Buona Vita is my personal favorite Italian restaurant in Hermosa Beach for any occasion, whether it's a first date, your 365th date night or even a group birthday dinner. This cozy restaurant is popular especially during summer time, so the atmosphere is always lively during weekdays and weekends. Since it's first come, first serve, put your name down on the wait list, if there is a wait, then take a quick stroll on The Strand walkway to admire the sunset on the beach.
The menu is quite reasonable (see online), especially after a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com, which you can buy online right now for ONLY $4 instead of the regular $10 each. The discount code "harvest" expires on Nov 5th (yes, tomorrow, so I posted this a half-day early), but gift certificates have NO expiration date in the state of California. The minimum food purchase is $50, so you can spend as little as $25 out of pocket. That easily covers appetizer, salad, 2 entrees, and dessert. The best part is that there is no corkage fee at Buona Vita, making it a favorite among the locals to no surprise. TIP: Trader Joes is a fantastic place for picking up a good bottle of wine for about $6-10. Another TIP: Park behind the "Skate Park" about a block away for free or try to find a spot in the neighborhood for free during off-peak season (double check the street signs). Have a buona time!
UPDATE 12/11/09: Sale on Restaurant.com, buy a $25 gift certificate for only $2! Use discount code SHARE until 12/14/09. Metered parking is free for 3 hours during the Christmas holidays in Hermosa Beach.
Approximate cost of creative date idea= $2-4 Gift certificate + $7 Bottle of wine + $25 Dinner.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $70.
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