Flowers, chocolates, balloons—the holy trinity to the perfect Valentine’s Day gesture, right?

But if your significant other is a food-lover (who isn’t?), then we suggest taking him/her out for a romantic multicourse meal in the city.

Here are 12 restaurants offering special menus on the day of pink-and-red candies, heart-shaped tin-foil balloons, and cheesy “I love you” Hallmark cards.

Au Comptoir (2278 West 4^th Avenue)

Indulge in a Paris-meets-West-Coast four-course feast ($80 per person plus tax and gratuity) with your Valentine. Menu highlights includes red wine sablefish with cauliflower purée; honey-glazed duck breast; and bone-in rib-eye steak for two with thick cut fries. The meal ends with a raspberry and vanilla cake with chocolate fondant and lemon thyme sorbet to satisfy those with a penchant for sweets.

Bacchus Restaurant and Lounge (845 Hornby Street) 

Executive chef Montgomery Lau has craft a special V-Day dinner menu ($130 plus tax and gratuity) to be enjoyed in a romantic candlelit atmosphere. Guests will start off with some Kusshi oysters and beet-root tartare before enjoying a dish of pan-roasted steelhead or milk-braised lamb shoulder. Featured desserts include a rose-scented pavlova or warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream. If your sweet course isn’t enough, Valentine’s chocolate and macaroons will also be served at the end of your meal. 

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar (845 Burrard Street) 

This downtown establishment will be offering a special four-course dinner service ($99 per person plus tax and gratuity) on February 14. The gourmet feast begins with an amuse-bouche and slow-poached sawmill bay oyster with Northern Divine caviar. Guests will be able to choose between a butter-poached Atlantic lobster tail or prime New York striploin for their mains. In celebration of love in the air, a signature Valentine’s Day cocktail will be available—jus d’amour no.2 featuring Brockman’s gin with Cocchi Rosa, raspberry liqueur, lemon, honey, rose water and egg white. 

Cibo Trattoria (900 Seymour Street)

For those craving Italian fare on Valentine’s Day, Cibo Trattoria will be serving a four-course set menu for two ($75 per person). Chow down on some fried baby artichokes and house-made saffron pasta with Saltspring clams. For your entrée, choose from wine-braised lamb shank to pan-seared Mediterranean seabass. As for dessert, you and your companion will be sharing a flourless chocolate cake with pickled berries and house-made mascarpone—yum. 

El Santo (680 Columbia Street, New Westminster) 

This new contemporary Mexican restaurant in New West will be serving a four-course set menu ($50 plus tax and gratuity) on February 14. Since Mexican food is often considered an aphrodisiac, we’re betting that the romance will be upped for those dining at this spot. Menu items will include a couple’s cocktail, crusted avocado with local micro herb salad, halibut cheek with arbol chili, and local hanger steak with roasted plantain. Finish off the night with a little heat in your sweets—an Ancho chili chocolate molten lava cake. 

Homer Street Café and Bar (898 Homer Street) 

Chef Chris West has prepared a special four-course dining experience ($75 plus tax and gratuity) for lovestruck couples on cupid’s day. Featured dishes are made from local and seasonal ingredients, which include everything from crispy fish brandade to grilled beef heart with roasted beets to steelhead trout with Dungeness crab and saffron broth. Dessert choices include chocolate pudding with honeycomb, potted vanilla cheesecake, and lavender panna cotta.

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House (777 Thurlow Street) 

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this longtime seafood establishment will be serving a special menu. A lovers’ platter will be available—a shellfish trio with lobster, prawns, and scallops. There will also be a salmon welling dish, using fresh salmon baked in savoury puff pastry and served with seasonal veggies. There isn’t a special sweet course for V-Day, but its regular dessert menu includes items like traditional tiramisu, pavlova, and Joe’s chocolate sin cake—made with ganache, brandy, and chocolate brittle.

Minami (1118 Mainland Street) 

This popular Yaletown joint will be offering a five-course menu ($90 per person) through the 14^th. The gourmet meal begins with chef’s choice of sashimi, and appetizers such as sous-vide lobster tail and bacon-wrapped jumbo scallop. Its signature aburi (flame-seared) sushi will also be served, as well as AAA sterling silver filet mignon wellington. Finish off your romantic dinner with a strawberry sakekasu mousse with hazelnut ginger crumble and sorbet. A special Valentine's cocktail will be available—the Ruby Flame ($14) made with Yu Nigori sake, crème du cassis, coconut liqueur, yuzu, and a togarashi sugar rim.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread (1876 West 1^st Avenue and 4186 Main Street)

In collaboration with Koko Monk Chocolates, Rocky Mountain Flatbread will be serving its second annual chocoholic Valentine’s menu ($30 per person plus tax and gratuity). This three-course meal features raw chocolate with each dish, including flavours like lemongrass and lime to double-smoked applewood and 12-year-old scotch. Guests will indulge in crisp fresh salad, traditional flatbread pizza or pasta, and its signature chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. If you want to enjoy the evening with the entire brood, there’s also a three-course Valentine’s menu for kids ($12.50).

Summit Lodge at Sea to Sky Gondola (36800 Hwy 99, Squamish)

It doesn’t get anymore romantic than having dinner 800-metres above Howe Sound, located at the Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish. A special four-course Valentine’s menu ($73.24 per person) will be served at the Summit Lodge, and guests will be greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne upon arrival. Featured culinary creations include coconut carrot and ginger soup, smoked tuna tataki, smoked boneless shortribs, and Cajun snapper and prawns. The meal ends off with a dessert platter for two (mini brûlée, chocolate peanut butter cups, and apple cheddar bars). Vegetarian substitutions are available upon request. 

Terroir Kitchen (2232 Marine Drive, West Vancouver)

This West Vancouver spot will be creating a special multicourse menu for lovers ($165 per couple) on V-Day. Guests will taste everything from fresh linguini with butter-poached half-lobster to 45-day aged striploin with an assortment of chilled beets and cannellini beans. The featured dessert is a preserved plum and pistachio tart, made with pistachio semifreddo, red wine summer plums, white chocolate brittle, and lemon balm. Wine pairings are available for an additional $30.

TWG Tea (1070 West Georgia Street) 

Luxury tea shop TWG Tea will be serving a Valentine’s Day set menu to celebrate the season of love. Guests are presented with a Bain de Roses tea-infused champagne cocktail to start off the evening before induling in pan-seared scallops with a dashi broth. The menu item is served with steamed garden vegetables with White Desire tea leaves and garlic Korean brown rice. Keeping with the colour of romance theme, dessert is a red-hued Bain de Roses tea-infused mousse and raspberry confit with vanilla bourbon tea-infused ice cream.