“Valentine’s Day is one big marketing scam! We live in a consumerist society! Death by commercialism!” We know, we know; we’ve heard it all before and more. Every Feb 14, we’re reminded by how grossly invested the world is in proving their love—but that doesn’t mean we have to take the fun out of it for couples who do want to splurge. Whether you’re being passive-aggressively pressured into finding a sweet date night, or just genuinely trying to plan the perfect dinner this one day, here are all the best places for a meal with your beau. Your wallet may hurt but your heart will be full.
European
Tablescape
For hearty, flavorful European eats that don’t break the bank, there’s the newly opened Tablescape. The Valentine’s Day set dinner serves up five courses at $148 per couple—start with oysters, then spend the rest of the night devouring highlights like the Smoked Chicken Veloute, Black Angus Filet Mignon, and Ocean Trout Wellington & Shrimp Alexander. To end, there’s a couple dessert platter and a pair of champagne cocktails; in the heart of town, that’s a steal.
Racines
No one does romance like the French, right? At Sofitel Singapore City Centre’s anchor restaurant, Executive Chef Jean-Charles Dubois is playing cupid with a four-course dinner menu for $178 per couple. Choose from Racines signatures like the Dubois Lobster Bisque, Chargrilled Angus Beef Fillet, Slow-roasted Cornfed French Chicken and more. For some next-level pampering, the restaurant is even offering an exclusive, $588 full-day experience—complete with limo pick-up, star-lit dinner in a cabana, and your very own serenading guitarist—to six couples; first come, first served.
[SPONSORED]
Fat Cow
$188 per person, available from Feb 10-14. Dine in on Feb 14 and your lady gets a rose to complement the occasion. For reservations, contact [email protected] or call 6735-0308.
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Oxwell & Co.
Perennial favorite British-themed gastropub Oxwell & Co. has cruelly separated its diners into two rooms—The Dining Room for lovers, and The Apothecary for “lone rangers”. Oh well. Still, at $68 per person, the four-course menu in the couples’ room isn’t anything to complain about. The meal includes Coffin Bay Oysters, Wild Mushroom Soup served with Truffled Brioche, Westholme Steak with Wheat Beer Onion Rings (or fish), and a decadent Chocolate Mousse Pot to end the night. Hooray for having a date!
Saint Pierre
If you’re prepared to shell out for the love of your life, Saint Pierre is the place to be. The Michelin-starred restaurant is offering two exclusive dinner menus to go with their stunning Marina Bay skyline views—a five-course menu for 5.30pm ($488 per couple), and a seven-course menu for 8.45pm ($888 per couple). It’s steep, but the mains include Dover sole with fresh lobster, lobster mousse and roasted cauliflower, and lamb saddle roasted on the bone. Even the starters are luxurious—top-grade oscietra caviar, and succulent Hokkaido scallop with black truffle and champagne emulsion. You might as well propose there while you’re at it.
Seafood
Bayswater Kitchen
We personally love this Keppel Bay gem, whose ambience makes for a romantic getaway no matter the occasion. If you’re coming here for your V Day meal, snag a seat on the alfresco for calming waterfront views—and soft twinkly lights, come nightfall. The special four-course menu ($98 per person) includes Smoked Halibut Gribiche and crackers, Cured Salmon with Horseradish, Crab Agnolotti and Mussel Broth, Cod & Salmon Fish Pie, and a Chocolate Mousse Brownie. Typically we’d recommend a jar of Pimm’s Lemonade, but V Day calls for one of Bayswater’s many refreshing cocktails ($17).
Como Cuisine
The gorgeous Como Cuisine takes the seafood route this Valentine’s Day, with a five-course dinner menu of beautiful plates. $180 per couple gets you crackers with Hokkaido uni, Smoked Oyster & Sambal Matah, lobster buns, ocean trout sashimi, and Blue Cod, among others; plus a complimentary glass of Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne each.
[SPONSORED]
The Pelican Grill & Bar
The Pelican, located at the Marina waterfront, is the perfect spot for an enchanting celebration. The three-course Valentine’s Day set menu features the all-time favourite Old Fashioned Crab Cakes, made fresh with large chunks of Sri Lankan crab meat coated with breadcrumbs, complemented with refreshing pickled vegetables and homemade dill sauce. Then enjoy the main course, the Surf & Turf, featuring a succulent Woodfire Grilled New York Steak cooked to diner’s preferred doneness plus a scrumptious Brown Butter Lobster that’s baked to perfection. An alluring combination of hot and cold Warm Chocolate Cake topped with a scoop of opulent Vintage Strawberry Ice Cream is served for dessert.
$88 per person, inclusive of a glass of Col Dorato Rose Sparkling, available from Feb 10-15 for both lunch and dinner. Set is not available during Sunday Champagne Brunch. For reservations, contact [email protected] or call 6438-0400.
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Fratelli
Resorts World Sentosa’s classically Italian establishment is offering a six-course, seafood-themed menu ($148 per person), spearheaded by chef-owner siblings The Cerea Brothers. Look forward to hearty dishes like Boston lobster in cannellini bean sauce, and Carnaroli risotto with orange-scented langoustine and crispy artichokes—inspired by their family recipes. And if you’re skeptical about how seafood from an Italian restaurant will turn out, don’t be; after all, the brothers’ three Michelin-starred reputation should count for something.
Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora
No doubt this celebrity chef establishment makes a hot pick for special dinners with your loved one; its location in the S.E.A. Aquarium offers a stunning underwater vista to go with the seafood menu. Chef de Cuisine Yun Minwoo is serving up a six-course menu ($168 per person) of Citrus Hamachi Crudo and Langoustine (Norway lobster) and artichoke, for an Asian take on the restaurant’s usual selection of sustainably sourced seafood.
[SPONSORED]
J65, Hotel Jen Tanglin
This Valentine’s Day, head on over to the picturesque Hotel Jen Tanglin and dine at buffet restaurant J65 for a scrumptious feast sure to satisfy your seafood cravings. The highlight of the night (besides your beau) are fresh lobsters served in a myriad of ways—there’s the Baked Lobster Thermidor, the Singapore Chili Style Lobster, Boston Lobster served on ice, Lobster Paella and more. Complete the evening with a selection of J65 favorites including a selection of roast meats, seafood and desserts like the Chocolate Fountain, Durian Pengat and an assortment of Nyonya Kueh.
$85 per person, available for dinner on Feb 14. For reservations, contact [email protected] or call 6831-4374.
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Colony
Partners stick together through thick and thin—buffets included. If you consider yourselves big eaters, take your romancing to The Ritz-Carlton’s esteemed buffet restaurant Colony, and tuck into an indulgent spread of seafood. This V Day, load up on freshly shucked oysters, Alaskan king crab, and salmon fillet with spicy strawberry sauce; then retire with luxurious treats like foie gras parfait with red wine jelly and crushed black pepper, and raspberry and dark chocolate molten cake with champagne sorbet. The $112 price tag includes a glass of Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé 2008, but you can add on a beverage package ($39) for free-flow wines, beer and soft drinks.
Italian
Publico Ristorante
This Feb 14, skip out on Publico Ristorante’s wood-fired pizzas and opt for the one-night only sharing menu. Priced at $98 per person, the six-course menu features Italian classics like Homemade Raviolo and Buffalo Mozzarella with Smoked Avruga Caviar, and indulgent mains like Publico’s Slow Cooked Wagyu Shortribs. Dessert is a sumptuous spiked sorbet or the signature tiramisu; then toast to your love with a glass of prosecco, generously included within the set price. The riverside setting (along Robertson Quay) and elegant interiors are bound to make for a quietly glamorous Valentine’s.
il Cielo
Hilton Singapore’s rooftop Italian restaurant is already a winner for its scenic city views, but Chef Yohhei Sasaki’s unique flair for Italian-Japanese fusion is bound to impress any date. For $158 per person ($138 on Feb 10, 12 and 13), taste from his six-course menu of handcrafted masterpieces, which include the signature Kinmedai (golden eye snapper) carpaccio with seaweed tuile and Madeira wine dressing, topped with pink grapefruit snow.
[SPONSORED]
Bedrock Bar & Grill
Known as an enclave of culinary discoveries inspired by travels, expect an array of dishes influenced by international cuisines with Bedrock’s specially curated Valentine’s Day Set Lunch. The three-course set lunch starts with a portion of the Crab Cake and Celeriac Salad with Apple Tartar Sauce, followed by the main course—Tournedos Rossini Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras, Sautée Potato and Red Wine Sauce before concluding the meal with a luxurious Pavlova with Passionfruit Sauce and Mixed Berries.
$69 per person, available from Feb 10-15. For reservations, contact [email protected] or call 6238-0054.
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Burlamacco Ristorante
Italian doesn’t always have to be a fancy affair; so Burlamacco Ristorante’s cozy shophouse setting should do nicely for couples looking to dine in peace. Take up the four-course menu ($108 per person) for a night of classic European dishes—Sea Urchin & Prawn-filled Ravioli, Roasted Cod Fish, and 48-Hours Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs. Complete the experience with the restaurant’s potent limoncello ($8) made in-house.
Zafferano
A tried-and-tested Italian establishment, Zafferano perched on the top floor of the Ocean Financial Centre is certainly a convenient choice for lovers working in the CBD. Depending on how hungry you are, a four-course Sunset ‘Ti Amo’ ($148) and five-course Say ‘Ti Amo’ menu ($248) are available. Both come with seared foie gras and coffee crumble for starters, Canadian lobster cannelloni, a choice of Alaskan sablefish or sous-vide New Zealand lamb rack for the main, and Valrhona white chocolate and raspberry mousse for dessert; pay the difference and get a luxcious plate of Adria stracciatella cheese, Hokkaido sea urchin, and Irish oyster topped with Russian caviar and champagne cloud. Feel like something’s missing? Wine pairing is available at an additional $80.
Jamie’s Italian
When all else fails, there’s Jamie’s Italian. For the couple that likes to keep things casual and low-key, Jamie Oliver’s debut establishment in Singapore delivers hearty Italian favorites. Available at both the VivoCity and Forum outlets, the three-course Valentine’s Day sharing menu ($188 per couple) starts off with an Antipasti Plank of Italian cold cuts and cheeses. For mains, you can share a 400g baked porchetta—or go solo and choose from Lobster Al Forno, Wild Mushroom Ravioli or Angus Beef Striploin. The dessert platter comes with a well-rounded trio of Molten Chocolate Praline Pudding, Tiramisu and Black Forest Panna Cotta; which you can wash down with the complimentary glass of Prosecco.
Hold up, prefer Japanese cuisine? Check out the most romantic Japanese restaurants here.
