A Little Romance: Celebrate Valentine’s Day in DTLA

There’s something about Valentine’s Day that brings out the romance in all of us! February 14 first became associated with romantic love  in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th century England, Valentine’s Day evolved into an occasion where lovers expressed their affection by presenting flowers, confectionery, and greeting cards, known as Valentines.

This Valentine’s Day, it’s time to knock it out of the park! From dazzling celebrations soaring above the LA skyline, to elegant dinners, and cool retro entertainment, DTLA has a little romance for lovers everywhere.

71ABove

71Above 633 W. 5th Street, 71st Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071

Take Valentine’s Day to new heights! Towering over downtown LA on the 71st floor of the U.S. Bank Tower, 71Above is the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi. Offering elevated modern American cuisine by Chef Vartan Abgaryan, 71Above boasts breathtaking ocean views from Malibu to Laguna Hills, along with spectacular views of the Los Angeles basin and the surrounding mountain ranges. Guests may choose to dine within the buzz of the bar or in the adjacent lively main dining room. The Chef’s tables offer views of the open kitchen and transition into a semi-private dining area, offering a quieter and more intimate dining environment. For diners seeking the ultimate in privacy, 71Above offers one large and two small private dining rooms overlooking Dodger Stadium. For Valentine’s Day, 71Above is offering a sumptuous Four Course Dinner with Optional Wine Pairing.

OUE Skyspace

OUE Skyspace LA 633 W 5th St #840 Los Angeles, CA 90071

Skyspace Los Angeles is ready to make your Valentine’s Day memorable with their Toast From The Top package! Located at the very top of the U.S. Bank Tower, the Skyspace observation deck sits 1,000 feet about the city and provides breathtaking views. Your Toast From The Top package includes:Two General Admission tickets, Two Rides on the all-glass Skyslide (one per ticket), Two Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Your choice of 2 glasses or a bottle of champagne. Buy tickets here.

cicada

Cicada Restaurant and Club 617 S Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90014

Make history this Valentine’s Day! Cicada Restaurant and Club presents their Valentine’s Dinner Dance at the historic 1928 Art Deco Oviatt Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Enjoy a special Valentine’s Day menu at this glamorous venue, and dance the night away with Jack’s Cats Swing Quartet. $95 per person, tax and gratuity not included.

Faith & Flower

Faith & Flower 705 W 9th St. Los Angeles, CA 90015

Indulge your Valentine with a romantic Three Course Pre-Fixe Menu at Faith & Flower, a contemporary Los Angeles restaurant located in the WaterMarke Tower in DTLA’s South Park district. Inspired by a global influence of flavors and techniques, complemented by the use of a wood-fired oven and pristine raw bar, the menu redefines Californian rustic cuisine. The cocktail program celebrates the drinking culture spanning the Gilded Age and Roaring Twenties in Downtown Los Angeles, and features cocktails with long-forgotten ingredients as well as modern signature drinks.

Mrs Fish

Mrs. Fish 448 S. Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

There’s nothing fishy about Valentine’s Day! With every detail in place, Mrs. Fish welcomes diners and drinkers to experience modern Japanese cuisine and a robust whisky program in a stunningly designed, art-filled DTLA oasis. Located 15 floors below Perch (same ownership), Mrs. Fish combines food, art from the hottest galleries in Tokyo, and drink to create an unparalleled dining and drinking experience in an immersive environment that is at once Zen-like and provocative. $70/person. Additionally, they’ll offer four seats for a more attentive, seven-course kaiseki experience at the omakase bar. $238/couple.

La Boucherie

La Boucherie 900 Wilshire Blvd Fl 71 Los Angeles, CA 90017

Elevate your evening this Valentine’s Day with an unforgettable dinner at La Boucherie at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, which occupies 37 floors of the Wilshire Grand Center. The Wine Spectator award-winning steakhouse offers breathtaking panoramic views of Los Angeles, live music, and delectable tasting menus curated by Executive Chef Igor Krichmar. Optional wine pairings are available, as well as private and group seating options. Dinner at La Boucherie includes complimentary access to Spire 73’s Cupid’s Club event, featuring a live DJ, complimentary glass of Moët & Chandon, and a variety of lounge experiences. Enhance your evening even more with the Romance Package, which includes overnight accommodations at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. Chocolate covered strawberries with sparkling wine upon check-in, breakfast for two, and more.

Cafe Pinot

Cafe Pinot 700 W 5th St. Los Angeles, CA 90071

Named “Most Romantic Restaurant.” by L.A. Downtown News. Cafe Pinot is a California French-inspired restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles offering twinkle-lit outdoor dining on the garden patio. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate your love of food with a special menu by Executive Chef Phillip Martin. $70 Three-Course & $85 Four-Course Menus.

Le Petit Paris

Le Petit Paris 418/420 S Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

Nothing says romance quite like France! Le Petit Paris comes from Cannes-based restaurateurs David and Fanny Rolland, owners of Miramar Plage on La Croisette and the original Le Petit Paris, both located in Cannes. The restaurant is housed in Downtown Los Angeles’ historic El Dorado building, originally built in 1913 and features multiple skylights, a mezzanine level, a lounge, a room dedicated to date night goers, “La Boutique,” a gift shop with artisanal goods from France and a large outdoor patio. Le Petit paris offers dishes from the South of France and provides a true French brasserie dining experience to Downtown LA’s Historic Core.

LA Museums You’ve Never Heard Of, But Need to Check Out Now!

Sure, we all love LACMA. And The Getty Center is always great, especially when you need to entertain out-of-town guests. But sometimes it’s fun to branch out. LA is full of cool, unusual, and off-the-beaten track museums that are definitely worth a visit. From cryptic collections to interactive experiences, neon light tours, and even food museums, you’ll always find something new to discover in LA!

MJT

Museum of Jurassic Technology 9341 Venice Blvd. Culver City, California 90232

The Museum of Jurassic Technology is an educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic. This cryptic statement is left uncertain and unexplained. And that’s just the point! The museum contains a provocative mixture of artistic, scientific, ethnographic, and historic, as well as some unclassifiable exhibits, and the diversity of its offerings evokes the cabinets of curiosities that were the 16th-century predecessors of modern natural history museums. The factual claims of many of the museum’s exhibits strain credibility, so take it all in with a grain of salt and have fun!

MONA

Museum of Neon Art 216 S Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91204

The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) is the only museum in the world devoted exclusively to art in electric media, exhibiting electric and kinetic fine art, and outstanding examples of historic neon signs, for over three decades. MONA encourages learning, curiosity and expression through the preservation, collection and interpretation of neon, electric and kinetic art. A gateway between scientific principles and artistic expression, Neon illumination integrates electrical technology, creative design, and fundamental concepts of physics and chemistry. MONA hosts Saturday night Neon Cruises–a nighttime bus tour of neon signs, movie marquees and permanent installations of contemporary neon art through Downtown and Hollywood. Buy tickets here.

Desert X1

Desert X

Ready for a road trip? Desert X is a site-specific exhibition that first took place in Spring 2017. Artists from different parts of the world are invited to create work in response to the unique conditions of the Coachella Valley and project their vision based on the extraordinary natural and social history, matchless spectacle of the geologic epic, radical abstraction of the surrounds, and the singular incursions of humans into the seemingly barren landscape.  Desert X will be held from Feb. 9 – Apr. 21, 2019 in the Coachella Valley. Free and open to the public. Plan your visit here.

Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions 6751 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028

The Museum of Illusions was founded as a place where visitors could let their imaginations run wild! A great place for friends and family to  express themselves in one-of-a-kind interactive art exhibits that make for a photo opportunity unlike any other. The friendly staff encourages you to take as many photos as you want in front of a wide range of exhibits, from climbing the highest mountain tops in the world, to playing Jack & Rose as the Titanic sinks, or running through the city during a meteor strike! The unique 3D paintings are created by some of the world’s leading artists, with new exhibits being added all the time.

Museum of Death

Museum of Death 6031 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028

The World Famous Museum of Death was founded in June, 1995 when JD Healy and Cathee Shultz decided to fill the void in death education and made death their life’s work. With locations in Hollywood and New Orleans, the Museum of Death houses the world’s largest collection of serial killer artwork, antique funeral ephemera, mortician and coroners instruments, Manson Family memorabilia, pet death taxidermy, crime scene photographs, and more. The Museum of Death experience is a self guided tour lasting approximately 45 minutes to an hour. However, for intrepid souls with the stomach for it, there is no time limit, as there are hundreds of items to see. The museum shop carries a colorful collection of tees, hoodies, tarot cards, buttons, bandanas and other swag, which could give you a jump start on your Valentine’s Day shopping 😉

FIDM

FIDM Fashion & Perfume Museum 919 S. Grand Ave. Suite 250 Los Angeles, CA 90015

You’ll find the Annette Green Perfume Archive on the second floor of FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in DTLA. Discover a robust collection of fragrance and beauty objects, from luxuriously packaged Lucien Lelong lipsticks to the suggestive glass bottle of Schiaparelli’s Shocking perfume. The FIDM Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit and fosters student learning, public engagement, and recognition of the creative arts and entertainment industries by providing access to the collections through exhibitions, publications, and other research opportunities.

The Food Space

The Foodie Space Pasadena Museum of California Art 490 Union Street Pasadena, CA 91101

Wait, let me take a pic first! If you’ve ever heard those words or said them yourself before being allowed to dig into your meal, then you’re probably a foodie.The Foodie Space pop up is the serial foodie photo-taker’s wildest dream come true. Imagine colossal glitter fries that you can marry, playing with a giant overflowing noodle bowl of pho, an over-sized tea set mad enough to make Alice jealous, and many more to interact with! Playfully poking fun at society’s obsession with social media and #foodporn, visitors will have a chance to take tons of glorious food pics to their heart’s content. Each interactive exhibit was made by hand by local artists.

Disgusting Food Museum

Disgusting Food Museum A+D  900 E. 4th St. Los Angeles, CA, 90013

The Disgusting Food Museum is not just an exhibit, but a celebration of food from around the world, highlighting how different cultures may or may not view certain things as disgusting. First displayed in Sweden, the collection of 100 plus foods was conceived and curated by psychologist and innovation researcher, Dr. Samuel West, well-known as “Dr. Failure” after the runaway success of his Museum of Failure. Foodies, travelers, and the just plain curious can explore unfamiliar food creations, smell new and face-cringing aromas and take selfies at the far from usual grand finale tasting bar with select creations to sample! Amazing and bizarre Instagrammable moments are endless!