Skip the overpriced restaurant reservations and tables of two this Valentine’s Day. Cooking at home means you can create a proper romantic dinner without the stress of securing a table, rushing through courses, or spending a small fortune on a tasting menu. This complete collection of Valentine’s Day dinner recipes has everything you need to pull off an impressive meal for two, from elegant starters to show-stopping desserts. You’ll find options for every preference, whether you’re after a classic steakhouse experience, something lighter with seafood or pasta, or a full vegetarian menu. The sides are designed to complement whatever main you choose, and the desserts lean heavily into chocolate because it wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without it. I’ve also included drink suggestions to round out the evening
Appetisers/Starters
I love the idea of sharing food with your romantic partner on Valentine’s Day or in general. Here are a few ideas.
For an extravagant but low-fuss treat, pop to your favourite deli like Giovanni’s. Serve crisps or blini with creme fraiche and caviar. With Champagne or Cap Classique, of course.
Oysters are perfect for so many reasons, and these oyster gratin by Franck Dangereux are 100% guaranteed to impress. This is a fine dining restaurant-level starter that is easier than you think.
Oysters with spicy cucumber and lime granita. A perfect Valentine’s Day supper appetiser.
A few nice cheeses with crackers and preserves make a great casual starter. Or make my best whipped feta with roasted tomatoes and serve with a toasted baguette.
Or tomato and basil crostini with whipped goat’s cheese.
Raw Norwegian Salmon salad from Bizerca (with goat’s cheese and rocket) – one of my favourite starter salads.
Miso salmon and cucumber salad – light and so delicious (use salmon or trout).
Easy duck pancakes with plum sauce – this is one of my favourite recipes and perfect for sharing as a starter or even main course for two.
Main Courses for Valentines Day
Seafood
Salmon Poke – perfect for a hot summer night, and you can make everything in advance and then DIY your bowls
Roasted salmon with miso and honey glaze – an impressice restaurnt quality dish for half the price.
Herb and fennel crusted salmon – this is perfect date night food.
Trout en papilotte with fennel and tomatoes (you can also use salmon). Antoehr restaurnt quality meal for two.
Easy mussels with white wine, garlic & cream. The ultimate sharing dish, and so easy to whip up. Serve with crusty bread or a plate of French fries.
The best baked whole trout with herbs and lemon is a delicious, easy main course that is sure to impress and couldn’t be easier. I share a recipe for a fabulous new potato salad to go with it (along with blanced asparagus.
Risotto ala Milanese with pan-fried prawns – this is so special and perfect for a Valentine’s Day dinner.
Seared tuna steaks with lemon, caper and parsley butter – a perfect seafood dinner for two.
Chicken
The viral Marry Me Chicken using an Instant Pot – the perfect romantic chicken dinner. Literally created to elicit a marriage proposal.
I love all these slow-braised chicken dishes that are quite hands-off. They make more than enough for two, but that just means delicious leftovers.
Creamy chicken with red pepper & spinach
Morrocan chicken & rice with aubergine
Creamy chicken with braised leeks & carrots
Creamy chicken & mushrooms
Chicken & rice pilaf with orange and spices
Meat
A pan-seared, butter-basted ribeye steak will replicate a steakhouse experience at home. My Café de Paris butter is so delicious.
A roast fillet of beef with creamy mushroom sauce is another steakhouse classic, made at home. Choose a smaller cut for two people.
This delicious and easy beef bulgogi is a quick dinner that can be whipped up for two.
A classic beef and mushroom pie with ale is always a winner for a meat lover.
My Greek lamb souvlaki with easy homemade pita is a fabulous Mediterranean dish.
Herb-crusted rack of lamb is always an impressive and delicious dinner party option.
Vegetarian
My sweet potato gnocchi with creamy mushrooms and crispy sage has become such a favourite on my website. It’s the perfect vegetarian dish to make for a special person.
Vegan chilli with sweet potato is a great sharing dish and so delicious. Add corn chips, cheese and guacamole to finish it off.
Pasta
Pasta dishes are often the easiest to whip up, unless a slow-braised sauce is involved. There are a few that I love for entertaining.
Creamy salmon pasta with spinach and capers
My best truffle mac & cheese – heavenly and indulgent (use truffle butter to make the sauce if you can’t get fresh truffle).
Prawn pasta with tomatoes, garlic & cream
Perfect spaghetti and meatballs
Check out all my best pasta dishes for more inspiration.
Sides
Roasted smashed potatoes with brown butter and sage are the perfect indulgent side to go with any steak recipe.
Roast smashed new potatoes with miso, chive sour cream
Roasted smashed new potatoes with Parmesan
The famous and world-best whole roast cauliflower recipe – this is the ultimate roast cauliflower recipe and perfect to share along with other dishes.
I keep this post updated with all my best vegetable side dish recipes.
Desserts
No Valentine’s Day dinner would be complete without a delicious chocolate dessert, and these are a few of my favourites that fit the bill.
Chocolate fondant with Lindt Lindor – I have been told on more than one occasion that this is the best chocolate fondant ever eaten. It’s a fantastic dinner party dish as everything can be made in advance and popped in the oven 17 minutes before serving.
Double chocolate chip skillet cookie – top with vanilla or pistachio ice cream and dive in.
The best chocolate malva pudding
The best chocolate Nutella brownies
Cheesescake brownies with chocolate Romany creams
Churros with chocolate and espresso sauce
The best and easiest chocolate loaf Basque cheesecake – serve with a dollop of cream, vanilla ice cream and my cherries preserved in port syrup.
45-second chocolate pudding with salted caramel – if you are looking for a super quick and easy microwave cake that is irresistible and easy to make in portions, give this one a try.
My best chocolate recipes
If you are looking for a few non-chocolate desserts, tehse would work perfectly for a Valentines Day dinner menu:
See my recipe for perfect Vanilla crème caramel in an Instant Pot or my espresso crème caramel in an Instant Pot.
Easy Instant Pot Crème Brûlée with passionfruit
Strawberries dipped in melted white chocolate are the ultimate in simplicity for a romantic sweet finish in summer.
Drinks/ Cocktails
Champagne or Cap Classique is perfect to serve on Valentine’s Day. Otherwise, a nice rose will go with most starters, seafood dishes, and chicken dishes. Alternatively, find your favourite white or red wine and pair accordingly.
All these cocktails are just as delicious when made without alcohol, creating impressive mocktails. Putting in a little extra effort with drinks goes a long way toward impressing a romantic partner.
A cocktail of strawberries & coconut water – Strawberries are the fruit of love, so this is the perfect refreshing drink for a hot Valentine’s Day menu.
Frozen watermelon daquiri – refreshing, and pink.
How to make a pomegranate mojito – Pomegranate adds a pop of red and delicious tart sweetness to this drink.
Mixed berry margarita with jalapeno – Keeping things red and delicious with this juicy marg.
Pomegranate & Ginger Spritzer – a refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail.
The perfect Paloma cocktail – my favourite cocktail of them all.
Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, you might want to plan a romantic breakfast or brunch, and you can check out all these Mother’s Day Brunch recipe ideas that would work.
If you want to eat out, this is my comprehensive guide to eating out in Cape Town.
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