Feeling the love this Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re planning to celebrate it with a view, a glass of fizz, a meal to remember or sitting in companionable silence while gazing up at the stars, here’s some inspiration for where to take a date.
Raise a glass of quality wine
We’ve long sung the praises of family-run business Davy’s Wine Vaults, which has been a Greenwich staple for decades.
This year, it’s marking the day of love a day early, on February 13, but if you can come to terms with drinking on a Monday, a night of cheese and wine tasting awaits. Yours for £35pp.
Davy’s Wine Vaults, 161 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich, London SE10 8JA. February 13. www.davy.co.uk/wine-bar/davys-wine-vaults/
Take afternoon tea with a World Heritage view
The Old Royal Naval College is welcoming guests for its popular Admiral’s Tea experience – a chance to tuck into delicate finger sandwiches, homemade scones and cakes in a regal setting overlooking the Thames.
A selection of 10 teas are available to accompany your meal, plus you can add some bubbles to toast your union.
Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, London SE10 9NN. February 19, 1.5 hour sittings from 12pm – 4:30pm. Admission: £42pp. www.ornc.org/whats-on/admirals-tea/
Say it over small plates
Small plate restaurants are no longer the reserve of trendy neighbourhoods in central London. Fulfilling the small plate dream in Lewisham are husband-and-wife team Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar, whose restaurant Sparrow serves dishes drawing on flavours from the Middle East and south-east Asia as well as traditional British fare.
Hiding in plain sight within a black-fronted, unassuming looking building on busy Rennell Street, the ever-rotating menu here is inventive and complemented by a punchy drinks list.
Go soon and you might catch menu highlights including cinnamon oysters, braised duck leg and squid ink risotto. Dimly lit and buzzy, Sparrow makes an ideal location for a Valentine’s Day date.
Sparrow, 2 Rennell Street, London SE13 7HD. Wednesday & Thursday, 6pm – 10pm; Friday & Saturday, 12pm – 3pm & 6pm – 10pm; Sunday 12pm – 3pm. www.sparrowlondon.co.uk/
Stargaze (with refreshments) at the Royal Observatory
From hit series Friends to Hollywood movie La La Land, rom-coms love to show us the romantic potential for a planetarium date and a chance to gaze up at the stars together. London is home to its very own Royal Observatory, which stands atop a hill in Greenwich – home of time itself. Stand tall together on the Meridian Line, from which Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) itself is set, then cuddle up in the planetarium’s darkened auditorium and contemplate the sheer magnitude of outta space – thanking your lucky stars for the universe bringing the two of you together.
For a bite to eat before or after the show, head to the Astronomy Café & Terrace, open only to Planetarium ticket holders – a secluded spot for refreshments and hush-hush conversations.
Royal Observatory, Blackheath Avenue, London SE10 8XJ. Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Admission: planetarium shows £10pp. www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/planetarium-shows
Impress over pasta
A sister restaurant to Peckham’s beloved Artusi, Marcella is the place in Deptford for fresh, seasonal and rustic Italian cuisine.
The short, seasonal menu of delicately detailed pasta dishes is not to be missed. (At the time of writing, a dish of ‘tagliatelle with pheasant, wild mushroom and tarragon’ is competing with one of ‘casarecce, beetroot and chicory pesto’), but branch out and you might find yourselves chewing the cud over a starter of ‘cuttlefish, fennel and Iberia tomatoes’, or a main of ‘ox cheek, polenta and savoy’.
Do leave room to fight for the last forkful of the restaurant’s signature pud: olive oil cake with crème friache. Marcella also wins marks for its bright and airy dining room, plus its service, which is polite and slick. A vibey place to say Amore.
Marcella, 165A Deptford High Street, London, SE8 3NU. Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-2:30pm then 6pm-9:30pm/10pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm. www.marcella.london/
For pillow talk and breakfast in bed
For a somewhat steamier (and pricier!) affair, dress to impress and make your way to the InterContinental Hotel at the O2.
It’s pulling out all the stops to offer guests an overtly romantic stay, with room add-ons including Lanson champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries, heart-shaped balloons and even a romantic turndown service with rose petals.
The ‘Ultimate Romantic Experience package’ includes dinner at the hotel’s restaurant Kinaara and breakfast in bed.
InterContinental London, 1 Waterview Drive, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0TW. February 11 – 17. Admission: £424pp. www.iclondon-theo2.com/valentines-day-2023
Linger over tapas
This recommendation comes with our heartiest of apologies to SE4 residents, whose best-kept-secret we’re louding tooting: tapas joint L’Oculto (meaning ‘the hidden one’), has got to be one of the most authentically romantic restaurants south of the river.
A carefully selected wine list, a passionate head chef, an ever-evolving menu of dishes made with seasonal produce are just some of its selling points.
For the more fickle, or perhaps ambiance minded, so are trendy interiors (exposed brick walls, the warm glow of fairy lights) and a buzzy atmosphere.
Entirely women-run, the restaurant is the lovechild of business partners Teresa Holmes and Ana Gomez, with Galician chef Irene Lorenzo Muñoz heading up the kitchen. Brockley resident or not, L’Oculto is a restaurant to celebrate and to celebrate at.
Past years have seen it offer special Valentine’s Day menus too, and you’ll want to book soon to nab a table – its New Year’s Eve seven-course feast sold out.
L’Oculto, 325 Brockley Road, Brockley, London SE4 2QZ. Thursday 12pm – 3pm and 6.30pm – 11.30pm; Friday & Saturday 12pm – 3pm and 6pm – 11.30pm; Sunday 12.30pm – 4pm. www.loculto.co.uk/
