Cafe Stella

" Candlelit French restaurant with red banquettes, teeny tiny pepper mills, and expensive steak frites? It’s a little “on the nose,” but to hell with it, this sultry Silver Lake bistro has been an it-spot on the Eastside for two decades plus because it’s romantic as hell. Even if you’re just gabbing with a friend, or looking for answers in a bowl of french onion soup alone at the bar, dining at Cafe Stella feels like a date night—you could even fall in love with yourself here. With jazz on the speakers, servers who know what they’re doing, classic moules frites for dinner, and profiteroles for dessert, even those people who claim to not care for French food will want to come back. " - brant cox

"This tiny French bistro, which opened back in 1998, is a Silver Lake classic and one of the most objectively romantic restaurants in the neighborhood. When we say “romantic” though, we don’t mean it in a snoozy-one-glass-of-red-and-home-by-9pm kind of way. Cafe Stella is dark, sexy, and a bit mysterious—the kind of place where you can sit at the bar, sip a martini, and eventually strike up a conversation with the most interesting person in the world. You might even casually date them for a few months. For food, go for the gooey French onion soup and the generously portioned steak frites.  " - Brant Cox

"Bar Moruno is an upscale Spanish restaurant in Silver Lake that feels as close to a Barcelona tapas bar as you'll find in LA. We recommend filling your table with the menu’s smaller dishes, including the chorizo-filled Scotch egg and the sizzling hen of the woods mushrooms served with fried bread. Drinks are also a highlight at Bar Moruno, including an entire menu section dedicated to some very creative gin martinis (try the one with salmon-infused gin.) " - brant cox

"This tiny French bistro, which opened back in 1998, is a Silver Lake classic and one of the most objectively romantic restaurants in the neighborhood. When we say “romantic” though, we don’t mean it in a snoozy-one-glass-of-red-and-home-by-9pm kind of way. Cafe Stella is dark, sexy, and a bit mysterious—the kind of place where you might bump into the most interesting person in the world and casually date them for a few months. Also, the food is good. Whether you’re on a date, catching up with a friend, or are a lone wolf at the bar sipping a martini, go for gooey French onion soup and the generously portioned steak frites. " - brant cox

"Candlelit French restaurant with red banquettes, teeny tiny pepper mills, and expensive steak frites? It’s a little “on the nose,” and that's great—this sultry Silver Lake bistro has been an it-spot on the Eastside for two-decades-plus because it’s romantic as hell. Come to gab with a friend, or look for answers in a bowl of french onion soup alone at the bar. Dining at Cafe Stella feels like a date night—you could even fall in love with yourself here. With jazz on the speakers, servers who know what they’re doing, classic moules frites for dinner, and profiteroles for dessert, even those people who claim to not care for French food will be wanting to come back." - Arden Shore