Date night in Los Angeles
Pick the vibe — first date, anniversary, or low-key Friday — and use this Los Angeles shortlist of romantic spots, dinner picks and walks.
Top spots in Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory
OutdoorsLos Feliz
Free planetarium with the city's best skyline-and-Hollywood-sign combo.
Venice Beach
OutdoorsVenice
Boardwalk performers, Muscle Beach and rollerbladers at sunset.
The Getty Center
CultureBrentwood
Free hilltop museum, Richard Meier architecture and ocean views.
Runyon Canyon
OutdoorsHollywood
Quick hike with celebrity sightings and the classic LA-basin panorama.
Grand Central Market
Food & DrinkDowntown
Century-old food hall — Eggslut, tacos, fresh juice under neon signs.
Best date-night spots in Los Angeles
12 curated picks — from candlelit dinners to sunset views.
Bestia
$$$Restaurant · Arts District
Hard-to-book Italian, intimate industrial room.
République
$$$Restaurant · Mid-Wilshire
Charlie Chaplin's old studios, vaulted ceiling.
Yamashiro
$$$$View · Hollywood Hills
Hilltop Japanese gardens with city lights.
Griffith Observatory
$View · Los Feliz
Sunset over LA + planetarium show — free.
Apt 503
$$$Cocktail bar · Koreatown
Hidden Koreatown bar, intimate seating.
Hatchet Hall
$$$Restaurant · Culver City
Southern hospitality with garden patio.
Vespertine
$$$$Restaurant · Culver City
Otherworldly tasting menu in vertical glass tower.
The Dresden
$$Live music · Los Feliz
Marty & Elayne live lounge act — LA institution.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall
$$$Experience · Downtown
Frank Gehry building, LA Phil performances.
Felix Trattoria
$$$Restaurant · Venice
Pasta date on Abbot Kinney.
Manuela
$$$Restaurant · Arts District
Hauser & Wirth gallery garden restaurant.
El Matador State Beach
$Walk · Malibu
Sea caves + sunset — secret-feeling beach.
Where to eat
Bestia
$$$Italian · Arts District
Pasta and charcuterie in a warehouse — hardest reso in LA.
Guelaguetza
$$Oaxacan · Koreatown
Seven moles and live banda music on weekends.
Republique
$$$French bakery / bistro · Mid-Wilshire
Stunning Charlie Chaplin-era room, all-day pastries to dinner.
Howlin' Ray's
$$Hot chicken · Chinatown
Nashville heat in LA — the line is the lifestyle.
n/naka
$$$$Kaiseki · Palms
Niki Nakayama's 13-course modern Japanese tasting.
Frequently asked
- Start with a wine bar, then a slow-paced dinner, then dessert or a walk. Highlights right now: Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach, The Getty Center.