NoHo Arts District: Dinner, a Show, and a Walk Home

Last checked by the Date Ideas LA editorial desk, against operator sources

North Hollywood has a theatre district that most of Los Angeles has never used. The El Portal anchors it — a 1926 vaudeville and silent movie house on Lankershim — and dinner, the show and a drink afterwards all sit within a few blocks of each other.

Why it works

A theatre date usually means parking twice and driving between everything. Here you park once. Lankershim carries the restaurants and the theatre on the same stretch, so the evening has the walking rhythm that a good date needs and none of the logistics that kill one.

Check which room you are in

The El Portal is three theatres under one roof: the Debbie Reynolds MainStage seats 360, the Monroe Forum 96, and the Stuart Rogers Theatre Tribe 42. A show in the 42-seat room is a completely different evening from one in the MainStage, and ticket pages do not always make it obvious which you have bought. Look before you book. If you want to see what else is playing across the city that week, LA Theater Events tracks the runs.

Best for

A new couple past the coffee stage who want an evening with a built-in subject afterwards, and for double dates — a show gives four people something to talk about.

What to wear

Smart casual. NoHo is relaxed and nobody will be in black tie.

Reservations

Book both. Buy theatre tickets in advance — the Monroe Forum at 96 seats and the Stuart Rogers at 42 sell out quietly — and hold a dinner table for two hours before curtain.