Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and of course, many restaurants are offering ‘SPECIAL’ Valentine’s dinners for those of us who are (were) MUG enough to pay the extortionate prices for the so-called ‘romantic’ dinner package erm…. ‘experience‘.
After taking a seat at your assigned table, often only a cat’s whisker away from adjoining diners, it feels about as romantic as sitting on a crowded train. Then, while you sip your welcome drink of fizz (battery acid), which you force down with a smile because it is included in the ‘price’, you take a moment to scan your surroundings, trying to avoid eye contact with other diners. Helium balloon hearts bob above you, and I’m sure, if they could talk, they would be laughing as we inspect the limp flower arrangements and the sequin hearts scattered on the table.
The set courses that follow usually have fancy names, each dish presented in a poncey way to disguise the minuscule serving (just enough to feed an anorexic sparrow on OZEMPIC) with a food choice you would never order under normal circumstances (aka in full possession of your senses). But of course, it’s Valentine’s Day, so you eat up, smile and shut up. Except this year we won’t.
Nope, after 52 Valentine years, I’ve finally come to my senses. No red roses or bouquet of flowers. Mr P bought me a beautiful orchid and camellia plants to enjoy for years, and I will cook a romantic dinner at home.
With the cost of living crisis, is there a price point where you think ‘enough is enough’?
For me, yes. I’ve figured we can eat out three times for the cost of one Valentine’s meal.
Piglet in Portugal 
We rarely eat out and would never treat Valentine’s as an occasion worthy of it. Good on you for being creative in your own kitchen.
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Hi Bernie, you are wise. A roantic dinner (if you celebrate) is far better.
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Have meatballs and spaghetti with our two oldest grandchildren!
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Well…I am single by choice and even though I sometimes enjoy eating at restaurants, eating out at Valentine’s Day is not a priority. My daughter and I are going to cook a meal together, and enjoy our favourite music competition that is every Saturday until the big Eurovision Song Contest. She baked a wonderful fudge-cake earlier today as a special treat. I am looking forward to tasting her cake, she is a talented baker.
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Hi Maria, a fudgecake sounds wonderful! It is one of my favourites :)
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It’s fallen on a Saturday and it’s Mick’s turn to lead the walk, so we’ll be ‘romantically’ lunching with any of the group who want to, in one of our usual places. I don’t think she’ll put the price up and there’s plenty of space. Happy Valentine’s Day, Carole xx
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Hi Jo, I hope you all had a good walk and enjoyed the sunshine :) Happy VAlentines
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Yeah…this all sounds like a nightmare to me. Happy to say I’ve never partaken in a Valentine’s Dining Experience and doubt I ever will. Hope you enjoy a lovely meal and spot of time away from the masses <3
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Hi Melissa, you are wise. :)
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We have friends flying in from the UK today, so there will be no romantic dinner for us.
Instead, I bought my husband a couple of nice fluffy towels, (no hike on towel prices 😉) and I made them into a two swans and placed them on our bed, along with some reusable flower petals and a wee letter I wrote about swans for life.
Quite romantic! But there was no hanky panky! My poor husband was banished from the bedroom until midnight, and so he’d already slept for a while on the sofa!😆
Happy Valentine’s Day.
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How romantic! Love it :)
I have to ask… why was he banished til midnight?
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Well, half the Valentine’s Day is over, here Down Under . . . no Prince Charming in sight and I’ve just had a marvellous lunch all by my little self . . . have a good time everyone in the mood . . . I’ll wait for mine on another day (and shall keep it secret !) . . . :) !
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VAlentine’s is over here. Opted for VAlentine’s breakfast instead. :)
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I was chuckling all the way through this, Carole, so thank you for that! We stopped doing Valentines’ dates many years ago. Both hubs and I find it a disgrace the way businesses take advantage of so many holidays. Commercialization is understandable, because many consumers are willing to pay the price, so it’s a boost for the businesses. Just because I “get it” doesn’t mean I have to like it. We treat Valentines like any other day and then go out for a nice meal in the following week and call it our Valentines date. Hubs even buys my chocolates a day or two after when they go on sale for half price or less, and I’m fine with that.
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I’m pleased I made you chuckle, Terry. Restaurants hiking up the prices while cutting quality and quantity really gets my goat. The problem we’ve had over the years is that it’s also Mr. P’s birthday. This year I will be organising something completely different….
I love that hubs buys your chocolates after the event :)
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HA! You’ve described my dinner tomorrow night perfectly! It’s a really fun, tapas-influenced restaurant in New York’s east village we have gone to many times and love; fun and energetic….and tapas are always reasonable, right? Well, tomorrow they have a SPECIAL Valentine’s Day menu – basically “forced tapas” to a certain $$$ – but it’s not too egregious so we are willingly being taken for a ride – er, “going along for the ride!” That said, you night sounds perfect – cheers!
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Yep, they hike up the prices in the name of love. :)
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