Justin Caffier and Tara FinleyLove it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Whether you spend the day celebrating love, or would rather drown your sorrows in some great food and drink deals, there is no better place to do it than in L.A.
From Galentine’s Day brunch to cozy Valentine’s Day dinners, here is our guide to celebrating Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles. With great specials on desserts, wine pairings, and cocktails, these top 12 spots are just the place to show some love.
(Courtesy Castaway)
Named one of OpenTable’s “50 Best Restaurants for a Date in America,” Castaway is known for its spectacular views and upscale, seasonally-inspired menu. Recently completely renovated — everything is new, from their furniture to their service model — the new design features multi-level seating to ensure a killer view from every seat. We prefer the patio, with its gorgeous valley and DTLA backdrop, along with secluded nooks for intimate moments. Wow your date with a reservation for Valentine’s Day, when Castaway will be offering a special four-course menu featuring Dungeness crab salad, Cape Grim fillet and king crab surf and turf, and Alaskan halibut. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available.
Truly, what’s Valentine’s Day without wine? This Valentine’s Day, Vintage Wine + Eats is debuting a special menu for a budget-friendly $49 per guest. New head chef Sarah Stearns’ menu is varied, but we are most excited about the cherry-braised pork with mustard spätzle and London fog creme brûlée. Did we mention the prix-fixe menu includes all items? Other than a date, you won’t have any difficult decisions to make here, except for whether you should pair your meal with their unique wine offerings.
(Courtesy Vintage Wine and Eats)
Whether you’re all aboard the anti-Valentine’s train or just looking for a fun place to enjoy Valentine’s Day drinks, this 1950s-themed underground cocktail lounge is the place to be. The bar’s niche is themed drinks, with a rotating cocktail series featuring bartenders’ monthly creations. February is aptly all about bringing the heat, with specials designed around it. Impress your date by downing a habanero and nopales-infused Abe’s Green Drink, or sip on a Love Me Tender with bourbon, apple brandy, strawberry and elder flower.
Valentine’s Pride Lemon Drop Cocktail for LGBT Center
Drink for a cause this Valentine’s Day with the Valentine’s Pride Lemon Drop. Both Station Hollywood and The Living Room at the W Hollywood Hotel will be serving up this special “Love is Love”-themed cocktail all February long. Complete with a rainbow candy garnish, a dollar from every Pride Lemon Drop sold will be donated to the LGBT Center. Bar-hopping for charity is always a noble way to spend any holiday.
Klatch Coffee Valentine’s Day Latte Art Class
If you’re like my husband and I, conversation can wane after close to a decade of dates. This is why fun, conversation-starting experiences like Klatch Coffee’s Valentine’s Day latte art class is one of our favorite picks for an out-of-the-box Valentine’s Day date. On February 14, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., couples are invited to learn all about the intricacies of latte art at Klatch’s Redondo Beach location. Competition-winning baristas will guide attendees through the basics as everyone works to perfect their skills. Tickets run $125 per person and are the perfect way to energize a typical date night.
Black Manhattan with a Chocolate Godiva Cake (Courtesy Alcove Cafe and Bakery)
Alcove Café & Bakery + Big Bar
Alcove’s Café and Bakery, alongside its craft cocktail den Big Bar, will be hosting multiple events dedicated to the day of love. We’re looking forward to their evening Galentine’s Day brunch on the 13th, with menu items like Bitches Love Toast, a showing of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, a photo booth, and bedazzling cocktail glass craft. On the 14th, grab a date and enjoy the bar’s featured menu of pairings — from the unusual to the obvious.
If you’re less about the romance and more into the theme, Pasta Sister’s Pico and Culver City locations are serving up heart shaped ravioli from February 3 to February 14. A great casual alternative to other amorous options, these cute pasta dishes hit all the right spots for a Galentine’s Day celebration.
Mrs. Fish is one of our favorite spots for a romantic date, making it an obvious choice for our Valentine’s Day list. Their intimate dining room, incredible 5,500 gallon fish tank and resident Japanese leopard sharks make this setting the perfect place for an incredible dining experience. Their Valentine’s menu is five courses, featuring salmon and Osetra caviar, Wagyu filet mignon, a chefs’ selection of sashimi and more. Given the high-end quality of the food, the Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu is a surprising steal at $79 per person. Reservations are a must.
Valentine’s cocktails (Courtesy of Mrs. Fish)
Ever Bar‘s “Anti” Valentine’s Day Party
If you can’t stand Valentine’s Day, or are just more about self-love and the #SingleLife, head on over to Ever Bar’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Party on Friday, February 14, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. This Hollywood hot spot will have live music, strong cocktails and a like-minded crowd to help you get through this so-called Hallmark holiday. Bring a photo of your ex to shred for a free shot!
If you are already over Valentine’s Day and are just ready for it to go away, February 15th is your day. Dealing with a recent breakup, or have old memories of lovers past making an unwelcome return? Head to Pacifique’s Kill the Flame party the day after Valentine’s from 5 p.m. until closing. Want a complimentary cocktail? Bring a photo of your ex to light up and add to the fire. As they say, “kill the flame by putting your past to flames.”
District DTLA
Situated on the courtyard level of The Bloc, District DTLA is a modern American restaurant perfectly located for a Valentine’s Day date night on the town. Offering a three-course prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day dinner, District DTLA guests will get to choose between yummy options like a seared ahi tuna salad and a warm apple crostata with French vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle. At $48 per person, you’ll have the budget for dinner and drinks.
Valentines Day Spread (Courtesy of Cafe Gratitude)
Cuisine + Connection by Café Gratitude & The Magic of Human Connection
Remember how we were lamenting earlier about stagnating conversation? Café Gratitude gets it. At all locations from Thursday, February 13 to Sunday, February 16th, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Café Gratitude is collaborating with Jessica Encell Coleman, founder of The Magic of Human Connection, to bring diners “Cuisine + Connection.” Labeled an “interactive dining experience,” guests are invited to bring their partners and learn how to amplify the love in their relationship. At $45 per person, each menu course will be paired with a “Connection Course,” a heart-centered activity that promises to deepen your connection. If you’re looking for a unique date night experience to celebrate love and gratitude this Valentine’s Day, we can’t recommend this enough.
Otium
After taking in some contemporary art at The Broad, you and your date can take in some contemporary cuisine at the museum’s adjacent eatery, Otium for $125 per person. The special holiday tasting menu gives diners the chance to try dishes including veal osso bucco with preserved orange risotto, white polenta Castelmagno ravioli, and a pistachio, rose and pomegranate lychee mousse. Vegan options are also available.
Red Herring
Love is baked into not just the food, but the back story of Red Herring, the newly-opened DTLA passion project of chef Dave Woodall and his TV producer wife Alexis Martin Woodall. Their V-Day prix-fixe menu ($85 per person) keeps that theme going with specials including lobster agnolotti with uni cream, trotters served with whipped egg and lentils, beef short rib with smoked potato, butter braised cabbage demi-glace, and rhubarb icebox cake for dessert.
The Draycott
Over in the Pacific Palisades, another husband and wife restaurateur duo is offering a holiday menu on February 14 and 15, as we all have busy schedules that don’t always comport with the official holiday dates. On offer are a variety of dishes including tuna carpaccio, poached turbot and beef tenderloin. Save room for chef Josh’s dessert selection. The dinner is $100 per person.
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