Firefly

Firefly may be the closest thing to a modern day secret garden in L.A., walls of tangled ivy included. Found on a more popular stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, this modern American restaurant offers straightforward cuisine and a romantic, cozy setting—a heated patio is decorated in candles and twinkling lights, while the library-like bar area offers a truncuated menu and an ideal date-night vibe. Expect crowd-pleasing mains like mushroom pappardelle, miso glazed cod and shrimp spaghetti. As for appetizers, the menu contains all the usual suspects: meatballs, burrata, a little gem salad, crudo and a tuna tartare. In other words, don’t expect any surprises here—though I will say that the food is generally well-executed. For dessert, I like the sticky toffee cake and white chocolate creme brulée.