The best date night spots in the city.
There’s not long until the most romantic day of the year is upon us, and for many that means the tradition of booking a table at a restaurant that means something to your relationship (or you just like the look of the menu) is on the to-do list.
Given last year we were stuck in the height of a lockdown on Valentine’s Day, many of us either spent time away from our loved ones, separated by household rules, or spent 24/7 in each others company and thus removing the importance of having a date night with one another.
To celebrate the return of Valentines in all its sugar-coated, Champagne-poppin’, cheesy card glory, we’ve rounded up the best Valentine’s Day menus and offers in Leeds.
OBA
Fans of authentic Korean and Japanese cuisine needn’t spend hours looking for a place to spend their Valentine’s Day- just head over to the Merrion Centre and find OBA tucked around the corner. On their Valentine’s Day menu, there’s a whopping four courses on the menu, with a glass of fizz on arrival, avocado with asparagus, fillet steak tataki with truffle ponzu jelly; a mixed platter with Korean spring rolls, chicken gyozas and that’s before you’ve moved onto the mains. Grilled salmon with sweet miso, mixed seafood with ginger teriyaki and steamed rice are both on offer with a fruit cocktail for dessert.
The Valentine’s Day menu costs £50 per person and can be booked in advance online. Find out more here.
Sarto
If you don’t quite want to recreate that Lady and the Tramp scene this Valentine’s Day but still fancy some delicious Italian pasta, Sarto have got all the authentic dishes you need to spice up your Valentine’s Day dinner. Expect two extra stuffed pastas, new snacks on the menu, a special valentines cannoli and some really special Prosecco selected by Latitude Wines.
The Valentines Menu will be available Friday 11 February at 5pm, all weekend long and again from 5pm on Monday 14 February. Find out more here.
Issho
If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day date night to impress: look no further than Issho. With a set menu of bao buns, ribeye steak with rosemary smoker garlic butter; sea bass fillet; spicy duck rolls; spicy nigiri and salmon avocado, it really is the ultimate Japanese cuisine. If that’s not enough, the menu also includes a complimentary signature cocktail, the Watashi No Ai, meaning ‘my love’ and a Season Fruit Yuzu Tart.
The set menu at Issho costs £65 per person and will be available on Monday 14 February. Find out more here.
Fourth Floor Brasserie, Harvey Nichols
There’s four full courses on offer at Harvey Nichols-and a glass of Champagne included too. On the menu there’s honey-baked crottin, pickled beetroot, apple and rye croûtes, salmon and lobster ravioli with sautéed spinach, bouillabaisse sauce- and that’s before you’ve had a bite of the corn-fed chicken breast, pancetta and onion tart. If you’ve got room for dessert, there’s Hot chocolate fondant, orange ice cream and blood orange compote.
The set menu is £50 per person and available on Monday 14 February from 6pm onwards. Find out more here.
Blackhouse
Two courses and free-flowing Prosecco and Heineken on Valentine’s Day- a combination that’s sure to make the evening a Monday night to remember. Blackhouse’s ‘I Love You More Than Steak’ menu promises exactly what they do best: lots of steak and tipple. The popular restaurant was closed last month to make for the filming of a new Marvel TV series. Hundreds of people queued up to try and catch a glimpse of Hollywood’s greatest Marvel cast, but many were turned away due to the set’s viewpoint capacity.
The full menu is available at £45 per person and available only on Monday 14 February, so book in advance to avoid disappointment. Find out more here.
Read More: Everything you need to know about the new Marvel series filmed in Leeds
Crafthouse
The menu at East 59th is one of the best menus for an impressive date night. For starters there’s praen cocktail, Yorkshire ham terrine and wild mushroom wellington, and five delicious options for mains. Think roasted cod with braised ox cheek, orange duck, pumpkin and sage risotto and fillet steak with potato rosti and peppercorn sauce: there’s options for every palate. The desserts are just as tempting, as the menu comes as a two or three course options, you can choose whether to go sweet, savoury or both.
The Valentine’s Day menu from East 59th is available on 11, 13, 14r and 15 February, two courses costs £28 and it’s £35 for all three. Find out more here.
Sakku
The unlimited experience at Sakku is one not to be missed on Valentine’s Day- and it’s being served over two sittings. Grab a glass of Prosecco to kick off the sitting then take your pick at Asian grill and sashimi dishes. Think battered squid and prawns on a bed of fried vegetables and herbs that finds that equilibrium between crunch and soft fish flavour and is utterly lip-smacking- and that’s just one of the dishes available.
The lunchtime sitting costs £29.95 per person and the dinner serving £44.50 on Valentine’s Day only. Find out more here.
Chophaus
If steak, lobster and a plate of chocolates don’t show your gratitude, then frankly we’re not sure what will. Bringing out the swankiest of the Valentine’s Day menus is Oakwood-based restaurant, Chophaus. On the menu, there’s sticky chicken skeweres, Yorkshire fritters and chorizo jam, two lots of 250g fillet steaks and a 500g grilled lobster and for dessert: a huge plate of chocolate-based treats like dark chocolate and salted caramel tart, white chocolate and blueberry panacotta, triple chocolate brownie and more.
If you want to treat your loved one to a Surf to your Turf and possible the best meal out they’ll have all year, you’re looking at paying £75 per person for all this food. Find out more here.
Wapentake
This restaurant champions all things Yorkshire, so naturally their Valentine’s menu is no different. Including winter warmers like vegan sweet potato pie with a cider and coarse grain mustard sauce and chicken breast wrapped in smoky bacon, there’s three choices of each of the three courses, all for a respectable price of £23.80 for two courses or £27.80 for three.
The Valentine’s Day menu will be served on Monday 14 February from 5pm-late, as well as the weekend beforehand, just make sure to make a note on your booking. Find out more here.
Absurd Bird
If you want a night in this Valentine’s Day (it does fall on a Monday after all), Absurd Bird’s menu is certainly worth checking out. Inspired by all our favourite romantic movie scenes, including that Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moment. On the menu is the Casanova Ball Burger: made up of Crispy chicken fillet, meatballs cheese, tomato sauce, fresh pesto mayo and spaghetti- this is the cutest chicken burger you’ll find this Valentines.
The Valentine’s Day specials will be available throughout February to order via all your favourite takeaway apps, as well as inside the Trinity Kitchen in Trinity shopping centre. Find out more here.
Alibi Halifax
Two courses and a cocktail each for £50, it doesn’t get much better than that. Over in Halifax, Alibi is offering a choice of options this Valentine’s Day. Expect truffled mushroom and spinach gnocchi and surf and turf boards for two with fillet stead and lobster thermidor, complemented by courses like Smoked Bisque, Ham Hock Terrine. For dessert, cocktails like the Grasshopper, Butterscotch BonBon and a Lemon Drop will cleanse the palate and leave you full and refreshed.
The Valentine’s Day menu costs £50 per person and will be served up on the special day itself. Find out more here.
The Botanist
Boasting a three course menu designed to be shared, The Botanist’s Valentine’s Day set menu is made up of a starter and dessert to share, with a Cupid’s Arrow welcome drink and main course each. On the menu, there’s baked camembert in a bread bowl with chilli jam, hot board with crusty bread, patatas bravas, lamb koftas, Cumberland scotch egg, whole garlic prawns and baked Camembert with prosciutto; as well as their famous hanging kebabs (available as lamb, chicken or halloumi), burgers, fish and chips or a juicy ribeye steak. For dessert, there’s Nutella croissant bread and butter pudding with Biscoff custard and vanilla ice cream, a huge bowl of cookie dough with oreos or straberry and rhubarb crumble to choose from.
The Botanist set menu will be served on Monday 14 February all-day and costs £35.00 per person. Find out more here.
Grön Kafe
One brunch dish plus unlimited sparkling wine, mimosas, beers or Aperol Spritz for £25 per person seems like a Valentine’s weekend winner to us. Grön Oakwood and Harrogate are both offering out a Valentines bottomless brunch that’s bound to impress your partner. Think Instagrammable brunch options like french toast with edible flowers, pancakes with seasonal toppings and the alleged millennial crowdpleaser, avo on toast.
The Valentines bottomless brunch will be available 3-4:30pm on Saturday 12 February and Sunday 13 February. Find out more here.
Homeboy Pizza Co X Savvy Baker
If you’re looking for a takeaway option this Valentine’s Day- this date night combo from Leeds finest independents is one of the best we’ve seen. There’s three courses of Leeds-based foodie goodness: pizza tacos to start, two pizzas for main and a s’mores pie for dessert: you really can’t go wrong with this one.
The takeaway offer costs £20 per person and collection can be organised through Instagram. Find out more here.
Fleur Cafe
Fleur is offering two or three courses this Valentines, and all bookings come with an adorable personal polaroid picture and a welcome drink upon arrival. To tuck into, there will be amuse bouche of charred asparagus and cream cheese, followed by light starters like cream of tomato soup with truffle croutons and halloumi cheese spring rolls. The mains are your crowdpleasers, where you’ll find 10oz flat rump steak and chips, peri peri mango and lime chicken skewers or cauliflower chickpea and tofu curry on the menu. If you’ve got room for dessert, there’s oreo cheesecake, sizzling chocolate fondant and a sharing board with red velvet cake, macaroons and chocolate ganache for an extra fiver.
Fleur will be serving their Valentines menu on Sunday 13 February and Monday 14 February until 8.30pm, prices start at £19.95 per person. Find out more here.
Heaney and Mill
Headingley’s Heaney and Mill have created a special three course meal that they reckon will help you to win over any date, or allow you to celebrate galentines (or malentines) in comfort. Expect a menu full of impressive dishes like king scallops, champagne and truffle beurre blane and sour apple, truffled burrata, torched tomatoes, garlic and rosemary foccacia and crispy duck, Jerusalem artichoke veloute, feata cheese and aged balsamic- and that’s just for starters. The mains are just as impressive: think treacle glazed beef cheek, roasted salmon or celeriac and wild mushroom pathiver with an assiette of desserts for those with room.
The three course set menu will be available from Heaney and Mill in Headingley from Friday 11 February until Monday 14 February and is set at the price of £39.95 per person. Find out more here.
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Estabulo Rodizio
This one’s for the meat lovers, and those that just want a bit of steak to celebrate their Valentine’s Day. Expect a glass of Prosecco upon arrival and a ‘special dessert’ to share with your partner, then dine in the incredible all-you-can-meat manner that you usually would at Rodizio’s. Meat eaters will be drooling over fifteen different meat options, including a lot of steak, but that doesn’t mean that seafood lovers and vegetarians can’t enjoy the Brazilian-style cuisine- in fact their menu is much cheaper.
Estabulo Rodizio will be serving their Valentine’s Day menu from Friday 11 February until Monday 14 February. Prices vary depending on whether you take a lunch or dinner reservation, as well as what dietary requirements you have. Prices start at £19.95 per person, find out more here.
Shears Yard
If you’re looking for a decadent meal that’s presented with care and creativity, the Valentines menu from Shears Yard is going to be your go-to option. On the menu there’s fresh oysters with passion fruit and bonito, buttermilk fried chicken with chive sour cream and caviar, as well as venison tartar, or tartar of salted baked beetroot as a meat-free alternative. All meals can be prepared for vegans too, just make sure to note this in your booking.
The Valentines menu will be available on Monday 14 February at Shears Yard for £45.00 per person. Find out more here.
The Leeds Deli X Kitchen #43
Kitchen #43 is taking over The Leeds Deli for one night of Valentine’s dishes. The four-course menu has been kept carefully under wraps for quite some time, but we can only imagine that you won’t be disappointed. The Leeds Deli reckon “Love it or hate it, Valentine’s is always a good excuse to go out and eat some delicious food!” and we can’t argue with that. Plus they’re serving up on a Saturday night which seems much more appropriate than trying to get out on a Monday night.
The Leeds Deli Kitchen #43 Pop-up Valentine’s Dinner will be served on Saturday 12 February, tickets cost a flat rate of £40.00 per person. Find out more here.
The Deer Park
The Deer Park in Roundhay are going all out this Valentines and sharing a very sweet dessert menu that will put any couple to the test. According to the restaurant, “celebrating true love is unique to everyone, but our measure of love is: Can you share a dessert with them?” put this to the test with their ‘Share the Love’ dessert with warm churros rolled in cinnamon sugar, home-baked chocolate brownie pieces & fresh strawberry skewers, ready to be dunked into Belgian chocolate & hot
toffee dipping sauces. There’s also a three course meal featuring Moet and Chandon Champagne.
The Deep Park will be serving their Valentine’s Day set menu from Friday 11 February until Tuesday 15 February and will cost £28.95 per person. Find out more here.
Potting Shed Guiseley
For those not wanting to commute all the way over to the city centre for a bottle of wine and a few plates of grub, the Potting Shed in Guiseley is throwing a Valentines offer into the mix that’s one of the best-value we’ve found. Get two courses, including freshly cooked pizzas and a bottle of wine for just £29.95- and if you want a steak, just add a £5 supplement.
The Potting Shed in Guiseley will be offering this menu out on Monday 14 February only at the price of £29.95 for two people. Find out more here.
Feature Image- The Botanist
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