London Valentines

As we’re just over two weeks away now, here’s a list of five ideas for readers considering doing something special with their loved one on Valentine’s Day, which falls on Monday 14 February this year. I’ve even included a suggestion for the singletons!

At the more extravagant end of the scale, the 5 star luxury Athenauem Hotel in Mayfair can provide the two of you with a couples’ REN Moroccan Otto Rose Oil massage, either in the hotel’s newly refurbished spa or in the comfort of your room, and then you can enjoy the chef’s special Valentine’s five course feast to finish off a memorable day. The package, which is available from 11 to 14 February, is priced from £499 including a two night stay in a deluxe room, and you can book online here.

Alternatively you could visit the Andaz Hotel, Liverpool St, to sample the Valentine’s Day menu in their ’1901′ restaurant, where you can enjoy a seven-course meal, starting with a glass of Bollinger Rose, while London artist Rebecca Ivatts sketches patrons. Rebecca’s sketches will be available for you to take away for £49, or if you’re feeling profligate and are prepared to wait, in 4 to 6 weeks you can take receipt of a larger piece of art that, depending on size, might set you back up to £3000. Laying down that much will provide you with a piece of a suitable size to go over the fireplace in your baronial pile no doubt, however the special menu itself is available for a far more modest £65 per person and, if the food that’s prepared is anything like the meal that we had at the hotel earlier this week, it will make for a very memorable occasion! They also have a special offer for romantic weekends that’s available whenever you feel like it…

For those who readers who are more price-conscious I have two other suggestions – how about nipping down to Cox Cookies & Cakes in Soho to pick up a little gift for your loved one? They have a wide selection of their fabulous cupcakes specially crafted to tell that special someone how you feel, ranging from sophisticated statements of affection to the downright rude! Alternatively, you could go to the Valentine’s Day special screening at Cineworld cinemas across London, where on 14 February they are having a one-off showing of the classic ‘Pretty Woman’ – expect an 80s style ‘new romance’ from stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. There’s nothing like cuddling up in the cinema and sharing a box of popcorn if you ask me…

Finally, for those oof you who aren’t lucky enough to have someone to spend Valentine’s Day with all is not lost, because CitySocialising are holding a masked ‘Night of Magic, Mystery & Masquerade‘ on Saturday 12 February, where you might just meet that special someone. The venue for the evening is Mary Janes at St John’s House in the City, and celebrity magician Brendan Patrick will be mingling with guests to get the evening off to a magical start. There will also be a fortune teller and lost of other surprises throughout the evening… Just to note that you must purchase tickets for this event in advance, as there won’t be any available on the door. Best of luck!