The Best Places to Kiss this Valentine's Day

The Best Places to Kiss this Valentine’s Day

Is there anywhere romantic in a city with treacherous traffic, consistent smog and a population of almost 10 million? Where can you take your significant other in the City of Angels this Valentine’s Day? Here are a few magical LA places to share with your special someone on February 14th.

To Stay

Beverly Hills Hotel

Countless Hollywood luminaries have stayed at this Pink Palace housing 233 rooms, suites and bungalows all lavishly adorned in an art-deco style and offering the perfect romantic hideaway. Many rooms also offer terraces, wood-burning fireplaces and separate entrances. The 12-acre grounds which include the infamous pool and cabanas are lush and overgrown. The Polo Lounge is a Beverly Hills dining institution where Hollywood deals are made, lovers cuddle in large comfy booths and star watchers get a glimpse at celebrities dining on the terrace. Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons here and couples can stay in Bungalow 5, designed as a tribute to the legendary actress with photos and mementos from her most celebrated roles and includes a private pool and jacuzi, https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/los-angeles/the-beverly-hills-hotel/.

Hotel Bel Air

Make a reservation, stroll through the twelve acres of gardens and fountain courtyards and retreat into one of the best places to kiss in Beverly Hills. All 58 rooms and 45 suites feature sleek custom furnishings mixed with retro Hollywood-glam accessories. Some still house private patios and fireplaces. Opt for a couples massage at the ultra modern spa, where you can choose from a variety of music as a backdrop, listen to live jazz at the trendy bar or head to Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air and dine on modern California cuisine from LA’s biggest celebrity chef while snuggling in a secluded private booth overlooking Swan Lake, https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/los-angeles/hotel-bel-air/.

Montage Beverly Hills

Nestled steps from Rodeo Drive, the Montage Beverly Hills houses 201 rooms in Spanish Colonial revival design in gold, salmon and cream. The rooftop pool and conservatory is the perfect place to enjoy panoramic views of Beverly Hills while watching the sunset or lounge in one of the private cabanas before heading downstairs to enjoy classic French food from Michelin Star Chef Gilles Epié at Gilles. Relax with a couples massage or soak in the atrium mineral wellness pool in one of LA’s biggest resort spas spanning two stories, https://www.montagehotels.com.

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows

This February head to the beach to indulge in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows Cloud 9 Valentine’s Day package. Included is a three-night stay in a bi-level bungalow embellished with dozens of roses, daily champagne breakfast in bed, a couple’s massage at the award-winning Exhale Spa, a chauffeured drive up the coast on Pacific Coast Highway in a 1958 Cadillac Convertible to your private Safari Tour at Malibu Wines. Also included is a trip on a 47-foot Beneteau sailboat for an afternoon on the Pacific Ocean culminating in a spectacular Santa Monica sunset. Upon return to the resort, guests can get the star treatment with a glamorous blowout at Glam+Go for her and/or a hot shave for him at Lloyd’s Barbershop before enjoying a candlelit dinner under the stars on a private balcony. The package comes complete with a hotel photographer to capture special moments, and a private consultation with Atelier by Edward Avedis, Miramar’s in-house jeweler who specializes in luxuriously bespoke designs, available until February 29, $14,000 at https://fairmont.com/santa-monica/offers/valentines-day/.

To Eat

Il Cielo

Modeled after owner Pasquale Vencella’s country home in Sorrento, this cozy Italian Beverly Hills eatery has a entrance and back patios with embroidered trellises, flowering plants, fountains and twinkling lights. Inside, several small dining rooms feature fireplaces, wooden floors and ceilings hand painted with cherubs. Dine alfresco or choose a cozy table by the fireplace and sample a variety of Southern Italian dishes. Three course Valentine’s Day menu, $214 per person, https://www.ilcielo.com.

Ethel M Chocolate Tasting for Two

Head to Glendale for Ethel M's Sweet Surprise Valentine's Package and take your sweetie to chocolate heaven. This chocolate tasting includes info on how chocolate is made as well as tastings of Ethel M's delicious delicacies and a 14 piece satin heart box, a perfect way to spend Valentine's Day, $60, twice nightly, Friday Feb. 7 - Sunday, Feb. 9 and Friday, Feb. 14 - Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7pm and 8pm, Glendale Galleria, reserve at https://www.ethelm.com/valentine-packages.

Q Sushi

Q Sushi is the ultimate date spot for foodies. Offering a unique high-end Omakase dining experience that is sure to impress, the Japanese eatery is hidden in the heart of downtown. Upon entry, diners are transported to an elegant atmosphere with classical music in an intimate setting. Serving more than 20 courses in two seatings nightly, 213.225.6285 for reservations. After dinner, head across the street to the open airy Bottega Louie.

Marbled walls, floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen provide a huge dining area, but the large glass patisserie and market area is where the dozens of pastries, cakes, chocolates and cookies perfect for Valentine's Day enjoying and giving are located. If you are looking for a sweet for your sweet, there are lots of options including 17 gourmet flavors of macaroons.

Castaway

Stellar city views, beautiful dining areas and a steakhouse centered menu make the Castaway a perfect spot for Valentine’s dinner. The multilevel inside dining room with a chef’s table, wine cellar, dry aging room for steaks, hardwood floors and modern fixtures has big windows to display the panoramic view which open to a gorgeious patio with banquettes, booths, tables and seating around roaring fire pits. Five course Valentine’s Day menu, $95 to $125, at https://www.castawayburbank.com.

To Experience

Gondola Getaways

Share a secluded cruise on an authentic Venetian gondola through the canals of Naples Island and view the architecturally unique homes while snuggling under a warm blanket. A basket of salami, bread, and cheeses is provided to feed each other while sipping the beverage of your choice (glasses and an ice bucket are provided), $150 - $200, https://www.gondolagetawayinc.com.

Huntington Library Teahouse and Grounds

Head to the expansive Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens for tea for two. Stroll hand in hand through 150 acres of beautifully sculpted gardens and woods showcasing a breathtaking variety of over 15,000 kinds of floral and fauna or sneak into one of the three art galleries and library housing magnificent collections of paintings, furniture, and decorative arts. End the day at the Rose Garden Tea Room overlooking 3 acres of roses while sipping tea and enjoying fresh scones, finger sandwiches, cookies, and tarts, entrance $25 - $29, tea $31 - $50, https://www.huntington.org.

Ritz-Carlton Spa, Los Angeles

Head downtown and sneak into the intimate Ritz-Carlton Spa for a Sugar Therapy including a 50-minute chocolate aromatherapy massage with a hot stone enhancement followed by a sweet brown sugar pedicure. Also included is a glass of bubbly and a sugar therapy selection of house-made sweets, $300, call 213.743.8800 to book.

To Listen

Vibrato

Spearheaded by legendary jazz trumpeter and music producer Herb Alpert, Vibrato Jazz Grill is both a pleasure for the ears and the taste buds. Tucked away in a tiny shopping center at the top of Beverly Glen Boulevard, the 150-seat contemporary supper and jazz club provides a perfect setting where famous musicians and filet mignon merge. The menu’s excellent steak and seafood entrees mix well with the stars onstage, providing one of the only upscale restaurants in Los Angeles that features live jazz. Valentine’s Day special four course menu, $150, www.vibratogilljazz.com.

Steve Tyrell at Catalina Bar & Grill

Treat your sweetheart to soulful songs by one of America's greatest storytellers and singers, Steve Tyrell. The producer, singer and composer will be performing "The Way You Look Tonight" as well as romantic standards from Sinatra, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles and other greats at the intimate Catalina Bar & Grill on February 14-16. Tickets can be purchased at www.catalinajazzclub.com.