Best live music venues for a date in Los Angeles
Eat early, catch the set, stay for one more.
125 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 125 live music venues in Los Angeles, from Hollywood to Long Beach 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.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Palms Thai
4.4(8)Hollywood · $$
Harvard & Stone
4.3(26)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $$$
Boardner's
4.3(26)Hollywood · $$
Roxanne's
4.3(20)Long Beach · $
Shannon's Corner
4.3(20)Long Beach · $
The Chestnut Club
4.3(18)Santa Monica · $$$
Canter’s
4.3(17)West Hollywood · $$
Secret Island
4.3(12)Long Beach · $$
El Floridita
4.3(11)Hollywood · $$
Good Times at Davey Wayne’s
4.3(10)Hollywood · $$
Baleen Kitchen
4.3(9)Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$
Dante Beverly Hills
4.3(8)Beverly Hills · $$$
Michael's
4.3(8)Santa Monica · $$$
Cara Restaurant
4.3(8)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $$$
The Penmar
4.3(7)Venice · $$
Alter Ego
4.3(6)Long Beach · $$$
SALT Restaurant & Bar
4.3(4)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
Meet in Paris French Bistro
4.2(26)Culver City · $$
Kulturas
4.2(25)Pasadena · $$
Delilah Los Angeles
4.2(19)West Hollywood · $$$
Somerville
4.2(16)$$$
Dante
4.2(11)Beverly Hills · $$$
Sirena Bar
4.2(6)Santa Monica · $$$
The Georgian Room
4.1(24)Santa Monica · $$$$
Showing 49–72 of 125 spots
Good to know
- What's the best place for live music in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Palms Thai in Hollywood, rated 4.4 out of 5. Harvard & Stone and Boardner's round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best live music venues?
- Hollywood (4), Long Beach (4) and Santa Monica (4) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable live music venues in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Palms Thai, Boardner's and Roxanne's are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Delilah Los Angeles, Somerville and The Georgian Room.
- 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.