Valentine’s Day… For many it’s a silly celebration, full of trashy hearts, idly adopted from the US. Unnatural and redundant because love should last all year round, you should show your affection every day, not just on this one date, blah, blah, blah. For us Valentine’s Day is just one more reason. One more reason for a cool celebration of your own. Since every occasion is a good reason to do something good for yourself. Without it, we tend to forget about ourselves. Because there’s work, kids and the house, because I’m tired and busy, my kid is coughing again, has a running nose and his snots are knee-long. That’s life.
This time, there’s an OCCASION. We like occasions cause we can have fun together, spend time with just the two of us, do something more than laying the child to bed in the evening and falling asleep feeling tired. That’s what Valentine’s Day is for us.
This year, we’re probably going to spend Valentine’s Day on Bali so it’s going to be super-special :). Just like any other day on the road! If we were in Poland at the time, depending on situation and our free time, we would spent Valentine’s Day this way:
IDEAS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
(make use of it anytime you feel like spending a moment/weekend together!)
A DINNER FOR TWO
Quite obvious: the restaurants are the hottest place on Valentine’s Day and you can find a couple in love looking each other in the eyes at pretty much every table. Going out for a Valentine’s Day dinner is a total bore for some! But if you don’t have time to drive to the country or the desire to cook at home, better go and have a dinner (and then go for a walk, drink wine or cocktails) instead of doing nothing 🙂 And if you get annoyed by crowds of lovers, go the day before or the day after February 14th and you’ll be just fine.
If I were in Warsaw on Valentine’s Day, I would probably have dinner in one of these 6 places! Different but always with delicious food and nice interior design that’s date-friendly. Full reviews of each place are available after clicking the name of the restaurant!
1) FOCACCIA – ul. Senatorska 13/15
Perfect interior for a romantic dinner. Beige and white with flowers and a peaceful vibe. Italian cuisine which will suit anybody that’s more sophisticated than in most Italian restaurants in Warsaw at the same time. Raviolo con uovo e panna and mascarpone with amaretto and espresso ice cream for dessert are two mind-blowing options. Current menu is available here. I think that they have a competition where you can win a Valentine’s dinner at their place. Check their Facebook! It’s really worth it!
2) BISTRO LA COCOTTE – ul. Mokotowska 12
Bistro La Cocotte is a perfect choice for those who don’t like snobby, sassy and too sophisticated places. Very intimate, warm, with a friendly atmosphere which is very addictive. Red and white tablecloths not only on Valentine’s Day and French cuisine at its best. Toasts with aubergines and creme brulee are two absolute must eats. Yesterday I got my mouth watering after I saw Creole mussels with baked oysters on their FB profile!
3) MAMMA MARIETTA – ul. Wołoska 74A
Some say that Mamma Marietta is not the best choice for a romantic dinner, others already got bored with it. We got there in late December, after a few months break and had a delicious Italian dinner. A great idea for a dinner with an Italian food lover… or a seafood lover 🙂 And surely one of the best tiramisus in Warsaw!
4) NOLITA – ul. Wilcza 46
If you want it to be special, exceptional and more sophisticated, try Nolita by Jacek Grochowina. Once, we celebrated our anniversary in Nolita – we got a child-free evening and I remember loving every spoonful of original and impressing cuisine. Menu changes often – you will find the current one here. The first thing I notice is the dessert section – chestnut mousse with prunes and maple! I guess I’m starting to miss good desserts after such a long time spent in Asia! One of Nolita’s ‘disadvantages’ – it’s not a cheap place!
5) ALE WINO – ul. Mokotowska 48
Ale Wino seems like a place that ends up in all of our rankings! What can I say – it works for an evening with friends, a lunch with your best friend, a dinner with a guest from abroad and for a romantic dinner for two as well. Wine and amazingly creative approach to cooking at affordable prices. A killer!
6) WHY THAI – ul. Wiejska 13
For Thai cuisine lovers like us! It’s the nicest Thai restaurant in town which apart from the great food it serves, also looks good, has good service and nice atmosphere. Be sure to order sticky rice with coconut milk and mango for dessert. You won’t regret it!
A Valentine’s Day dinner is a basic option – doesn’t take a lot of time and money and if you have a child – well, it’s easier to leave for 2 hours than for 2 days.
If you have more time, a free weekend and some extra money, think about a quick Valentine’s Day trip, preferably for just the two of you! If you already have a little one – leave it with the grandparents – if you start the negotiations today, you might succeed before Friday ;))) If not, the child may not necessarily be a problem on a Valentine’s Day trip!
A WEEKEND IN POLAND:
And again: there’ thousands of ideas for a Valentine’s Day weekend in Poland! We’ll give you some of our favourites when it comes to a weekend spent outside of Warsaw! After a few weeks in Asia, I already miss some of them 🙂
7) HOT CHOCOLATE IN KAZIMIERZ DOLNY
A classic which we still love. Regardless of the time of year. In winter, check out Cafe Faktoria for hot chocolate, have a walk in a snowy gorge and eat the best lunch at Kuchnia i Wino in Pensjonat Vincent. In the summer, do the same in different natural conditions 😉 Kazimierz is sort of a ‘mixed’ option – somewhere between a dinner for two and a weekend together. You can visit it for the whole weekend, or stop by just for one day without staying for the night. Lunch, walk, chocolate and another walk? Just perfect!
8) HONEY-CAKES IN TORUŃ
Definitely one of the prettiest cities in Poland! I used to visit it quite often on business and I fell in love with its tiny alleys and beautiful market square. A perfect choice for Valentine’s Day! heart-shaped honey-cakes are a must 🙂 For those who need something more than love and honey-cakes: try Szeroka No. 9 for a casual lunch and Sfera By Sebastian Krauzowicz in Hotel Copernicus for a romantic dinner.
9) REALXING TIME AT DR IRENA’S SPA
If you’re not into sightseeing, but more into lying down, relaxing, massaging, swimming in a pool, having pleasant walks, enjoying peace and quiet, delicious food and great conditions, try one of Irena Eris’ SPA hotels. I.e. Wzgórza Dylewskie or Krynica Zdrój – the latter one has one more advantage: you can go skiing too! In the end of 2014 they opened yet another location – in Polanica Zdrój. We haven’t been there yet, but I imagine it’s equally amazing!
10) KRAKÓW
For romantic walks, nights full of parties and hanging around the in the pubs and cafes. Kraków is always a good idea! Try a steak at Adama Chrząstowski’s for lunch and ramen at Ramen Girl of Yellow Dog for dinner. And if you have more time, make a small trip – drive to have a walk in one of the valleys in Zakopane and then have an Italian feast at Le Chalet in Murzasichle.
A WEEKEND ABROAD:
Ok, you’re serious about Valentine’s Day and want to spend a weekend together somewhere in Europe? Or maybe you haven’t planned anything yet but want to badly? We lately bought plane tickets in 20 minutes! Well, we were forced to do it (you can’t fly to Indonesia if you don’t have a return ticket) but it’s still doable! No need to plan anything for months before! Check the low-fare flights websites, check 14th February or two days later and give it a try!
My najchętniej spędzilibyśmy Valentine’s Day tak (więcej informacji o każdym z miast i pomysłów na spędzenie czasu w linkach):
11) TAPAS ABD SANGRIA IN MADRID
Madrid is one of those places I love regardless of the time of year. I’ve been there in November, February, April and August. It’s always fantastic, just the weather’s different! In February it’s usually already warm and pleasant – perfect conditions for walks around the city, catching sunrays in Retiro and sightseeing with short breaks for the best tapas and a few glasses of sangria 🙂
12) BAGUETTES, FONDUE AND CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE IN PARIS
Paris for Valentine’s Day? So boring! So what, I still love walking down the tiny alleys there, starting my day with a baguette with a view of Arc de Triomphe and finishing it with a filling fondue and a chocolate souffle!
13) FISH AND SEAFOOD IN HOWTH NEAR DUBLIN
An inconspicuous city just a few dozen kilometres from Dublin. Peace, quiet and rest from the big city life, but if you get tired of it, you just hop on the train and you’re back in Dublin with all the pubs Guinness and whisky. What can you do in Howth??? Eat of course! Fish and seafood! There’s not that many places in the world that have so many great fish restaurants. Start with THIS.
14) TAKE THE YELLOW TRAM AROUND LISBON
Lisbon was one of the last cities we visited together, when Maks was still in my belly(see the picture:)). Like Madrid, Lisbon provides a load of sun and good energy. It has its charming little streets, yellow trams, impressive Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém, fish, seafood and delicious pasteis de nata cakes. Also, be sure to check out nearby Cascais resort – a romantic walk and lunch at the beach are some of the best ideas for Valentine’s Day.
15) FRIED CHEESE AND SWEET TRDELNIKS IN PRAGUE
You don’t even need plane tickets for that! Car is enough for a 2-3 days weekend in the capital of Czech Republic. It’s one of the most romantic cities with lots of charming alleys and restaurants. Have smazeny syr and Czech beer for lunch, preferably in a casual restaurant called Lokal and then try a sweet trdelnik. We love getting lost in the streets of Mala Strana, sitting in some tiny winery not caring about the outside world. If you’re in need of a place that’s special, try La Degustation, one of two Prague’s Michelin starred restaurants.
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16) MUSSELS AND FRENCH FRIES INBRUGES
Charming, colourful, you can see it on foot, you can cruise in a boat through the canals. And of course, eat one of the best mussels in the world with thick French fries as a side and Belgian beer for drinks. In this restaurant for instance: Breydel deConinc. For dessert, buy some Godiva chocolates or a Belgian waffle with hot chocolate. Amazing!
17) ITALY…ANYWHERE!
For us Positano located on the Amalfi coast close to Naples is still the most romantic place In Italy. Check it out for Easter or in the summer and you won’t regret it! However for Valentine’s Day I would rather suggest one of the cities: Rome, Florence, Siena or Milan.. they all have this special something and each of them is a separate culinary paradise in which a romantic dinner with delicious food and equally fantastic wine are something common! We definitely have to get back to Italy. It’s been quite a while! 🙂
This list includes our kind of places. Places we like, like to get back to and would probably spend a romantic weekend in. Or at least have a dinner… 🙂 Make use of this list or find your own way to spend this day, just remember to celebrate this occasion and make it special. Celebrate moments. That’s what life is about, isn’t it? 🙂
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