Gjelina

On our list of the best romantic restaurants in Los Angeles.

Fran Camaj opened Gjelina on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in 2008, naming it after his mother, and built the menu on relationships with local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. The dining room reads like the hull of a ship; a secluded patio out back turns from bright and easy to dark as the sun goes down. The kitchen still turns out three-day fermented pizza dough scorched in a wood-fired oven and vegetable dishes like grilled kale with yogurt dressing and hazelnuts. Reservations go through the website, though weeknight walk-ins can often get seated without much wait.