29 January 2025

For lovers of fine fare: Some of the best Valentine's Day events in the capital

| John Murtagh
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flutes of champagne

Impress your partner with something special this Valentines Day. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.

If you want to wow your partner this Valentine’s Day, the right venue is a must. We have the best romantic dinners, unique overnight stays and sultry performances that are sure to impress. Celebrate your day of love in style with our hand-picked events this Valentine’s Day.

Big tree in the middle of a garden in front of a hotel

Take advantage of the warm weather with a dinner under the stars. Photo: Hyatt Hotel Canberra.

Valentine’s Day: Dinner Under the Stars

When: 14 February, 6 pm to 8 pm
Where: Hyatt Hotel Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue
Cost: $149.

On Valentine’s Day this year, the historic Hyatt Hotel is hosting dinner under the stars. The garden’s Rose Courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy the hotel’s five-course tasting menu and a cocktail on arrival, complimentary to your ticket.

Reminisce and plan the year to come with your special person in the ambience of the Rose Courtyard under the Canberra sky. Let Hyatt Canberra take care of your plans this Valentine’s Day.

cocktail

Great drinks and spicy performances at Bar Beirut’s Lovefest. Photo: Bar Beirut.

Lovefest at Bar Beirut

When: 14 February, seating one from 6 pm to 7:30 pm, seating two from 8 pm to 9:30 pm
Where: Bar Beirut, 25 Garema Place, Canberra City
Cost: $150 per person.

Bar Beirut is offering two Valentine’s Day options to turn up the heat for a special day of romance. Both choices feature a set menu of seven signature dishes, drinks and live performances.

For seating one, the Romance and Rhythm package, you’ll start with a signature cocktail and a shared mezze platter, but the real excitement starts with a Bar Beirut signature, its belly-dancing performances. An exciting and joyful show of Lebanese culture and dance awaits.

Seating two, the Fire and Flames experience, is for those seeking something a little hotter. The fire-and-fan burlesque show brings a sultry spice to Valentine’s Day that you won’t want to miss.

Licensed venue with water view

Enjoy top-quality dining in a premier venue with a view at the Yacht Club. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at The Yacht Club

When: Friday 14 February, 6:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club
Cost: $110pp members, $130pp for non-members. Tickets available via Canberra Southern Cross Club.

The Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club boasts some of the best dining in the territory. The club has put together a great menu with options for all tastes.

For entree you have the choice of cured Tasmanian salmon or Hunter Valley smoked duck.

The main-course options feature classics of Australian fine dining, with Riverina lamb rump and Queensland barramundi. For dessert, you and your partner can choose either a chocolatey or fruity treat. Included in the price is a glass of Veuve Fourny & Fils Grand Reserve Champagne.

Two people sharing a dessert.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Braddon Merchant offers the option to ‘take things upstairs’ with Midnight Hotel’s romantic package. Photo: Iconic Hotels.

Valentine’s Day dinner at Braddon Merchant

When: 14 February, slots available for 5:30 pm, 6 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm
Where: 1 Elouera Street, Braddon
Cost: $120 per person, drinks offerings and pairings extra.

A five-course meal, with share-style plates and sparkling wine on arrival, awaits you at the Braddon Merchant Midnight Hotel. There’s no better way to finish the day celebrating your relationship than with a curated and taken-care-of candlelit meal. If you want to elevate your dining experience, the venue offers an optional beverage package for $50, a personally curated wine pairing for $75 or a bottle of Taittinger Prestige Cuvée for $114.

If you want to extend Valentine’s Day and make it a little vacation in town, book the “Just the two of us” package on Valentine’s Day and receive two complimentary tickets to the Valentine’s Day dinner as well as a night of luxurious accommodation at the Midnight Hotel, a ”connection kit” featuring a deck of connection cards, a mini-aromatherapy spa kit, and some well-picked nibbles.

In the morning, you can look forward to a proper send-off with a breakfast for two.

bar and restaurant

Treat your special person to something special with Valentine’s Day dinner at The Patio, Woden Central. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at The Patio

When: Friday 14 February, 6:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club, The Patio, Woden Central
Cost: $79 pp members, $95 pp for non-members. Tickets available from the Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Treat yourself and your partner to an elegant, romantic three-course meal that won’t break the bank, courtesy of Woden Central Southern Cross Club. The three-course dinner is centred on a curated menu with a focus on seasonal summer produce.

Enjoy fresh oysters, burrata with heirloom tomatoes and free-range chicken served with creamy gnocchi as your entree and mains. For dessert, there’s chocolate pudding or honey-scented panna cotta. All of this is served in an ambient setting that’s sure to make your special night one to remember.

a promotional banner for a woman's cabaret show

Gal-entine’s Day plans are set at Alyce Fisher’s one-woman show, Tinderella. Image: Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

Tinderella and the Eight Unique Uses of Tinder

When: 14 February, 7 pm to 8 pm, bar open from 6 pm
Where: 137 Reed Street, Greenway, Tuggeranong
Cost: $32 to $38.

Alyce Fisher chooses to subvert Valentine’s Day tradition by instead giving a one-woman cabaret of comedy detailing, investigating and ridiculing the online dating world. Her powerhouse comedy show aims to empower the audience to take control of their dating app lives.

This show, featuring a mockumentary, a TED talk-style speech and audience participation, is sure to have you rolling in fits of laughter as Fisher lays bare the trials of the modern dating world. It’s a fun, funny and hearty romp through one woman’s experience that will ring true for many.

Suitable for audiences 18+.

photo of restaurant

Share the flavours and romance of France this Valentine’s Day at Les Bistronomes. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.

Les Bistronomes Valentine’s Day

When: 14 February
Where: 18 Blamey Pl, Campbell
Cost: $180 per person, with optional matched wines for $70 per person.

Les Bistronomes brings the culinary world of France to Canberra. You and your partner can indulge in a delicious menu featuring French dishes such as parfait, tomato tartare and scallop boudin, with macarons to finish off the experience. The restaurant also offers a wine pairing, with a range of tipples specially selected to suit and complement the flavours, textures and smells of Canberra’s home of French flavour.

a couple looking at a tiger through a window at a wildlife lodge

Admire a ferocious feline at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge. Photo: Jamala Wildlife Lodge.

Valentine’s Day at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge

When: Valentine’s Day
Where: 999 Lady Denman Drive, Canberra
Cost: Prices vary depending on the room booked; see the website for more details.

Have a Valentine’s Day celebration on the wild side at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge. Jamala has a variety of accommodation experiences to make your day with your special person something to remember. Enjoy a night together with bears, lions and tigers for company, or for something different, book the giraffe treehouses and wake up with a view of one of nature’s most majestic creatures, with access to a walking area with friendly alpacas and deer to keep you company.

a restaurant's Valentine's Day spread including a red rose and champagne

The Southern Cross Club in Jamison hosts a night of romance and great food on February 14th. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Jamison Southern Cross Club

When: Friday 14 February, 6:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club Jamison
Cost: $75pp. Tickets are available from the Canberra Southern Cross Club.

The Jamison Southern Cross Club is making celebrating Valentine’s Day a bit easier with its three-course meal featuring poached prawns, pistachio-crusted, slow-cooked lamp rump and a caramel chocolate heart with a pistachio crust. All this with a glass of bubbles on arrival makes it a tempting option for a night of good dining and drinking with that special person.

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