A bloke's guide to Valentine's in London

Looking for ways to impress your Ladyfriend this Valentine's? From traditional flowers and chocolates to speedboats and skating, here's Jack Oughton's guide to wooing in the Capital.

Jayne Robinson

Date published: 31st Jan 2012

Looking for ways to impress your Ladyfriend this Valentine's? From traditional flowers and chocolates to speedboats and skating, here's Jack Oughton's guide to wooing in the Capital. 

Be you in a relationship, or looking to be in one, it's probably a good idea that you get this Valentines Day right. After all it can be a great way to 'seal the deal' with that special person, or for you to remind each other why you are together in the first place.

Of course, Skiddle knows that every woman is different, and no that there's no single way to be romantic that suits for every couple (or couple 'to be'). So we're not here to give you dating advice. We're here to give you London advice. This guide is written specifically for the man who wants to take his lady out on the town in London for a bloody memorable Valentines' occasion. You don't have to be Casanova, Romeo, or your favourite romantic cliche. See, you just gotta know where to go! And soon you will, so read on.

Oh, and you'll have to pardon us if we get all soppy on you...

Flowers

OK, so we'll start out with the predictable ones first. Flowers then...

London is full of florists, and all of them want your business for Valentine's Day. So you've got choices. What to buy and who to buy from? You could go to your local florist, which would probably work fine, or try mail order, which sounds a bit strange but is quite handy. One mail order place who has simplified everything for you is Arena Flowers. These guys deliver and offer plenty of different floral arrangements, including ones specially arranged for Valentines Day with fancy names like 'Heart Of Fire' and 'Angel Handtied Bouquet'. Could be handy if you aren't up for the task of making too many buying decisions or it's all being arranged in a 'last minute' fashion.

Chocolates

Something about the combination of sugary sweet taste and opiate like chemicals in chocolate can make a girl swoon. Swooning is good. You want swooning. And though you could express your feelings with a Mars Bar, it's probably better that you pick something a bit more classy. Of course, there are many chocolatiers to choose from, each of them well suited to delivering the goods on Valentine's Day, but one you may want to try is the renowned L'Artisan du Chocolat, who offer something a bit more special than your average Mars (not that we've got anything against Mars Bars!). Check out their Valentines chocolate selections. Remember: most women like chocolate more when it comes in a heart shaped box. It makes you appear more thoughtful.

'London's most romantic restaurant'

Taking her out for a romantic meal is one of the oldest tricks in the book, for obvious reasons. And lord knows, there's plenty of places to do this London, all of them eager to cater to your romantic needs. That said, if you are really bloody serious and ready to part with your cash, you may want to try out Clos Maggiore [33 King Street, WC2E] which is 'London's most romantic restaurant' - according to Harden's London Restaurant Guide of 2012. They serve delightful dishes, including a five course 'tasting menu' in a blossom filled conservatory 'beneath a blanket of stars' (for maximum romance). And if you want to do the whole proposing thing, the staff can hide your ring inside a 'bespoke chocolate box'. Only for those of you who can stomach the most emotionally intense romantic scenarios. Are you man enough? Book your table at Clos Maggiore.

Try a double/group date

We imagine that some people will be taking the group approach to dining out this year. And why not combine the thrill of a romantic time with the pleasure of friends too? Of course, not all restaurants might be appropriate for this sort of eating. But one that could be good for you and some friends is Colchis Restaurant and Bar [39 Chepstow Place, W2 4TS], which offers food from Georgia in the 'tapas' style that the Spanish introduced us to. Try Khinkali; Georgian dumplings with minced beef and pork, or khachapuri, Georgian bread filled with cheese. Then there's 150 wines to choose from, with many also imported from Georgia Best shared with friends and girlfriends. It works out about £35 for three courses and a bottle of wine.

Visit A Market

Centuries of tradition combined with the hustle and bustle of a marketplace make markets great places to take her to. And you might be able to pick up a rare bargain for yourself, which is obviously good. Try some of these...

Columbia Road Flower Market

[Columbia Road, Hackney, open Sundays 8AM - 4PM]

Are you/she into flowers? Instead of just buying her a bouquet, why not actually go with her and help her pick the flowers that she wants? Skiddle doesn't know a ton about flowers, but we do know that there's a lot more to it than just buying a bouquet and being done with it. Though that can work too. Columbia Road is a great place to buy direct from traditional street vendors. These guys will sell you almost every variety you could imagine, and perhaps some that you can't. Of course, the fact that the vendors are trying to outdo each other also means that you are likely to get a very good deal on that expensive bouquet.

Borough Market

[Right near to London Bridge Tube stop, open Thursdays: 11 AM – 5 PM, Fridays: noon – 6 PM, Saturdays: 8 AM – 5 PM]

Alternatively, if you and the lassie are more into the joys of fine food, why not head down to Borough Market? Here you can get artisanal and rare sustenance from the wide world over. Again, you may find things that you have never seen before. If particularly ballsy, buy them and then google for recipes when you get home.

And if these two are a bit out of your way, you may want to try Broadway Market [in Broadway Market, Hackney E8 4PH]. You can get all sorts of stuff here, it doesn't really specialise in anything in particular. Or try Brick Lane Market [Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London E1 6PU], which is particularly good for world cuisine and boutique clothing stores.

Dancing [candlelight preferable]

Dance Finesse offer an unusual way to get into the mood this year. Through them you can treat your girl to lessons in pretty much any style she wants. You can arrange these lessons in the comfort of your own home (wanna trash your front room?) or book a studio if it suits you. Choose a style you can do together if dance is your thing too (Foxtrot, Jive, Cha Cha…)

Or for something more traditional, you could check out Tango @ 33, who'll teach you the Tango, that most alluring of dances, and nothing more. And all this valuable learning will happen in a candelit environment, to heighten the mood. You can’t lose.

Outdoor Ice skating

More traditionally a Yuletide/New Years activity, you've still got time to float about gracefully with/'fall over' on that special person at the ice rink at Canary Wharf, which runs until February 20th. Sometimes we wonder what's so romantic about falling on your backside and being cold, but watch any RomCom at Christmas and it’ll all make sense.

Take a boat ride

But not a slow one, oh no, if you want that, go to Venice. London's all about SPEEDBOATS. Namely via London RIB Voyages [Waterloo Millennium Pier, Westminster Bridge Rd, SE1 7PB] (RIB: Rigid Inflatable Boat) Inflatable: lightness: consequentially more speeeeeed. And speed is exciting. And exciting is good, if you know what we mean…

Go people watching

People watching is romantic in a strange way. You can sit and come up with improvised narratives for the people passing by, or watch what other couples are up to doing on the momentous day. And it's totally not creepy because you are doing together, see! People watching can be done pretty much anywhere you can observe the great British public, in tea shops, coffee shops, outdoor cafes and so on. Though it works almost anywhere, you may get best results in areas of real diversity. For this try some of the tourist spots, such as Trafalgar Square or Covent Garden, and watch people from all over the globe wandering about, starry eyed...

Skiddle wishes you an exciting Valentine's Day!

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