Valentine’s Day in London doesn’t have to mean overpriced roses and crowded restaurants. From rooftop cinemas and cocktail masterclasses to cosy staycations and at-home feasts, the city offers plenty of ways to mark the occasion without succumbing to cliché. Here are ten of our favourite ways to do Valentine’s in the city this year:

1. With a Rooftop Film: JOIA

The Lowdown: Returning in 2026, JOIA will once again host its rooftop cinema over Valentine’s weekend. The evening starts with dinner in the restaurant, where a three-course menu of Iberian dishes, including beef carpaccio, fillet of seabass and Basque cheesecake, is served before guests head upstairs. Wrap up in blankets, hot water bottles at the ready, as Bridget Jones’s Diary, Dirty Dancing and The Notebook play across the rooftop. Running from 12th – 14th February.

Price: Tickets cost £80 per person for chair seating with dinner, or £90 for sofa seats. More info here.

Where: 15th Floor, 1 Electric Blvd, Nine Elms, London, SW11 8BJ

2. With a Spa Day: St. Pancras London

The Lowdown: St Pancras Spa is marking Valentine’s Day with a dedicated treatment package for two, aimed at couples keen on a more restorative celebration. The Garden Serenity package includes four hours of access to the spa, from the hydro-lounger pool and saunas to the relaxation lounge, plus time in a private couples’ treatment room. The treatment line-up is generous: salt scrubs, signature massages and express facials with hair masks, all delivered in 30-minute sessions.

Price: £260 per person. Available from 1st – 28th February, the Garden Serenity for Two package can be booked here.

Where: Euston Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 2AR

3. With an Alpine-Inspired Menu: The Chalet at Rosewood London

The Lowdown: The Chalet at Rosewood London turns Valentine’s Day into a city-centre alpine escape, reimagining the hotel’s terrace as a winter retreat in collaboration with luxury ski brand Goldbergh and The Singleton whisky. It’s all about après-ski comfort here, with a menu built for sharing that runs from oysters and wine-braised short ribs to cheese fondue and tartiflette. Whisky plays a central role, via a short list of winter cocktails and an exclusive serve of The Singleton 21-year-old.

Price: Dishes start from £20. For reservations, please visit here.

Where: Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN

4. With Afternoon Tea: Landmark London

The Lowdown: The Landmark London is offering a Valentine’s-themed afternoon tea served in the Winter Garden restaurant. The focus is on patisserie from the hotel’s pastry team, with a line-up that includes chocolate and passionfruit mousse, lemon and almond Bakewell, raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, and a mascarpone Swiss roll. Chocolate and candied cherry scones are served with homemade preserves and a salted pistachio spread, alongside the usual finger sandwiches. On Valentine’s Day itself, the atrium hosts a live pianist and roaming ballet dancers.

Price: Available between 9th – 15th February, the Valentine’s Afternoon Tea is priced from £75 per person will be served from 2.30 – 5pm on Monday-Friday and 1 – 5pm Saturday-Sunday, with the live ballerina performances taking place on 14th February. Book here.

Where: 222 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 6JQ

5. With an At-Home Kit: Dishoom

The Lowdown: For anyone planning to sit Valentine’s Day out rather than book a table, Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby meal kit makes a strong case for staying in. Named after the Cockney rhyming slang for curry, the dish is the restaurant’s rich, tomato-led take on butter chicken. The kit includes naan, bhel, basmati rice, Tenderstem broccoli and Dishoom’s black daal, with Gulkand Mess (strawberries in rose syrup with cream and meringue) for dessert. It’s intended for two, though portion sizes are on the generous side.

Price: £47.50 per kit. Pre-orders open on 29th January via Dishoom’s online store. Deliveries are available across early and mid-February, including Valentine’s Day itself.

Where: Order here.

6. With a Set Menu: Albers 

The Lowdown: This Valentine’s Day, Albers in De Beauvoir is offering a set menu that’s all about classic favourites with the bistro’s own playful twist. Guests start with a glass of fizz, then share a selection of snacks and starters, oysters with apple and dill, beef tartare tartlets, lobster crudo with Meyer lemon, before moving on to mains such as steak with braised shallot and bone marrow jus, accompanied by fries with parmesan and confit garlic. Dessert is a Neapolitan sundae, designed to end the meal on a sweet, nostalgic note.

Price: The menu is priced at £100 per person and will be available for lunch and dinner across a few sittings.

Where: 23A Englefield Rd, London N1 4JX

7. With an Overnight Stay: Tewinbury Farm

The Lowdown: Fancy a Valentine’s that doesn’t involve city crowds? Tewinbury in the Hertfordshire countryside makes an appealing escape. The property, a converted farm on the edge of the River Mimram, has a comfortable English countryside feel: spacious rooms, soft furnishings, and rose petals for the occasion. Dinner is served at The Cowshed, starting with a glass of sparkling wine and followed by a four-course menu that champions seasonal produce grown on-site. In the morning, a farmhouse breakfast arrives at a leisurely pace, and the 12pm late checkout gives you time to linger over coffee or wander the grounds.

Price: From £339. More info here.

Where: Hertford Road, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0JB

8. With a Late Night Brunch and Sing-A-Long: BAM Karaoke

The Lowdown: For anyone who prefers friendship to romance, BAM’s Friday evening bottomless brunch is worth a look. One main, crispy tots on the side, an hour of bottomless prosecco (or nosecco) and private karaoke, plus a little surprise from the kitchen.  Get ready for a boatload of female-fronted anthems. Someone pass us the mic.

Price: Tickets from £45, available here

Where: 74 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6SQ

9. With a Mixology Masterclass: Drake and Morgan

The Lowdown: For those less interested in the usual Valentine’s dinner, Drake & Morgan are offering cocktail making masterclasses across 15 London venues, including The Folly, The Refinery Bankside and The Parlour. The sessions are designed for couples, friends, or anyone who prefers mixing drinks to waiting for them, with expert guidance on shaking, stirring and tasting. Options range from a two-cocktail session to a three-cocktail class or a mix-and-dine package that adds a three-course meal and a glass of champagne.

Price: two-cocktail session (£30), three-cocktail class (£45), mix-and-dine package (£65). To book, visit here

Where: Locations across London

10. With a Wine Flight: The Mulwray

The Lowdown: If you’re planning to skip the usual Valentine’s clichés, The Mulwray has put together a Valentine’s-themed wine flight that’s worth a look. Running from 10th to 14th February, its three glasses of wine all have a connection to love in some way. First up, 2023 Like Seeing You For The First Time Again, a fresh Colombard from South Africa that feels lively and full of energy. Next, 2024 All The Love Of The Universe, a Pinot Blanc from Austria’s Christian Tschida. And finally, 2023 Amour Vache, a light, juicy Gamay from France’s Vin Noé, which translates as “Brave Love”. And there’s Neal’s Yard cheese pairing for an extra £8 if you’re peckish.

Price: 3 glasses for £25 per person. Book here.

Where: First Floor, The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert St, London W1D 6DJ