A night of live music in Silver Lake / Echo Park →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.5 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMThe show
3
8:30 PMNightcap
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best live music venues for a date in Los Angeles
Eat early, catch the set, stay for one more.
123 spots · Jump to the list
Live music takes the pressure off a date: there's always something to react to, and nobody has to carry the conversation. The list runs from jazz clubs to bars with a band in the corner. Check the lineup before you go, eat beforehand, and leave time for a drink afterwards to talk about the set.
This guide ranks 123 live music venues in Los Angeles, from Long Beach to Pasadena and Santa Monica. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A night of live music in Catalina Island (Avalon)
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.6 mi
7:00 PMThe show
3
8:30 PMNightcap
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 123.
RestaurantManila Inasal
4.9(24)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$$$
BarFlx Biergarten
4.9(20)Catalina Island (Avalon) · $$
Cocktail BarBar Jubilee
4.9(15)West Hollywood · $$
Food Vendor & EateryKavahana
4.8(26)Santa Monica · $
Food HallThe Enclave
4.7(26)Torrance · $
RestaurantScarlett
4.7(25)Beverly Hills · $$$$
Botanical GardenSouth Coast Botanic Garden
4.7(22)Palos Verdes · $
BarThe Exhibition Room
4.7(19)Long Beach · $$
RestaurantTwo Hommés
4.7(16)$$
BarOld Towne Pub
4.7(16)Pasadena · $
BrewerySmog City Brewing Company
4.7(13)Torrance · $
MarketSanta Monica Farmers’ Market
4.7(11)Santa Monica · $
RestaurantArroyo Chophouse
4.6(26)Pasadena · $$$
BarHarvelle’s
4.6(24)Long Beach · $$
Dive BarHinano Café
4.6(23)Venice · $
Argentinian RestaurantCarlitos Gardel
4.6(16)West Hollywood · $$$$
Cocktail BarThe Tap Room
4.6(14)Pasadena · $$$
Bar1642 Beer and Wine
4.6(12)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$
PubAuld Dubliner
4.6(8)Long Beach · $$
BarAlex's Bar
4.6(7)Long Beach · $
RestaurantMaestro Pasadena
4.5(26)Pasadena · $$$
Cocktail BarThe Washington
4.5(25)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
RestaurantCasablanca
4.5(25)Venice · $$
RestaurantLighthouse
4.5(25)Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$
Good to know
- What's the best place for live music in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Manila Inasal in Silver Lake / Echo Park, rated 4.9 out of 5. Flx Biergarten and Bar Jubilee round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best live music venues?
- Long Beach (4), Pasadena (4) and Santa Monica (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable live music venues in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Flx Biergarten, Bar Jubilee and Kavahana are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for The Exhibition Room and Carlitos Gardel, while Bar Jubilee takes walk-ins.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night of live music: dinner, then the show, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.