MUSE Santa Monica

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

A group of friends in their twenties runs this Santa Monica Canyon dining room, with chef-owner Fardad Khayami visiting every table and his younger brother Nikdad, trained in Paris, sending out desserts on a tableside cart. The St. Honoré and tiramisu get the presentation treatment, while the kitchen turns out a braided brioche starter and a rack of lamb in tangy jus. Marc Ange designed the Art Deco room around works by Joan Miró, and felt-walled booths seat the crowd that gathers most nights.