15 Ways To Enjoy This Valentine’s Weekend In London
With the season of love well and truly upon us, London is pulling out all the stops this February. Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner for two, a Galentine’s evening to remember, or are dodging the festivities entirely, the city is brimming with decadent menus, wellness retreats and a host of literary billings to ensure your Valentine’s itinerary is packed, however you choose to celebrate.
From getting experimental at Valentine’s cocktail events to hitting the pavements for London’s annual Bookshop Crawl, this weekend has plenty to offer. Here is our ultimate guide on how to spend this weekend in London:
Visit this “Extra/Ordinary Women” exhibition
This week marks the opening of a new exhibition and promises a corrective look at the real-life women who influenced the renowned author, Charles Dickens. It will draw on the world’s most comprehensive collection of Dickens-related materials to celebrate the women who influenced his work. It will also reveal the clues which help to match several of these women to their fictional counterparts.
While Dickens is often criticised for creating one-dimensional female characters, this exhibition challenges this notion, highlighting that the women in his life were complex, independent and extra/ordinary.
Where: 48-49 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX
Website: www.dickensmuseum.com
Participate in London’s annual book crawl
Another literary addition to add to this weekend’s itinerary is the London Bookshop Crawl, which is taking place from Friday, 13th, to Sunday, 15th.
Back for its 11th year, this event invites book enthusiasts to explore London’s finest bookshops. With a vast number of the city’s most beloved stores getting involved, there are an array of ways to get involved. You can join a group trip or craft your own route, with maps and kits available to download via the website.
Website: www.bookshopcrawl.com
Celebrate Galentine’s Day at Pizza East
Pizza East is inviting guests to tuck into pizza with their pals this Valentine’s Day. It is also marking the occasion by offering all groups of four a complimentary bottle of Gordon Ramsay Wine to be enjoyed with the meal.
The menu offers an array of irresistible pizzas to choose from, which can be enjoyed with sides of Calabrian Fried Potatoes, Garlic Oil Foccaccia, and Mac and Cheese. You can also dress and dip your pizzas in hot honey, basil pesto and vegan nduja mayonnaise.
Pizza East is celebrating Galentine’s Day with complimentary bottles of Gordon Ramsay wine.
Where: 56 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ / 9 Endeavour Square, Stratford Cross, London E20 1JN
Website: www.pizzaeast.com
Try a new set menu
If you are looking for a new set menu to add to your weekend itinerary, look no further than 34 Mayfair. Guests are invited to enjoy a decadent dining experience for just £29, or £34 to upgrade to three courses.
Among the must-try items on the menu are its truffle cauliflower soup and yellowfin tuna carpaccio for starters. For mains, choose from miso-glazed salmon or black angus steak frites. Then round off your meal with a helping of 34’s iconic doughnuts with chocolate sauce, or opt for the Cox & Bramley apple pie.
The set menu offering runs from 5 pm till close every Sunday.
Where: 34 Grosvenor Sq, S Audley St, London W1K 2HD
Website: www.34mayfair.com
Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting
The National Portrait Gallery is debuting a new exhibition this weekend, and it is a must-visit for all art enthusiasts. Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting will showcase over 170 pieces of the world-renowned artist’s work. This will span drawings, etchings, and iconic paintings, many of which have never been seen by the public.
The gallery stays open until 9:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, so a visit to this new exhibition makes for a great weekend evening activity.
Where: St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE
Website: www.nationalportraitgallery.com
Try a Valentine’s steak feast
From 13–15 February, both STK London locations are serving a four-course Valentine’s set menu (£90pp), alongside the usual à la carte. It begins with Cupid’s Kiss — Bacardi Carta Blanca, strawberry liqueur, coconut and lime — before moving into starters like Wagyu tartare on crispy rice with Oscietra caviar and yellowtail crudo.
For mains, it’s built for sharing: either USDA chateaubriand (350g) with roasted lobster tail and peppercorn sauce, or “Cupid’s Catch” — lobster, king prawns and scallops in kaffir bisque cream. Dessert lands with a dark chocolate sphere filled with chocolate crémeux, raspberries and pistachio crunch.
Pre-booking and pre-payment required — and yes, there’s a £250 STK voucher up for grabs on the night.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.stksteakhouse.com
Enjoy a Galentine’s brunch
This weekend, Café Ciel is celebrating the Valentine’s season with a limited edition brunch experience. The menu additions include Tiramisu French Toast and Cloud Eggs. Guests will also be invited to enjoy two limited-edition curated Perrier-Jouet Champagne cocktails.
This new campaign blends romance, creativity and conscious collaborations with Buns From Home and sleepwear brand One Less to reimagine Valentine’s Day as a well-earned moment of escape.
This weekend marks your last opportunity to catch this Galentine’s pop-up.
Tuck into Tiramisu French Toast and Cloud Eggs at this Valentine’s pop-up.
Where: The OWO, 7 Horse Guards Ave, London SW1A 2EU
Website: www.cafeciel.com
Enjoy an alternative cocktail experience
The team at Archie and Myth are offering an alternative way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, with a unique approach to cocktail making. Guests will be invited to select a style, spirit, and flavour direction for the person they’re with and then leave it to the bartender to create the final drink.
Come curious and leave knowing each other a little better, with this alternative Valentine’s experience.
Where: Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, London WC2H 7JH
Website: www.archiveandmyth.com
Try an Italian take on a British classic
Another pizza offering, Connie’s is serving up a bangers and mash-inspired dish all month long. This limited edition pizza transforms the classic British dish into a crisp, stone-baked creation. The Bangers Bianca is loaded with a mashed potato base, British sausage, creamy peas, rich onion gravy, mozzarella, parmesan and fresh basil. Head over to Pecham to try it for yourself this weekend.
Where: 133 Station Passage, London SE15 2JR
Website: www.conniespizzeria.com
Book to see Wuthering Heights
After months of anticipation, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights will at long last be hitting cinemas this Friday. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, this adaptation of Emily Brontë’s beloved classic is already being billed as a maximaist, fever-dream by critics.
A Galentine’s viewing is an essential addition to your weekend itinerary, so grab your popcorn and head down to your nearest cinema to watch Brontë’s classic unfold on the big screen.
A Galentine’s viewing is an essential addition to your weekend itinerary.
Unwind at this spa
At the end of January, Corinthia London unveiled its brand new spa concept, Biome. If you are in need of a health and wellness retreat without wanting to leave the city, this spa provides the perfect sanctuary.
The hotel has collaborated with Wildsmith and Augustinus Bader to provide an array of treatment offerings from circadian rhythm massages and salt scrubs through to jet lag glow facials. Check in for a treatment or indulge in a day-long spa experience.
Where: Corinthia Hotel, 10 Whitehall Pl, London SW1A 2BD
Website: www.corinthia.com
Take a trip to the ballet
This Saturday, Peter Wright’s production of Giselle will be returning to The Royal Opera House for a new month-long run. Dubbed the quintessential romantic ballet, the production invites audience members to experience this atmospheric and bewitching tale of love, infatuation and betrayal.
Since its first performance in Paris in 1841, Giselle continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and with the season of love well and truly upon us, this makes for the perfect romantic billing.
Where: Bow St, London WC2E 9DD
Website: www.royalballet.com
Valentine’s speakeasy
The team at Síbín Speakeasy Bar are inviting guests to explore the artistry of Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky through guided storytelling, expertly crafted cocktails, and elegant small plates this Valentine’s Day. It’s new Behind the Bookcase: A Lovers’ Masterclass offering promises an intimate and unique experience set within the surroundings of Great Scotland Yard Hotel, Westminster.
Priced at £90 per person, this one-night-only masterclass offers a refined alternative to traditional Valentine’s dining.
Where: 3-5 Great Scotland Yard, London SW1A 2HN
Website: www.greatscotlandyard.com
Dine next to the river
Scott’s Richmond also has an irresistible set menu offering, which guests can enjoy while looking out onto the River. Famed for its seafood offerings, the menu boasts spicy salmon tartare with avocado, spring onion, and chilli and garlic dressing, and fillet of Cornish pollock with butternut squash and miso purée.
For desserts, choose from a rich chocolate and hazelnut delice, or a Yorkshire rhubarb coupe with Vanilla shortbread.
Where: 4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond TW9 1EH
Website: www.scotts.com
Go for a girl dinner
Celebrate Galentine’s in style with a girl dinner at Kitty Hawk Restaurant and Rooftop Terrace. To mark the occasion, it is serving up the holy trinity of a Caesar salad, skinny fries and an ice-cold Diet Coke, for just £19.50 total.
There is also the option to upgrade your fries to my personal favourite, truffle and parmeasn or you can opt for caviar and Japanese mayo.
Where: 8 St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2N 4JH
Website: www.kittyhawk.com
Check into a luxury hotel
If you are looking for a peaceful staycation in the heart of London, book yourself into The Prince Akatoki this weekend. This sanctuary of Japanese minimalism in the city’s core is the ultimate place to unwind after a busy week. It has also recently achieved Forbes 5-star status for the fifth consecutive year, making now the perfect time to book your stay.
Where: 50 Great Cumberland Pl, Marble Arch, London W1H 7FD
Website: www.theprinceakatoki.com
