Valentine’s Day is your chance to really impress the love of your life. London’s bars and restaurants will be awash with glamour and romance as they compete to offer you the ultimate table for two, while attractions across town will be rolling out the red carpet to get the loved-up through the door. But where you take your valentine comes down to what they like — and what they’re like. Here’s our guide to where you should go to really show you care.
If They’re Sporty…
Give them a twirl at Broadgate Ice Rink — the perfect excuse to show off those skills, or to snuggle up a little closer. This open-air rink is the only one in the Square Mile, as well as the only one to operate with a turn-up-and-skate policy — no booking required. This means you can fit it around dinner in one of the area’s many restaurants. Even better, couples can buy two-for-one tickets on Valentine’s Day. Admission is around $14 and skate rental is about $3.
If They’re A Foodie…
Book a table at The Gilbert Scott in London’s most romantic train station, St Pancras. Marcus Wareing’s truly great British menu is served in one of the city’s most elegant dining rooms — all ornate ceilings with glittering chandeliers. Try the pigeon in a pot and finish with Kendal mint cake choc ice. The Valentine’s menu is around $125 per person, and is available after 8 p.m.
If They’re Glamorous…
It has to be Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill. The Valentine’s Day deal here is a sumptuous four-course meal of upscale British cuisine (think berry-crusted venison or Wild Scottish halibut) that comes complete with a glass of champagne, for around $102 per person. Bag a table by the fire to really heat things up.
If They’re Too Cool For School…
Head to any of the four All Star Lanes (Holborn, Brick Lane, Baywater or Stratford) and you’ll get two courses of tasty American diner-style food, a cocktail and a game of bowling for about $44 per person. Though couples are welcome, this is technically an “Anti-Valentine’s” event, so there may not be any cheesy love songs to offend your hip ears.
Photos Courtesy of Gilbert Scott and Broadgate Estates
