If you’re looking for an amazing restaurant to take your partner for Valentine’s Day this February, we’ve rounded up the best in town. London is famed for it’s Michelin star cuisine from chefs all around the globe, and with so many options, it can be hard to know where to book a table.
Take a look below at our top five choices for Valentine’s Day 2020.
Clos Maggiore
Clos Maggiore is an oasis of calm in the heart of Covent Garden. Influenced by the stylish country inns of Provence and Tuscany the unique interiors create an unparalleled warmth and intimacy. With a world famous menu, Chef Marcellin Marc’s love of Provencal cuisine is recreated with individual style and flair. The chef is committed to sourcing local and seasonal products throughout the year to create perfectly balanced menus which have consistently been recognised and awarded with AA-rosette awards.
If you’re a fan of wine, the wine cellar boasts over 2,500 selections appealing to all occasions, ranging from a modest bottle of ‘Vin De Pays’ to the greatest names in the wine world.
This Valentine’s Day, Clos Maggiore, has created a five course tasting menu filled with elegant and delicious variations including Pressed Foie Gras & Quail Breast Terrine, and Fig & Apricot Marmalade with Toasted Hazelnut Bread to start and King Crab & Lobster Tortellini
Wilted Leek, Champagne Velouté & Oscietra Caviar, along with Goat’s Cheese & Truffle Wrapped in Crispy Vermicelli for the next course.
The tasting menu of desserts includes Roasted Piedmont Hazelnut & Amalfi Lemon Délice and Granny Smith Purée, Praline & Yuzu Ice Cream.
If you want to really treat your loved one this February, the five course menu with a glass of Champagne on arrival comes in at £175 per person, with classic wine pairing £50 or with discovery wine pairing £100 supplement.
Duck & Waffle
Duck & Waffle London offers a playful take on traditional British cuisine with broad European influences emphasizing local, rustic, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. The dishes on the menu are designed to share or sample and are complemented by a unique cocktail experience that’s available 24/7 – yes 24/7. From breakfast, brunch, late night, desserts: They serve from sunrise to sunset to sunrise – and every hour in between.
One of London’s highest restaurants, Duck & Waffle is located on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate in London. Completed in March 2011 and stretching 230m into the skyline, 110 Bishopsgate is one of London’s tallest buildings. From the ground floor, guests are transported to to the sky from a private entrance on Bishopsgate via two express, double-glazed scenic lifts. From there, you’ll get a unique blend of breathtaking London views with an intimate, welcoming, critically-acclaimed dining experience.
For Valentine’s Day, there’s a specially curated menu with a variety of options to tantalize your tastebuds. To kick things off, couples will get to try Lobster crisps, tracklements, and caviar, then will be asked to choose from a variety of plates including, Angus beef tartare, House cured Scottish salmon with creamed horseradish, beetroot, or twice baked cheddar souffle with Parmesan sauce and chives.
For dessert, there’s rhubarb rose & pistachio cheesecake, pistachio dacquoise, gin & tonic granita, grapefruit and white chocolate mousse, with rosemary sponge and ginger, or rice pudding served with spice rum & raisin.
This is the only menu served on Friday 14th February, and has a set price of £90pp.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The ‘Dinner’ began in the late 90s with Heston Blumenthal’s fascination with historic gastronomy. The savoury ice creams of the late 1800s, the theatre of the Tudor dining experiences and the dishes of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland all resonated with his unique approach to cooking.
Researching 14th century cookbooks such as those by the royal chefs of King Richard II to Lewis Carroll’s flights of fancy. Working with food historians, tapping into the world of the British library and the team at King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace the very modern dining experience of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was born.
Located at Hyde Park, the heart of the capital, the restaurant interior has been conceived as a subtle, elegant portrait – contemporary and innovative, yet mindful of tradition.
The dining room features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, giving diners a view of the kitchen and its unique pulley system. Modeled after a version used by the royal court, the pulleys rotate the spit over an open-fire.
Although there’s no special Valentine’s menu on the cars, you’d definitely be treating your partner if you reserved a spot here.
Starters on the Al a Carte menu include Chicken oysters, salsify, marrowbone, horseradish cream & pickled walnuts, Savoury Porridge with Frog’s legs, garlic, parsley & fennel and Smoked Pickled Mussles with Garum & mussel cream, lovage, oyster leaf & purslane.
For main courses there’s a selection of wonderful options such as Roast Cod with Cockle ketchup, leaf chicory & seaweed butter, Spiced Squash Pigeon with Onions, artichokes, ale & malt, and Hereford Ribeye served with Mushroom ketchup & triple cooked chips.
Prices for starters are around £25 on average, whilst a main course will set you back around £48.
SUSHISAMBA London
If your lover loves sushi, then look no further than SUSHISAMBA. Located in Covent Garden at the famed Opera Terrace at the top of the historic Grade II-listed Market Building, this striking space is a vibrant addition to the area. Crowned by an Eric Parry-designed glass roof, the restaurant runs along the entire east side of the market making for beautiful rooftop views across the piazza.
Bold in design, SUSHISAMBA is famous for it’s unique bar with a ‘living ceiling’. Featuring an exposed kitchen and high energy sushi bar overlooking the piazza, you’ll get the best view of the city whilst enjoying your Valentine’s Day meal for two.
The restaurant is offering a sharing menu for the big day, which starts with a glass of NV Taittinger, Brut Reserve on arrival.
To nibble on, diners will get to share a selection of small plates including Sakana with edamame, tamarind sauce, sea salt and lime, along with Plantains and aji amarillo.
The Ivy Asia
Serving theatrical drinks and cocktails late into the night alongside a delicious menu of tantalising, Asian-inspired dishes. the vibrant and playful setting of The Ivy Asia will entertain, inspire and excite guests from the moment they step inside.
On arrival, diners are met with a show-stopping fluorescent pink onyx floor, impressive panelled artwork depicting notable Japanese landscapes, and a pink-hued pagoda, before climbing the stairs to the first-floor restaurant.
Upstairs, the entire floor is illuminated with green, semi-precious stone, set against a striking antique gold mirrored bar, luxurious Asian fabrics, brass top tables, and large windows overlooking one of London’s most iconic and beautiful sites, St Paul’s Cathedral. Artwork pays homage to a series of pan-Asian influences including flora, fauna and mythology, whilst a collection of limited-edition, antique 12ft samurai warriors look on.
The menu has an abundance of choices from small plates and sushi to lobster and steak – if your partners a fussy eater, you can’t go wrong here.
There’s a also a nice selection of vegetarian and vegan options including Mongolian cheese, peanut & curry leaf (£10.50) Grilled asparagus and white wafu, Black sesame and nori (£10.95), Avocado crispy tofu with lime & ginger dressing. (£11.95), along with Laksa with fermented bamboo, green tea noodles, and Choi sum, coconut & peanuts (£10.50)
For meat eaters, large plates on the menu will tantalise your tastebuds. Get set for Duck, lobster & lychee rice 22.50 Korean bbq lamb cutlets
with Smashed sesame cucumber (£21.50), Duck massaman curry with cashew nuts (£13.50) and Miso marinated baby chicken (£14.50).
