10 amazing restaurants for Valentine’s Day 2017
We’re not usually ones to argue with the Bard, but in the case of music being the food of love we have to disagree. Here at Great British Chefs we firmly believe that food is most definitely the food of love, so we’ve rounded up our top picks for indulging both hearts and stomachs this Valentine’s Day. Whether you want to blow the budget, bond over a few sharing dishes, are after a new gastronomic experience or want a foodie getaway where you can be alone with the one you love for a weekend, take a look at some of our favourite restaurants below.
Restaurants to impress
When it comes to romance, the French tend to know what they’re doing, so what better way to pull out all the stops than with the height of French cuisine at La Chapelle, an incredibly romantic venue. For Valentine’s Day Jeff Galvin has designed a three-course menu for £110, including both canapés and rosé Champagne to start and handmade chocolates at the end.
You can't get much more impressive than Raymond Blanc's magnificent ode to French cuisine in the Oxfordshire countryside. With two Michelin stars a meal here doesn't come cheap, but it's certainly one you (and your loved one) will remember for the rest of your life.
Alyn Williams’ Valentine’s menu looks absolutely fantastic and would be a real treat for any food lover. The menu includes a full seven courses for £90, with poached and roasted guinea fowl, confit cod and aerated white chocolate with passion fruit on offer.
For something a little different
For the most trendy British food at the moment, Robin Gill’s cooking at The Dairy is hard to beat. Any tasting menu that includes truffled cheese, sika deer and Yorkshire rhubarb is sure to be a winner with any date, especially at £65.
Curries and kebabs for Valentine’s Day? Definitely. Adding a bit of spice to Valentine’s this year, Vivek Singh’s newly revamped Cinnamon Club is offering a £75 five-course set menu which includes both, alongside ‘Sweet Juno’ cocktails.
For sharing
The ability to not fight over the last croquetas or slice of charcuterie is surely a sign of true love, and at José Pizarro there are plenty of sharing platters full of the stuff. Spend the evening there with a few glasses of wine and discover just how romantic Spanish food can be.
Tom Aikens’ teams at the Chelsea, Canary Wharf and St Katharine Docks restaurants have gone the whole hog this year, with a sharing menu that includes venison tartare, Cumbrian chateaubriand and a Maltesers ice cream sundae to devour as a pair, plus some special cocktails to sip, too.
If sweet things are the only way to woo your loved one, then the sharing desserts at HIX, Hixter and Tramshed are sure to induce sugary palpitations. How could anyone refuse a salted caramel fondue with strawberries, marshmallows and doughnuts?
Gourmet Getaways
If you’re after breathtaking coastal views, Michelin-starred dining and five-star luxury, then The Atlantic Hotel on the beautiful island of Jersey is just the ticket. They’re offering a tasting menu for £85 (£135 with wine), including his famous rice-less Jersey squid risotto and a very special local cheeseboard.
A gourmet institution, any stay at Northcote is bound to be special – especially when it includes Champagne in the intimate cocktail bar, a five-course Valentine’s Day menu from chefs Nigel Haworth and Lisa Allen, and a stonking Lancashire breakfast to wake up to in the morning (from £385).
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