Valentine’s Inspiration

Whether you prefer low key, fine dining or staying at home, here’s a round-up of ideas for a special Valentine’s treat

Romantic breakfast pastries from Twelve Triangles

Pick up some pastries for a romantic breakfast from Twelve Triangles who now have six sites in Edinburgh offering creative buns and pastries sure to impress, from baklava buns to chocolate and sesame cruffins.

Pioneering Edinburgh bakers Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan met while working at Edinburgh bakery Lovecrumbs back in 2011, and went on to open their own bakery venture, Twelve Triangles, in 2015. The name comes from the early days of Emily and Rachel’s recipe testing, where hours of painstaking hand-rolling, folding and cutting would leave them with twelve triangles of croissant pastry ready to roll. There are now six Twelve Triangles sites in Edinburgh and one in the Scottish Borders, each producing pastries, sandwiches, salads and ferments as well as their signature slow, cold-fermented sourdough and a retail range of jams, caramels and granola. The duo’s mantra is “simple things done well”, which has gained them a “cult following” (The Times) in Edinburgh and beyond, including recently being named one of the twenty best bakeries in the UK by the Financial Times.

Relaxed west end dining at the Palmerston

Head to The Palmerston for a relaxed dinner in Edinburgh’s West End. Grab a seat at the bar for an intimate meal and order a bottle of fizz from their extensive wine list.

The Palmerston opened in Edinburgh’s West End in August 2021, and is the first restaurant from Lloyd Morse (Spring) and James Snowdon (Harwood Arms). The Palmerston champions nose-to-tail cookery and local produce, with Morse and Snowdon working closely with Scottish farmers and producers to bring a sustainable approach to the restaurant, including fruit and vegetables from local farms Phantassie and The Free Company; meat from Butchery at Bowhouse and Kildermorie Estate; and fish from Welch Fishmongers and Stevie Fish. It was nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough’ in GQ’s Food and Drink Awards in 2023, and placed 41st in 2023’s National Restaurant Awards top 100.

Visit The Palmerston Edinburgh

Date night at Rosa’s Thai

For a low-key date night or dinner with friends, book a table at Rosa’s Thai to be in with a chance of winning a free dessert or bubble tea. All you have to do is pick a heart suit card from the deck that the team has to hand, and a complimentary sweet treat will be yours.

Rosa’s Thai was co-founded by Saiphin and Alex Moore in 2008, bringing dishes from Saiphin’s native Thailand to London via Hong Kong. Rosa’s Thai offers an unfussy and relaxed dining experience that is authentically Thai. Menu highlights include familiar Thai dishes like pad Thai and comforting green curry, as well as Rosa’s fan-favourites from drunken noodles to stir-fried aubergine with yellow bean sauce, chilli, soy sauce & sweet basil.

Book at Rosa’s Thai

Romantic set menu at The Ivy

From Saturday 10th February until Thursday 15th February, The Ivy is celebrating the season of love with a romantic set menu and partnership with Della Vite Prosecco Rosé, as well as a once-in-lifetime competition exclusive to Ivy Premier Rewards app members.

After receiving a glass of Della Vite Prosecco Rosé on arrival, guests can choose from a selection of dishes from The Ivy’s delicious three course set menu full of culinary delights. Priced at £75 per person, diners are invited to enjoy a Duo of Prawns to start, complimented beautifully with avocado, tomatoes, and Marie Rose sauce. Main course options include exquisite plates such as a succulent Fillet of Beef, Lobster Linguine or Coconut Sweet Potato Curry paired with Sprouting Broccoli and Truffle and Parmesan chips for the table.

To finish, those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the ‘Love is in the air’ sharing dessert, with vanilla and strawberry parfait, raspberry sorbet and salted caramel chocolate truffles.

To book a table visit the-ivy.co.uk/book-a-table/

Elegant dining at Le Petit Beefbar

For a special evening of brasserie-style dining, the first Scottish residence of Le Petit Beefbar is now open in the grand dining room of the historic InterContinental Edinburgh The George. Le Petit Beefbar offers an approachable beefbar experience, with a menu centering on the best quality produce and carefully selected beef cuts.

Le Petit Beefbar’s special Valentine’s menu includes a glass of Moet Chandon rose, and an opportunity for diners to take home a fabulous box of Moet Chandon macarons for every bottle of the rose purchased.

More information at beefbar.com/menus-le-petit-beefbar-edinburgh/

Afternoon Tea at Dobbie’s

For the green fingered, Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, will be indulging people of all ages with its Valentine’s Afternoon Tea, taking place in its Edinburgh store on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February.

Priced from £16.99 per person, Dobbies’ Valentine’s Afternoon Tea is three tiers of mouth-watering savoury and sweet treats, and unlimited tea and coffee refills for couples to enjoy. It can be accompanied by a glass of Prosecco for £19.99. 

For more information visit dobbies.com/events

or stay in without the cooking…

For a cosy meal at home, Tesco has brought back its popular Valentine’s Day Finest Dinner for Two.

Available from 9 February in all Express stores, the deal includes one main, one side, one dessert and one drink for £12 exclusively with a Clubcard, with an array of options to choose from.

Alternatively, shoppers can head to Tesco.com or in store to any larger supermarket and elevate the dining experience by including a starter for a total cost of £18.00.

This Valentine’s Day sees the addition of new dishes including the Tesco Finest Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Morello Cherry Hoisin Sauce, the Tesco Finest Creamy, Buttery Mash, the Tesco Finest Belgian Chocolate Cubes with Raspberry Compote and more.