LAGuide

Where To Go On A First Date With Someone You Met On The Internet

Dating in 2021 is weird, but a lot less weird than 2020.
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photo credit: Jakob Layman

The past year and a half has made just about every element of life exponentially harder. But finding and maintaining love? Essentially impossible. As life rolls on though, the notion of in-person dating is absolutely on the table. And you know what? You’re ready. After months of swiping, virtual movie nights, and FaceTiming with strangers who label themselves as “a modern-day nomad,” the idea of putting yourself out there and seeing what happens sounds downright incredible. So let’s get to it. Here’s where to finally meet up with someone you met online.

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Culver City

$$$$Perfect For:Big GroupsDrinking Good Cocktails
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Usually the words “really picky eater” on a dating profile is an immediate deal-breaker, but this person is insanely cute with a dog that’s even cuter (who you obviously want to meet). Suggest Bar Bohemien for your first date. This rooftop bar in Culver City is above Citizen Public Market, a food hall with seven different vendors serving everything from pizza to oysters to al pastor tacos from Mexicology. This way, you both can pick out exactly what you want to eat and then head upstairs with the food and enjoy cocktails on the roof.


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The reason first dates are so nerve-wracking is the possibility of bad conversation and awkward silences. One easy way to get around that? Live music. And that’s just one of many reasons you should head to Perch. The Downtown rooftop has a massive two-story outdoor space, a classic French menu filled with dishes like a buttery steak-frites and linguica-filled bouillabaisse, and various string quartets and live bands throughout the week. So when your date starts talking about the jet stream, you can just pretend you didn’t hear them.


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At first glance, Melanie looks and feels like many other good wine bars around town. There’s a well-curated list filled with mostly European biodynamic wines, a cute space that feels like a friends’ living room right as the party is starting to peak, and a menu filled with snacks you want to be eating while drinking chilled Beaujolais. But what makes this Beverly Grove spot great are the actual people serving you the wine. No question is a dumb question, even if you’re date asks if orange wine is made from oranges. As far as the food goes, the mussels are a standout. They’re plump, buttery, and come bathed in a rich, savory vadouvan curry. We also loved the stone fruit toast topped with Iberico jamon, and though it’s not technically on the menu, be sure to ask for a side of their perfectly-crispy shoestring fries. It’ll be the perfect exercise to see how good your date is at letting you eat all the fries.


So, you have a history of showing up to Zoom dates looking like you just spent two hours in the backseat of a convertible. Time to prove you really can clean up well, and the place to do it is Cha Cha Cha. The rooftop Mexican restaurant in the Arts District is home to our favorite new patio in LA with lush landscaping, plenty of string lights, and expansive views of Downtown. It’s the kind of space that makes everybody look like they aren’t in windblown in a convertible, but sprawled seductively across the hood - even before that second round of mezcal negronis hits. For food, we love the chile morita aioli-topped tuna tostada, the citrus-y shrimp ceviche, and the $44 steak pa’taquear, which is essentially a build-your-own taco station with New York strip steak, charred tomato, and red wine salsa that can easily feed two people.


The fact that dates no longer end with one simple click of the “Leave” button has you stressing. Eating at a table? With someone else? No thanks. The good news is you can head to Playita instead. The new, order-at-the-window mariscos stand in Silver Lake is the perfect spot for a day date when you want to stay on your feet and keep things moving. There’s a small shaded patio out front, so we recommend placing your order (the perfectly-battered shrimp tacos and campechana are musts) and then eating everything there as quickly as possible before exploring Sunset Junction on foot together.


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LA Guide

Where To Eat & Drink If You Forgot How To Socialize

Sure, you haven’t met in person and have only kissed through a smudged screen, but you both know it - you’re in love. Time to celebrate. While there are tons of great options for big nights out right now, you’re in the market for something personal. Go to Gozen. A meal at this high-end kaiseki spot in West Hollywood will certainly set you back (prix-fixe menus range from $80-260 per person), but if you’re good with that price point, Gozen completely delivers on its value. You’ll eat things like smoked duck with tapenade, sushi that was flown that day from Japan, and strips of Kobe beef prime chuck cooked tableside. The intimate space also only has a handful of tables to go around, making the entire experience feel like you’re dining in your own private teahouse even though you’re at a restaurant on La Cienega.


One of our favorite new spots of 2020, Found Oyster is back with an outdoor space called “The Boat Deck,” which is essentially a built-out patio on Fountain in East Hollywood. The menu is filled with tremendously fresh seafood - think littlenecks and oysters on the half shell, steamers and fries, and a lobster bisque roll you and your date will be Lady And The Tramping together. Just know that you can’t make a reservation anymore.


You might be thinking that a 60-year-old dive bar in Santa Monica is an interesting first date choice, but this isn’t the Chez Jay of old. After an extensive update, the large back patio comes adorned with fire pits, string lights, and big comfy chairs ideal for making you look super cute. We like the crispy chicken sandwich with house slaw or the cheeseburger, but if you aren’t all that hungry, stick to martinis and an order of calamari.


Few places have our late-night heart quite like Dan Sung Sa. This seminal Ktown tavern is a great early-in-the-game date option when the idea of sitting politely at a table with a napkin in your lap sounds torturous. While our move is to always sit inside eating cheese corn, pounding soju, and writing love notes on the wall, their outdoor patio is still a blast and will easily prove if your date is down for a good time or not.


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This colorful Mexican spot in Beverly Hills is fancy, fun, and a great option when you’re excited to go on a date with someone where the connection has nothing to do with your wifi signal. The menu is filled with dishes like crispy salmon skin chicharrónes, a gamey, tender short rib quesadilla covered in fresh herbs, and some really incredible costilla tacos with Bordelaise sauce. And, unlike other upscale places in the neighborhood, you’ll only need about two dishes per person since the portions are generous.


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LA Guide

Where To Meet Up With Coworkers That Isn’t A Zoom Call

Ospi is an excellent Italian restaurant in Venice that comes from the same people behind one of our other favorite Italian restaurants on the Westside - Jame Enoteca. Expect a wide-ranging menu full of antipasti, pizza, pasta, and big plates of meat (the lamb neck and pine nut cannelloni is a standout), plus a prime corner location to show off how hot you and your date look together. If you’re the kind of person who likes to flex your new restaurant knowledge on date night, make a reservation at Ospi.


Located on the grounds of Yamashiro, Kensho is a tiny Japanese wine bar with views that include the Hollywood Sign, the sun setting over the surrounding hills, and your date realizing that six months of virtual dating was absolutely worth it. The menu is filled with snacks like mushroom inari, a perilla bowl, and charcuterie plates, but keep an eye on their calendar, as different pop-ups happen throughout the week (Thursday and Friday yakitori night is a must). Make sure you get involved with their excellent natural wine and sake as well.


While it would work for a second, third, or 300th date, Fig Tree in Venice is the ideal first date spot by the beach. For starters, it’s literally on the beach - in a secluded and breezy patio off the boardwalk. The music will inevitably make you bob your head like a chicken, and the cocktails, well, they’ll make your head bob that much more. Drinks include rare ingredients, like mole bitters and agave rum. Likewise, the Latin leaning-food is full of surprises. Grilled tiger prawns come with gremolata, and fried mariscos are accompanied by a tasty chimichurri. Stop by for a drink and a snack, and if nothing else, your date will have been introduced to a great new restaurant.


Santa Monica Canyon’s Golden Bull is an iconic spot that’s been around (almost) since Will Rogers himself lived nearby. Say that with enough confidence, and it’s likely your date is going to be impressed. This beach-adjacent American spot has transformed its side parking lot into one of the more impressive outdoor dining spaces in town and the locals have responded. Plain and simple, this place is happening. But considering you spent the last six months watching movies together on a laptop screen, you’re ready for some action. Plus, if things go well, you can always cross the tunnel to the sand afterward for a romantic night stroll.


On paper, you’re technically meeting this person for the first time. In reality, you know everything about them and passed the awkward, small talk phase months ago. Skip the regular first date spots and head up to The Old Place. This historic saloon up in the Santa Monica Mountains is one of our favorite day-destinations in LA and a great way to see if you can spend several consecutive hours with someone. We recommend leaving yourself some extra time to explore the surrounding shops before your meal, and then head over to the takeout window, order up some homemade cinnamon rolls and grilled steak sandwiches, and hang out on the property.


This cozy neighborhood restaurant is one of our favorite date spots not just in Highland Park, but all of LA. They’ve reopened their spacious back patio on Figueroa, so expect lots of great wine, affordable Italian dishes like pork ragu and butternut squash cappellacci, and plenty of heat lamps to keep you from becoming, as your friends put it, “a frigid nightmare.” Reservations are highly encouraged.


This spot is Permanently Closed.

Wine bars have always been great for first dates, and there’s no point in breaking the mold now. If you’re in The Valley, head to Augustine. This excellent neighborhood bar in Sherman Oaks recently reopened with outdoor sidewalk seating, plus limited indoor seating that even includes some chairs at the bar. Wherever you end up sitting, know you’re in great hands with a staff who’ll happily let you sip and swirl until you find the exact wine you want.


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