Find a charming setting for your Valentine this year that she or he will never forget. Try one of our favorite LA picks for a romantic scene with memorable love bites.
Romantic Dining in Los Angeles
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills conveniently right next to Tiffany & Co. Dine on the enchanting side terrace overlooking the landmark Beverly Wilshire Hotel with live jazz and soul music to complement your grand affair from the Jerome Dean Trio. Feel like a Pretty Woman in the 90210.
208 Rodeo will be offering a four course lovers’ prix fixe menu ($90/pp) for Valentine’s Day from Executive Chef Curt Gladden. Start with an amuse bouche of Caramelized Onion Tartlet with chevre, and then choose from Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail; Baby Beet Salad with pistachio and sorrel; or Wild Mushroom Bisque for the first course. For the main event, options include Wagyu Beef Short Rib with Anson Mills polenta; housemade Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with baby artichoke and truffle butter nage; or Black Cod with butter beans and brown butter emulsion. Finish the night in true Valentine’s Day fashion with Chocolate Fondue for 2, served with fruit, brioche, and marshmallows.
208 Rodeo is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and Happy Hour Monday through Friday. The Valentine’s Day menu will be offered on Sunday, February 14th between 6 and 11 p.m. Call 310.275.2428 for reservations or visit OpenTable.
Take your lovebird to this west side location that has continued to receive rave reviews. Enjoy special dinner hours at Hinoki & The Bird, while cooing over an exclusive Valentine’s Day menu from Executive Chef Brandon Kida! Hinoki is normally closed all day on Sundays, but on February 14, 2016 guests visiting for Valentine’s day will be able to enjoy dinner from 5pm to 9pm. Dinner dishes will include Beef Tartare with pickled jalapeno and parmesan; Kabocha Squash Toast with burrata cheese and butterscotch miso; and Hinoki Scented Black Cod with dashi and shishito. In addition, Hinoki will treat guests visiting on Valentine’s Day with a complimentary to-go treat to enjoy.
Head downtown to Los Angeles’ most contemporary and iconic instant classics since opening in 2014, Faith & Flower where you can dine on a prix fixe 3-course menu priced at $72 per person. A “Welcome Toast” consisting of Blood Orange and Ginger Spritzer will be offered, and guests will have their choice of a first course, second course, and dessert. Prix fixe menu options will include a 5-Spiced Duck Terrine with rose water, beet mostarda and warm oatmeal bread; Maine Lobster Risotto with buttered leeks, marinated mussels and crispy shallot; Smoked Pimenton Braised Shortribs with roasted cauliflower, almond caper salsa seca and Natural Jus; and Sticky Toffee Pudding with black date cake, rye whiskey toffee sauce, apples and fermented caraway ice cream.
Located in the heart of the Sunset Strip, Estrella will be partnering with LXV Wine to offer guests visiting on Valentine ’s Day a 4-course dinner and optional wine pairing to inspire your Kamasutra evening. (Especially appropriate as LXV’s wines are inspired by the 64 arts of the Kamasutra!) The dinner menu is priced at $65 and will be available from 5:30pm-10:00pm. The optional wine pairing featuring LXV’s Kamasutra inspired wines is an additional $35.
Estrella’s Valentine’s Day menu will include Foie Gras & Truffle Mozzarella Toast with charred shishito pepper, sunchokes and haystack potatoes; Harissa Grilled Prawns with house made potato cavatelli, charred sweet onions and black garlic; Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin with red beet and black truffle risotto, grilled abalone mushrooms and beet chips; and Cinnamon Sticky Toffee Pudding with ginger-orange gelato & pecan praline. Vegetarian substitutions will also be available.
This Valentine’s Day, Terrine, a California brasserie with French flair on Beverly Blvd, will offer a stunning, six-course prix fixe menu for $75+. Chef/Owner Kris Morningstar and Restaurateur Stephane Bombet know how to wow! Menu highlights include Ricotta Gnocchi with truffle butter, pea greens, and parmesan; and a Trio of Beef with short rib, natural bavette, and bone marrow with balsamic beet purée, red flannel hash, and horseradish. Upon request, Chef Morningstar will also offer an entirely vegetarian or vegan menu, course for course. Managing Partner and Wine Director François Renaud will be on-hand to suggest wine pairings best suited to each course for an additional $30. The regular dinner menu will not be available.
Celebrate your Valentine from morning to night with love-struck brunch and dinner dishes at Viviane, the newly opened Beverly Hills restaurant from Executive Chef Michael Hung and restaurateurs Stephane Bombet and François Renaud. For daytime diners, Hung will pay homage to the Avalon Hotel’s most iconic resident, Marilyn Monroe, with a selection of brunch dishes inspired by the starlet’s most famous sweethearts, including Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, John F. Kennedy, Marlon Brando, and Frank Sinatra. After sundown, Valentine’s Day guests will be treated to a romantic prix fixe dinner ($72) with a choice of three courses, highlighting Hung’s modern, California take on Continental classics. Highlights from the dinner menu include a Caviar Amuse-Bouche; a Salad of Blood Orange and Chioggia Beets with fennel, spiced pistachios, and Greek yogurt; Pan Roasted Delta Sturgeon with sautéed Bloomsdale spinach, Meyer lemon potato fondue, and crayfish butter; and Rose Scented Pavlova with pomegranate crémeux, grapefruit marmalade, and toasted oats.
This neighborhood gem, located in the thriving Culver City, transports diners to India for a vibrant meal that takes the palate on a journey from the dhabas found off of the highways of India, to the ashrams and fine five star hotels of Mumbai or New Delhi. Chef and owner Akasha Richmond will enchant couples this Valentine’s Day weekend with a special menu that will include ginger & tangerine braised crispy duck leg with saffron quinoa and leeks & pistachios; tandoori NY steak with hand cut fries, chaat masala, and Sāmbār steak sauce; paneer, peas & pea tendrils with tomato & fenugreek sauce; and finished off with decadent desserts infused with Indian spices such as a cardamom & vanilla crème brûlée served with a rose shortbread or a flourless dark chocolate & cashew torte served with blood orange sorbet and old monk rum chocolate sauce. The Valentine’s Day menu will be served starting February 12 – 14th at Sāmbār located at 9531 Culver Blvd. in Culver City, CA.
Crossroads Kitchen
For a plant-based loved story, Chef Tal Ronnen, who just released his newest book based on the beloved signature dishes at Crossroads (Crossroads – Artisan Books), will serve up a five-course menu ($75) this Valentine’s Day holiday. The menus feature hand-selected ingredients from the market, such as roasted chanterelles, that equally appeal to the senses and the appetite. Chef Ronnen, with Executive Chef Scot Jones will offer Walnut Sherry Roasted Chanterelles with amaranth apple gremolata; Sundried Tomato Cannelloni with sundried tomato almond ricotta, and dueling sauces (Spinach cream and Truffle cream); and Scaloppini Chanterelle with pomegranate seeds and prosecco demi sauce.
Also offered is the classic Italian Wedding Soup—a fun play on the translation (minestra maritata) “married soup”—and was created for the menu (offered as an option for the second course) in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, inspiring couples to embrace love and romance over an unforgettable meal. This five-course menu will be available at Crossroads on February 14th only; seatings available at 5 pm, 7 pm, and 9:30 pm. For reservations, call 323.782.9245. Crossroads is located at 8284 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles.
Head to Santa Monica for a loving traditional family-style, prix-fixe menu, priced at $110/person. Ideal for double dates or getting together with a group of friends, the whole table chooses 6 dishes out of 16 options, with wine pairings also available for an additional $45/person. Menu highlights include Oysters Rockefeller with nettles, bread crumb, and vermouth; New York Strip with bone marrow, strawberry, fennel, and polenta; and Passion Fruit Marshmallow with a Hot Cocoa Tart. For a more casual option, guests dining in the bar/lounge area can choose from a select à la carte menu. Reservations can be made by calling 310.393.7050.
Executive Chef Giuseppe Manco creates two special menus for the Valentine’s Day weekend. For the Friday and Saturday (February 12 – 13) leading up to the holiday, a special three-course, prix-fixe menu ($79 per person) will be offered in addition to the regular a la carte menu, as a great romantic alternative for avoiding the chaos on the actual holiday. Some standout highlights include: Diced Tuna Tartar with avocado and chives and Beef Medallions alla Rossini with foie gras and heirloom carrots.
On Valentine’s Day, February 14, Mr. C will be exclusively serving a romantic, four-course dinner menu ($135 per person), including a complimentary “deconstructed” Bellini at arrival; live music performances at 7 and 9 p.m.; and a single stem rose or lily for your special date. A few of the menu highlights include: Baked Béchamel Veal Ravioli alla Cipriani; Alaskan Halibut with asparagus and citrus sauce; and a Trio of Chocolate Semifreddo with vanilla sauce and raspberries. Guests can make reservations by emailing restaurantbh@mrchotels.com or calling 310.226.6245.
Brentwood’s highly praised steakhouse, is gearing up for their first Valentine’s Day. In addition to the a la carte menu, a special four-course menu ($85 per person/additional wine pairing for $45) featuring signature Baltaire selections along with new, seasonal dishes from Executive Chef Travis Strickland will be available in the main dining room, outdoor terrace, and bar and lounge during lunch and dinner service February 12, 13, and 14. Adding to the indulgence, guests can enjoy live music all weekend, while Champagne and caviar carts roam the lounge and dining room.
Menu highlights include: Housemade Goat Cheese Cappelletti with baby zucchini, favas, squash blossoms, and Pecorino Romano; Little Gem Lettuce with confit tomato, Parmesan tuile, nasturtiums, and herb-buttermilk vinaigrette; Braised Beef Short Rib with parsnip-carrot puree, and horseradish cream; and TCHO Chocolate Soufflé with bourbon chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream. Reservations can be made via online or calling 424.273.1660.
Make it a romantic night with our latest fav, Inotheke in Santa Monica. Dine on fresh, herb infused Mediterranean-style Greek dishes, along with sparkling cocktails and warm, sweet desserts. Owner Carolos Tomazos recommends sharing the love by sharing Small Plates like Octopus in Wine with pearl onions and red wine, along with Potted Duck with walnuts, orange and cardamom and Herb Crusted Salmon with an eggplant-Tahini salad and Oven Roasted Potatoes with lemon and garlic. Pair these clean plates (which you will lick clean) with the delicate Persephone wine cocktail poured with Champagne, pomegranate juice, lemon and fresh thyme. Follow that up with a decadently delicious Valentine’s Day special dessert of Karydopita; a walnut and date cake with Brandy and honey whipped cream for $9.00. Feel (and taste) the love with Inotheke. Open on February 14 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm; 606 Broadway Avenue, Suite 101, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310.458.3366.
And if dining isn’t enough, contact Sugar and Spyked to amp the romance even farther by booking a package complete with roses, dipped chocolate strawberries, and couples massages.
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