A row of tables with green chairs and a yellow booth, the interior of the LA restaurant Faith & Flower; one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles for a first date.

The Best Restaurants in Los Angeles for Valentine’s Day

By Vox Creative Feb 4, 2020, 5:04pm EST

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By Vox Creative Feb 4, 2020, 5:04pm EST

Courtesy of Faith & Flower

This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

Valentine’s Day, one of the most romantic days of the year. But the search for a V-Day-worthy restaurant? Not so romantic. When you’re trying to find the right restaurant ambiance (maybe you’re going for super casual or super chic), or the right cuisine (maybe your date likes seafood, or maybe they hate it), things can get stressful very quickly. So to make planning for your big romantic day a little less hectic, here are our picks for the best Valentine’s Day restaurants in the LA area. These 12 eateries will not only impress on February 14th, but on date-night any day of the year.

Find the perfect foodie to dine with on Valentine’s Day, or any other day, on Bumble.

Èlephante

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Enjoy a date with coastal views, chic scenery, and an Italian-inspired menu that does not disappoint. Renowned restaurateur Nick Mathers opened Èlephante back in July of 2018 in a sun-filled, Santa Monica rooftop location. Share a delectable cacio e pepe pizza (you can’t go wrong with a favorite pasta on a pizza), or a saffron and basil flavored lobster spaghetti. And since Èlephante boasts not one but three bars, why not try their namesake shaken cocktail as well?

1332 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

(424) 320-2384

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Felix

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Since opening in 2017, Felix has been one of Venice’s most difficult reservations. That’s thanks to the pasta prowess of chef Evan Funke and the restaurant’s alluringly homey yet hip interior. Plan ahead to score a two-top for your date, perhaps next to the windowed pasta lab. Start with the pillowy sfincione, and then move to pasta, which comes in all shapes and sizes. There are also crisp pizzas and a few hearty meat dishes. Primo wine from across Italy puts everyone at ease.

1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

(424) 387-8622

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Jon & Vinny's Brentwood

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You can’t go wrong with Jon & Vinny’s, and it’s acclaimed Italian fare, for date night. The cherished red sauce staple from Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo expanded from its original Fairfax location, with an (arguably even better) outpost in Brentwood — featuring the same sleek white oak furniture, along with the additions of a wine shop in front, multiple skylights, and more seating. Come for the pizzas, homemade pastas, and beyond satisfying desserts. And then top of the night by bringing home a bottle from Helen’s Wines out front.

11938 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

(310) 442-2733

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Hatchet Hall

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Hatchet Hall creates the illusion of existing in a different time and place, not a bad setup for a memorable Valentine’s Day date. The throwback Americana look and menu from chef/owner Brian Dunsmoor turns heads with dishes such as spoonbread with wood roasted mushrooms; cornmeal-crusted rock cod with rice middlins and Creole meuniere; and classic desserts like peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Pair the mouthwatering fare with wine or get boozy with a southern-leaning cocktail like the Derby Julep. If things go well, consider retiring to the attached whiskey-strong Old Man bar that’s dark and romantic in all the right ways.

12517 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

(310) 391-4222

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The Little Door

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This quaint Beverly Grove restaurant checks all the V-Day date boxes. Whether you and your date repose on the serene leafy patio or in the candlelit dining room, you can take your time working through the French-Mediterranean menu that goes from duck liver mousse and grilled octopus to grilled sea bass and a vegetable pappardelle, but leave room for crème brulée. The wine list ranges from affordable to splurge-worthy.

8164 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

(323) 951-1210

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Sweet Chick

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A satisfying meal of Southern classics done right puts everyone in a good mood. This Fairfax-by-way-of-Brooklyn spot dishes out mac and cheese, grilled peach salad, and fried chicken and waffles, available in iterations from savory bacon cheddar to sweet apple cinnamon. Reminisce about a childhood love of fried chicken in a bucket over the three-piece version here, which comes with a biscuit and mashed potatoes or kohlrabi slaw. You can go boozy with beer and cocktails or stay classic Southern with iced tea (and even that can be boozed-up).

448 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 592-3423

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Gwen

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Bond over your love of meat and duck fat potatoes at this swanky, meat-centric restaurant in Hollywood that makes the most of its in-house butcher shop. There are oysters and a salad and a fish dish or two, but the romance at chef Curtis Stone’s restaurant begins over the steak tartare and ends with a hunk of rib-eye. Gwen has a top-notch, Santa Barbara-heavy wine list, but to really get things going, order something cheeky such as the vodka-based Galactic Love or the Angel Butter, built around bourbon.

6600 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

(323) 946-7500

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Castaway

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This perennially busy Burbank restaurant (updated in 2018 with a $10 million renovation) delivers that classic “wow” factor to a date. Perched atop the Verdugo Hills, it boasts a stunning view of the Valley that’s especially stunning as day turns to night. Dine as romantic dates have for years on classics like shrimp cocktail, a wedge salad, and a steak from California-based Flannery Beef. Date-worthy enhancements like truffle butter and bone marrow litter the menu, but the piece de resistance is the molten chocolate lava cake.

1250 E Harvard Rd, Burbank, CA 91501

(818) 848-6691

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L&E Oyster Bar

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A perfectly mixed classic cocktail or glass of bubbly alongside fresh oysters goes a long way during a Valentine’s date (or any date, for that matter). This small, bi-level spot in Silver Lake does romance right with candle-lit tables, and the changing menu stays just casual enough with well-executed seafood fare (lobster rolls, crab cake, etc.).

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1637 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

(323) 660-2255

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Faith & Flower

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A sexy, soaring interior sets the mood at this Downtown LA restaurant seemingly made for new beginnings. Glittering chandeliers and an art deco aesthetic makes promises that its classic cocktails keep (try the rum-heavy circa-1862 English milk punch). The menu updates regularly, but you’ll find dishes like deviled Jidori eggs and a puff pastry-wrapped salmon to shake up your date night.

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705 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

(213) 239-0642

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Button Mash

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Come to this Echo Park spot for Valentine’s Day fun—playing old-school arcade games like Frogger and Mortal Kombat II and pinball—but stay for the food. The flavor-packed pan Asian comfort menu is itself a mash-up, with double-fried tangy chicken wings tempting alongside crispy tofu balls. You and your date can make a meal of it with a melt-in-your-mouth double cheeseburger or spicy pork dan dan noodles. The energetic place has local drafts, plus wines by the glass and bottle, and some non-alcoholic options (don’t fret, there are game-side cup holders).

1391 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

(213) 250-9903

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Highland Park Bowl

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The Highland Park building dates back to the Prohibition era, and a 2016 update restored the glowing eight-lane alley and atmospheric arched wooden ceiling. Woo one another over strikes, spares, and slices. It’s hard to imagine eating better at a bowling alley, with a menu of crisp pizzas from a wood-fired oven; shareable nibbles like fried calamari served with lemon aioli, calabrese, and squid ink salt; and a real Caesar salad made with anchovies. Order classic cocktails like the Moscow Mule on draft, or drink old-school with a PBR. Lane reservations are available by phone.

Find the perfect foodie to dine with on Valentine’s Day, or any other day, on Bumble.