10 restaurants in Vancouver serving special menus for Valentine’s Day 2016

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      February can be a stressful month for some people because the second Sunday (February 14) is widely conceived as the day to make a dreamy gesture for your significant other.

      With less than two weeks to plan for a special Valentine’s Day lunch or dinner out in town, we’ve saved you the hassle of scavenging the web to find the perfect spot for a romantic meal.

      Here’s a list of 10 Vancouver restaurants offering special V-Day menus—including everything from fancy French dishes to sharable Asian platters.

      A four-course menu ($145/person) will be available.
      L'Abbatoir

      L’Abattoir (217 Carrall Street)

      Situated in the heart of Gastown, this French-inspired eatery is offering a four-course menu ($145/person) in its private dining room. Prepared by executive chef Lee Cooper, dishes include baked Pacific oysters, lightly smoked duck breast, and braised short rib. Dessert features black forest cake with dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate cremeaux and cherry sorbet. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. with an aperitif cocktail, and each course will be paired with a specially selected wine. Tickets must be booked in advance.

      Shangri-la Hotel's fine dining scene is offering a six-course menu ($110/person).
      Market by Jean-Georges

      Market by Jean-Georges (1115 Alberni Street)

      Shangri-la Hotel Vancouver’s elegant and contemporary restaurant will be serving a romantic six-course dinner ($110/person) on Valentine’s Day. The menu offers flavourful combinations like house-smoked kuterra salmon with osetra caviar, slow cooked veal cheeks, and butter-poached seafood bisque. For dessert, guests will be able to try a pistachio champagne velvet bar with raspberry sorbet and red berry leather. The meal will also be accompanied by carefully selected wine pairings from their sommelier. Reservations should be made in advance.

      You can share an appy platter ($35) and/or a dinner platter ($60) with your loved one.
      Wild Rice Market Bistro

      Wild Rice Market Bistro (810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster)

      A little farther from the city, this local and organic Asian-inspired bistro is offering appetizer and dinner platters to share with your loved ones on February 14. The appy platter for two ($35) includes prawn potstickers, albacore tuna on wonton crisps, and more. The dinner platter for two ($60) features prawns in garlic, rose penne, and lemongrass pork on banana leaf cilantro rice, to name just a few. Pair your meal with special V-Day cocktails like the Crushed Velvet, made with gin, Alize, cranberry juice, sprite, berry syrup, and a splash of Campari.

      Each dish begins with a raw hand-made chocolate in this three-course meal ($30/person).
      Rocky Mountain Flatbread

      Rocky Mountain Flatbread (1876 West 1st Avenue, or 4186 Main Street)

      For those who are fans of pizza and chocolate, this is the dinner you want to book. Each dish in this three-course meal ($30/person) begins with a raw handmade chocolate from Koko Monk’s Chocolates, including chili and mango, balsamic vinegar with caramel and sea salt, and blue cheese chocolate. Choose a traditional salad for feature soup for starters, a flatbread pizza or feature pasta for your main, and end off with a signature house dessert. Be sure to book a reservation beforehand.

      ORU will be welcoming Fairmont Monte Carlo's chef Philippe Joannès to prepare special Valentine's menus.
      Fairmont Pacific Rim/Instagram

      ORU Cuisine (1038 Canada Place)

      Fairmont Pacific Rim’s executive chef Nathan Brown will be welcoming chef Philippe Joannès from Fairmont Monte Carlo in Monaco to ORU. They will be collaborating on an amorous à la carte menu available from February 10 to 13, creating dishes like butter-poached lobster, ponderosa mushroom risotto, and red wine-poached pear for dessert. On Valentine’s Day, the Monte Carlo chef will be offering an exclusively designed four-course menu ($99). Guests will be able to try items like seared scallops and black cod. A wine pairing option (additional $55) for the special dinner will also be available. Reservations are recommended.

      A four-course prix fix menu ($150/person) will be available.
      West Restaurant/Facebook

      West Restaurant (2881 Granville Street)

      This upscale eatery known for its contemporary West Coast fare is offering a four-course prix fix menu ($150/person) for Valentine’s Day. First- and second-course choices include sockeye salmon tataki, lobster gnocchi, and black perigord truffles. Mains include prime angus beef striploin, tarragon crusted sablefish, and more. You’ll have a hard time choosing between desserts like ricotta and chocolate panini with honey ice cream and raspberry compote, or pomegranate brownie truffle cake with toasted marshmallow and pomegranate cream.

      Glowbal is serving a family friendly Valentine's brunch buffet.
      Glowbal

      Glowbal (590 West Georgia Street)

      The flagship restaurant of Glowbal Restaurant Group is serving a special V-Day brunch buffet ($49/adults, $22/children under 8) that offers over 100 items for guests to indulge in. Seating begins at 10 a.m. and guests can start by sipping on a rose petal mimosa. Chef Pedro Gonzalez and his team will be preparing fresh salads, smoked fish and chilled seafood, beef, classic eggs benedict, breakfast pastries, artisan cheese, fresh fruits, and more. There’ll also be a Valentine’s chocolate display and an assortment of desserts—enough to please the entire family.

      This Italian eatery is offering a five-course tasting menu ($65/person).
      James Stockhorst

      Cibo Trattoria (900 Seymour Street)

      Moda Hotel’s cozy Italian eatery is serving a five-course tasting menu ($65/person) with wine-pairing options for each course. Executive chef Faizal Kassam will be preparing dishes like local oysters and black pepper tagliatelle with venison ragu. Mains include the choice of coho salmon, grilled rib-eye, or crispy polenta. The last course is Chateau de Bourgogne with house-made vincotto and crispy pannetonne. Flexible reservations times are available, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

      A farm-to-table multi-course meal ($65/person) will be offered on V-Day.
      Royal Dinette

      Royal Dinette (905 Dunsmuir Street)

      Known for its farm-to-table feasts, Royal Dinette is serving a multicourse meal ($65/person) with optional beverage pairings (additional $45). Chef and owner David Gunawan and head chef Jack Chen will be creating dishes with a fresh, local, and sustainable focus. Guests will be able to try items including foie gras torchon with quince, jasmine tea, and seaweed brioche, as well as ling cod with smoked chicken broth, clams, winter chanterelles, and wheat berries. Barley ice cream with preserved quince and chervil granite will be the evening’s featured dessert. Reservations can be made online.

      Guests can try a special four-course menu ($99/person) at Sutton Place Hotel's eatery.
      Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

      Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster (845 Burrard Street)

      Situated inside downtown’s iconic Sutton Place Hotel, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster is hosting a special four-course menu ($99/person) with optional wine pairings (additional $59). Titled Yours & Mine, the multicourse dinner will feature specially created dishes by executive chef Alex Chen. Guests will be able to try creations including chilled shellfish parfait, hen’s egg pasta, and pan crisp loup de mer among others. Dessert includes passion love bombe and red fruit chocolate affection. Each table will also receive a complimentary box of handcrafted Valentine petits fours. Reservations can be made online

      Follow Tammy Kwan on Twitter @ch0c0tam.

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