Valentine’s Day: How to conjure the perfect romantic dinner at home

This Valentine’s Day, instead of fighting the rush for a table at a restaurant, why not share an intimate dinner at home? You’ll have all the privacy you want, extra Brownie points for your cocktails, plus the journey back afterwards couldn’t be quicker! Here are our top tips to create the perfect romantic evening, just the two of you.

Lighting

What better way to “set the mood” than with a scented candle? Waterford Crystal has an array of beautifully fragranced candles and holders in their Illuminology Collection. Each Illuminology scent is uniquely crafted to conjure a particular air or emotion: harmony, joy, serenity and celebration are examples of just a few. Our recommendation on this occasion is the Champagne Fragrance.

Music

Always a classic, have Barry White at a low hum in the background. For something more current, Adele’s new album 25 is an excellent choice.

Table settings

Wedgwood has lots of amazing pieces to impress your loved one, including a romantic floral pattern. For a quirky touch, you could serve your pre- and post-dinner cocktails in their lovely little tea cups. If you want to go all-out extravagant, Waterford Crystal’s Love Flutes Collection comes in four different patterns; the heart-cut pattern of the True Love toasting flutes symbolises two souls about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime – recommended to be saved for a serene moment to toast true love.

Flowers

McQueens have a gorgeous Valentine’s Collection available that can be delivered up until the evening before, allowing you to present your lover with a bouquet or simply deck your table, hallway or even bed with petals.

Pre-dinner cocktails

Oyster Bloody Mary shots are a great way to get in the mood. We prefer a Ceasar Snapper to the standard Bloody Mary, made with gin instead of the classic vodka.

Oysters

Impress your loved one with delicious oysters – they could even be from Lidl or Morrison’s! The shopping giants are lowering their prices to as little as 25p per oyster ahead of Valentine’s Day. If you’re a bit worried by the thought of a bargain oyster and what that might entail, your local fishmonger and Wholefoods Market will be selling them too.

Champagne

Add a touch of pomegranate juice for a little je ne sais quoi. It has aphrodisiac qualities, and will turn your drink (and hopefully your date) a lovely shade of pink

Starter

A classic appetiser is asparagus and hollandaise sauce: you can eat with your fingers and feed each other to get the evening off to a good start. It’s also a light course, allowing plenty of room for bubbles and dessert.

Main Course

Sushi is sexy food as you don’t get too full! Making your own is sure to impress your date, and you can buy all the ingredients from the Japan Centre in Piccadilly Circus. You could get even your partner to come over a little early and spend an hour creating the sushi, while enjoying drinks or oysters and making the most of each other’s company. If sushi isn’t for you, we love a simple salmon steak with some vegetables or salad. This is a really quick and easy dish to whip up, and never disappoints.

Dessert

With Valentine’s Day so close to Pancake Day, you could bring a bit of fun to your dessert and make pancakes together. Add strawberries and melted chocolate for a sensual, interactive experience. You could also buy some specialist chocolate from Paul A Young in Soho, where you can walk in and handpick your favourites. Another romantic option for Valentine’s Day is a chocolate fondue, with lots of different things to dip into it. This could end up being messy, but then you can help get each other clean!

After-dinner cocktails

An Old Fashioned is a sophisticated choice, or perhaps a Dirty Martini. To spark the senses, try a Spicy Margarita: chilli aids digestion and will make you both tingle!

Hannah Lovell