Matters of the heart
It’s a day designed for two, so grab your beau and discover what Mayfair and Belgravia have to offer
Whether you’re a singleton on the lookout for love, it’s your first date or you’re a pair of lovebirds entwined for life, there’s a Valentine’s activity for everyone and every budget in Mayfair and Belgravia. So sidestep canoodling couples and plan your own swoonworthy day or night of romance.
Give yourself an excuse to cuddle up to your lover and plan a romantic wintry picnic at Grosvenor Square gardens. Throw down a rug and open a hamper from the Market Quarter, matching it with a bottle of sparkling wine for a special lunch. Present your love with a rare book from Potterton Books, just off Pimlico Road, and his or her heart will be yours forever.
Or you could go for a blustery stroll around Hyde Park before taking shelter in the historic Star Tavern. Tucked away down a cosy mews, it’s the perfect place to sit by the fire and gaze longingly into each other’s eyes – over a pint of real ale, of course. If wine’s your tipple, book a wine-tasting evening at Jeroboams on Elizabeth Street.
If your budget is small but your appetite is big, why not book a romantic brunch at Mount Street Deli? Boiled eggs with soldiers for two, please! Alternatively, pick up some Wagyu beef or a rack of lamb from Allens of Mayfair, also on Mount Street, and cook a decadent meal for two at home. Meat lovers will appreciate its butchery-skills course, too. Or bake your lovebird a beautiful cake with the help of patisserie queen Peggy Porschen and her cookery school.
If you’re looking to impress, then Le Gavroche’s Michel Roux Jr. might be the man for you. Spend an evening dining on roast milk-fed lamb or sinking your spoon into a hot passionfruit soufflé with white chocolate ice cream – it will melt even the hardest of hearts. Equally stunning is chef Richard Corrigan’s Valentine’s menu at Corrigan’s of Mayfair. The dazzling line-up of rock oysters, aged fillet of beef and rhubarb crumble soufflé is perfect for loved-up couples.
Afterwards, check in for a night of passion at one of the romantic hotels in Mayfair or Belgravia, such as the super-boutique Lord Milner. Now all that’s left is to work out how you’re going to top this next year!
Allens of Mayfair, 117 Mount Street, London W1K 3LA
020 7499 5831
www.allensofmayfair.co.uk
Corrigan’s Mayfair, 28 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7EH
020 7499 9943
www.corrigansmayfair.com
Jeroboams, 20 Davies Street, London, W1K 3DT
020 7499 1015
www.jeroboams.co.uk
Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook Street, London W1K 7QR
020 7408 0881
www.le-gavroche.co.uk
Potterton Books, 93 Lower Sloane Street, London SW1W 8DA
020 7730 4235
www.pottertonbooks.co.uk
The Lord Milner, 111 Ebury Street, London SW1W 9QU
020 7881 9880
www.lordmilner.com
The Market Quarter, 36 Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9NZ
020 7824 8470
www.marketquarter.com
Peggy Porschen Academy, 30 Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9RB
www.peggyporschenacademy.com
The Star Tavern, 6 Belgrave Mews West, Belgravia, London SW1X 8HT
020 7235 3019
www.star-tavern-belgravia.co.uk