I can truthfully vouch that Valentine’s Day restaurant experiences are often completely miserable. Restaurants are packed to the gills, its staff overworked and exhausted (and usually moody), the food is slow getting to the tables, and you sit wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea in the first place. Thankfully it is super easy to skip all that nonsense and have a great time in your own apartment, and no, I don’t mean Netflix and chill style.
It really all comes down to ambience. That’s why you wanted to go out somewhere in the first place, right? I mean maybe the food had something to do with it too. We’ll get to that next. Ambience is key- you want to create a mood for yourself and your date. Once you’ve cleaned up the apartment and arranged things how you want you can set the mood. Start with some fresh flowers (they don’t have to be expensive and try these tips to help arrange them). Next, adjust your lighting so it’s not as bright and sterile by dimming lights if possible or using lamps instead of overhead lights. Candles are obviously a nice touch, but be careful you don’t leave anything unattended too long! Last but certainly not least on the ambience list is music. Pick something easy to listen to that you love because it not only helps set a mood, but can be an easy conversation topic if you need one.
Have a drink of some kind on hand for your guest in case dinner is running late or just to have a few minutes beforehand to talk. Pick a special cocktail, mocktail, or bottle of wine. Don’t worry about not knowing much about wine- the most important thing to know about it is how to open it! Make something for dinner that you’re familiar with cooking, so there’s less chance of something going awry. If you really want to make something special, I recommend practicing it the night before! Dessert is always a good idea, but you don’t have to make everything so why not pick up something locally crafted from bakeries like Dolce Vita, Patticakes, or Gigi’s Cupcakes?
Happy Valentine’s Day!