The Best First Date Spots in Venice in Los Angeles

Just steps from the Venice boardwalk, Dudley Market is a seafood and wine bar that makes for a relaxed yet romantic first date. Share a bottle of wine over fresh seafood, with dishes like bluefin tataki, whole fried fish and clam-and-pork toast. Its beachside location makes it easy to follow dinner with a stroll along the ocean.

Gjelina is a produce-forward restaurant on Abbot Kinney that cooks with locally sourced ingredients and is known for its vegetables. The room is dimly lit, and the back patio is the seat to ask for on a more romantic evening. The pizza is excellent too, with squash blossom and lamb sausage among the toppings, and the menu also lists burrata, gnocchi, and wine. Leave space for dessert: a chocolate pistachio tart, butterscotch pot de crème, or homemade gelato. Book ahead, and if the wait runs long, wander Abbot Kinney.

The Tasting Kitchen is an Italian restaurant on Abbot Kinney that works well for date nights. It reopened after a three-year break with the original chef back and the feel of its earlier years, and couples fill the banquettes with charcuterie and gin and tonics. Pasta is the star, so start with the gnocco fritto or spaghetti pomodoro. Then try the branzino, served with sweet peppers, and whatever vegetables are in season. Choose between a tasting menu and an a la carte list that keeps changing.

Reserve a table for two, or walk in and you will likely share a communal table.

Barrique is an Italian restaurant with a strong wine list, set in a yellow bungalow in Venice. It is a pick for date nights, birthdays, and special occasions, and it has outdoor seating. Inside, a low, angled ceiling is lit to feel like an old castle, with Italian accents. Come for the red wine, the candlelight and the flirty service more than the food.

Coucou is a French-leaning restaurant and bar in Venice that sits halfway between a bistro and a wine bar. It is a date-night pick known for great wine, so we suggest starting with a glass.

Felix is an Italian pasta restaurant on Abbot Kinney, and it is a date-night pick. The dining room is lively but has mellowed over time, and early seatings draw a neighborhood crowd. Rigatoni all'Amatriciana is the top pasta pick, and the tagliatelle with bolognese, sfincione focaccia, and polpette with salsa verde are also standouts.

Ospi is an Italian restaurant one block from the Venice boardwalk, and a fit for date nights and first dates. A patio wraps around the front. The pizzas are tonda style and cracker-thin, and the menu is known for vodka-sauce pastas and crispy branzino, with the malloreddus a pasta standout. Reserve well ahead, since weekends get very busy.

RVR is a modern Japanese izakaya on Abbot Kinney that suits a date night or a night on the town. The small plates are pared-down and traditional, with a Californian twist. The crispy pork belly gyoza is a standout.

San Damian is a contemporary seafood restaurant in Venice. It comes from the chef behind Damian and has a Sea of Cortez feel, which suits a date night, and it is a good fit for romancing a pescatarian. Rockfish ceviche with uni on top is one dish on the short menu. The achiote-glazed kanpachi fillet is also a standout, and you can eat at the bar.

Si! Mon is an upscale Panamanian restaurant in Venice where the food is the main draw, with great cocktails alongside. The multi-room layout has a Spanish-ranch look, and the semi-enclosed patio is full of potted Bird of Paradise plants. Pick the low-lit dining room for a hushed evening, or climb to the upstairs bar for more energy. Standouts include twice-fried chicken, shrimp dumplings in coconut bisque, and kanpachi steamed in banana leaves.