Let’s be honest for a moment. This is a safe space to discuss experiences.
We love our children. We love them with a fierce, primal intensity. We would hurl our entire bodies in front of a moving bus for them. But we would not, under any circumstances, share a $250-a-person Omakase tasting menu with them.
Welcome to the paradox of Los Angeles parenthood. Our lives are colonized by small people who believe “The Floor is Lava” is a binding legal contract. We dine at 5:15 PM. We speak in a coded language of “potty-boo-boos.” And that is a beautiful life.
But sometimes, you need to go somewhere where the surfaces aren’t sticky. You need a place where you can be trusted with a sharp object, an open flame, or a conversation that doesn’t circle back to Bluey.
This is not a list of “kid-friendly” places. If you are looking for stroller parking, turn back now. This is a guide for the person who remembers, faintly, what it was like to enjoy silence, high-proof spirits, and staying out past 9:00 PM.
Here are 7 elevated, strictly adult experiences in LA to help you reclaim your sanity.
1. The Omakase Gauntlet Experience: Where “Picky Eaters” Are Not Tolerated
There is a specific decision fatigue that plagues parents. We answer 4,000 questions a day. The antidote to this fatigue is Omakase—the Japanese tradition of “I’ll leave it up to you.”
It is a glorious social contract where you cede all control to a master chef. There are no substitutions. There are no “sides of ketchup.” There is only the bliss of silence and scallops.
Where to Go: Sushi Note (Sherman Oaks) While you can drop $600 in Beverly Hills, Sushi Note offers a slightly more relaxed vibe that pairs incredible sushi with an unpretentious wine program.
- The Vibe: Serene, polished cypress bars, and whisper-quiet service.
- The Local Secret: Don’t order a la carte. Trust the wine pairing. The sommelier creates combinations that defy logic (like light red wine with fatty tuna).
- Pro Tip: Arrive 15 minutes early and visit The Barrel—a tiny, nondescript wine bar two doors down. Have a pre-dinner glass of sparkling wine for half the price of the restaurant, then walk over right at your reservation time.
- Estimated Cost: ~$150+ per person.
2. The Cocktail Masterclass Experience: Trusting You with Fire and Knives
Remember when you were trusted with dangerous things? Before you spent your life putting silicone corner guards on coffee tables? It’s time to reclaim that danger.
Instead of drinking a cocktail, take a class where you handle 151-proof rum and use razor-sharp paring knives to carve “flaming” orange twists. It is chemistry class, but you get to drink the experiment.
Where to Go: The Varnish (DTLA) or The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) (Pasadena) For a true deep dive, book a workshop at ICE. It’s a professional culinary school, meaning you are learning from industry pros, not just a bartender with a hobby.
- The Vibe: Serious, technical, and slightly intoxicating.
- The Local Secret: Because ICE is a school, the “leftovers” from the pastry classes next door often end up in the breakroom. You might leave with a perfectly mixed Negroni and a professional-grade croissant.
- Pro Tip: Do not drive. Pre-schedule your Uber for exactly 15 minutes after the class ends. The seamless transition from “bartender” to “passenger” is the height of luxury.
3. The Enforced Silence of a Korean Spa Experience
If silence is golden, a Korean Spa is Fort Knox. This is not a “family-friendly” pool with a splash zone. It is a temple of wellness where silence is aggressively enforced.
If you bring a child here and they squeal, a stern grandmotherly figure (an Ajumma) will appear from the mist to shush you with a velocity that could peel paint. For a parent living in non-stop noise, this is the ultimate luxury.
Where to Go: Wi Spa (Wilshire Blvd) The 24/7 gold standard of LA spas. It is massive, famous, and perfect.
- The Vibe: A vast complex of clay saunas, ice rooms, and heated jade floors.
- The Local Secret: Skip the snack bar snacks and go to the restaurant on the second floor. Order the Sundubu-jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew). It’s some of the best in the city.
- Pro Tip: Avoid Friday nights when it becomes a social scene. The best time to go is Tuesday morning at 9 AM (play hooky) or Sunday night after 9 PM.
- Estimated Cost: ~$30 entry fee + treatments.
4. Museum After Dark Experience: Art, Wine, and No Strollers
We love taking kids to museums to “enrich” them, which usually involves stopping them from licking a Plexiglass display case. But a museum at 8:30 PM is a different world.
The acoustics change when you remove the school groups. You can stand in front of a 17th-century Dutch masterpiece with a glass of Chardonnay and actually finish a thought.
Where to Go: The Getty Center (Saturday Nights) Check the schedule for their extended hours or the Natural History Museum’s “First Fridays.”
- The Vibe: Moody, romantic, and intellectual.
- The Local Secret: Everyone rushes to the main terrace for the sunset. Instead, head to the Stark Sculpture Garden near the tram arrival. It faces the same West, offers the same sunset, but is usually completely empty.
- Pro Tip: Skip the full sit-down restaurant unless you booked a month ago. Pack a “fancy” picnic (charcuterie, good cheese) in a cooler. Check the cooler at the coat room, explore the art, then retrieve it to eat on the lawn under the stars.
5. The “Adults with Sharp Objects” Date Experience: Axe-Throwing & Oysters
This combination sounds insane, and that is precisely why it works. It balances the primal urge to destroy with the refined urge to indulge.
First, you sign a liability waiver and hurl a two-pound hatchet at a wooden target (therapeutic rage). Then, you retreat to a quiet bar to eat oysters—the “final boss” of adult foods.
Where to Go: Mo’s House of Axe (Koreatown) followed by L&E Oyster Bar (Silver Lake)
- The Vibe: Lumberjack dungeon meets rustic glam.
- The Local Secret: At L&E Oyster Bar, skip the bustling downstairs. Go upstairs to “The Good Luck Bar.” It’s first-come, first-served, has a smaller menu, but feels like a private club.
- Pro Tip: Wear closed-toed shoes to the axe throwing. If you show up in cute sandals, they will make you wear rental Crocs. Nothing kills a romantic vibe faster than rental Crocs.
6. The Modern Magic Show Experience (No Rabbits Allowed)
Forget the birthday party magician. We are talking about the dark arts. Intimate velvet rooms, live jazz, burlesque, and sleight-of-hand that defies physics.
This is the original adult entertainment. It requires a mature audience to appreciate the innuendo, the history, and the skill. No one is going to break into a song about “Letting It Go.”
Where to Go: Black Rabbit Rose (Hollywood) A theater, magic lounge, and Thai restaurant wrapped into one spooky package.
- The Vibe: Sultry, smart, and secretive.
- The Local Secret: The food window in the front (“Crying Tiger”) serves incredible Thai street food. Order the Crying Tiger Steak and eat it in the dark lounge before the show.
- Pro Tip: If theater tickets are sold out, just go for drinks in the lounge. Roaming magicians do close-up magic right at your table for the price of a cocktail.
7. The Luxury Sunset Sail Experience: Just You and the “Blue Mind”
A child on a quiet sailboat ride lasts approximately 10 minutes before asking, “Are we there yet?” This experience is the antithesis of a theme park.
Biologist Wallace J. Nichols wrote about “Blue Mind”—the meditative state our brains enter near water. This is your chance to find it. No engines, no DJs, just the wind and a glass of actual champagne.
Where to Go: Marina del Rey (Private Charter) Look for companies like Blue Pacific that specialize in sailboats, not motor yachts.
- The Vibe: Sensory deprivation and luxury.
- The Local Secret: Ask the captain to sail toward the “Santa Monica Buoy.” Most tourists go toward the Pier (choppy water). The buoy route is calmer, “deep ocean” blue, and often has dolphin sightings.
- Pro Tip: It is always 15 degrees colder on the water. Bring a heavy sweater and thick socks. Most boats ask you to remove shoes, and barefoot sailing in November is less than romantic.
Conclusion: Go Be an Adult
This list is a reminder. A reminder that you are not just a parent, or an employee, or a carpool-lane navigator. You are a person who deserves to experience the world in high-fidelity, without having to cut anyone’s food into tiny pieces.
So go. Book the sitter for one hour later than you think you’ll need so you don’t have to rush home. Put on the “nice” shoes that you usually leave in the back of the closet. Go somewhere quiet, or sharp, or sultry. Go have a conversation with another adult that you can actually finish without being interrupted.
You’ve earned it. And don’t worry—the land of sticky fingers, lost shoes, and snack-a-doodles will be right there, waiting for you when you get back.
Read More: Your Guide to Living Beautifully in LA
Once you’ve recovered from your night out, check out our other guides to navigating Los Angeles in style.
- How the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Does California Coastal Luxury: Continue the “adults-only” vibe with a look at this stunning, seaside resort just 1.5 hours away from LA.
- 10 Los Angeles Restaurants Parents Love for Upscale Family Dining: Okay, so you have to take the kids sometime. Here’s how to do it without sacrificing your own taste.
- The Special 30-Day (Make Ahead) Plan for Thanksgiving: Get so organized for the holidays that you’ll actually have time to escape for one of the nights on this list.
About the Author
Culinary Passages is an online lifestyle guide dedicated to the art of “Eating, Trawling, Discovering, and Celebrating.” We believe in making every moment an occasion, from a perfectly planned holiday to a blissful afternoon dining with your pet. Based in Los Angeles, we are passionate about finding and sharing the best upscale experiences, practical tips for luxury living, and ways to make every day more memorable. We’re your go-to source for curated guides on dining, travel, and creating a beautiful life with your loved ones. Ginger Graham wrote this post and she hopes you love it!
What’s your favorite adult-only escape in LA? Share your secret spots in the comments below!
