A Guide to Date Spots in and around Los Angeles

I would love to take my girlfriend on a romantic date in Los Angeles. There is no special occasion but “just because”. He loves movies, food and new experiences. She is very adventurous. She is a horror fan but also a hopeless romantic. I want to give you a date that you will never forget..—Margarita Vargas

This is what we suggest:

Daisy, this is so sweet. It seems like you love your girlfriend a lot. Lucky for you, there are several places in Los Angeles where you can give him an unforgettable experience.

Since you like horror movies, you'd probably love Horror Row, the stretch of Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank that's densely packed with creepy, creepy, horror-themed shops and attractions you can enjoy year-round. You'll find the horror-themed coffee shop Horror Vibes Coffee, a convenience store known as Horror Boodega, a year-round Halloween store called Halloween Town, and the Mystic Museum, which Times contributor Jess Joho calls “a perfect date spot for oddball-inclined couples” in a guide to nightmare-inducing places in Los Angeles. The museum sells occult essentials, cursed antiques and movie merchandise. In the back of the store, there is an interactive maze that changes seasonally.

For film screenings, check out the VHS (Variety Horror Screenings) Society, which hosts monthly events. The next screening, taking place on February 22 at Benny Boy Brewing, will be a double feature of romantic horror films, “Warm Bodies” and “Lisa Frankenstein.” (Gothic fashion and 80s-themed outfits are recommended.) After the event, if you're hungry, Times food writer Stephanie Breijo suggests nearby Macheen, which sells “amazing tacos” and appeared on our 101 Best Restaurants list, or taco shop OG Guisados.

Brain Dead Studios in the Fairfax district also hosts movie screenings all month long, and don't sleep at the concession stand, Breijo tells me. It's stocked with “some of the best sandwiches in all of Los Angeles,” including Burritos La Palma and La Morra Pizzeria, he says. The independent theater and retail store are also close to “all the hits of Fairfax,” including Genghis Cohen's new location, Lucia, Canter's and Badmaash,” he adds.

Chances are, at least some of your girlfriend's favorite movies were filmed in Los Angeles, so here's a date idea you can steal from my pal Jaclyn Cosgrove. For Valentine's Day 2020, they took his wife to different locations around the city where scenes from movies she loves were filmed. “I had the vaccines on my phone,” Cosgrove tells me. “It was both movie-centric and romantic, and a nice adventure before the shutdown.” You might also want to check out this list of 12 Iconic Los Angeles Horror Movie and TV Houses to Add to Your Tour.

For an exciting date, consider taking your girlfriend to a climbing gym. In this guide, Dakota Kim writes about seven gyms, including Sender One, which has three locations in the city, all of which “make indoor climbing feel luxurious.” Or if flying through the sky is your thing, go on a zip line adventure. Cosgrove recently visited Highline Adventures near Solvang, which has the fastest and longest zip line in the state. The third zip line on the course, which is about 2,650 feet long, can reach up to 60 mph. Make it a weekend trip.

Times features and entertainment editor Brittany Levine Beckman suggests Santa Monica Trapeze School, which is where her husband/then-boyfriend took her on a birthday date years ago. “We had a good time and it was an adventure,” he tells me. Afterwards, you can take a stroll along the Santa Monica Pier or the beach and then grab what columnist and food critic Jenn Harris calls “the best grilled cheese in the universe” at Pasjoli.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so I hope these recommendations help you plan the perfect and memorable date for you and your girlfriend. The beautiful thing about love is that anything can seem romantic when you're with the right person, so I'm sure whatever you end up doing will be amazing. Sending love.