If you’re after a unique and super sweet gift, head down to award-winning, luxury gelato producer Badiani for limited-edition Ti Amo-inducing treats. Pick up some pink and white heart-shaped pinguinos, made using Badiani’s incredible signature Buontalenti flavour gelato and encased in either a white chocolate or white chocolate and strawberry shell. Or head to the shop direct with your love for a deliciously thick and warming Italian hot chocolate.
After a more traditional sit down date? Bill’s Restaurant will be putting on a limited-edition Valentine’s Day menu. Enjoy 2 courses, as well as a special Valentine’s Day cocktail, all for just £29.95, or add another course for just £5! And the love-fuelled fun doesn’t end there. For those looking to skip the starters, mains (and small talk), head straight to sweetness with the Loved Up Stack. Float away with a bundle of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with clotted cream ice cream, pancake syrup and strawberry and dark chocolate sauce for just £8.
Or you could skip straight to drinks! Hawksmoor has teamed up with Bombay Sapphire 1er Cru this year for a Valentine’s Cocktail based on a mix between the breakfast martini and the bona fide Hawksmoor classic the Marmalade Cocktail. Much like breakfast in bed, this cocktail is best enjoyed with someone you love!
If your date loves learning something new, Miscusi have launched their own pasta masterclasses and the first one is Valentine’s themed. Join their mamma pastaia Vittoria who will teach you how to handmake pink pasta from scratch, using only a small set of equipment and natural ingredients. You’ll then be able to bring your handmade pasta home so that you can show off your artisanal skills to friends and family. Each booking includes a welcome drink, 2 hour pasta masterclass, all equipment good vibes and a little surprise. Or if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, have a sit in meal and enjoy pink ravioli filled with leeks and radicchio, and with a gorgonzola sauce topped with crushed almonds.
Want to try your hand at something a little different this Valentine’s day? How about embarking on a Pineapple Dance Studios class? Learning the romantic and energetic dance of salsa together is a sexy way to spice up your date night and create some lasting memories with your other half.
If you want a more cultural date, Donmar theatre is showing the world premiere by the award-winning playwright Diana Nneka Atuona Trouble in Butetown, which follows the story of Gwyneth Mbanefo’s illegal boarding house. Then exchange reviews of the performance cup of tea at the newly opened Fairshot cafe, a social enterprise cafe which helps young adults with learning disabilities.