The Best Dinner Spots for a First Date in Silver Lake in Los Angeles

Bar Besito is a modern tapas bar with a California twist in Silver Lake, and it is an easy, low-effort pick for a first date. It takes walk-ins, and the room is lively with steady chatter, which suits impromptu drinks and tapas. The grilled prawns in smoky oil and the garlicky mushrooms stand out, along with a tortilla española, and conservas and Spanish wine are the other draw.

Bacari Silverlake is a neighborhood restaurant that makes a great choice for an evening date in Silver Lake. Open from 5 PM Monday through Friday, it's an easy spot to plan dinner after work. On Fridays, the restaurant stays open until 1 AM, making it a good option for couples looking to enjoy a later night out.

Settle in at Barbrix, a Silver Lake wine bar and restaurant that Claudio Blotta co-founded in 2007. The kitchen sends out Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Take a seat at the square bar, which has seating on every side, or head out to the quiet patio with a view of the Silver Lake hills.

Briciola brings Italian-Brazilian cooking to Silver Lake, with candles lighting most of the two-person tables and a cozy feel throughout. Great wine and date nights are what it is known for. Anchovies and tomato granita crown the burrata, and the grilled branzino comes in a coconut sauce inspired by moqueca.

Ceviche Project is a tiny Silver Lake spot with an exclusive feel, though a seat is not especially hard to book. The room has a tropical, 1980s Miami-club feel, and seats at the marble bar come with scallops on the half shell. The menu covers Mexican seafood, including ceviches, aguachile, tostadas and oysters. It is a natural choice for date nights and special occasions.

In a little yellow bungalow, Josephine serves French-Italian cooking with European roots, California ingredients and a wine list focused on small producers. The mood inside is playful, with more energy than the outside lets on. After dark the room dims like a dive bar, and gingham cloths and carnations in pots dress the tables. Expect a new lineup each month. Order the steak frites, whose fries are fried three times in duck fat. The duck-stuffed tortellini earns praise too.

Tucked into Sunset Junction, Santo is a tiny, modern room where you sit at the counter. It ranks among Silver Lake's best date-night dinner spots. Mexican and Japanese cooking meet here, with twists like hamachi with chocolate that stand out. Out on the patio the mood is lively, and local art decorates the space. Reservations are advised, since it fills up fast.

Chef Kenji Koyama, who has more than 20 years of experience in Tokyo and Los Angeles, leads Kenbey, an intimate 26-seat Japanese restaurant in Silver Lake. Expect top-tier sushi in a relaxed setting. Bar seats mix couples on dates with groups of friends, and the monkfish liver with fresh-grated wasabi at the counter stands out.

The people behind Temaki Society run Sonmari in Silver Lake, where the menu is mostly hand rolls. Polished wooden tables, small spotlights overhead and a black-and-white mural set the scene. Hand rolls aren't the only draw: sushi, sashimi and crudo share the menu with small plates like crispy rice, uni toast and a caviar-topped gamja-jeon potato pancake. We recommend the more unusual hand rolls.

L&E Oyster Bar is a neighborhood oyster bar in Silver Lake with a casual, intimate setting. Oysters are delivered daily, and the bar has been shucking since 2012. It takes walk-ins only.