Firefly

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

A back patio in Studio City built around a two-story wall of ivy and a freestanding, see-through fireplace gives this restaurant its signature look, with cabanas lining the sides that read more like a European courtyard than a stretch of Ventura Boulevard. Inside, dark corners and brighter, light-filled rooms sit close together, playing off the name Firefly. Bigeye tuna tartare, mussels in a curry broth and fried Manzanilla olives come off a wide American menu, served on a heated patio strung with lights.