Looking for a romantic restaurant for your dinner à deux this Valentine’s Day? We’ve picked out six of Mayfair and Belgravia’s best.
Harry’s Bar
With its Murano chandeliers, Fortuny-upholstered chairs, legendary Bellinis and lavishly applied truffles, Harry’s Bar on Mayfair’s South Audley Street is the stuff Valentine’s Day dreams are made of. Serving Northern Italian food, a tribute to its Venetian namesake, the space is small enough to be intimate, but spacious enough that the table next door won’t be able to listen in as you whisper sweet nothings. The only downside? This private member’s club is as exclusive as it is enticing.
La Poule au Pot
Multiple winner of the ‘Best for Romance’ accolade in the Harden’s guide, this Belgravia institution on Mozart Square is the next best thing to a trip to Paris on the Eurostar. Its atmospheric interior is perfect for canoodling couples, and the Valentine’s Day menu features escargots, scallops, guinea fowl and venison. The rack of lamb with garlic is tempting too, but only if you both do!
Marcus
If you’re looking for all-out luxury, look no further than Marcus Wareing’s two Michelin-star restaurant at the Berkeley, Wilton Place. For Valentine’s Day, the celebrity chef has laid on an eight-course tasting menu with optional matched wines, which includes oyster emulsion with caviar and smoked egg yolk; quail with hispi cabbage, truffle and piccalilli; and chocolate with blood orange and rosemary. You get a glass of pink fizz to start and chocolates to take away, just in case you get peckish after you leave.
Olivo
Chic and contemporary with a hint of noir decadence, Olivo on Belgravia’s Eccleston Street is the perfect place to take a date who you want to spoil without looking like you’re trying too hard. Sardinian flavours are found throughout the menu, and even the simplest of pasta dishes come with a side order of luxury – think spaghetti with grated Sardinian mullet roe. The service is guaranteed to warm your heart, too – and if you love this place, you should check out the five other restaurants in owner Mauro Sanna’s Belgravia empire.
Scott’s
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a plate of aphrodisiac oysters, and the place to find the best is Scott’s, on Mount Street. It’s been serving the freshest fish in Mayfair since the 1960s and boasts a legion of celebrity fans, many of whom choose to dine al fresco on the heated terrace. If shellfish isn’t your passion, try the seared sea bass, miso-blackened salmon or dover sole.
Kai Mayfair
Limber up your chopstick fingers and take your sweetheart to the exotic East – while only going as far as South Audley Street, Mayfair. Kai’s gloriously opulent interior simply oozes romance, and the food is likely to leave you weak at the knees too: it features luxe items like lobster, tiger prawns and waygu beef prepared in a modern Chinese style. Don’t forget to leave space for dessert: the ‘six shades of chocolate” is chocoholic heaven, and there’s a durian soufflé for more daring diners.
