Highland Park's date night options are genuinely earned, not just trendy. From the soaring bow-truss dining room at Hippo to the dim glow of Arroyo Club, these picks deliver on a first date or a reason to keep it going.
Northeast L.A. · 5916 1/2 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Under a soaring bow-truss roof in Highland Park, Hippo nails that sweet spot between polished and unfussy. The Cal-Italian menu swings from crudos to housemade pastas, with bread so good it steals focus. The room hums w…
Highland Park · 104 N Ave 56, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Up on the second floor of a restored Masonic Lodge in Highland Park, Checker Hall manages to be grand without being pretentious. The room’s wide—booths and a bold central bar—bathed in warm lighting and vintage touches;…
Highland Park · 5621 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Bowling alleys aren’t usually this pretty. Housed in a century-old space that once made its own bowling pins, Highland Park Bowl leans fully into its history—exposed brick, warm wood, and antique fixtures give it the fe…
Highland Park · 4701 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Bring a date or a friend and camp out at the marble counter. Order multiple rounds of raw bar dishes and ease into that quintessential neighborhood friendliness that makes another glass of wine always feel like a good i…
Highland Park · 5607 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
A Highland Park listening bar where 7,500 vinyl records line the wall and the DJs spin like they’re scoring your night. Drinks keep it simple—highballs, rare whiskey, mezcal—and the amber-lit room feels equal parts Japa…
Highland Park · 5125 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
The kind of bar where you might grab a pint with a group of Dodger fans, or accidentally end up in a deep conversation about mezcal with a guy who definitely owns a vinyl collection. The patio—aka a parking lot with str…