Keith asked: Is it really possible to have a quality or romantic experience inexpensively?
Certainly!
There are plenty of romantic and interesting spots in most large cities, where with a little planning or attention to ordering, you can have a great romantic experience with good service and ambiance without breaking the bank.
Some Quick Tips?
- Cocktails at home - markups are big on booze, so keep your restaurant drinking to a minimum. Have a cocktail or a glass of wine at home before heading out. Even better, setup an intimate corner at home to have your dessert & liqueurs and let the evening progress from there.
- Share your food - appetizers and desserts are perfect sharing courses and sharing is always a great way to get close and isn't getting close the main objective of romance.
- Show some flair – know a quiet but not so fancy spot with great food… bring your own candles and linen. Hey, the restaurant might even let you set it up in advance if you are really going all out. I have a friend who proposed in a burger joint.
Get into the mood – cluttered chic and twinkle lights may not be your idea of classy, but boho spots can be a lot of fun if you relax and embrace the environment. Cuddle in to avoid that spring poking out of the couch and enjoy your calamari.
I polled the rest of the CheapEats team for more tips on how they do romance on the cheap...
Angela offers some Sweet & Exotic Tips:
if you can't afford the whole diner, you might be able to afford a real decadent coffee and dessert deal... or even just the coffee!! - some of the CheapEats are perfect romantic spots! It doesn't have to be expensive. Besides, who said you have to go classic? Exotic experiences make for memorable valentine's too!!
Mark & Andrea from our CheapEats Vancouver team like their V'Day a little voyeuristic:
We love going to places like the Old Spaghetti Factory on Valentines Day and watch the young couples give each other balloons and teddy bears and "splurge" on a $40 meal. Plus they have barely any mark up on wine there at all.
Andrea piped in with a Gourmet to Go tip:
I have the best one...!
We did this A LOT when the kids were small, since finding a babysitter is impossible on V-day! So we made it easy on ourselves and got take out gourmet dinners from Thyme and Again.They post their menu on their website. You order ahead of time and pick it up. Everything comes in little containers, with instructions on how to reheat. Simple as pie, and the food we got was always superb.
It depends on what you order, but it works out to be $39-$49/pp ,not including the wine of course! ... which is amazing considering a “proper” restaurant dinner will run a lot more than that. Umm: here’s this year’s menu. The “Eggplant Parmigiana "Lasagna" served with Brown Butter-Chive Potato Stack & Vegetable Bundle” is looking pretty darn good from here. Perhaps it’s time to revisit this little tradition?
Ron added an alternative Gourmet to Go spot:
That's a great tip, Andrea - and if you're closer to the east end of downtown, Culinary Conspiracy could serve much the same function - higher end takeout!
For the more Traditional Romantic Dinner, Gerry added some other spots you might consider:
High end take out is an option to be sure and Andrea is right about Thyme and Again.
However, romantic for some means out.... candles, maybe or maybe not in a Chianti bottle, music, no diaper smell (or cat box)... you know the sort of thing that goes with going "out".
First out of the memory list and hands down winner would be pasta or pizza at Trattoria Caffe Italia. Ooozes old fashioned Italian romance and the wines are fine!
If the driving weather is decent, and one of you will play designated driver, an off-beat option would be that glorious ye olde Pub, The Old Mill at Ashton. Big cosy chairs, fireplace, low ceilings.
Going for an Asian valentine? One of the more secluded tables at Mekong, where the lights are low.
An Indian option? Brass lamps, Damask table cloths, sitar music and big blue mystery fish at Sitar. (417 Rideau)
Do you have a Romance CheapEats-Style tip? We'd love to hear how you keep romance alive.
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