American Beauty

On our lists of the best romantic restaurants and special-occasion restaurants in Los Angeles.

The original American Beauty opened in Venice; this larger location sits inside The Grove mall, with a horseshoe-shaped bar built for a dirty martini and a plate of fries before a movie next door at the AMC. The dining rooms are done in a retro style with a leafy front patio, and the kitchen wood-grills its steaks, including a hanger cut with a heavy char, alongside jerk hamachi collar and hash browns stuffed with caramelized onions and sour cream. It works as a sit-down dinner or a stop before a show.