Friday Feed: Romance tops the view on Valentine’s Day dining
THE options for dining out in Sydney on Valentine’s Day next Tuesday are endless, writes Renata Gortan
Sydney Taste
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THE appetite for romance that peaks on Valentine’s Day will see couples head out for a midweek dinner date as the most popular way to celebrate the special occasion.
A study by online reservation service Open Table found that 69 per cent of respondents were planning on dining out next Tuesday.
Its competitor Dimmi tracked bookings and found Valentine’s Day was one of the biggest dining days of the year, second only to Mother’s Day.
Last year, it fell on a Sunday and Dimmi recorded more than four times the average number of bookings. This year, it’s projecting five times more bookings compared to a normal Tuesday, with 30 per cent of bookings typically made 48 hours beforehand.
While most people are just happy to get a reservation at their favourite restaurant, others spend big to impress their date and look for unique experiences. Sydney Seaplanes will have 50 per cent more flights running compared to a normal Tuesday, with its Valentine’s Day package starting from $1040.
More than 1000 people bid on a chance to secure a table for two on February 14 at some of Australia’s top restaurants, including Momofuku Seiobo, Bennelong and The Apollo as part of charity initiative A Table to End Hunger.
The winning bid this year was $620 for a table at Quay, the Circular Quay fine-diner.
If you value exclusivity over a packed restaurant, $499 is a small price to pay for the ultimate private dining room with the best views in town. At Luna Park, each of the carriages on its ferris wheel will be transformed into a private restaurant for two. The three-course dinner usually runs on Sundays but will also open for the most romantic day of the year.
Manager of Luna Park’s The Deck restaurant, Natasha Nielsen, says diners want to up the ante on Valentine’s Day.
“We’ve added caviar and gold leafing to the menu, as well as more boutique French champagnes to pair with the dishes,” she says. “The menu is all inclusive, from champagne on arrival all the way to coffee and petit fours. The experience on the whole is a bit of a splash out, especially for Valentine’s Day because it’s something no other restaurant in Sydney offers. If we had two ferris wheels we’d probably sell out.
“You have the whole carriage for the entire night. It’s a very intimate experience. We’ve had people celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and quite a few proposals.
“They usually tell us in advance and ask to have the wheel stopped at the top so they can pop the question.”
If the word budget is a foreign concept, you can surprise your love with a diamond at dinner.
Mizz B’z diamond package, which includes limousine transfer, three-course meal, martini on arrival, bottle of Dom Perignon 2006 and Musson Jewellers 0.10 carat round, brilliant-cut diamond with rose gold chain, comes in at $1795.
Owner Stuart Page says the package is proving popular, with four sold already.
“We wanted to do something a little different, everybody does a nice dinner for two and a rose, I thought ‘let’s do something a little better than that’,” he says.
He believes the price isn’t a deterrent because it represents good value for what you get.
“People don’t want to get ripped off on Valentine’s Day. The price of roses doubles and triples on that day and I think what they’re looking for is value for money. It’s about the value, the experience and making somebody feel special,” he said.
VALENTINE’S DAY DINING
Hacienda, Circular Quay
A bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne and six oysters, $90.
Hotel Ravesis, Bondi
Three-course meal, plus bottle of bubbly and box of chocolates, $85pp.
Coogee Pavilion, Coogee
The rooftop is putting on a party, with kissing booth and speed dating.
China Lane, CBD
Nine-course Asian-inspired seafood banquet, $95pp.
Bennelong, Opera House
Cocktails on arrival, canapes and three-course set menu, $210 pp.
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Watsons Bay
Pick up your couple’s harbourside picnic hamper from the kiosk, including rug, and take it wherever you fancy, $70pp.
Alpha, CBD
Five-course Aphrodite menu featuring aphrodisiac ingredients and glass of bubbly, $99pp.
Cafe Sydney, Circular Quay
A glass of Perrier Jouet NV champagne on arrival and five-course menu, $240pp.
The Oxford Tavern, Petersham
Stupid Cupid Anti-Valentine’s Trivia with $15 speciality cocktails, $12 broken heart-shaped schnitzels and a heart-shaped pinata.
The Emporium, Parramatta
Three-course menu, $75pp.
Riley Street Garage, Woollomooloo
Buckle Up Buttercup speed-dating, with cocktail on arrival, canapes and 15 five-minute dates, $50.
Pizzaperta, The Star
A heart-shaped margherita pizza, two glasses of Chandon and heart-shaped Nutella bomboloni, $30.
The Ternary, Darling Harbour
Month of Love Devoted degustation menu, six courses plus a glass of Taittinger Champagne and a chocolate heart, $89pp.
Bistro Guillaume, CBD
A glass of champagne on arrival and four-course set menu, $150pp.
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