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The Best Date Night Restaurants In Los Angeles

Whether it’s the first or the 101st, this guide to date night has you covered.
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photo credit: Brant Cox

Dating is tough. First dates require input from several close friends and a local astrologist, second dates are arguably even worse, and if you make it to a third one, you have to finally start telling the truth about your life. But what about the 20th date? Or the 'please god let’s not sit on the couch and watch HGTV again' date? None of this is easy. But we’re here to help. Read on for our best LA bets for all-around dating success.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Japanese

West Hollywood

$$$$Perfect For:Date NightBusiness MealsSpecial Occasions
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Some date nights call for cozy meals at neighborhood bistros. Other times, scoring a table at the hottest new restaurant in town is the priority. If you’re leaning toward the latter, make the trip to Uchi. The modern, sleek Japanese restaurant in West Hollywood originates from Texas, a state not normally associated with pristine sashimi. But Uchi proves otherwise. The menu is…Texas-sized, but we’d suggest concentrating on the nigiri, then scattering in small plates like tempura, pork belly with pumpkin, and smoked yellowtail on crispy yuca. And feel free to finally wear that daring jacket you bought last year—people here are dressed to impress.

Spina is a small Italian restaurant in Atwater Village, and, in many ways, the ideal place to flirt with someone. It’s walk-in only so chances are you’ll have 20-ish minutes to break the ice before a seat opens up. The menu is short, which is great for an indecisive date, but still features rotating specials to keep things fresh. We suggest sitting at the bar with a special someone, where you can share nebbiolo and ricotta-stuffed ravioli, and watch the kitchen staff toss pasta in the air all night. The proximity to the stove might make you a little sweaty, but at least your date will think their cheeky jokes have some effect on you.

We don’t know the exact science behind it, but the combination of good pasta, great wine, and low lighting is foolproof in the world of early-in-the-game dates. It’s why a night at Etra is a slam dunk. This dark Italian spot in Melrose Hill feels like a secret wine bar in Berlin that only fashion-y people know about. The floors are tiled, the walls are plywood, and every person is so unbelievably well-dressed you’ll wonder if they’re hired extras. But it’s more than just vibes here—the food is excellent, too. Start with the chicory Caesar and decadent carne cruda and end with the rigatoni and a pork ribeye dusted in fennel pollen that’s easily the best thing on the menu.

You want to splurge a bit on a tasting menu experience, but aren’t looking to fork over two car payments in one date. A night at Baroo is an ideal middle-ground. The only dining option at this Korean spot in the Arts District is an eight-course $110 tasting menu designed to be paired with their interesting list of wines and Korean spirits. Think milky makgeolli and yeast rice squares topped with 'nduja and pichuberry, parae-battered skate with funky Riesling, and lots of fermented vegetables. The modern, industrial aesthetic helps keep things breezy and casual. 

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

If you dated on the Westside between 2016 and 2022, chances are you know Coucou by its former name, Chez Tex. That barebones wine bar was one of the best casual date spots in Santa Monica, and the good news for everyone seeking love is that not much has changed at Coucou. This bistro leans more French than its predecessor, with dishes like steak frites and mussels mariniere, and art-covered walls that say, “I’m in a Parisian apartment!” Just don’t assume you’re in for a sleepy night of red wine and French fries. With a chic crowd and electro-pop quietly thumping in the background, this is a place to look and feel hot. 

Lingua Franca might be the first restaurant in the city’s history to successfully romanticize the LA River, and that means you can trust it for date night. The warm American spot sits right on the river in Frogtown (you have to walk on the bike path to get to the front entrance) and already feels like a worn-in feel neighborhood hangout even though it only opened in the spring of 2023. There’s plenty of natural wine to drink, a string-lit back patio, and a rotating menu that can best be described as elevated picnic food. Think crunchy lavash with albacore crudo, Mashti Malone’s ice cream, and a particularly good burger served on a crispy english muffin.   

This old-school Argentinian steakhouse on Melrose feels like the kind of place you'd only know to look for if someone told you about it. There’s a front dining room adorned with antique mirrors and family photographs and a string-lit patio out back where merlot flows like tap water. The menu has no shortage of meat. We’re especially into the prime ribeye, which comes covered in a bright, punchy chimichurri glaze. Whatever you do though, save room for dessert. All the options, like flan and ricotta cheesecake, come out on a giant tableside platter.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

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Things are going well. You’re planning a fifth date and enthusiastically replying to each other’s texts. And, after several nights of the same sorts of cutesy dinner dates, you need a place like Amiga Amore to mix things up. This Highland Park spot combines Mexican and Italian dishes in a way that feels unique rather than gimmicky. You’ll eat well-constructed, hearty dishes like plump elote agnolotti, a caprese salad with diced cactus, and a bowl of chorizo and clams with thick slabs of toast. The small interior space has a tiny bar area for walk-ins, but for date night, we suggest heading out back to the string-lit patio. 

This Portuguese wine bar in Cypress Park falls into the category of Date Spot Where You Aren’t Trapped In A Booth All Night. It's a great pick if you’re hoping to keep things casual while still showing off that you know about cool stuff like fortified wine and cured meats. There are no reservations, the only seating inside is basically at the bar, and if you’ve never given sherry a shot, the staff will do everything in their power to change that. The food menu is short, but between the lemony tuna crudo and shaved Iberico ham or more substantial dishes like confit chicken leg in vinegary piri-piri sauce, there’s not a single dish we wouldn’t recommend. 

If you feel like you’ve been to every splashy date night spot in town, add Loreto to your list. Located in the sleepy enclave of Frogtown, this Mexican seafood restaurant feels more like an upscale place in the Arts District—there’s a cavernous dining room with exposed wooden beams, a sleek wrap-around bar, and lots of very well-dressed people who are also on dates. While some of the raw fish dishes can get expensive, the real date night hack is to order the whole grilled branzino. At just $68, it comes with rice, beans, escabeche, blue corn tortillas, three different salsas, and unlimited quesadillas (yes, really), and is a feast unto itself. If you’re looking to keep costs down, you could order just that and walk away thrilled. 

Dinner and a show is a tried-and-true date night format, and if you’re looking for the most cultured version of that category, you won’t find a better one-two punch than dinner at Bar Chelou followed by a show at Pasadena Playhouse. Not only is the Playhouse one of the top regional theaters in the country, but Bar Chelou is a French-ish bistro that completely breaks the mold of sleepy pre-theater dinner spots. The moody, barely lit dining room buzzes into the night with other dates sharing hearty, artfully plated dishes like snapped peas topped with smoky crumbled sausage and tuna crudo in a celery root puree. And while there are plenty of people eating here who aren't seeing a show later, if you are one of them, the staff will make sure you’re comfortably in your seats by showtime. 

When it comes to fancy, big-deal date spots, Hollywood is loaded with splashy options, but the understated Gwen remains one of our favorites. This art deco-designed meat emporium has developed a strong neighborhood following since it opened in 2016 and is one of the most consistently great $$$$ meals in the area. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceilings, floor-length glass lockers showcase prized meats, and multiple open hearths roar in the kitchen. It’s an epic setting, but the energy is classy and subdued—perfect for a high-end date night. Be sure to get the lamb chops, risotto, and 30-day aged ribeye.

You just got out of a movie at the Los Feliz 6 with your date and neither of you is ready to call it just yet. Go grab some snacks and a nightcap or two at Nossa Caipirinha Bar. The tiny Brazilian spot on Hillhurst opened in 2021 as a more formal restaurant, but has now evolved into the kind of casual hangout spot perfect for a last-minute add-on to date night. There’s an open-air dining room and a sidewalk patio—both offering excellent Los Feliz people-watching—plus hearty bar food like chicken heart skewers and mortadella sandwiches, and of course refreshing caipirinhas, the daiquiri-like national cocktail of Brazil.

A restaurant with a roaring open fire in the dining room is always going to be a good bet for date night, making Dunsmoor an easy choice for a slightly romantic dinner. And yet, the real move at this Southern-ish spot in Glassell Park is to skip the dining room altogether and just walk into the hidden wine bar around the back. Here you’ll be able to chat up the sommelier about their favorite bottles that aren’t listed on the menu, eat from an abridged bar menu (that includes all the major highlights from the main menu), and prove to your date that you are as cool as your highly-curated dating profile would suggest. 

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The Most Fun Dinner Spots In LA

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