Valentine’s Day has arrived, and just in time for many local restaurateurs.

It’s been a gruelling couple of years for them, for obvious reasons—and there’s nothing like a little love in the air to get couples in the mood for a romantic meal.

There are scores of worthwhile choices across the region.

Below, we’ve highlighted five of them in four different municipalities.

Feast

2423 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

Owner Geoffroy Roulleau worked at several Parisian restaurants with world-class chefs before moving to Canada in 2010, later opening Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar as the assistant director with chef Alex Chen. At his West Vancouver eatery, Feast, there’s an option of going with the three-course Valentine’s Day menu at $85 per person from February 11 to 13, but it’s the only choice on the 14th. Wine pairing is available for an additional $45. For the first course, there are three options: Wagyu Beef Tartare, Dungeness Crab Salad, or Harvest Salad for vegetarians. That’s followed up with either Cured Duck Breast, Pan-Seared Sablefish, or Potato Gnocchi for the main. Panna Cotta is served for dessert, with gluten-free and vegan options.

H Tasting Lounge

1601 Bayshore Drive

The Valentine’s Day meal at this popular spot in the Westin Bayshore is a little pricier than some of the others mentioned here. But, hey, you get your own private garden dome, which can certainly enhance one’s comfort level in the midst of a pandemic. The six-course Valentine’s Day dinner is $140 per person with optional wine pairings at $70 each. But there’s a catch—the minimum spend is $500 per table, excluding taxes and tips, so you might need to bring a third or fourth person. Of course, you can also book a room at $247 per night, with a $50 hotel credit. So, what’s on the menu? A whole lot of things, including Beef Wellington, Dungeness Crab-Crusted Halibut, or Saffron Risotto for the main course. Appies include Kusshi Oyster Duo, Burrata Panzanella Salad, and Lobster Bisque. And for dessert, Valentine’s Day diners can include Baked Alaska. The forecast calls for rain, so maybe it’s worth splurging for one of those domes.

Hart House Restaurant

6664 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby

There’s something romantic about enjoying a Valentine’s Day dinner with your sweetie in a Tudor mansion. So it’s no wonder that Hart House Restaurant by Burnaby’s Deer Lake has become such a favourite on this day over the years. The 2022 edition features a four-course meal for $88 per person, with sufficient physical distancing to keep Dr. Bonnie Henry happy. It begins with Albacore Tuna Tartare as an amuse bouche, followed by first-course options of Basque Style Seafood Soup, Homemade Pork Terrine, or Roasted Beet Salad. The midcourse offering is Wild Mushroom–Stuffed Ravioli, followed by four main-course options: Sous Vide Beef Strip Loin, Confit Duck Leg, Seared Sablefish, or Winter Vegetable Risotto. Diners can finish things off with either Basque Country Cheesecake or Warm Chocolate Cake.

The Victor

39 Smithe Street

Never eaten at the Parq Vancouver? Well, the Victor is no ordinary casino eatery, thanks in part to executive chef Garett Blundell. He earned his spurs creating West Coast cuisine at the Brentwood Bay Lodge and followed that up with a stint at celebrity Gordon Ramsay’s now-shuttered maze in London. For Valentine’s Day, the Victor is offering three courses for $105 per person, which can be paired with wine for an additional $69. The appetizer options are Jerusalem Artichoke Velouté, Japanese Hamachi Tiradito, and Foie Gras Torchon. There are also three mains: Winter Black Truffle Cannelloni, Chilean Sea Bass, and Brant Lake Wagyu Tenderloin Surf and Turf. For dessert, there’s Heart of Victor, which is a chocolate-and-caramel pastry with fresh berries and vanilla mascarpone Chantilly. It’s enough to get anyone to forget about the pandemic for a few minutes.

Winston

228 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver

Lower Lonsdale has emerged as a dining hot spot in recent years. So if you’re in the neighbourhood between February 11 and 14, Winston chef Douglas Lee has created an unusual four-course Valentine’s Day menu at $65 per person. It includes three choices for the first course: Kale & B.C. Endive Salad, Cold Cut Beef Digital, and Kohlrabi Gomae. Turnip Baconator and Smashed Sunchoke are the two options for the second course, followed by either Nine Finger Cavatelli or 99 Hour Smoked Pork Neck Ssam for the main. Desserts consist of strawberry confit—billed as Strawberry to the Fifth Power—or a Quenelle of Bubblegum Streusal. To Winston’s credit, it opened right before the pandemic, in February 2020, and has managed to remain in business, thanks in part to its emphasis on farm-to-table dining and its partnerships with many local suppliers. g