Spending so much time in the same space can mean that there’s no clear distinction between times of day, or even between weekdays and weekends! Whether you’re living with your significant other or even with friends or family, make sure you set some evenings aside to relax and spend time together. Living apart? Why not whip up some of these recipes in your respective homes and enjoy them together over video chat.
Set the mood
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent the past few months living in loungewear and eating on the sofa most nights… Getting a bit dressed up, setting a beautiful table and lighting some candles will set date night apart from all the other evenings in. Don’t forget to ditch screens for a bit too and put on your favourite playlist instead.
Bring the restaurant ambience home – you’ll find all the beautiful place setting inspiration you could need from The White Company over on their Instagram page.
Get the drinks ready
Kick your date night in off with a pre-dinner drink – why not step it up and start with a cocktail? The tropical ‘Pineapple Express’ from Bill’s is made from Havana 3yr, Campari and pineapple juice.
For something stronger, how about a Negroni like this one from 28º-50º Wine Bar and Kitchen? The simple mix of equal parts gin, vermouth and Campari garnished with a twirl of orange rind make for a sophisticated aperitif.
Not quite got the right ingredients at home? Dust off those seldom used bottles at the back of your drinks collection and see what you can whip up with the addition of a couple of fresh ingredients. You might surprise yourself!
Make a meal out of it
Does date night = steak night for you? Take inspiration from temper, who pride themselves on sourcing the best meat from selected UK farms and cooking it to perfection. Now more than ever it’s time to shop local, so support your local butcher and pick up something extra special for dinner.
Looking for vegetarian perfection? You can’t go wrong with this roast vegetable kebab recipe from Maison Bab that you can make together. Roasting really transforms broccoli and cauliflower, making them a worthy centrepiece. You’ll find the full tutorial here along with loads more recipes on their Instagram page, including how to make their famous flatbreads at home.
Don’t forget dessert
Keep it homemade but nice and simple. This Pineapple Crumble recipe from Dishoom is a tropical twist on the British classic – serve warm or cold, with custard or ice cream. The tang of the pineapple with a hint of spicy black pepper work so well together. You can see the full recipe on our Instagram – try a whole host of other Dishoom recipes from their cookbook.
In Australia, lamingtons are usually dipped in chocolate, but this take on the iconic sweet treat from Bill’s opts for coating them in raspberry jam, rolling in desiccated coconut and topping with a strawberry or raspberry. You can see the full recipe here.
Now that you’ve got the ambience, drinks and food sorted, what’s next? Maybe it’s a games night – Stanfords has a great selection if your collection needs a boost, available online and in-store now. Or if you’re missing going to gigs, catch up with the Levi’s ‘5:01 Live’ Instagram series featuring an array of amazing artists performing from their homes.
Have you seen the rest of our Postcards from The Yards series? While you sadly can’t visit us in person, were sending some of The Yards to you at home. Read our At-Home Wellness and Creativity At Home postcards now.
Find out what all of our shops and restaurants at The Yards are up to at the moment and how you can support them during this time here, including some special charity initiatives.