Photo Credit: Jesus Banuelos
Back in the day (before Tinder), first dates were easy. Dinner, a movie, cocktails and conversation were rote. Nowadays, Angelenos who have been there and done that are looking for a little more spice to their initial meet and greets. Here are five first date ideas that will be sure to entertain—even if you can’t say the same about your company.
THE SPARE ROOM
Photo Credit: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
The Spare Room is a GREAT place for a first date because there are so many activities.  You can bowl, play board games and drink designer, speakeasy-era cocktails. We love how the backgammon and chess boards are cleverly integrated into the cocktail tables, the dimly lit yet posh interior, and kitschy Hollywood-themed cocktails, like the HELLO, MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA—Licor 43, Drysack Sherry and grapefruit—and the ETERNAL SUNSHINE—vodka, Chareau Aloe Liqueur, citrus and soda. Best of all, this spot is filled with beautiful people, so if your date is a dud, it’s highly likely you’ll meet someone else!
7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
(323) 769-7296
http://spareroomhollywood.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SpareRoomHwood
SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOOD
Photo Credit: Soho House West Hollywood
9200 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
(310) 432-9200
www.sohohousewh.com
https://www.facebook.com/sohohousewh
This brings a whole new meaning to dinner and a movie. If you’re lucky enough to be on a date in Soho House’s screening room, keep in mind that you’re a) on a date with a person who’s a member and b) he or she rented out this 50-person room just for you. In the space you’ll find the ideal accoutrements for a true Hollywood evening— deep red velvet armchairs, ottomans with cashmere blankets hidden inside, and a 25-foot communal lounging couch. If your date also shells out for a private Club Room, which is available for pre or post screening cocktails, well, kudos to you.
BARTON G
Photo Credit: Jesus Banuelos
If you’re going to go with something tried and true like drinks and dinner, then at least do so at a place with unexpected touches, like Barton G. Weiss’ new LA den of diversity, Barton G. You’ll feel a bit like you’ve wandered into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory here thanks to delightfully presented dishes like lobster pop tarts, which come in a vintage toaster, or drinks which utilize dry ice, like the Sabrinatini, a blend of orange vodka and watermelon liqueur adorned with a nitro-champagne swizzle stick and a chocolate monkey. Creative, inventive and so, so fun.
861 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles
(310) 388-1888
http://bartongtherestaurantla.com
https://www.facebook.com/BartonGTheRestaurantLA
 ROB FLOYD’S COCKTAIL THEATRE AT 41 OCEAN
Photo Credit: 41 Ocean
You haven’t experienced the best of LA until you’ve stepped inside the doors of the weird, wonderful and sensory experience that is Rob Floyd‘s Cocktail Theatre at 41 Ocean. Once a month, this members-only club opens its doors to 25 non-members, who will experience cocktail making, cocktail history and fantastic nibbles provided by veteran nightlife man Floyd, mass quantities of dry ice, and some very interesting servers (make sure not to get in the way of the mad fairy—he can be a handful). You have to experience this to believe it, so buy your tickets in advance—they tend to sell out fast as the experience is so dang amazing.
41 Ocean Way, Santa Monica
http://www.41ocean.com/
https://www.facebook.com/41OceanClub
RENT A LUXURY YACHT FOR THE DAY
Photo Credit:FantaSea Yachts & Yacht Club, Marina del Rey.
You’re probably already a baller, but if you’re not, pretend to be? Whether you set out on the open sea or just dock in the Marina del Rey harbor with bottles of Dom Perignon and caviar from Petrossian, either way is a good look. Â Picks like The Admiral (featured here), a 110 foot 4 level custom mega-yacht which typically rents out for $5,000 an evening, are a great way to impress a first date.
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