"Nothing beats dining in the lounge at La Jolla’s the Marine Room for romance, a space which takes in jewel-like views of the Pacific from massive, wall-length windows. Small round tables with chic midcentury-style seating face the view; a lounge menu offers a smartly curated array of small plates (think Moroccan-style lamb lollipops, persimmon carpaccio, and tuna crudo with aji amarillo aguachile) to graze on. Wines by the glass and sensually named drinks (“apple of my eye”) round the experience." - Helen I. Hwang