The simplest but most effective way to show that you care this Valentine’s Day is by treating your significant other to a night out at one of Auckland’s most romantic restaurants. Despite the occasion still being a few weeks away, we have it on good authority that tables are already filling up fast, so now is the time to book your spot — lest you miss out. From set menus that will set hearts racing, to the perfect ambiance for the occasion, here’s where to celebrate on the 14th of February.
Valentines with Mor at Roses Dining Room
In this highly-anticipated event, Karl and Ophelia Bayly of Roses Dining Room will be welcoming Laura Metcalf and Kelsie Culpan, the duo behind Mor Bakery, to collaborate on a very special, romantic dinner. The carefully-crafted degustation menu will meld Bayly’s unique culinary touch with Metcalf and Culpan’s expert patisserie skills in a series of utterly delicious dishes. There will be two sittings on the night, one at 5:30pm and one at 8pm, and tickets are $150 per head (for the food only) or $220 per head (for the food and drinks pairing). Set to be hugely popular but with only very limited seats available, this is one we suggest booking in immediately.
See details and book your table here.
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Pasture, Alpha, Boxer
For all the foodies out there, the clever culinary minds behind lauded institutions Pasture, Boxer and Alpha have created a special Valentine’s Day dinner in which some of the most sought-after signature dishes from all three venues will be on offer. This is a ‘best of’ menu like no other and will see diners able to enjoy dishes like aged wagyu, lobster, caviar, truffles, grilled cheese, summer puffs and more. With four sittings across the three venues available but tickets already almost sold out, this is a one-off event you really won’t want to miss out on.
See details and book your table here.
Culprit
Set to charm all the Valentine’s Day punters with its innovative culinary offering, Culprit will be putting on a special seasonal Epic Menu for $114 per person. The menu will include a range of the restaurant’s signature flavourful fare which, due to the restaurant’s focus on seasonal ingredients, tends to change often. That said, those who want to take things up a notch can upgrade their dinner with oysters and Champagne for just $41 per person. And really, is there any other way to celebrate the universal day of love?
See details and book your table here.
MoVida
Take Valentine’s Day to new heights at MoVida, where a low-lit ambience and a special set menu will make for a seriously memorable celebration. For $135 per person, MoVida’s four-course Valentine’s Day menu includes housemade sangria on arrival, mouthwatering aperitivo like Jamon Iberico, (aged 24 Months) or lightly-cured Big Glory Bay salmon with beetroot gazpacho and caper berries, a range of tapas including croqueta with lobster, leek, seaweed and sesame salt, a duo of satiating mains (one fish, one lamb) and some very appealing dessert options.
See details and book your table here.
Sid at The French Cafe
If you’re looking to do something super special, why not secure a table at Sid at The French Cafe? There, the team has created an indulgent, five-course degustation menu which will kick off with rosé and snacks before delving into a feast fit for celebrating love.
See details and book your table here.
Faraday’s Bar
As far as Valentines is considered, there are few ways we would rather celebrate than by indulging in Champagne and caviar — and we’re yet to find an experience as indulgent as Faraday’s Bar. If you are seeking a celebration over something sweeter, this offering is pure escapism. Enjoy a half bottle of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and two perfectly paired desserts (of your choice) for $120, an affair that feels fit to end on.
See details and book your table here.
Andiamo
Celebrate with your significant other at this Herne Bay stalwart, where a special, three-course menu will be on offer for $105 per person from 5pm. There, expect Andiamo’s signature warm service and a raft of delicious dishes that capture the kinds of Italian and Mediterranean flavours we have come to expect from this beloved spot. Think starters like rose veal meatballs with marsala emulsion and shaved mushrooms, followed by mains like First-Light wagyu bavette with fregola, salsa verde, parmesan, rocket or ricotta agnolotti with zucchini, peas, burnt butter, pecorino, mint, and desserts like a chocolate torta with seville orange and apricot marmalade and lot 8 citrus olive oil.
See details and book your table here.
Sìso
The intimate, warm dining space of this exceptional Remuera restaurant is the perfect place to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day. There, you and your paramour can indulge in Sìso’s delectable Mediterranean fare before finishing the evening on a high note via a special Valentine’s Day dessert created by Sìso’s Head Chef. Designed to share, the dessert is a Champagne- and rose-whipped panna cotta with macerated strawberries and pomegranate.
See details and book your table here.
Pōni
What better way to woo your significant other than with a delicious meal overlooking the sparkling waters of the Waitemata Harbour? For Valentine’s Day, Commercial Bay restaurant Pōni will be putting on a four-course menu of delectable, Asian-inspired dishes, complete with perfectly-matched wine pairings, in an affair that is really not to be missed. Here, you can take your Valentine’s Day celebrations to new heights in more ways than one.
See details and book your table here.
Esther
Head down to Viaduct Harbour’s QT Hotel and settle in at its lauded restaurant Esther for a night of romance. Putting on a specially-designed Valentine’s Day menu for those looking to celebrate, Esther will be offering starters like Mangonui line-caught Kingfish crudo with anchovy essence and Calabrian chilli, and chargrilled Golden Queen peaches with stracciatella, as well as a mouthwatering main of pistachio-herbed lamb rack served with red wine jus, butternut pumpkin, barrel-aged feta and duck-fat potatoes with garlic and rosemary. To finish, the dessert on offer is Sean’s chocolate vacherine, served with hazelnut gelato. Delicious.
See details and book your table here.
Bivacco
Take your Valentine’s Day celebrations down to the waterfront and secure one of the best seats in town at Bivacco. Gaze across the beautiful Viaduct Harbour while enjoying a range of delicious dishes from this restaurant’s special Valentine’s Day set menu. For $135 per person, diners will be treated to a drink with oysters and caviar mozzarella sticks on arrival, followed by a selection of antipasti like beef carpaccio and Wairarapa crayfish mafaldine with bisque and black pepper sauce, and then enjoy mains of either barbecue Wagyu beef tongue or seared Big Eye tuna, before finishing with a selection of desserts (including Bivacco’s famous tiramisu).
See details and book your table here.
Non Solo Pizza
Park up at this Parnell institution for an evening of love like the Italians do. Non Solo Pizza will be putting on a special a la carte menu for Valentine’s Day which will include a drink on arrival (a flute of Veuve Clicquot, a Peroni or an Aperol spritz), followed by your choice of entree, main and dessert. Dishes will include burrata with roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, croutons, vin cotto and basil, butternut squash risotto with almonds, balsamic, pecorino, crispy sage and truffle oil, beef fillet with oyster mushrooms, vine tomatoes, garlic herb butter and porcini mushroom cream and chocolate cake or tiramisu for dessert. The dinner is $135 per person with the option to add fresh oysters or a formaggio platter (with delicate cheeses, seasonal chutneys and crispy ciabatta) to your dining experience for extra.
See details and book your table here.
Bar Magda
One of the cosiest spots in Auckland to while away a romantic evening, Bar Magda is the perfect place to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. There, diners can choose from two special menus on offer: ‘A Seafood Affair’ or ‘A Meat Lover’s Delight’. The former is $175 per person and entails a three-course sharing-style menu that is set to include a whole crayfish. The latter, on the other hand, is $120 per person, and being a three-course sharing-style menu will hero Bar Magda’s award-winning lamb ribs alongside a few more hearty delights. Both menu options will afford diners two aperitifs and one cocktail per person, or a bottle of wine to share. If last year’s Valentine’s Day affair at Bar Magda is anything to go by, this will be popular, so book now.
See details and book your table here.
(It’s worth noting too that this month sees the return of Bar Magda to its usual operating hours, after a necessary pause for summer reprieve.)
Kingi
Head to this beautiful downtown restaurant at the base of Hotel Britomart for a three-course affair this Valentine’s Day. The menu has been designed to highlight some of kingi’s signature dishes and will feature a selection of antipasti to share (including green-lipped mussels with nduja and fromage blanc roulade with radish and herbs de Provance) followed by a choice of main and a special dessert for $80 per person.
See details and book your table here.
Ebisu
One of our favourite Japanese stalwarts is putting on a special Valentine’s Day set menu for either $135 per person, or $170 for premium sake pairings with your food. Kicking off with a flute of Veuve Clicquot on arrival, the dinner will run through a series of delicious starters and a fresh sashimi platter, before launching into dishes like scampi tempura, beef tatami nigiri, salmon and avocado maki rolls, seared duck breast and pan-seared Big Glory Bay salmon. There is even the option for diners to upgrade their culinary experience with a special A5 Kagoshima wagyu for an additional $88 per head. Finally, a delicate dessert platter for two will round off what is set to be a seriously tasty affair.
See details and book your table here.
Azabu Mission Bay & Ponsonby
Both of Auckland’s Azabu locations will be putting on delightful set menus for Valentine’s Day. Designed as tapas-style banquets, the menus will highlight some of the best dishes from Azabu’s lauded a la carte offering, and will see diners treated to drinks on arrival (either an Asahi Super Dry, a flute of Mumm Champagne or a Sakura Blossom Rose spritz) followed by four delicious courses. Expect dishes like coconut kingfish ceviche, California lobster rolls, chicken tsukune with Sancho pepper and garlic mayo and Nikkei steak with braised shiitake, ponzu butter and spring onion. If you want, you can upgrade your Nikkei steak to Japanese wagyu for an additional $32 per person.
See details and book your table here.
