Has making a reservation for Valentine’s Day dinner slipped your mind? No worries. It’s true that many restaurants are already completely booked up, but it doesn’t have to be fast food for you and your beloved. Here are a number of places that fly slightly under the romance radar and may still have open reservations, or will take walk-ins for what’s sure to be a busy Saturday night.

The Change Dining & Bar (550 Denman Street)
The latest restaurant to occupy this often-quiet yet gorgeous Coal Harbour location serves modern Chinese fusion fare and caters to diners with a gluten intolerance. For $68 for two, you can share an appetizer such as soy sauce beef before moving on to a main like a sumptuous crab curry and ending with a shared order of chocolate truffle xiaolongbao or red bean cake. Over the phone, sous-chef Chan Liu recommends coming to the Change not only for its great food but also for its spectacular views, and for a romantic stroll along the Coal Harbour walkway post-meal, pre-… (you can fill in the blank). Reservations are recommended.

Nook (781 Denman Street and 1525 Yew Street)
Celebrate your unconditional love for carbs at these inviting neighbourhood destinations. Start with olive or salami sampling before feasting on some seriously good pizzas and pastas. You can never go wrong with a classic pizza Margherita, but the prosciutto with arugula and roasted garlic is also well worth trying. Or order the spaghetti Bolognese and attempt a Lady and the Tramp moment. No reservations are accepted at either location.

East is East (3243 West Broadway and 4433 Main Street)
Cups of Darjeeling masala chai will soothe you as you lean back on embroidered cushions in one of these dimly lit spaces. On February 14, the Kits location will be offering a $40-per-person buffet on its top floor, with the option to order from the regular menu downstairs. The Main Street location features a $50-per-person special that includes an appetizer, unlimited selections from the Chai Feast menu (such as spinach paneer), and a dessert. Reservations are recommended, with room left for walk-in traffic.

Bistro Wagon Rouge (1869 Powell Street)
You can’t help but be smitten by this ode to French bistro cooking. It’s a wee, charming place that doesn’t take reservations, so get there pronto when it opens at 5 p.m. Diners come for the impeccable classics, like cassoulet, moules frites, and steak tartare. Chalkboard specials, such as chicken liver parfait, are also sure to tempt.

Salt Tasting Room (45 Blood Alley)
Nothing says “I love you” quite like charcuterie, cheese, and wine. For $60 per person in the hip, exposed-brick quarters of Salt, enjoy soup or salad to start, a tasting plate with your choice of three meats and/or cheeses and three condiments, and a dessert to share, such as chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce. Knowledgeable staff will assist you with adding wine pairings or bubble flights. Reservations are accepted.

Belgard Kitchen (55 Dunlevy Avenue)
There’s something undeniably sexy about Belgard’s location in the lofty-ceilinged Settlement Building, juxtaposed with the vats and kegs of Postmark Brewing and Vancouver Urban Winery. Order small plates to share, like foraged-mushroom risotto, or chocolate, espresso, and Postmark stout braised short ribs with celeriac mash. And don’t forget a pint of Postmark’s chocolate blueberry porter. Belgard is taking reservations for Valentine’s Day but will leave a portion of the restaurant unbooked for walk-ins.

Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (163 Keefer Street)
Get there early to snag seats at this no-reservation room. During a phone chat, owner Tannis Ling describes the restaurant as “very pretty and feminine-looking”, perfect for cozying up in a candlelit corner. Amid chic vintage chinoiserie, you can bond over dishes of crispy pork belly, house-made Taiwanese sausage, and shao bing (sesame flatbread with cumin lamb sirloin). Cocktails, like the Chino margarita, also stand out.

Left Bank (751 Denman Street)
General manager Guillaume Cagna anticipates wiggle room with reservations and also plans to keep bar seating reservation-free for last-minute-romance types. Red-accented décor in this modern French bistro matches a passionate mood. The $65-per-person four-course menu will begin with an heirloom beet, endive, and goat cheese salad and move on to pan-seared sablefish in coconut curry with warm vegetable salad and wilted pea greens. Roasted lamb loin with braised pearl onions in red-wine jus and, finally, chocolate marquise round out the meal.

España (1118 Denman Street)
A no-reservation policy means you may be able to get lucky and snag a table this V-Day. By phone, cook Justin Beard says the dim lighting of the restaurant would be great for a romantic meal, along with a menu that has bold, lusty flavours. Go for the local chorizo, the ox tongue and warm potato salad, or the whole fried local anchovies. If the weather cooperates, a walk along English Bay will cap off a delectable dining experience. After all, sometimes the best romances and meals unfold spontaneously.