Top 15: Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day 2022 in LondonBy Angelica Malin
If you don’t fancy whispering sweet nothings over a bread basket on Valentine’s Day, we’ve discovered 15 ways to celebrate this loved-up holiday in London. Make your own gin, kick back at home with a slap-up Simon Rogan meal kit, or take your mates for a speed dating event at BOXPARK Shoreditch. Go on, have a scroll and get booking:
1. Attend Drag Bingo at Double Standard
What: Valentine’s Day at Double Standard, The Standard hotel’s ground floor bar and restaurant, will look a little different to most of London’s restaurants this Valentine’s Day as it hosts its Drag Bingo Valentine’s Special with resident drag queen, Grace Shush.
Where: 10 Argyle St, London WC1H 8EG
Book: Tickets are £10pp, with 50% of profits donated to Not A Phase; a charity supporting the lives of trans+ adults in the UK. Book here
2. Share an XXL Tortilla at BIBO
What: BIBO Shoreditch will launch its epic 12-man tortilla this Valentine‘s Day; a generous take on Dani García’s much-loved Spanish Tortilla Brava.
Made up of a whopping 60 eggs and 3 kilograms of potatoes, the XXL Tortilla is a must-try for groups of 8-12, and, priced at a total of £130 (£11 per head), guests will be treated to accompaniments and dips alongside, such as padron peppers, chistorra al infierno, piparras, brava sauce, alioli, bread and picos.
Where: 45 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT
Book: Visit BIBO Shoreditch’s website here
3. Watch a Movie at Nine Lives
What: Tarantino’s classic tale of True Romance is screening this Valentine’s Day at Bermondsey based bar Nine Lives. Tickets cost £22 which will include a Blood Orange Negroni or Margarita Picante on arrival, choice of delicious tacos by the resident street food kitchen Tigre Tacos, a ‘Happy Endings’ Ice Cream Sando to share, and a bucket of popcorn whilst watching the Tarantino classic.
Doors open from 5pm on Monday 14th February, with screening time at 7pm for an evening of wild lovers, exceptional cocktails and the tastiest tacos in town!
Where: 8 Holyrood St, London SE1 2EL
Book: Tickets are available here
4. Play Games at Gravity Southside
What: Looking for an alternative way to celebrate Valentine’s this year? Well, look no further than Gravity Southside. Expect an adrenaline-filled night with activities including Electric Gamebox, a hyper-immersive 60-minute gaming adventure; Gravity GT, a multi-level electric go-karting racetrack; Urban Street Golf and AR Shuffleboard to name a few.
Where: Wandsworth High St, London SW18 4TF
Book: Make bookings here
5. Drink Aphrodisiac Cocktails at Louche Soho
What: Head to Soho this Valentine’s Day and spend the night at late-night drinking den Louche Soho for an evening of cocktails and Jazz.
Where: 5 Greek St, London W1D 4DD
Bookings: See here
6. Kick Back in Style at Everyman Cinema
What: Everyman Cinema’s iconic velvet sofas for two have always been perfect for a romantic cinema date. But this Valentine’s Day, guests choosing to watch any new film, including Jennifer Lopez’ hot new release, Marry Me, at one of Everyman’s plush cinemas will also enjoy an evening of complimentary romantic extras, including a welcome cocktail and indulgent sweet treats.
Where: Locations here
Book: The Everyman Valentine’s Day Package is included with standard tickets purchased for films after 6pm on Monday 14th February at all 35 Everyman venues nationwide and will be available to purchase from the Everyman website here.
Photo credit: Blake Ezra
7. Blend Your Own Aphrodisiac Gin at Portobello Road Distillery
What: The gin cupids at Portobello Road’s The Ginstitute have distilled the perfect date night for juniper lovers this Valentine’s Day with the chance to blend your very own aphrodisiac gin.
Between Thursday 10th and 14th February 2022, The Distillery is hosting a special Valentine’s edition of its acclaimed Ginstitute experiences where you can craft your very own unique gin made with botanicals historically known for their libido-boosting properties.
The three-hour experience also includes a whistlestop tour through the history of gin, where you will be served with a multitude of classic gin cocktails. Each guest leaves the experience with a full-sized bottle of their own unique gin and the recipe is kept on file so you can order it again and again.
Where: 186 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LA
Book: Tickets cost £120 pp and include the 180-minute experience, gin cocktails, a full sized bottle of your own gin and a 50cl bottle of Portobello Road Gin. To book visit here
8. Chill on the Sofa with Cheese and Wine
The Event: Cosy up with your other half for an epic night in this Valentine’s with the ‘You’re the wine that I want Box’. Filled with low intervention wines, charcuterie and truffle-laden treats for two, it has everything you need for a romantic feast.
Where: Available to order for delivery within 6 miles of Diogenes the Dog (Elephant & Castle) and aspen & meursault Battersea). Each box is delivered via courier within 1.5 hours of ordering.
Book: Order here (Elephant & Castle) and here (Battersea).
9. Share Dishes at Hot Stone
What: Looking to bring a little sizzle, luxury and decadence to the most romantic time of year? Executive Chef Padam Raj Rai of critically acclaimed Hot Stone, in Islington, has created the limited-edition Impress Menu,
Where: 9 Chapel Market, The Angel, London, N1 9EZ
Book: Priced at £150pp, pescatarians are also well catered for with the Impress Menu with fish alternatives of 48-hour marinated grilled black cod and crunchy Hot Stone rolls. Notice must be given two days in advance of the booking by telephone or email.
10. Hang Out with Your Pals at BOXPARK
What: Flying solo this Valentine’s Day? BOXPARK has your back and is playing cupid this year with a range of exclusive events for singles looking for that someone special.
This Valentine’s Day, BOXPARK is hosting the world’s first-ever speed garage dating event in Shoreditch, hosted by none other than UK garage group, Heartless Crew. Meanwhile, over in Croydon, BOXPARK has teamed up with Sickabit to bring their live dating show to the main stage on Valentine’s Day.
Where: 2 – 10 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6GY and 99 George St, Croydon CR0 1LD
Book: See BOXPARK website here
11. Stay Over at St James’ Court London, a Taj Hotel
What: Luxury central London hotel, St James’ Court London, a Taj Hotel is just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace in the heart of the capital, and the perfect place to celebrate Valentine’s day.
The San Valentine’s package features an overnight stay with breakfast, a bottle of sparkling wine, and 25% credit which can be spent in any of the hotel’s romantic dining venues including brand new TH@51, Hamptons Bar, and Kona which serves a delectable afternoon tea menu. The credit can also be spent at the stunning Jiva spa, the first of its kind in Europe and the perfect place for couples to relax and restore with a couple’s suite (double treatment room) ideal for a Valentine’s day break.
Where: 51 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AF
Book: See website here
12. Eat a Simon Rogan Dinner at Home
What: Home by Simon Rogan is back with an at-home feast for Valentine’s Day 2022. The menu is created by Simon’s team in the Cumbrian village of Cartmel (Roasted Cauliflower with Thyme, Confit Duck from Goosnargh, Baked Rice Pudding with New Season’s Rhubarb), and includes a half bottle of Exton Park English sparkling wine per person. A range of add ons such as wine pairings from L’Enclume’s Sommelier Team and vegetarian alternatives are available.
Where: The Home by Simon Rogan Valentine’s Weekend at Home menu is available to order now for collection or delivery 11-12th February. From £85 per person.
Book: See website here
13. Share a Pizza at Yard Sale Pizza
What: The Yard Sale Pizza team are bringing back its famous heart-shaped pizza for Valentine’s. The pizzas will be available as Margherita (vegan available) and Holy Pepperoni 12″ pies on Sunday 13th and February 14th for home delivery – and dine-in at Dulwich, Crystal Palace, Crofton Park, Finsbury Park, Hackney Road, Leytonstone.
Where: Locations here
Book: Make a reservation here
14. Attend an Empowering Talk at Marguerite
What: Marguerite, the members club for women and non-binary people will be hosting an empowering talk and dinner by Eshita Kabra-Davies founder of the UK’s first peer-to-peer fashion rental platform By Rotation. Eshita will be in conversation with author and journalist Elizabeth Uviebinené about sustainable fashion, being a female founder and will also give guests a chance to sample some of this season’s favourite items.
Where: Locations TBA
Book: Buy tickets here
15. Drink Tea and Eat Scones at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
What: On V Day, ‘Instagram’s favourite baker’ Lily Vanilli will be giving her Regency-inspired Afternoon Tea a Valentine’s makeover in the Grand Saloon of Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with decadent pink icing, red love hearts and pink heart meringues adorning her layered chocolate cake, sticky toffee and pink lemonade tart.
Complimentary pink champagne will be served to all those who visit The Lane and, for a limited time only, bookings will be extended into the evening as the lights are dimmed and guests settle in for a night of indulgence.
Where: Catherine St, London WC2B 5JF
Book: Bookings can be made here
Photo credit: Steve Ryan
