Even though we live clear across town, we find ourselves repeatedly visiting the small hipster area of L.A. known as Echo Park. Famous for its wonderful lake and park, it also has some of our favorite restaurants in L.A! Like its sister community of Silverlake, it’s a bit grungy, but that’s why unique, non-chain, restaurants can exist here! If you’re a foodie, it’s worth the drive. If you’re more into ambiance, or on a formal date, you probably should go elsewhere.
Parking
Echo Park is located near one of the entrances to Dodger’s Stadium. If there’s a game that day, parking and traffic will be insane. Check the baseball schedule before booking restaurant reservations!
At other times, parking can be hit or miss. Sometimes we get lucky and find close street parking; other times we’ve had to park four blocks away in the surrounding residential neighborhood. Just be prepared to walk unless you plan to valet (not all restaurants on this list have valet though).
With that out of the way, here is a rundown of our favorite restaurants and attractions in Echo Park, suitable for a casual date!
1. Donna’s
Donna’s has the vibe of an East Coast Italian restaurant but with farm-fresh California ingredients. We love the homey feel of this place – perfect for a casual date night. And the food is amazing of course. One of their most popular dishes is the garlic bread, so be sure to try that.
Reservations are a “must” and prime dinner seatings are extremely difficult to get; even if you have them you might still have to wait in line. That’s how good this place is.
When we went, we encountered the aforementioned Dodger’s Stadium traffic and were super stressed that we’d miss our reservation! Happily, we left plenty of margin for parking and made it only a bit late.
Tables are close together, but surprisingly, the noise level isn’t bad.
If you’re looking for an East-Coast-style restaurant with fantastic Italian food, Donna’s is the perfect place, assuming you can get in!
2. Quarter Sheets
Quarter Sheets is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a grungy exterior and only a few tables inside, but in our opinion, they serve the best pizza in Los Angeles.
I know that’s a bold statement so let me be a bit more specific: it’s Detroit style, with a thick breaded crust.
That crust is part of the reason these pizzas are so good. It’s crispy on the bottom, almost like it’s fried, with a perfect foccacia-like interior. I would happily eat the crust with no toppings if they served it that way.
You can mix and match different pizzas by the slice, which is great for trying their variety of toppings. We also love their salads, the meatballs, and the desserts. You must order dessert if you’re here. If you’re full, get it to go. We have not been disappointed by a single dish.
Quarter Sheets is owned by chefs Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin. Lindell does the pizzas, and Ziskin is the pastry chef.
Reservations are a must, and you should plan to be on Resy exactly at 9am, 2 weeks in advance to book your meal. Yeah, it’s pretty insane.
I wouldn’t go here on a first date or special anniversary because it doesn’t really have the ambiance, but if you want to take someone out to an amazing pizza meal, Quarter Sheets will not disappoint!
3. Bacetti Trattoria
OK, if you’re looking for a restaurant with a nicer ambiance in Echo Park, check out Bacetti Trattoria. It’s still not formal by any means, but the decor and feel are more suited for a romantic dinner.
Even though the outdoor dining area is just off the street in a parklet, it’s a less busy street, and the bistro lights give it a wonderfully enchanting aura.
The food and service also get high marks on Yelp, making this a solid dinner date option!
4. Little Fish
Originally a pop-up restaurant, Little Fish has finally found a home in Echo Park.
If Quarter Sheets is a figurative hole in the wall, Little Fish is a literal hole in the wall: there is no indoor dining, only a window where you order, and some benches outside next to the sidewalk.
So why is this place potentially a great date idea? Because it has some of the best friggin’ fried fish sandwiches you’ll ever have! We literally drive across greater L.A. on a regular basis to get these.
They also have great fingerling potatoes and an equally good green salad!
Unlike most of the other restaurants on this list, you don’t need reservations here, making it an awesome spontaneous casual lunchtime date idea after, say, a stroll in the park. Or even better, take a stroll in the park afterward to burn off the calories!
Little Fish is open for breakfast and lunch only, Wednesday through Sunday.
5. Tsubaki / Ototo
Tsubaki is a neat little Japanese restaurant (izakaya) serving small plates, ideal for sharing. My wife and I really enjoyed the food when we went. A unique “must try” dish is the Japanese ‘latkes’ with ora King Salmon. And don’t miss out on their hojicha soft serve sundae. Highly recommended! The decor is clean and simple Japanese minimalism.
Next door is their sister establishment, Ototo, a restaurant and sake bar also with a great vibe and great food. If you’re into Japanese food and sake, this another great choice!
6. Bar Flores
Looking for a casual place to hang out over drinks after dinner or a stroll in the park? Look no further than Bar Flores, just a few doors down from Donna’s. Walk upstairs to their secluded, charming indoor/outdoor space. Even though it’s in Dodgers territory, you won’t be disturbed by TVs blasting sports on the walls. It’s simply a great date bar where you can talk in a wonderful outdoor space!
7. Grá
I love the rustic vibe with hanging plants and open kitchen at Grá. Of course, the organic sourdough pizza gets high marks as well. Great pizza date place, with an atmosphere that’s a cut above other pizza joints. Dinner only.
8. The Lonely Oyster
Another casual Echo Park restaurant that we’re willing to drive across town in rush hour traffic to eat at. The lobster rolls are delicious as are all the other seafood classics, e.g. fish & chips, oysters, chowder, crab cakes, crudo, and more. On one visit, we came with a group of 9 and got to try most of their menu items and no one was disappointed!
9. Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery
Formerly exclusively vegan, Sage now serves meat along with vegan options (to the ire of many). If you can get past that, it’s still a great option for vegans and vegetarians. It has a casual bohemian vibe; the walls are lined with rusty steel siding, just so you know what you’re getting into (this isn’t a formal dinner white tablecloth place). Despite the controversy, I really like their vegan options, and I’m a carnivore.
10. Indigo Cow
If you want a unique dessert after dining at one of these wonderful restaurants, check out the new Indigo Cow, featuring soft serve made with milk imported from Hokkaido, Japan. Does milk from Japan taste that much better? We thought it was good but not super different from other good ice creams. You be the judge!
Indigo Cow doesn’t have a lot of seating, so plan to take it with you and walk around, or go to the park with it.
11. Echo Park Lake
Last but not least is probably Echo Park’s most famous landmark, Echo Park Lake, a wonderfully beautiful oasis within walking distance of many of the restaurants on this list! It’s the perfect place to walk before or after a good meal.
The lake has a surprisingly long history. It was originally built in the 1860s as a reservoir for drinking water. Now it functions as a place for storm drain runoff to collect and for recreation and wildlife.
We enjoy just walking around the 14-acre park surrounding the lake, with its palm trees, grassy areas, and lake views. The park is dog-friendly as long as your dog is on a leash at all times.
The other main attraction is the Swan Boats. Kitschy? Perhaps, but they are an L.A. icon, just like Angels Flight or the Hollywood Sign. In the right mood, riding a boat could be silly fun. Note that boat reservations are required but often you can just book them on your phone when you get there. You can even ride the boats at night when they are lit up! As of this writing, boat rentals are $13 per person for an hour.
Conclusion
If your date is a foodie, they’ll undoubtedly be happy with many of the restaurants on this list. If you’re looking for a formal restaurant with great views and ambiance, you might want to look elsewhere. But for a casual date, Echo Park offers a great afternoon or evening date idea with its beautiful lake and some of the best food in Los Angeles.
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