-woods setting, it would be easy to forget you’re in one of the country’s largest metro areas. This creekside eatery is one of the most romantic veggie-friendly restaurants in Los Angeles, and yet, much of the menu consists of smoked meats.
Their outdoor dining room is equipped with the ever-trendy Edison bulb lighting and space heaters for dining amongst the oak trees and foliage. There’s an almost otherworldly beauty to the garden patio that makes this place so romantic. It must be noted that the Inn of the 7th Ray is aptly named. All of the granola-forward features you’d expect of a hippie hangout are present. Whether it’s the incense, the stunning nature that surrounds you, or the overall crunchy decor, it's a restaurant that feels spiritual, cynics be warned.
Our recommendation
The deep wine list showcases some of the best natural and organic labels. Sharing a bottle over some vegan apps or even some of Seventh Ray’s superb BBQ. Save room for dessert because this place curates a fine menu of sweet treats from local bakeries, some of which are vegan and gluten-free.
Location
128 Old Topanga Canyon Rd, Topanga, CA 90290
Price level
$$$
LA Cha Cha Chá
One of downtown's sexiest restaurants attracts its customers with a massive neon sign of green lime. It’s simple, but it manages expectations well. This LA outpost from the stalwart Mexico City restaurant of the same name is one of the most romantic date spots downtown. The decor, menu, and concept combine modern Mexican and Californian aesthetics.
LA Cha Cha Chá is a great romantic restaurant because of the dining room layout. Enormous fanned palms sequester your table, giving every couple an intimate dining experience. Reservations are recommended for weekends. The space is huge and has a bar area, so there is the potential for sneaking in for a casual date. Fair warning: the bar area becomes quite the party once the margaritas start flowing.
Our recommendation
Traditional Mexican dishes won’t exactly keep you guessing on this menu, but they will keep you coming back for their delicious family recipes. Pescado Cha Cha Chá is their charcoal-grilled seafood option that pairs perfectly with their house margarita.
Location
812 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Price level
$$$
Mirate
From the executive chef that made Beverly Hills hangout Mirame into one of LA’s best restaurants, sister restaurant Mirate brings Baja flavors and atmosphere to Hollywood. It’s an attractive but comfortable restaurant with tables hidden away in different corners, which makes it ideal for intimate meals. There are also armchairs and hi-tops near the bar area for social dining and drinking. So, if you couldn’t find a reservation, you’re certainly not out of luck.
Our recommendation
There’s nothing better than tacos on date night, and they have a nice selection, with al pastor and el pescado both being highlights. They have one of the best selections of agave spirits in Los Angeles, so mezcal and tequila enthusiasts should head to Mirate.
Location
1712 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Price level
$$$
Pasjoli
Santa Monica has no shortage of stylish restaurants to bring a date, but this has to be the best romantic restaurant in the area. This French brasserie has a charming but sleek dining room and an approachability that makes it easy for couples to enjoy an intimate meal.
You’ll find familiar French classics like filet mignon, coq au vin, and escargot. All are prepared incredibly well, they won’t distract from the conversation, and Pasjoli’s sophisticated ambiance will do its job of setting a romantic mood. Dress sharp, and make sure to have a reservation if you’re heading there on a weekend or on Valentine’s Day.
Our recommendation
For a brunch date, which is probably less romantic than a late evening meal, Pasjoli serves delicious Crêpes Suzette, which are ultra-thin pancakes that have been flambéed in Grand Marnier liqueur.
Location
2732 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Price level
$$$
Perch
The most romantic restaurants tend to be situated in romantic locations. One of DTLA’s best restaurants is a French bistro located in the Central Library, the area’s most renowned historical landmark. Perch’s main dining room features traditional French interiors with a classic, rustic feel to it. They take reservations, but the relaxed atmosphere and relatively thin downtown crowds make grabbing a table last minute much more doable.
Our recommendation
Depending on you and your date’s work schedule, make a reservation early on weekdays for their “Apéritif Hour,” where glasses of wine, kir, and cocktails are discounted. Waiting for a table, you’ll also want to get comfy on their sofas near the bar area.
Location
448 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Price level
$$$
Tacos Don Cuco
This wouldn’t be a proper Los Angeles restaurant list without a taqueria. While it’s almost impossible to determine which taco joint is the best in LA, Tacos Don Cuco provides a charming, no-frills experience that translates well to a casual but romantic date night. You’ll be sitting next to your date on the sidewalk, sharing a tray of tacos, and enjoying a genuine experience. It’s quintessentially LA and a place every couple should visit at least once.
No reservations, sport coat, or taking out a second mortgage are necessary to dine here. This is no fine-dining bistro with a Yellow Pages-sized wine list. This is a taqueria, a democratic, delicious, and delightful LA institution where it’s hard not to be romantic.
Our recommendation
This spot’s signature dishes are, well, tacos, of course. They have a little bit of everything when it comes to varieties, but the al pastor is the most popular, with perfectly crispy pork belly, pineapple, and the rest of the fixings. With so much flavor packed into one tortilla, you won’t need anything else.
Location
752 S Fetterly Ave, East Los Angeles, CA 90022
Price level
$
Conclusion
If your date is tonight and you haven’t made plans yet, you might be out of luck with some of these restaurants where the tables are coveted. If you’re behind the ball, explore LA's amazing street food scene for a scrappy but charming date over some sushi pizza, or even opt for grabbing a drink at a Los Angeles rooftop bar somewhere trendy like Silver Lake. The most romantic date nights do not always have to take place in a dining room. However you try to impress your date, there are plenty of romantic restaurants in Los Angeles where you can plan the perfect evening. Just remember, fun comes first.
