Our guide to the best restaurants to book for Valentine’s Day state by state.

The best Valentine’s Day dinners are simply about spending quality time with someone you love over the shared pleasure of a meal. Hate Valentine’s Day? Well you can go easy on the schmaltz, you know. Think candle-lit date-night dinners designed to spice things up with your sweetheart. Here’s our guide to the very best Valentine’s dinners around Australia.

NSW | Vic | Qld | Tas | SA | WA | ACT

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in NSW

Fratelli Fresh

It’s D Day for booking your V Day dinner at Fratelli Fresh as the Italian restaurant is hugely popular on Valentine’s Day.

If you’re really trying to impress your date, take them to climb Sydney Harbour Bridge in the dusky light of day before dialling up the flirt factor at Fratelli Fresh. The five-course set menu is $79 per person and includes Prosecco on arrival as well as decadent dishes such as lobster Mafaldine and raspberry and pistachio tiramisu.

Address: Various

Saké Restaurant and Bar

Channel Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation and celebrate Galentine’s Day with your female friends at Saké Restaurant and Bar.

The multi-course menu features dishes that are available for one night only for $139 per person at its locations in The Rocks, Manly and Double Bay. Enjoy some of Saké’s most decadent dishes in the convivial space, which deserves our devotion for its ambient lighting and heritage feel. On a budget? Head to Saké for happy hour.

Address: Various

Gowings, QT Sydney

It will literally be love at first bite when your other half surprises you with a table for two at Gowings at the QT Sydney.  Start with Sydney rock oysters followed up with roasted figs served with gorgonzola and dripping in honey. The four-course shared menu includes half Eastern rock lobster and gold-dusted chocolate petit fours.

You’ll develop an even deeper affection for your other half if they win all the best bits of a quirky QT guest room during the Get a Room competition during the month of February. Want to know what’s hot? The fact that everything from the bathroom amenities to the QT Dream Bed are included in the prize package. Be in it to win it: the prize includes fluffy bathrobes, a Nespresso machine and Dyson Supersonic.

Address: 478 George St, Sydney

Chiswick

Make your crush blush with a bunch of roses followed by a dinner date at Chiswick, regarded as one of the most romantic restaurants in Sydney for Valentine’s Day.

The scene is set for romance at Chiswick where couples are treated to a glass of Champagne on arrival followed by a bespoke four-course Valentine’s Day menu for $175 per person, created by head chef Daniel Cooper.

The menu starts with entrees such as spanner crab remoulade and flows seamlessly into main courses like the Little Joe sirloin. Get all lovey-dovey over the Chiswick lamington.

Address: 65 Ocean St, Woollahra

North Bondi Fish

Nothing says ‘I wuv you snookums’ like a waterfront view of Bondi Beach. North Bondi Fish is a warm and lively place that goes big on bohemian Bondi vibes. It’s the sort of restaurant that is romantic simply because of those swoon-worthy views.

The special Valentine’s Day celebration includes a three-course set menu for dinner plus a glass of Veuve Clicquot on arrival for $140 per person. Not a fan of V Day? Tuck these ideas for romantic restaurants in Sydney away for another night.

Address: 120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi

Lago Cucina

Diners who ask for the cocktail list at Lago Cucina will find themselves head over heels. Spend the morning at the beach with your bae and continue your buoyant mood over Sydney rock oysters and antipasti, crab linguine and truffle pig pizza.

Follow @lagocucinabudgewoi for some mouth-watering inspiration. This is an extremely stylish dining room and one of the best restaurants on the Central Coast. Big-ups for Budgewoi.

Address: 169 Budgewoi Rd, Budgewoi

Bar Lucia

The best way to let your beau know how you’re feeling about your love life is to book the bespoke menu for two. The menu at the Potts Point hotspot features lobster paella, Sydney rock oysters and a decadent selection of tapas.

The dimly lit bar has banquette seating, a beautiful bar and a menu that is distinguished for its Spanish-leaning influences. In short, it’s a romantic spot to linger over a few cocktails, glasses of wine, great food and engaging conversation. Lovers will be treated to a glass of Champagne on arrival and platter of Sydney rock oysters to foster a sense of closeness. The Bar Lucia  special Valentine’s Day menu is $115 per person and available 14 February only.

Address: 5 Kellet St, Potts Point

Ormeggio at the Spit

We know you can buy yourself flowers. It’s your hot girl era! But if you secretly want to be treated by a loved one start searching ‘best waterfront restaurants in Sydney’ on their phone. Instagram’s algorithm will surely serve them up Ormeggio at the Spit.

Get in quick and make a booking. Executive chef Alessandro Pavoni has conceived of a special sharing menu for $180 per person and the whole package – the food, the wine, the location – is a turn-on. Upgrade to the premium menu for an additional $70 per person. Chiosco by Ormeggio next door also has a Valentine’s Day menu for $125 a pop.

Address: D’Albora Marina The Spit, Spit Road, Mosman

Bar Morris

The cosy tables for two at Bar Morris can accommodate a lot of canoodling. Don’t text your ex. Impress your Tinder crush instead by booking a five-course menu at this intimate Italian restaurant with the ritzy Art Deco flair. Head chef Rosy Scatigna draws on her Italian heritage with a dynamic menu designed to spice things up with your sweetie.

Bar Morris is located in the lobby of Hotel Morris, one of Australia’s best and brightest hotel openings.Those feeling the pinch about the #cossylivs crisis will appreciate the fact the five-course menu is a wallet-friendly $95 per person. Let the love bombing begin with East 33 Sydney rock oysters and nduja madeleines and finish with tuna crudo, risottoa alla milanese, and duck with stone-fruit ketchup and dauphinoise. Expect some PDA over the Italian pud.

Address: 412 Pitt Street, Haymarket

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in Victoria

Officina Gastronomica Italiana

There’s not a red-checked tablecloth in sight at this sophisticated restaurant in Melbourne’s Prahran. The Valentine’s Day menu at Officina Gastronomica Italiana is set at a very wallet-friendly $79 per person and includes homemade focaccia which you will want to deploy to mop up every skerrick of the slow-braised wagyu ragù sauce served over rigatoni.

Choose one pasta, one main and one dessert to be shared off the set menu in the restaurant that ticks off every box on our checklist of: What makes a restaurant romantic?

Address: 532-534 Malvern Road, Prahran

NOMAD Melbourne

Is food your love language? The NOMAD Group has got you with its month-long celebration dedicated to ‘Things we Love’. Ask your fling to frock up and wear something loose fitting to indulge in the dishes and drinks designed to keep things spicy.

The rotating dishes on offer for February also extend the love to NOMAD Melbourne’s cherished producers and suppliers. Think Jersey milk sorbet, baked ricotta, wood-roasted padron peppers and smoked wagyu ribs. Demolish the degustation and then kick back for Rhubarb Bliss cocktails.

Address: 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

SkyHigh Mt Dandenong

SkyHigh Mt Dandenong is revered for its views over the Melbourne skyline. Add a three-course Valentine’s Day menu for $85 a head and you have a winning (and affordable) formula for setting hearts on fire. The landmark restaurant is in the Dandenong Ranges, which is the perfect place for a romantic weekend away.

If you like cheesy, you can really smear the fondue by booking the ultimate proposal package, which includes Champagne on arrival, a private waiter, fresh flowers and a personalised three-course meal with beer, wine and softies.

Address: 26 Observatory Road, Mt Dandenong

Lona Misa 

Love is always in the air at the Latin-inspired restaurant Lona Misa in South Yarra. But there’s a whole lot more to love on Valentine’s Day with a five-course menu designed to celebrate high-quality, seasonal fruit and vegetables for $120 per person.

You and your vegan Valentine will need to veg out after hoovering up each dish on the plant-based menu at Ovolo South Yarra. The Ovolo Hotels chain is one of the pioneers of plant-based eating and has rolled out the welcome mat for vegans on Valentine’s Day. Say cheers to that with a glass of Taittinger Champagne.

Address: 234 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

The Hills

If you’ve just joined the dating app Frome (First Round’s On Me), you’ll probably be wanting a Valentine’s Day venue that’s not too uptight. Send a drink request to your match’s profile and head for The Hills.

The neighbourhood wine bar in Surrey Hills has a by-the-glass drinks list so you can pull stumps if things get awks. If all is going tickety-boo, then plump for pizza. But if the date heads south again, the bar is mere metres away from the Surrey Hills Train Station.

Address: 114 Union Rd, Surrey Hills

Dock 37 Bar and Kitchen

Book a sneaky mid-week Retail Therapy Package at Pan Pacific Melbourne with your date for destination dining on Valentine’s Day.

The five-course degustation dinner at Dock 37 reads like a highlights reel with amuse-bouches such as the Pacific oyster with Champagne jelly, watercress and finger lime and scallops with roasted cauliflower puree and pickled granny smith apple. A starter of Hiramasa kingfish and vanilla-poached lobster meat and a main of Patagonian toothfish follow suit. $279 per couple, which includes Champagne on arrival.

Address: 2 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in Queensland

The Lex

The food at The Lex is gutsy and soulful and the lighting soft and dim which makes everyone feel good about themselves. It’s the sort of restaurant that is emblematic of the food scene in Brisbane.

The venue is on level three of Brisbane’s W Hotel, a brand that began in New York City. And the restaurant channels that big-city energy with all the thrills of a NYC-style grill.

Think flame-grilled MB3+ Warwick eye fillet with charred carrots and braised leeks followed by a decadent dessert platter to share. The Valentine’s Day three-course set menu with Champagne on arrival is $175 per person.

Address: 81 North Quay, Brisbane

Citrique

This Gold Coast restaurant is a fever dream of seduction. Think luxurious fabrics, opulence and walls gilded in natural light. Take your sweetheart for a wander along the beaches of Surfers Paradise to walk up an appetite for the five-course Valentine’s Day degustation dinner at Citrique at the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa.

Start with a chilled glass of Champagne followed by kingfish with ponzu pearls, succulent poached lobster and caviar and finish with chocolate mousse and praline dessert. It’s $149 per guest with wine pairings an additional $59.

Address: 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Goldfinch

If you love food, you’ll adore the three-course Valentine’s Day feast on offer at Goldfinch, in the heart of Brisbane. A lot is going on in Bris Vegas so get ahead and book a table for two in this luxuriant, light-filled setting.

The set menu for $110 per person at this romantic Brisbane restaurant kicks off with a glass of sparkling wine on arrival. It follows with chargrilled Mooloolaba prawns and the choice between pork rib eye or Gold Band snapper. Continue to indulge your loved one with the Eton mess to share.

Address: Cnr Ann and Roma Streets, inside Pullman Brisbane King George Square

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in Tasmania

Peppina

Everything chef Massimo Mele does is done with heart. And good things happen at Peppina simply because he leans into his heritage and the Italian way of eating and sharing food with a few Tassie twists.

It’s that generosity and hospitality that sees couples packed in tighter than anchovies on Valentine’s Day. All the action is wrapped around the open kitchen, which creates a sense of theatre in the warmly lit trattoria. Sharing is caring: give the polpette al forno a twirl.

Address: 2b Salamanca Place, nipaluna/Hobart

Omotenashi, Hobart

Rather than just complaining about the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day, just look at it as a way to woo your other half while supporting our hard-working hospos.  There’s definitely a hit list of great restaurants in Hobart. But it’s also heartening for lovers of good food to know that places like Omotenashi exist if you want to show someone special you care.

Does it put a bit of air in your tyres to know the restaurant is located in the Lexus of Tasmania showroom? The 12-seater diner is offering a special degustation menu on Valentine’s Day with a bit of storytelling on the side. Chefs Lachlan Colwill and Sophie Pope rev diners up with the best of Tassie’s bounty in an intimate experience peppered with great yarns. Dinner with matched beverages is $300 per person.

Address: 4/160 Elizabeth St, nipaluna/Hobart

Dining in the Dark: A unique blindfolded experience at T42, Hobart

It’s giving Eyes Wide Shut. Keep your Bumble date in the dark at this pitch-black event held at the popular waterfront restaurant, T42. The unique culinary concept will turn a night out on the town into a blind tasting and is designed to heighten the senses of those in attendance.

You’ll be getting all the feels at this Valentine’s Day venue, which flips the switch on more conventional date nights. The colour-coded menu is divided into green (vegetarian), blue (seafood) and red (meat) and includes an appetiser, main and dessert.

Address: Salamanca waterfront, Ground level, Elizabeth St Pier. Unit 59/4 Franklin Wharf, nipaluna/Hobart

Stillwater, Hobart

We lerve that Stillwater offers an a la carte menu on Valentine’s Day. Cupid’s not stupid: the best date nights are all about having a little bit of what you like. But those nursing a broken heart will also love the fact they can dine out with a gal pal on Valentine’s Day and not appear like they are in desperate need of a date.

Call your bestie and make a booking so you can spend the evening talking about why you loathe Valentine’s Day. There’s a three-course minimum ($125 per person) required to make a booking so go ahead: get swept away.

Address: 2 Bridge Road, Launceston

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in Queensland

arkhé

The forecast for Valentine’s Day at arkhé is hawt with the dimly lit dining room setting the mood for a great date night in Adelaide.

The arkhé kitchen team has put together a special four-course Valentine’s Day menu for its dinner service that includes a glass of Taittinger Prestige Rosé NV for $120 per person. It’s the sort of food that is so flavourful it will make you swoon.

Address: 127 The Parade, Norwood

Bar Lune

Get your little boo thing down to Bar Lune on Valentine’s Day in Adelaide for the set menu which includes a complimentary cocktail. We’re hoping it’s the Big Boy Bramble. Or the Cheeky Tiki.

After catching up over drinks, let the evening progress to the set menu, made of locally sourced ingredients and dishes designed for sharing. The little neighbourhood eatery in Beulah Park has a newly renovated laneway, perfect for warm summer nights.

Address: 303 The Parade, Beulah Park

Promenade Restaurant

The Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel and Resort offers one of the best high teas in all the land. Seriously, what’s not to love about high tea by the sea? Especially if you are craving a slice of Adelaide.

Channel a bit of glamour and push the boat out for the Valentine’s Day Dinner at The Promenade Restaurant, which is $99 per person and includes a glass of sparkling wine.

Address: 2 Jetty Road, Glenelg

Restaurant Botanic

Get thee to this restaurant in Adelaide’s botanic gardens which will seduce you with its endless garden views. If you’re longing to linger over a long lunch, Restaurant Botanic is for you.

The tasting menu is both a celebration of South Australia’s bounty and the nation’s native ingredients such as marron, green ants, finger limes and bunya bunya. Book the Botanic Pairing, which is devised to suit the micro-seasons of the garden and let Cupid do his thing.

Address: Plane Tree Drive, Adelaide Botanic Gardens

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in Western Australia

Hearth

There’s always romance in the air at Hearth Restaurant and Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton, Perth. The hotel is an evocation of a city on the move, with the food as fabulous as the décor.

The Valentine’s Day Indulgence evening starts with a glass of Moët and Chandon ‘Grand Vintage’ rosé upon arrival. It’s then followed by five courses that each incorporate elements of fire and smoke.

There’s the line-caught WA fish with wattleseed, miso, fermented celeriac and lime, marron with smoked tomatoes and dry-aged duck and camembert cheese ice cream with quandong and toasted sandalwood nuts. $245 per person or an extra $120 per person for wine pairings.

Address: 1 Barrack St, Perth

The Shorehouse

Pin your feelings on your lapel with a romantic meal for two at The Shorehouse in Swanbourne, one of the best places to eat in Perth. The lights are low, the playlist is perfect and the food and wine are fabulous. Oh, and did we mention it has knock-out views over the Indian Ocean?

The Valentine’s Day Beachside four-course set menu is $150 per person. Continue the extravaganza by taking your date out dancing to the Pleasure Garden, an iconic FRINGE WORLD favourite in Perth.

Address: 278 Marine Parade, Swanbourne

Lovers Lane, Brookfield Place

Single and want to mingle? Follow your heart to Lovers Lane and the various venues around Brookfield Place looking for someone to lock eyes with. There’s no aphrodisiac like oysters, which you can enjoy at The Heritage Wine Bar alongside two glasses of Australian sparkling for $40.

W Churchill’s also has a special Valentine’s Day menu for $99 per person (including a beverage on arrival). Snap a pic under the neon-pink Lovers Lane hearts to low-key launch your new relationship on Instagram.

Address: 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Rusty Fig

Perth is packed with great bars and restaurants. But what about places to take that friend who you’re in a platonic relationship with? Say happy Valentine’s Day at the Rusty Fig over a decadent degustation ($195 per person) that might just shoehorn you out of the friend zone.

The city oasis has a four-course menu on offer for Valentine’s Day which you can enjoy out on the sprawling deck under a yawning blue sky. There’s also an elegant upstairs restaurant fitted out with plush seating and contemporary artwork.

Address: 200 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Bistro Guillaume at Crown Perth

Going out for dinner with someone you love is less about the meal and more about the experience. Bistro Guillaume at Crown Perth is one of the top restaurants for romance in Australia for a multitude of reasons.

For starters, there’s the well-spaced tables, elegant décor and unobtrusive playlist. As for the food? The fact it leans toward French neighbourhood bistro cuisine doesn’t hurt.  Give us shucked oysters, onion soup, Duck a l’orange, chicken liver parfait, roast chicken and Paris mash any day of the week.

Address: Crown Metropol Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood

La Vie, Crown Perth

Love a cheesy Valentine’s Day?  La Vie has got you with its High Cheese offering from Wednesday to Sunday 14-18 February. It’s literally a top-tier experience with sweet and savoury cheesy delights paired with a heart-shaped cocktail or Champagne flight.

There are four different options to choose from at La Vie, where love is in the air thanks to the enchanting atmosphere. Tell your partner you love them without saying ‘I love you’ by booking an out-of-the-box experience at the Champagne lounge for $95 a head, which includes a tasting flight and four types of Champagne.

Address: Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood

Where to have a Valentine’s Day dinner in the ACT

Monster Kitchen and Bar

HotelHotel created something unique when it opened its doors in Canberra’s NewActon precinct in 2013. Now rebranded as an Ovolo Nishi hotel, the hotel remains one of sweeping ambition.

Monster Kitchen and Bar is the place to take your vegetarian Valentine on 14 February. The six-course menu ($139 per person) really matches the energy of the statement décor and includes a ravaging number of seasonal vegetables that are oh-so-pretty on the plate. The set menu includes a glass of bubbles, a cocktail and a takeaway treat.

Address: 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra