A reader writes asking suggestions for romantic...

A reader writes asking suggestions for romantic restaurants and wishes we’d include such information in reviews. He also led me to believe he’s much more interested in the setting than the food.

To him, I say: Not a lot of places immediately leap to mind. And of the ones that do, not all have the kind of food that would make the experience worthwhile for me, or anyone else who thinks wonderful food can be as erotic as a dark, secluded corner or a ravishing view. I also suspect that a woman’s idea of the romantic may be very different from a man’s. Twinkly lights and a smarmy maitre d’ aren’t necessarily the stuff of our dreams. We want to eat well, too.

Years ago in San Francisco, there was a Chinese restaurant with ornately carved wooden booths that had curtains drawn across them. It was thrilling to eat in your own little room, the waiter discreetly closing the curtain each time he delivered a dish. I haven’t come across anything quite like that in the L.A. area.

Meeting someone for a drink and something from the bar menu at RafflesL’Ermitage in Beverly Hills could do the trick, though: It’s sophisticated and very quiet, with lots of space between the tables, and a serene, unhurried atmosphere.

For someone who loves food--and the beach--dinner at Aubergine in Newport Beach could be just the thing. Dress up, plan to spend several hours over Tim Goodell’s elegant nine-course tasting menu. It’s a small restaurant, so be sure to ask for a corner table. The service is pleasant and unobtrusive, the food a seduction in itself.

Sitting outside in the garden at Michael’s in Santa Monica is the quintessential Southern California dining experience, especially if you get a table in the shadowy corners. The setting is so sensual, the food barely registers. Alto Palato in West Hollywood also has a cool, dark patio area where you can dine on thin-crusted Roman-style pizza, seafood pasta, and freshly made gelato. Its the Via Veneta L.A. style.

Mamounia, a fairly new Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills, has a private room with just one table. But even if you sit in the main room, it’s dark and somewhat private. Just don’t go on a weekend night or you may have to contend with a belly dancer.The same goes for Koutoubia, the venerable Moroccan in Westwood.

L’Orangerie can be incredibly romantic if you get one of the round tables for two at the edges of the glittering dining room. You do not want to be seated on the banquette where the nearness of the other guests seated at the same banquette could inhibit conversation.

At Valentino, reserve one of the booths just across from the small bar, where you’ll feel sheltered and alone in the midst of this always-mobbed Italian restaurant. Don’t bother with the menu; simply sit back and order the menu extravaganza, a series of small courses. All you’ll have to decide is the wines, and that’s difficult enough, given the breadth of Piero Selvaggio’s wine list.

As a change of pace, I love the clamor and intrigue of someplace like Soot Bull Jeep, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Koreatown. As the smoke curls from the charcoal braziers at each table, you can take turns grilling marinated short ribs and other cuts of meat, while the other makes up little packets of lettuce with the meats inside.

What could be more romantic than sushi? But you have to pick your spot. It should be somewhere they take their seafood seriously, maybe Sushi Mori in West Los Angeles, Tsukiji in Gardena or Nobu Malibu.

Some people can turn up the romance no matter the setting. I was at Toscana recently, not subtly lit, crowded, noisy, but full of action, and noticed not one but two couples nuzzling each other in full view of the entire restaurant while they waited for a table. That’s amore .

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Update on last week’s Critic’s Notebook: Larsen’s Fish Market’s Vineyard Haven branch at the Tisbury Marketplace ships Martha’s Vineyard seafood under the name the Net Result. Call (800) 394-6071 or go to https://www.mvseafood.com.