Valentine's Day Dining Guide

Valentine's Day dining is so much more than just picking a restaurant that serves good food. It's about picking the restaurant that has a romantic ambiance that also happens to serve good food. Lucky for you people, I'll be sharing a (short) list of restaurants I would recommend for this very occasion. The restaurants below offer a Valentine's Day prix-fixe menus. while prix-fixe menus can get a bit pricey, they are designed to enhance your dining experience by offering you dishes that complement each other.

A caveat about this list: just because I recommend it doesn't mean you're going to like it. Also, it might be too late to make reservations but you can always try.

Il Cielo, Beverly Hills

Valentine's Day Prix-Fixe Menu: $225/couple

Il Cielo is undoubtedly one of the most romantic restaurants in Los Angeles. I'm not a big fan of Italian food but I don't mind eating at Il Cielo. This was the site of our 2005 Holiday Party and we pretty much took up the entire interior of this place. Needless to say, it's not that big. The biggest seller of this place is it's ambiance. This restaurant is home to many bridal showers, engagement parties, and actual weddings. A block away from Christian Louboutin's store, this hidden gem can be found on Burton Way. Blink and you'll miss it.

Providence, Hollywood

Valentine's Prix-Fixe Menu: $140-195

Of the restaurants on this list, Providence is the newest. Not to be underestimated for being new on the scene, this place was nominated as "Best Restaurant of 2005" by the James Beard Foundation (essentially the Oscars of the North American restaurant scene). This seafood restaurant has already won many accolades and it even had a "cameo" on Entourage. For all the foodies out there, this place should not be missed.

Melisse, Santa Monica

Valentine's Day Prix-Fixe Menu: $225/person

I la-la-love Melisse! Granted I've only been a couple times but both times have been phenomenal! The head chef, Josiah Citrin, is half of the duo of my other favorite place, Lemon Moon. Melisse serves French food with a California flair. This place probably not as romantic as Il Cielo but the ambiance really needs to take a back seat to the food here. Melisse is one of only three restaurants in Los Angeles to receive Michelin 2 stars. If you've seen Ratatouille, you know how much Michelin stars mean to restaurateurs. And to the vegetarians out there, Melisse has got you covered. They have a vegetarian tasting menu for a measly $85! Hmm...gets me thinking that this should be the venue for our 2008 Holiday Party.

Well, there you go folks. Have fun celebrating this Valentine's Day!