Valentine’s Day is a great time to be in London. You can be sure there will be something fun to do on the 14th of February, whether you’re single, just got together, or have been with your partner for decades.
If you want to spend the Day with a lover but aren’t in the mood for traditional romance, you could go to an art show, eat street food, or walk around London and find some of its hidden gems.
No matter what you’re in the mood for, you can find many great Valentine’s Day ideas in the list below. There’s something for everyone here, whether you love wine, flowers, chocolates, and dinner for two or can’t help but roll your eyes at all the cheesy clichés.
Source: google.com
Best Romantic Valentine’s Date Ideas
Visitors to England’s lively capital never run out of things to do and places to see, but if you want to know where the most romantic places are, you’ll need to ask someone who lives there. We’re here to help, though. Use our helpful guide to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day in London.
Cooking With Cupid – Valentine’s Cookery Class
Location: Wandsworth Town, London
Price: £300 | Time: 3hrs
The Avenue Cookery School in Wandsworth puts on this Valentine’s Day-themed cooking class. It will teach you how to make the 3-course meal of your dreams!
You’ll be given a drink and then shown how to cook “Sexy Scallops with a Rumpy Pumpy Ratatouille,” “Passionate Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillet on a Bouncy Bed of Homemade Dill Tagliatelle with Asparagus Tips and a Busty Beurre Noisette,” and “Something Delectably Chocolatey.”
Then it’s up to you to see how good a cook you are by putting your new skills to the test. Don’t worry, though, because The Avenue’s expert chefs will be there to help you through the night. After that, you and your date will sit down to your 3-course meal with unlimited drinks.
Go On An East London Wine Walk
Website: indytute.com
Price: £130 for two
Instead of going to East London and hoping to stumble upon a sound bar, you can guarantee a great night out by signing up for this tour of Hackney’s best drinking spots. You’ll be told how to get to four unplanned wine bars within a short walk of each other. The owner will greet you at each one with a glass of excellent wine and some snacks. So much more stylish than a standard pub crawl.
Private Pottery Taster For Two
Location: Hackney, London
Price: £160 | Time: 2hrs
If you want to get yourself something nice for Valentine’s Day, why not check out Sak Beh Pottery’s Private Pottery Taster for Two? This is a pottery taster class that focuses on throwing. You’ll have your private teacher and use the studio in Hackney all to yourself.
As the name suggests, the class will let you try out different ways to make pottery so you can figure out which ones you like best. You’ll learn how to use a potter’s wheel and some hand-building techniques. At the end of your taster, you’ll have a thrown pot and something you made by hand.
After you make your pots, they will be dried in the air before being fired in the kiln. This will give you and your partner lovely pieces you can show off to friends and family.
Dinner Onboard The London Shell Co
Location: The Prince Regent, Sheldon Square, London W2 6PY
Website: http://londonshellco.com/
Price: Five-course set menu £50 per person for lunch or dinner
What could be more romantic about seafood, Champagne and a scenic sunset tour along the Regent’s Canal? Book a table at the London Shell Co for the perfect dinner date. The Prince Regent boat will take you from Paddington to Camden and back while you enjoy five courses of fresh British seafood. Between courses, you can wrap yourself in a blanket on the deck and watch the London Zoo and Regent’s Park float by.
Essential Oil Soy Wax Candle-Making Kit
Location: At Home
Price: £52
If you want to spend Valentine’s Day at home with your partner, this candle-making kit from Somewhere of London is perfect for a night in. This kit is excellent for beginners and anyone who likes experiences or candles.
Each kit contains everything you need to make two candles that will burn for 35–40 hours, so you don’t have to worry about your S.O. stealing yours! You can choose from either Lemongrass, Bergamot, and May Chang or Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Cedarwood for the scent of your candle kit.
If you want to give the kit to your date as a surprise, you can type a gift card message at checkout, and Somewhere of London will write it by hand on the back of a free, branded inspirational postcard.
Take Part In A Chocolate Tasting
Location: Prufrock Coffee, 23-25 Leather Lane, London
Website: cocoarunners.com
Price: Single ticket £20; £35 for two
Instead of a Milk Tray, opt for a better chocolate surprise. Suppose you sign up for a Cocoa Runners tasting night. In that case, you’ll be introduced to the world of craft chocolate and learn about harvesting, fermentation, vintages, conching and roasting, and cacao made. You’ll also get to try a lot of chocolate along the way.
Seasonal Fresh Flower Bouquet Workshop
Location: Dalston Junction, London
Price: £130 (£65pp) | Time: 1hr 30min
If you want to go above and beyond a typical bouquet from the store, this flower arranging class could be the perfect Valentine’s Day activity for you and your special someone. You can book the class privately so that the two of you can come and make a bouquet for each other.
You’ll learn to be a florist in a beautiful garden full of flowers. You’ll work with an experienced florist to learn all the tips and tricks you need to make a beautiful bouquet. You’ll make your bouquet from a beautiful variety of fresh, in-season flowers and leaves, and as the workshop goes on, you’ll learn all about the stems you’re using.
You’ll learn how to make a spiral bouquet with your flowers and what to do to make them last longer. You’ll also have a lot of chances to talk to your expert floristry teacher and learn many new skills.
Make Your Rings
Location: Various locations in London
Website: theworkbenchlondon.com
The Workbench was started by two jewellery designers, Katie Woodward and Kirstie MacLaren. People can make their rings at workshops in places like Peckham and Islington. Each tutorial is made to be as fun as possible, so it’s more like a craft club than a class.
Katie and Kirstie are patient and hands-on, so messing up your design with them is almost impossible. If you like to give hints, now is the perfect time to say that you like diamonds. There’s nothing like a few cocktails to get the creative juices flowing, so the workshops are held in bars or hotels like The Henrietta. Why not end the night in a room upstairs?
Primrose Hill – London Skyline
Location: North of Regent’s Park in London, England,
Website: http://primrosehill.com
Primrose Hill is great because it has a great view of the capital’s most famous landmarks. With the right ingredients, it can be the perfect place for a date: buy a bottle of Malbec wine (since it’s Valentine’s Day), head up the hill in the late afternoon, and bring a blanket because it’s likely to be a little chilly. Regent’s Park Road is full of bars and restaurants where you can get warm after watching the sun go down.
Paint Your Partner – Mindful Painting Valentine’s Special
Location: Belgravia, London
Price: £80 if you buy a couple’s ticket (save £10 on the £45pp price) | Time: 1hr 30min
If you want to do something more artistic for your Valentine’s Day date night, why not sign up for this MasterPeace portraiture masterclass and paint and be mindful with your partner? A professional artist will guide you and your partner as you use acrylic paint to make a portrait that is unique to you and your partner.
The studio is a short walk from Victoria station. You don’t have to worry about making the best outline for your painting because MasterPeace’s projectors can cast the image you choose from your phone onto your canvas board.
It’s a great way to get into your creative flow and sketch out your image quickly and easily so you can start painting immediately. Your class comes with all the materials you need, a free drink (alcoholic or not), and a sweet treat. And if you buy a ticket for yourself and your partner simultaneously, you’ll save £10.
Try Your Hand At Crazy Golf
Location: Swingers West End, 15 John Prince’s Street, London
Website: swingersldn.com
Price: £13 per person
At Swingers, challenge your date to a game of crazy golf to see how competitive they are. As you go through the helter-skelter or big-wheel course, you’ll see how they handle pressure and if they’re hard on themselves when they lose. Get food from Patty & Bun, Breddos Tacos, or Made of Dough pizza, and drink a lot of cocktails.
Be A Zookeeper For A Day
Location: ZSL London Zoo, London NW1 4RY
Website: zsl.org/experiences/keeper-for-a-day
Price: £240 per person
One of the weirdest things you can do with a date who loves animals is to spend a day as a keeper at London Zoo. You can get up close and personal with some of the zoo’s animals, find out what happens behind the scenes, and help clean the animals’ cages.
The unique experience doesn’t come cheap, though. At £240 per person, this is one you’ll want to save for a special event or person.
Indulge In Afternoon Tea At Sketch
Location: Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, Mayfair, London
Website: sketch.london
Price: Sketch Classic afternoon tea £59 per person, Champagne afternoon tea £73 per person
There are many great places to get afternoon tea in London, but there’s only one where you can eat in a powder-pink parlour lined with comic art by David Shrigley that you can buy for around £4,500 per piece.
Finger sandwiches, scones, and cakes are also beautiful to look at, and if you run out of things to talk about, the fancy venue, especially the egg-shaped toilets, should give you plenty to talk about.
Discover A Green Oasis In The Middle Of London
Website: royalparks.org.uk
Few things are more romantic than a breezy stroll through one of London’s most beautiful parks. It’s no secret that London has some great green spaces, from secret gardens with pristinely preened bushes and decadent water features to vast overgrown plains with towering trees and sprawling lakes.
Take your loved one to Regent’s Park for a day spent rowing around mini islands and flocks of swans Ryan Gosling-style, or head to Primrose Hill with a bottle of something fizzy to watch the sunset from one of London’s best vantage points.
Conclusion
Valentine’s Day is a special day for people who are in love. People usually spend Valentine’s Day with their loved ones, which makes London a great place for a romantic date. There are many things to do and see in London, from museums to parks.
There are also a lot of romantic restaurants and bars where you and your partner can have a nice meal and drink. You can also go to events like London Fashion Week or live music concerts with your friends in the city.
FAQs
When did Valentine’s Day begin to be celebrated in England?
Chaucer, a famous poet, was the one who got England to start celebrating Valentine’s Day in 1382. In honour of King Richard II’s engagement to Anne of Bohemia, a poem was written with the lines, “For this was on St. Valentine’s Day when every bird (fowl) cometh to choose his mate.”
What’s the weather like in London on Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day in London will be cold, no matter what. Afternoon highs don’t get above 7-8 degrees Celsius, so wrap up warm if you want to walk around the city with your partner.
Who invented Valentine’s Day?
Pope Gelasius, I started the Saint Valentine’s Day holiday in 496 AD to honour Saint Valentine of Rome.