Best Romantic Restaurants in South Los Angeles

One of the best dining experiences of my life. I had the honor of dining at Vespertine before the pandemic and have been looking forward to it reopening ever since. There are some experiences that you just don’t forget and are hoping to recreate, and yesterday did not disappoint. The service was excellent from the moment you leave your car to the second you leave the restaurant. It felt like the staff really knew us and created the atmosphere and experience around our party. The little attention to detail was much appreciated. The experience really started right after I made the reservation for my husband’s birthday, when I got an email from them asking for the special occasion and who it was for. That translated to a handwritten and signed birthday card for him the second we were seated. It’s also so special to get the background of all the dishes and drink pairings, taking the diner on a sensory journey through the chef’s mind and why he created the menu he did. Also appreciated that they gave us a menu of all the items to take home, as we really loved some of the drinks paired with the dishes. Every dish was better than the one before. Highly recommend adding the caviar and truffle dishes, and replace at least one of the lamb dishes to wagyu. Last time we were there we got the wine pairing for every dish but that proved to be too much for me and I had a lot of wine left un-drank (very sad); so this time we got the dynamic pairing which also incorporated non-alcoholic drinks to some of the dishes and it was the perfect mix. Overall, 10/10 experience. Looking forward to coming back with every new menu experience

The most stand out point at our visit was the restaurant's impeccable service. They were very meticulous in creating a pregnancy friendly meal for me and explaining each component of my substitutions during the meal. When asked how each course was prepared, they responded with detailed answers. One suggestion I would make is to have the host/hostess offer suggestions on which entree to choose for a special diet customer. I did have to proactively ask about how the wagyu & duck entrees were normally cooked as I assumed they are served medium rare (too undercooked for a pregnant woman). However, they did kindly offer to cook them well done for me when I asked. Other than that, I fully enjoyed majority of the courses. The only course I didn't enjoy was the silken tofu substitute for the sashimi course. I felt the pickled component overpowered the delicate tofu and threw the dish off balance. My husband absolutely enjoyed the dessert courses especially the chocolate petit fours.

Great food. Excellent service. We were shown to our table promptly. Our waiter notified us of the pending delivery of fresh Dover soles which we ordered immediately and gave us perfect recommendations to pair with the wine for the rest of the courses. The food was staged perfectly. Every dish was beautiful and delicious, from appetizers to dessert.

The new iteration of Somni just opened and is amazing. Some of the most creative cooking, mixing modernist Spanish techniques with California cuisine. The shiso with tartare, arroz caldoso, sardine tart, and the brillat-savarin cow were the most memorable to me. While I enjoyed the wine pairing, I was jealous of the people who chose the juice paring.

The food was perfect and the ideal portion size. The atmosphere was intimate and warm. Loved the service, but again, the food - we both got pasta dishes - was fresh and excellent