The Best Bars for a Date in Santa Monica in Los Angeles

Bar Chloe is an intimate cocktail bar in downtown Santa Monica with a loyal local following and a relaxed neighborhood feel. Known for its well-crafted drinks and cozy atmosphere, it's a great choice for a low-key date away from the busier nightlife scene. Grab a seat, order a cocktail, and enjoy an evening of easy conversation in this longtime neighborhood favorite.

Offhand Wine Bar is a natural wine spot on Santa Monica Boulevard with an understated storefront that's easy to miss. Part of the Westside Winos family, it's a great choice for a casual wine date, whether you're exploring natural wines together or simply looking for a relaxed place to enjoy a glass.

For a drink after dinner, head inland to The Chestnut Club, a craft cocktail bar with exposed brick, sultry lighting and studded leather sofas. Weekends get crowded, so arrive early or go on a weeknight.

You ring a doorbell to get into The Georgian Room, then cover your phone camera with a privacy sticker before you are seated. Down in the basement of The Georgian Hotel, this Italian steakhouse also serves as a historic piano lounge. It makes a fitting choice for a special occasion or a date night.

Chez Jay has been a nautical-themed landmark bar on Ocean Avenue since 1959, and it remains a classic establishment. Cherry-red booths sit under dim rainbow string lights, and the Temptations keep playing. Low lights and a steady soundtrack make Chez Jay a cozy, old-school spot for the two of you to sink into.

At Broadway and Lincoln, Bodega is a big wine bar whose bottle list is good and whose kitchen outdoes what the genre requires. The room is livelier than a typical wine bar, an energy that suits a casual first date. Pizza and small plates go well alongside a bottle.

Calabra is the rooftop restaurant and lounge on the seventh floor of the Santa Monica Proper hotel. Every seat has an ocean view, so the Pacific is something to take in together from wherever you sit. The menu is Mediterranean, with kebabs, dips, burgers and gyros, and cocktails to go with them.

Father's Office is a Santa Monica favorite on Montana Avenue, known for its signature burger served exactly as the chef intended, with no substitutions and no ketchup. It's a great choice for a casual date over burgers and drinks, especially if you both appreciate a spot that sticks to its own rules. The bar is open Monday through Thursday from 5 PM to 10 PM.

The Daily Pint is a British-themed dive bar in a quieter part of Santa Monica. The Daily Pint pours over 500 whiskeys, and with billiards, darts and more games on hand, you two never run out of things to do between rounds. Renovations added a big outdoor mural of King Charles, and the rotating craft beers on tap draw serious beer fans.

At The Gaslite, karaoke is the main event, staged in an old-school dive bar that pulls in locals from every generation. On weekdays the singing begins at 6pm, and weekends add morning and afternoon sessions. Pick a song to sing together, or cheer each other on from a seat in the crowd. The doors stay open 365 days a year.