Around Forma
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.8 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.9 mi
7:00 PMDinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Best romantic restaurants in Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
A romantic night in Santa Monica
Low light, a good table, and nowhere to be afterwards.
10 spots · Jump to the list
The restaurant is still the date most people start with, and the right one does most of the work: a room that's quiet enough to talk, light low enough to relax, a table you're not hurried off. Every restaurant here was chosen for that feeling rather than for the food alone — though the food is good. Book ahead for a weekend, ask for a corner or window table when you do, and leave the rest of the evening open.
This guide ranks 10 romantic restaurants in 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 people 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.
Around The Penthouse at the Huntley
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.8 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
7:00 PMDinner
Around 1 Pico
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.9 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
7:00 PMDinner
Romantic restaurants in Santa Monica
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Forma
4.8(22)Santa Monica · $$$
The Penthouse at the Huntley
4.8(5)Santa Monica · $$$
Layla's
4.7(19)Santa Monica · $$
1 Pico
4.6(8)Santa Monica · $$$$
Tar & Roses
4.5(11)Santa Monica · $$$$
Michael's
4.5(8)Santa Monica · $$$
MUSE Santa Monica
4.3(9)Santa Monica · $$$$
Ghisallo
4.0(6)Santa Monica · $$$
Fia Steak
3.8(8)Santa Monica · $$$
The Cove
3.7(23)Santa Monica · $$
Good to know
- What's the best romantic restaurant in Santa Monica for a date?
- Our top pick is Forma, rated 4.8 out of 5. The Penthouse at the Huntley and Layla's round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable romantic restaurants in Santa Monica?
- Yes — Layla's and The Cove are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a romantic night: drinks first, then dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.