Besha RodellPractically every restaurant in town has some kind of Valentine's Day dinner planned, and so one way to approach the holiday is just choose your favorite spot and see what it's doing. But if you're going for the grand gesture, you want somewhere really romantic. We've chosen eight of the most romantic restaurants in L.A.; here are their Valentine's Day plans for this year.
The 71Above dining room at sunset; Credit: Anne Fishbein
71Above
The sweeping view from the 71st floor of the US Bank Tower would be special enough, but 71Above screams romance in almost every way: the room, the style of service, the food. The dining room circles the inner perimeter of the building, so no matter where you're sitting you're in range of the floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond which Los Angeles spreads out in all its twinkling glory. On Valentine's Day they'll be serving a five-course menu for $125 per person. 633 W. Fifth St., downtown. (213) 712-2683, 71above.com.
A.O.C.; Credit: Anne Fishbein
A.O.C.
A.O.C. is an utter dream of a restaurant: a cozy dining room with circular corner booths and a leafy, bricked-in patio anchored by a candle-festooned fireplace. The feeling is of stepping into an enchanted space where everything will be taken care of. This year the restaurant is offering a four-course Valentine’s Day menu for $110, with an additional optional wine pairing. 8700 W. Third St., Beverly Grove. (323) 653-6359, aocwinebar.com.
The patio at Cliff's Edge; Credit: Courtesy Cliff's Edge
Cliff's Edge
The beautiful, twinkling patio at Cliff's Edge feels very much like sitting in a garden treehouse made by boho faeries. On Valentine's Day, the restaurant is offering a $75-per-person prix fixe menu of three courses plus an amuse-bouche. You can view the entire Valentine's menu here. 3626 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. (323) 666-6116, cliffsedgecafe.com.
Pumpkin rugelach with roasted quince and butterscotch ice cream at Craft; Credit: Robert Schwartz
Craft
Craft is a beautifully grown-up restaurant, and it knows how to put on a special occasion. The tables are well-spaced to give you privacy, and the desserts are some of the best in town. This year, Craft is serving a Valentine's Day prix fixe dinner menu for $125 per guest. 10100 Constellation Blvd., Century City; (310) 279-4180, craftlosangeles.com.
Lucques; Credit: Rob Stark Photography
Lucques
The roaring fireplace, the leafy (covered, heated) patio, the cozy room — everything about Lucques could be out of a romance novel. A classy romance novel! For Valentine's Day, it's serving a five-course menu for $125 per person, with an optional wine pairing available. 8474 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood; (323) 655-6277, lucques.com.
Mélisse; Credit: djjewelz/flickr
Mélisse
Being one of the fanciest and most romantic restaurants in town, Mélisse is unsurprisingly already booked for Valentine's Day. Thankfully, it's also serving the lavish, $176 six-course Valentine's prix fixe menu the weekend of Feb. 10-Feb. 12, and reservations are still available for those dates. We're sure your date won't mind eating a six-course meal in this incredible, hushed room a few days early. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 395-0881, melisse.com.
Sotto's wood-burning stove; a Cornwall Negroni cocktail; Credit: Anne Fishbein
Sotto
Sotto is perhaps a bit more bustling than many of these other restaurants, but the cozy Italian basement vibe and the stellar cooking is our idea of romantic. This year, Sotto is offering a five-course, $75-per-person Valentine’s Day menu. The menu will feature options for each course, with favorites from the regular menu, as well as seasonal offerings for the evening. There's an optional $45 wine pairing. 9575 W. Pico Blvd., Pico-Robertson; (310) 277-0210, sottorestaurant.com.
The atrium at Spring; Credit: Photo by Anne Fishbein
Spring
The 6,000-square-foot Spring takes up the soaring atrium of the Douglas Building, and the room is stunningly beautiful in a softer, more refined way than the industrial-chic spaces we see so much of these days. The food is just as classic and elegant, and the tinkle of the fountain in the middle of the room makes for a lovely soundtrack. On Valentine's Day, Spring is offering a prix fixe menu for $95 per person. 257 S. Spring St., downtown. (213) 372-5189, springlosangeles.com.
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