Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in Los Angeles
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
202 spots · Jump to the list
For the anniversary, the birthday, the proposal. Every restaurant here sits at the top of the price range and treats dinner as the whole event. Book well ahead, mention what you're celebrating when you do, and plan for a longer meal than usual.
This guide ranks 202 special-occasion restaurants in Los Angeles, from Santa Monica to West LA / Brentwood and West Hollywood. 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.
Calabra
4.3(7)Santa Monica · $$$$
Toscana
4.3(7)West LA / Brentwood · $$$
Boxwood
4.3(6)West Hollywood · $$$
Peppone Restaurant
4.3(6)West LA / Brentwood · $$$$
Katsuya Brentwood
4.3(6)West LA / Brentwood · $$$
Ivy at the Shore
4.3(6)Santa Monica · $$$
Mother Wolf
4.3(4)Hollywood · $$$
Amici Brentwood
4.2(20)West LA / Brentwood · $$$
Coucou
4.2(19)Venice · $$$
Delilah Los Angeles
4.2(19)West Hollywood · $$$
Little Fish
4.2(18)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $$$$
Firstborn
4.2(17)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Somerville
4.2(16)$$$
Ospi Brentwood
4.2(15)West LA / Brentwood · $$$
Dante
4.2(11)Beverly Hills · $$$
Terrazza
4.2(11)Santa Monica · $$$$
La Boucherie
4.2(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Sirena Bar
4.2(6)Santa Monica · $$$
margot
4.1(24)Culver City · $$$
The Georgian Room
4.1(24)Santa Monica · $$$$
Olivetta
4.1(23)West Hollywood · $$$$
M Restaurant & Events
4.1(15)Catalina Island (Avalon) · $$$
Catch
4.1(14)Beverly Hills · $$$$
Citrin
4.1(14)Santa Monica · $$$$
Showing 121–144 of 202 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Calabra in Santa Monica, rated 4.3 out of 5. Toscana and Boxwood round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Santa Monica (6), West LA / Brentwood (5) and West Hollywood (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Ivy at the Shore, Mother Wolf and Delilah Los Angeles.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a big night out: drinks first, then the big dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.