Romantic Date Nights in Simi Valley

Barton's Steak and Seafood

This is another restaurant that occasionally runs good coupons in the local savings magazines, and it is a perfect place if you want an excellent meal and a romantic place for good conversation. This jewel of a restaurant is tucked away in the corner of a strip mall on Los Angeles Avenue, west of Erringer Road. It has that dark, candlelit ambiance, and you are certain to get exactly what you are looking for if steak and seafood, as the name suggests, are your idea of an excellent meal. There is a full bar in the back, and although it remains in harmony with the quiet ambiance, the staff of this restaurant really gives you the feeling of being somewhere where "everybody knows your name."

A menu is available on their website.

If you like good food and live music...

Limon Latin Grill at the Simi Valley Town Center

Limon Latin Grill has some non-traditional cuisine with an unmistakable Latin flare. They also have live music every night except Monday night. There are coupons and a copy of the menu on the restaurant's website. You can also often find coupons for this restaurant in the Clipper Magazine or Welcome to the Neighborhood Magazine. This is a great place to take a date on a warm night, especially if you like music and dancing. This may not be the best location for a first date, since you generally want to talk a lot on a first date, and you may want to get to know your date's tastes first to be sure this would be something he/she would enjoy. It is not recommended for reluctant eaters. This would be a definite good impression for a husband wanting to score brownie points with the wife, particularly if you go shopping afterwards and be the perfect husband by not rushing her!

If you want a "staycation"...

The Grand Vista Hotel and Vistas Restaurant

If you feel like you need a night away from home, but you really don't have time, money, or the desire to travel outside of Simi Valley, try a little staycation at the Grand Vista Hotel. You can book a room for about $75 a night on most weekend nights (try hotels.com), and you can have an excellent dinner at their Vistas Restaurant. There is a full bar in the restaurant, and although it is usually just the waitress mixing up the cocktails, they can usually create whatever you would like, and they usually make them strong! If you book a room, you will not have to worry about one of you being a designated driver, and you can bring your bathing suits to enjoy the spa later in the evening. If night life is your thing, the Arena Bar is located right on the hotel grounds. It's a mini vacation, without even leaving town!

If you are a "foodie" or just want to try fine dining....

Amuse Bouche

Simi Valley has never really had truly fine dining until Amuse Bouche, but it is an epicurean delight that just must be experienced! The focus of Amuse Bouche is upscale catering, but a few nights a month the tiny dining room on Los Angeles Ave near Yosemite Ave. opens for diners to try Executive Chef Sylvain Rivet's delightful cuisine. The menu is primarily French with other European influences and changes seasonally. Amuse Bouche, which means fun for the mouth and certainly is, generally requires reservations, which can be made through OpenTable, accessed through the restaurant's website.

If you really need a cheap night out....

Szechwan Garden and Simi Valley Discount Cinemas

Szechwan Garden is one of the few Chinese restaurants in Simi Valley that has really survived through the economic crisis, and for good reason. The generous portions in their lunch and dinner specials are incredibly tasty and very well priced. It is not difficult for a couple to make it out the door with full tummies for less than $20. Just a few doors down, the old Edwards Movie Theater has been transformed into the Simi Valley Discount Cinemas, where two tickets will cost you less than $8!