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PLEASE CLICK IMAGE ABOVE FOR 2018 SPECIALS!

February the 14th is when some celebrate love, some celebrate friendship and some eschew it all and retreat to a dark corner where such a saccharine festivity and its ilk are banished. Well, if you live in Durban, I’ve compiled a list of where to go and what to do whether you want to be romantic or just enjoy yourself with friends or even your beloved hound, and hopefully lure the retreated ones out from beneath their covers. There’s a real treat of wonderfully diverse bunch of things to choose from (including a Pet’s Valentine celebration), so I’ve divided it into various categories. Click on the highlighted and underlined event or venue names for website or booking details. At the bottom of the post is a collection of images of the menus that were provided. Most of these places require booking in advance so take note.

 If you want to splash out

If you are feeling glamorous and indulgent and want to spoil your partner, here’s where to go:

• The Brasserie at the Quarters Hotel: A three course meal and complimentary cocktail on arrival. R740 per couple.
  
• The Grill Room at the Oyster Box Hotel: 5 course menu at R590 per person.
• Ocean Terrace at the Oyster Box: 4 course menu at R490 per person.
• Sugar Club at the Beverly Hills Hotel: 4 course set menu and live entertainment at R590 per person.

If you want to dine & stay

Instead of just having a meal, treat yourself and your partner to dinner and a stay.

• Quarters Hotel: Dinner, bed and breakfast special for R1700 per couple.
• Gateway hotel: Get a buffet dinner, bed and breakfast for R1450 per couple, or you can have just the buffet at R225 per person.
• Chantecler Hotel: Dinner and dance, including bed and breakfast for R995 per couple or R145 per person for just dinner

If you just want to dine:

Or just have a lovely evening out without having to worry about dishes.

• Elements Bar, Beverly Hills Hotel: 2 course set menu and live entertainment, R390 per person.
• Cargo Hold at Ushaka: set menu with welcome drink for R325 per person.
  
• Olive & Oil: 3 course set menu including glass of champagne.
• Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, Glenashley: they are offering a variety of Valentine’s sharing platters: Surf & Turf platter, seafood platter, sushi platter and prawn platter and including live entertainment.
• Endless Horizons:3 course meal at R250 per person.
• ATasca: 3 course set menu for R275 per person.
• Little Havana: 3 course menu including amuse bouche and welcome cocktail at R350.
• Olive Garden: offering an early supper (from 5:30 until 8pm) of a 3 course menu at R250 per couple.
• Mooki Noodles: 3 course Asian-style set menu for R175 per person.
• Mundo Vida: Set menu, R350 per person.
• Lupa Osteria: 3 course set menu at R350 per person
• Cafe 1999: Enjoy a 5 course meal and a glass of bubbly at R400 a head.
• Unity: 3 course meal at R240 per head.
• Docklands Hotel: 3 course set menu including welcome cocktail, R250 per person.
• Urban Park Hotel: 3 course meal with champagne and black cherry sorbet at R300 per person.
• Havana Grill: 3 course menu with a cocktail on arrival, an amuse bouche and a pina colada sorbet.
• Suncoast Towers: 3 course meal, including an Oyster Rockefeller entrée, glass of bubbles, roses and chocolate for R350. There will be live music.
• Sky venue at Elangeni Hotel:  4 course menu with main course served as live action buffet stations for R800 per couple.
• The Grill Jichana: serving a 5 course plated menu for R390 per person.
• Lingela: has a dinner buffet for R700 per couple.
• Vigour and Verve: will have seafood and mezze sharing platters from R180.
• Marco Paulo: 3 course meal for R365 pp
• Fusion World Food Cafe: 3 course set menu, with a nice variety of choice for mains. Amuse bouche and glass of bubbly at R395pp.

If you want to dine for a good cause

Share a Valentine’s Day in honour of your pets and rescued animals. A double pleasure because you get food and entertainment for your hard-earned pennies, and you get to do good.

• Valentine’s with CROW dinner: A 3 course meal and entertainment plus prize draw for weekend away for R170 per person.
  
• Animal Anti Cruelty Association Pet Valentine’s: Bring your hound, best dressed Valentine’s dog gets a prize. It will be from 9am to 2pm at Artesia farm. Entrance fee is a bag of dog or cat food or pet blanket. Music and entertainment will be provided.

If you want to picnic

Grab a blanket, a basket and maybe an umbrella and go relax.

• Tashiky Sushi is doing a sushi picnic basket delivered to your door, R500 for 40 pieces of sushi, two sushi salads, two big desserts and a bottle of bubbly. Orders for it close 12 Feb.
• Makaranga has a basket for two filled with treats at R440
• Old Mutual Music at the Lake is hosting Gangs of Ballet at the Durban Botanic Gardens, so grab a basket and head there, tickets R180
• Spiga d’Oro is offering picnic packs for R600 a box, including condiments and cutlery

If you want something different

If none of the above appeals, here are a few alternative and fun choices.

• Support the arts and watch a WWII romance, Just Yours, unfold on the stage at the Catalina theater, preceded by dinner at John Dory’s. R160 per person including dinner or R100 for just the show.
• Talloula in Hillcrest is hosting a starlight movie and fun dinner. R225 per person will get you a movie, burger and ice cream.
• Or set up a low-effort, high reward and impressive-looking romantic dinner at home (even if you can’t really cook) by ordering from My Chef. They have special Valentine’s meals like beef fillet medallions, cake pops, strawberry compote in meringue baskets, lamb shank, salmon fillet and passion creams. All at varying prices.
• Or how about a couple’s cooking class at Gecko Culinary Adventures? Learn to cook a fancy starter, main and dessert for R800 per couple.
• Enjoy a concert with your friends at the Litchi Orchard Market. Listen to Ard Matthews and a few others belt out some choons. R80 per person or R250 per car if you purchase tickets in advance. R100 per person or R300 per car if you purchase at the gate.
• Grab a seat with your significant other on their kissing couch, have your pic taken and stand a chance to win R1000 and buy a special Valentine’s ticket for R180 for you and R10 for your partner Ushaka. They will also have salsa dancing and other fun events.
• Have a good laugh watching the Kings and Queens of Comedy at a one day event at the ICC on the 14th. Ticket prices are R280 each.

If you really want to go large

For the really extravagant experience

• Private Wine Cellar at Oyster Box: R590 per person plus R3000 exclusive venue hire
• Private Garden Gazebo at Oyster Box: Same as above, R590 per person plus R3000 exclusive venue hire
• Mountain top picnic: Take a helicopter ride up to a mountain top overlooking the Inanda Dam and enjoy a picnic with champagne and chocolates. R1900 per person.

The menus

For those who had them up in an image format, I’ve provided the menus to peruse. Click to enlarge.

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Copyright of all pictures and menus belong the relevant establishments. If you want to use any of the pics, please ensure you contact the relevant parties.