Design your own homely restaurant and cook up a personalised Valentine’s Dinner Menu!
Sometimes planning a trip to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day can be incredibly underwhelming!
Maybe your favourite restaurant only has inconvenient booking times! Maybe your travel plans are impacted by strikes! Or maybe you can barely hear each other over the music and loud customers.
Before you know it, you’re missing your creature comforts and wondering:
“What are some easy ideas for Valentine’s dinner at home?”
A lazy guilt-free takeaway in front of the TV!
A simple homemade dinner that you cook together!
Call in a favour and ask a friend to be your chef for one night only! (Be aware you may have to do the same in return one day!)
Struggling for ideas for your Valentine’s Day dinner at home?
Have a quick look at our top five dinner ideas for Valentine’s Day at home:
1. A Friendly Giant Bear Waiter From Giant Bear
Our Lifesize bears are polite, kind, welcoming, attentive and warm - all the qualities that you look for in a great waiter! A huge bear is perfect for any occasion, but if you’re looking for unique ideas for Valentine’s dinner at home, teach your bear how to take orders and recommend the best dishes! Dress your bear from Giant Bear in a cute waiter’s outfit, a dapper suit and apron, a silly fake moustache, a cute bow tie, and your own Valentine’s Dinner menu and he becomes your favourite waiter! Sure he might not be the fastest when carrying plates to the table, but he makes up for it with charm and wit.
2. Set An Enchanting Valentine’s Dinner Table
The idea of Valentine’s dinner at home may not feel as exciting when you think about hosting it on the kitchen table where you normally just eat toast, go through bills or use as a work desk on the regular. However, you can convert your worn table into something glamorous and intimate with our ideas for a Valentine’s Day dinner table! Start with a tablecloth, something with a subtle design that can be used for multiple occasions (and which protects your table) like this love-themed table runner from Etsy. Layout your best dinner set, maybe consider Heart-Shaped Plates and Napkin Holders for a festive feel (without being too overwhelming). Then you can add small Valentine’s trinkets to really create an intimate centrepiece, such as these beautiful pastel Rose Candles, cute Wooden Heart Confetti or even a Personalised Vase to hold Valentine’s Day flowers for years to come. Alternatively, there are plenty of inexpensive Valentine’s dinner ideas for homemade table decorations, like writing handwritten love notes to scatter across the table.
3. Create A Relaxing, Seductive Playlist
Music touches each of our hearts uniquely, making it an essential idea for Valentine’s dinner at home for creating an idyllic atmosphere (and drowning out the less romantic noise from traffic and neighbours). Nothing seduces us like slow, passionate music, no matter if you favour bold jazz or delicate indie songs to make you starry-eyed. Perhaps you want to pick peppy, upbeat pop tracks, melancholy love ballads or amorous songs to slow dance to. Just be careful when setting up your playlist and seek out romantic musical inspiration if needed - the last thing you want is to have to keep getting up to skip songs or cringing through mood-changing adverts! And to be safe, steer clear from songs you know your partner hates (unless you collaborate on the playlist to equally pick your mutual favourites or ‘love-to-hate’ songs!) Personally, we recommend classic vintage records from Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra for playlist ideas for Valentine’s Day dinners that are sophisticated, graceful and timeless.
4. Sparkling Ideas For Valentine’s Day Dinner Lighting
Romantic lighting ideas for Valentine’s dinner at home can be as simple as dimming the lights or lining every surface with candles. But if you’re looking for ideas for a Valentine’s Day dinner that glitters and shines extra bright, browse some stylised, unique lighting! One incredible Valentine’s dinner idea is going outside to star-gaze … but if it’s cold and cloudy out, why not bring a starry night inside your home with these Shimmering Hanging Star Lights? If you want to feel like you’re in a fairy-tale, try a sky projector like this one from Mano Mano or a set of flower string lights from Shein. Keen to bring greenery indoors? This pretty Ivy Garland will give any Valentine’s Dinner a rustic feel. Or show your beloved your devotion and arrange these romantic Rose String Lights into a heart on your bed.
5. Homemade Valentine’s Dinner Menus and Review Cards
Make your imaginary restaurant feel stylish - type up and print your own Valentine’s Dinner menu in your favourite font or write your dishes onto these sleek blank Menu templates. If you want ideas for your Valentine’s Day dinner table to add a touch of suave professionalism, design your reserved sign and comment cards! One of our favourite romantic dinner Ideas for Valentine’s Day at home is to write each other silly reviews of the dishes, the restaurant and your friendly giant bear waiter! If you’re feeling extra generous, leave your waiter a nice tip!
6. “Dress-Up For Dinner” Ideas for Valentine’s Day At Home
In need of outfit ideas for Valentine’s Day dinner at home? Don’t let the idea of Valentine’s Day dinner in your living room deter you from dressing up! If you rarely get a chance to spruce up, go for a classic tailored shirt, tie and trousers - or maybe the complete opposite if you wear suits everyday to work! Consider a sleek, elegant dark dress or an alluring bodysuit and jeans look for your Dinner Date at Home Fashion.
If you’re struggling for fashionable Valentine’s dinner ideas, go with what you know and love! Wear the favourite shirt, dress or tie your partner loves you in - or the underwear that gets them hot under the collar! The absolute best part of having the idea for Valentine’s dinner at home is not having to dress up at all! Wear your cutest, cosiest pyjamas together, ready for an evening of cuddling in each other’s arms.
7. Sensational Cocktail Ideas for Valentine’s Day Dinner
Thirsty? Time to serve up a refreshing set of cocktails for your Valentine’s dinner menu! Break the ice during your starters with a Valentine’s classic: champagne and strawberries. If you fancy some sweet, smooth and refreshing cocktails ideas for your Valentine’s dinner at home, consider a Raspberry Kiss or a Strawberry Crush! These lemonade-based beverages can be made ahead of time and left to chill in a pitcher, to avoid the need for trips to the bar during dinner! Or if neither of you have a sweet tooth, you can always opt for your favourite spirit and mixer combo during dinner.
Now for the Dessert Drinks Selection on your Valentine’s Dinner Menu! You can rarely go wrong with a classic Espresso Martini, but if you are feeling a special craving for sugar, consider an alcoholic Strawberry White Chocolate Milkshake, a Marshmallow S’mores Milkshake or - if you’re feeling adventurous - a Caramel Apple Martini! Making your own drinks adds an extra special touch to your Valentine’s Dinner Menu - plus you can guarantee speedy service, delicious fresh fruit garnishes and an attractive bartender when the bar is in your kitchen! Prefer to steer clear from alcoholic drinks? Take a look at these Date Night Mocktails!
8. Start your Valentine’s Dinner Menu off right with Appetisers
The best Valentine’s dinner ideas involve beginning the night with a range of irresistible starters that you can’t help fighting over (or sweetly sharing!) Your favourite appetisers might already be coming to mind, but if you’re running out of dinner ideas for Valentine’s starters, what about a new way to present a classic first course with Antipasto Skewers or a Vegan Charcuterie Board. Starters featuring hot melting cheese are irresistible for most, so why not indulge with Mac and Cheese Bites or a Baked Camembert Dough Ball Platter? Starters including prawn, chicken, toasted bread are all very popular and pleasing choices for Valentine’s dinner menus at the moment - you could even create cute mini versions of your favourite dishes like Mini Sandwiches, burgers, pizzas or pies!
9. Delicious Homemade Mains for your Valentine’s Dinner Menu
Ever been frustrated when you read a menu and there’s a dish you love - but they’ve ruined it with a topping or ingredient that you hate? This is where creating your own Valentine’s Dinner Menu is perfect for stopping you from having to pick mushrooms out of the sauce or raisins out of your dessert. When picking dinner ideas for Valentine’s Day at home, start with what you love.
Maybe you always crave a classic home-cooked dinner like ‘Marry Me Chicken’ or your partner always hopes there’s something with pork on the menu. Looking for a delicious seafood dish? Combine two classic date night dishes with a Lobster Linguine! Finding it difficult to find vegan or vegetarian dinner ideas for Valentine’s Day that meet all your dietary requirements? What about a Vegan Twist on Chicken Parmesan or you could try something extra adventurous and make your own Vegan Sushi! Or maybe a simple and satisfying Vegan Shepherd Pie?
10. Sweet Dessert Ideas for a Valentine’s Day Dinner
Keen to fall in love with your sweetheart via your sweet tooth? When assembling your dessert ideas for a Valentine’s dinner at home, think comforting, think luxurious, think smothered in chocolate. Bored of the traditional Valentine’s chocolate dipped strawberries? Try a twist on a typical dessert with Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies. And if you’re thinking vegan, consider making soft, velvety Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Cookies or these fluffy, pink Raspberry Vegan Cupcakes! One favourite idea for Valentine’s Day dinner and desserts are fried (or baked) dough-based pancakes, waffles and (best of all) sugar-coated, Heart Shaped Churros, which are best served with warm melted chocolate.
And if you’re looking for a dessert idea for Valentine’s Day dinner that will last all week, why not make your own Chocolate Valentine’s Bark? This recipe allows you to essentially make your own chocolate bar, and it’s also an excellent way to use up heart-shaped cake sprinkles and combine all your favourite heart shaped sweets like love hearts with cute messages! (Top tip: add toffee popcorn or frozen raspberries to the mix for an addictive crunchy chocolate treat!) What a perfect way to end your Valentine’s Dinner menu!
11. Perfect Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Dinner at Home
You might think: “what more can my partner possibly dream of than their very own super , highly polite and friendly Lifesize Giant Bear waiter”? And in response we say … “Exactly! A new sculpture from Giant Bear can bring your beloved anything they asked for, including some excellent Valentine’s dinner ideas for this evening!”
Joking aside, we know that Valentine’s gifts are highly personal to those both giving and receiving. But we also know it can be hard to think of gift ideas for Valentine’s Day dinner that feel unique and heartfelt, especially as the time is ticking away until the 14th of Feb!
Taking inspiration from our Valentine’s Gifts for Her (or him) Guide, perhaps your partner would delight from traditional romantic presents such as new fragrance, flowers, chocolates. Or they may crave something a little more obscure like very specific personalised gifts or even homemade presents! Maybe the perfect gift ideas for a Valentine’s dinner at home is something as simple as a cosy set of pyjamas or a new film to watch together for your Valentine’s night in!
What’s the best thing about swapping your night-out dinner ideas for a Valentine’s Day at home?
Having an idyllic night in and a Valentine’s dinner menu of your choosing means that you and your partner are completely in control of making your environment as intimate and romantic as possible. No crying babies at the table next to you, no waiters smiling one second and glaring the next to ruin the mood! Plus no long commute home from the restaurant or waiting for the bill! That’s the best news of all: having the idea of a Valentine’s Day dinner at home is cheap, cosy and completely unique to you. And you’ll have your loveable Giant Bear, who won’t hold it against you if you wear pyjamas to his restaurant!
