The most romantic Valentine’s Day dinners in Los Angeles

Menu: From February 13 to 17, this Topanga mainstay—and one of L.A.’s most romantic restaurants—will serve a five-course prix-fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, with options for vegans and vegetarians. Highlights include a black truffle risotto and a mixed berry crumble. 

Why you should book: The Inn of the Seventh Ray was forced to stay closed until January 29 due to the Palisades Fire. Now parts of Topanga Canyon are safely accessible through the San Fernando Valley. If you can stomach the longer commute, the Inn isn’t just a beloved canyon hideaway; during the wildfires, the hotel and restaurant also served as a home base for the local fire department. Throw in the Inn’s charming ambience and it’s the perfect excuse to get out of work early. As of midday on February 3, there are still 6:45pm and 8:15pm tables available for Valentine’s Day—plus ample availability the day before and throughout the weekend.

Price: $165 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via Tock. 

Menu: This downtown Santa Monica Spanish restaurant has put together a tapas-centric tasting menu, with exact menu details still to be announced.

Why you should book: Last month, Xuntos partnered with World Central Kitchen to feed displaced residents and first responders working to contain the Palisades Fire. The restaurant continues to offer daytime community meals to those in need. Unfortunately, chef-owner Sandra Cordero also closed her other business, Gasolina Cafe, in Woodland Hills—but Xuntos is still here and serves the most traditional, delicious Spanish cuisine in Los Angeles. I love the croquetas de jamon and harder-to-find items like bikinis (tiny grilled cheese sandwiches) and tuna empanadas (served in slices, unlike the ones in Latin America). Plus, it offers a cozy, date night atmosphere perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Price: $85 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable.

Menu: This Thai-Japanese tasting menu spot in Virgil Village is serving Flavors of Love, a special menu just for the holiday. Highlights include delicate bluefin tuna roses, red curry chawanmushi topped with sea urchin and A5 Wagyu. As of February 3, there’s still availability for both the 5:30pm and 8pm seatings.

Why you should book: This tiny, upscale brick-and-mortar Virgil Village restaurant isn’t your average Thai restaurant when it comes to price point, ambience or heat level. Since 2020, chef-owner Nan Yimcharoen has been beloved by fine dining aficionados across the city for her jewelry box-like bentos. The cozy atmosphere and small staff also make every night at this chef’s counter feel special. 

Price: $250 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via Tock.

Menu: If you don’t mind eating at 5pm (or 9pm), this brand-new Italian seafood restaurant in Beverly Hills is serving a five-course prix-fixe menu and still has tables available. Highlights include a caviar-topped burrata crostini, dungeness crab pappardelle, Dover sole for two and an impressive chocolate mousse sphere for dessert.

Why you should book: With a stylish dining room, impeccable service and a handful of culinary standouts, this pricey New York City seafood specialist has made a splash in the 90210’s oversubscribed Italian dining scene. Head chef Travis Passerotti (formerly of the Tasting Kitchen in Venice) also lost his home in the Palisades Fire. Of course, the swanky space, complete with a glowing onyx bar and top-notch service, also has great ambience for Valentine’s Day.

Price: $275 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via Sevenrooms.

Menu: This French-Japanese bistro in the Arts District—and new addition to Time Out’s citywide best restaurants guide—is offering a five-course prix-fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, exact menu details still to be announced. 

Why you should book: There’s plenty of tables available as of February 3—and the clever mix of Asian and European culinary techniques here translates into a winning meal, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not. Throw in the polished dining room and excellent cocktails, and it’s an impressive meal, perfect for pairs who prioritize fine dining over ambience.

Price: $165 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable.

Menu: Wolfgang Puck's rooftop restaurant in West Hollywood is offering a three-course dinner menu for Valentine's Day. Nosh on a set of appetizers for the table that includes Kumamoto oysters, Maine lobster spring rolls and nigiri before diving into entrées like Australian Wagyu filet mignon or black seabass with black bean soy sauce. For dessert, all tables will receive a dazzling red velvet-based Love Letter, which also involves oolong tea ganache, vanilla cream and strawberry compote.

Why you should book: Thanks to stunning views of the hills, this hotel restaurant atop the Pendry West Hollywood is one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. Puck's trademark Cal--Asian-French cuisine may no longer be cutting edge, but the Merois team still strives to flawlessly execute the celebrity chef's vision—and typically delivers. 

Price: $175 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable. Note that all pre-paid bookings are non-refundable. 

Menu: Walter and Margarita Manzke's critically acclaimed Californian French eatery is offering a multi-course tasting menu with a full wine pairing. Highlights include Liberty Farms duck with sauce a l’orange and a sugar snap pea Thai curry soup.

Why you should book: République has long been one of L.A.’s best restaurants and the charming former Campanile space is still an excellent place in terms of both atmosphere and cuisine to spend Valentine’s Day. As of writing, there’s still tables at 5pm and 9:30pm available.

Price: $225 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity. 

Reservations: Pre-pay and book online via OpenTable.

Menu: The West Hollywood EDITION’s vegetable-forward lobby restaurant will be serving a prix-fixe menu on Valentine’s Day and there are still tables available around 5:30pm and 9:45pm.

Why you should book: You can’t avoid a bit of that trying-a-little-too-hard Sunset Strip scene inside this dinner spot at the West Hollywood EDITION. But any drawbacks are easily outweighed by Ardor’s veggie-focused menu and the astoundingly lush garden interior (seriously, you just might be competing with a wall of palm fronds for you date’s attention). The menu here is one of our favorites along the Sunset Strip, but the sultry, cinematic ambience is what send this place over the top for anniversaries, birthdays and Valentine's Day.

Price: $150 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable.

Menu: This longtime Argentine steakhouse on Melrose Avenue is offering a prix-fixe menu for Valentine’s Day—and there’s still a few tables left for 5pm.

Why you should book: Run by the Bozoghlian family since 1996, and around for even longer, this Argentinian steakhouse along Melrose Avenue offers an intoxicating mix of high-quality steaks and old-school vibes, all at a fairly reasonable price. The dining room offers a classy, quieter ambience than many other spots around town. While Carlitos Gardel hasn’t revealed its holiday menu, expect perfectly cooked steaks with plenty of chimichurri, plus one of the best wine lists in town.

Price: $175 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable.

Menu: Neal Fraser’s stunning Downtown restaurant, located in an old Roman Catholic cathedral, will offer a three-course Valentine’s Day tasting menu (with vegetarian options) in Redbird’s main dining room and lounge. Choose from decadent appetizers like Maine lobster and enoki chawanmushi, plus a rack of Australian lamb with labneh and spiced walnut vinaigrette as a main.

Why you should book: The breezily elegant rooms behind a former Catholic cathedral bring to mind romance, and Fraser’s cuisine—whether you’re doing the prix-fixe or the chef's tasting—wows with plenty of global flourishes whether or not it's Valentine’s Day.

Price: $150 per person for the main dining room prix-fixe.

Reservations: Book via OpenTable. 

Menu: Suzanne Tracht’s iconic chophouse on Beverly Boulevard will offer a three-course menu for Valentine’s Day. Start off with New England clam chowder, Little Gem Caesar salad or roasted beets before moving onto Tracht’s well-executed takes on halibut, duck breast or steak. Choose between red velvet raspberry cake or chocolate caramel cake for dessert.

Why you should book: Jar’s famously sleek interiors and mood lighting have made it famous through on-screen appearances, including key scenes in La La Land and I Love You, Man, and the modern steakhouse still reads just as luxurious today. The classic cuisine here never fails to satisfy either—and we’ve been to dozens of steakhouses across town. If you’re looking for an impressive, timeless meal for Valentine’s Day, go here.

Price: $175 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity. 

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable. Note that cancellations after February 11 will be charged in full.

Menu: This Santa Monica rooftop restaurant is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, complete with amuse bouche. Highlights include bluefin tuna tiradito, lobster ravioli and filet mignon with a pink peppercorn cognac demi-glace.

Why you should book: Eighteen stories above Santa Monica, the Penthouse at the Huntley offers a wraparound view of the Promenade and the Pacific Ocean, plus a luxe white interior and chandeliers. In short: The restaurant is picture-perfect. Though the pricey Mediterranean-inspired New American food runs more adequate than truly memorable, the chance to enjoy a long evening with a loved one—or even a group of friends—at this ultra-romantic Santa Monica eatery with breathtaking ocean views is more than worth the cost of admission.

Price: $150 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity.

Reservations: Book online via OpenTable.