The Best First Date Spots in Los Angeles

Once a reservoir, Echo Park Lake is now a public park with skyline views of Downtown and lotus blooms in summer. Pedaling a swan boat across the water is a first-date idea worth trying. Boats booked for after 5pm are lit up. Swan boats cost $13 per person per hour as of February 2025.

Griffith Observatory is a free observatory on Mount Hollywood's south side in Griffith Park. It works for a first date whether you hike up in the daytime or drive up at night. Inside, you can look through telescopes, see the exhibits, and sit through a planetarium show. The 12-inch refractor on the roof is available until the 10pm closing. Hours are noon to 10pm Tuesday through Friday and 10am to 10pm on weekends, and it is closed Mondays.

The Venice Canals are three blocks of waterway lined with beach houses and crossed by arched footbridges. Ducklings are part of the scenery. A stroll here is an easy plan for a new date. Paddlers can bring their own nonmotorized boat and launch from the ramp at Venice Boulevard. The canals are a public residential walkway.

Grand Central Market is a food hall in the Downtown Historic Core. For a first date, each person can pick a different stall and meet at a table. Ramen Hood serves soups and noodle bowls. We recommend dessert from The Donut Man or Fat + Flour, then a look at the Bradbury Building across the street. The market runs 8am to 9pm every day, and each vendor keeps its own schedule.

The Getty Center is a Westside museum with art, architecture, gardens, and views. There is enough variety to suit most dates. Stroll the garden or look at the art, and make the visit as brief or as long as the conversation needs. A picnic on the lawn is another option. Admission is free with a timed-entry reservation, and parking is $25 per car, dropping to $15 after 3pm and $10 after 6pm. The Getty is open 10am to 6:30pm Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, and 10am to 9pm Saturday.

Highland Park Bowl is a bowling alley, bar, and restaurant in Highland Park. Bowling with cocktails on the side makes Highland Park Bowl a first-date pick. The building dates to 1927 and was restored by 1933 Group. Lanes are walk-in only, in one-hour blocks, and lane rental ran $35 to $70 per hour in 2024. It is all ages before 8pm and 21 and over after that.

Mírate is a Mexican restaurant in Los Feliz with an open-air dining room under a towering tree. The room has nooks for pairs, and the seating runs from tables and armchairs to bar stools. Expect Baja-inspired tacos and drinking snacks, along with a mezcal and tequila list. If tequila is not your thing, we recommend the La Sonodora, a clarified milk punch made with gin. Hours are 5pm to 11pm Monday through Thursday, with Friday running until midnight, as of January 2026.

Yamashiro is a Japanese-inspired restaurant on a hilltop above Hollywood. The building is a hilltop house modeled on a Kyoto palace, with a koi pond courtyard and a 600-year-old pagoda. Walk the garden courtyard before or after dinner. The menu includes Wagyu Sukiyaki and Matcha Soba Noodles. Dinner starts at 5pm, and there is Sunday brunch from 11am to 2:30pm, plus valet.

71Above is an American restaurant on the 71st floor of the US Bank Tower in Downtown. The panoramic views set the scene. For a more casual date, the bar has a seat that faces the sunset. Dinner is a $103 per person prix-fixe, before bread service, steak supplements, and extra courses, as of January 2026. Dress is smart casual, and valet is about $18 plus tip after 5pm.

Inn of the Seventh Ray is a Californian restaurant in Topanga Canyon, open since 1975. Its outdoor tables sit beside a creek under oak and lilac trees, with string lights and heat lamps overhead. The menu includes roasted-mushroom toast and grass-fed filet mignon, and it works for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diners. Dinner runs 5:30 to 9pm on weekdays and 5:15 to 9:30pm on weekends. Allow extra time to get there, since the canyon roads are winding and dim at night and Topanga Canyon Boulevard has had frequent closures.