Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Ryan

romantic dinner ideas
Food is the best type of love language!

This article is part of the “Holiday Recipes Series” and the “Valentine’s Day” series. Click here to learn more.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to start planning your romantic dinner date. So make your time together special, memorable, and…healthy (why not?)! Here are four delicious and romantic dinner ideas and two amazing dessert ideas that you can make together for a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner in the intimate setting of your choice – at home, watching the sunset on a beautiful terrace, or any other place that brings you together!

Table Of Contents
  1. Romantic Dinner Ideas For Valentine's Day
  2. Setting the Stage
  3. Conclusion

Romantic Dinner Ideas For Valentine’s Day

Romantic Grazing Platter for Two (Most Elaborate)

Create a fancier twist to a romantic fruit platter for two! A beautiful grazing platter packed with an assortment of fruit, cheeses, dips, veggies, cured fish, nuts, crackers, bread, and sweets is the perfect option for a romantic dinner idea on Valentine’s Day. You can design your grazing platter according to each of your preferred food preferences and tastes, and it can be enjoyed indoors or out in nature (perhaps watching the sunset together)!

Looking for more types of seasonal foods? Download our free seasonal grocery list.

Follow these steps to create the perfect grazing platter:

  1. On a large serving platter, add two or more of your favorite cheeses. These could include cheddar, gouda, camembert, or brie. For those that need slicing, ensure you do this before putting them on the platter.
  2. Next, add dips. Choose a variety so you have enough delicious options for your whole platter. Some healthy dip options include hummus, salsa, beetroot dip, tzatziki, guacamole, baba ghanoush, and black bean dip.
  3. The next step is to add chopped veggies. Include a variety of veggies to add; chop these in various shapes and sizes to make your platter more aesthetically pleasing. Try freshly chopped carrot, cucumber, celery, and cherry tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes, roasted pumpkin, sweet potato slices, and baked eggplant are also delicious, gourmet veggie platter options.
  4. Crackers and bread are next. Don’t stick with one type of cracker or bread; add a variety like sesame seed crackers or rye bread.
  5. Next, add your cured fish. Smoked salmon and smoked trout are excellent healthy options here.
  6. The second-to-last step is to add your sweets. You can choose any that you like, but chocolate is usually a winner. Another idea is to have mini containers of melted chocolate and honey for dipping.
  7. The final step is to add fruit and nuts to fill in the gaps. Use a variety of fresh and dried fruit. Fresh fruit options can include blueberries, raspberries, grapes, oranges, apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, sliced pineapple, kiwi fruit, watermelon, and honeydew. A tip to ensure your bananas, apples, and pears don’t brown is to place them next to oranges, as the acidity in the oranges will keep them fresh. Dried fruit platter additions could include dried apricots, dates, and figs. Finally, add some nuts. Try almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios; for crunch, you can try honey-roasted nuts.

Home-Made Pizza (Most Unique)

Everyone loves a tasty pizza, and a gourmet homemade pizza is a delicious, fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your partner. You can even enjoy some quality bonding time by staying in and making pizza with your partner. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, here is a Healthy Salmon and Veggie Pizza you can make for (or with) your partner this Valentine’s Day.

Recipe: Healthy Salmon & Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1x Wholegrain Pizza Base*
  • Tomato Paste
  • 1 Large Red Onion, Diced
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Pack of Smoked Salmon (5-6 oz), Sliced
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin, Diced
  • 1/4 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Capsicum, Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Baby Spinach, Sliced
  • 4 Tbsp Cranberries
  • BBQ Sauce

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a large wok, heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent. Add pumpkin and capsicum and cook.
  3. Once the pumpkin is cooked through, add smoked salmon and cranberries to cook for an additional four minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Cover the pizza base in tomato paste. Layer evenly with baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a mixture of cooked veggies and salmon.
  5. Squeeze BBQ sauce over top and bake until the base is cooked through and starts to lightly brown.
  6. Slice and enjoy!

*Can use wholemeal Lebanese bread, a whole grain wrap, whole grain pita bread, or a pre-made whole grain pizza base.

Vegetarian Foul â“‹ (Most Convenient)

Foul is a healthy and tasty dinner perfect for Valentine’s Day because it’s fun and designed to be shared. It’s also quick, easy, and fairly cheap to make, which is perfect if you are on a budget this Valentine’s Day. It even makes a great addition to the center of your Valentine’s veggie tray! Here is a perfect recipe for you to try out:

Recipe: Vegetarian Foul

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz Fava Beans
  • 1 Tbsp Tahini (also known as Sesame Seed Paste)
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin
  • 1 Cucumber, Diced
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tomato, Diced
  • Wholemeal Lebanese Bread
  • 1 Onion, Chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Water

Method:

  1. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent.
  2. Add beans, spices, and tahini. Stir occasionally.
  3. Mash beans in a pot and simmer for 20 minutes, adding ½ cup water as required to achieve a dense soup texture.
  4. Serve with cucumber, tomato, and Lebanese bread. Enjoy!

Gourmet Baked Dinner â“‹ (Most Servings)

Treat your loved one to a gourmet baked dinner. Show them how much you care by choosing their favorite vegetables and protein options. Here is a recipe for Roasted Veggies with Crushed Nut Topping (can optionally be made with some baked salmon or the protein of your choice).

Recipe: Roasted Veggies with Crushed Nut Topping

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 Brown Onion, Diced
  • 1 Medium Sweet Potato, Sliced
  • 2 Zucchinis, Sliced
  • 1 Spanish Onion, Diced
  • 1 Medium Head of Broccoli, Chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Mixed Nuts, Crushed
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin, Diced
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Place all prepared veggies in a baking tray.
  3. Coat with oil and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with nuts and mix until evenly coated.
  4. Bake until veggies are cooked through and golden brown. Enjoy!

Recipe: Crispy Baked Salmon (Optional)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Salmon Steaks with Skin (approx. 7-8 oz each)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a medium-sized baking dish with oil.
  2. Place salmon in the prepared dish and drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon) or until the salmon is cooked through and crispy on the outside.
  3. Remove from tray and serve with veggies. Enjoy!

Other ways to add some extra flavor to your baked veggie dinner include roasting veggies with honey, maple syrup, or olive oil; adding some balsamic vinegar; or even combining honey, olive oil, and mint for a refreshing taste.

Fondue (Easy Dessert)

There is no better dessert to share on Valentine’s Day than chocolate fondue. You can healthify your fondue by dipping strawberries or sliced bananas into your melted chocolate; you could even be a bit more extravagant and use marshmallows, pretzel sticks, and peanut butter brittle.

Recipe: Chocolate Fruit Fondue

Ingredients:

  • 8-10 oz Milk Chocolate Block
  • Fruit of choice – e.g. banana, strawberries, dates

Method:

  1. Break the chocolate into small squares and place it into a heat-proof bowl.
  2. Boil a small saucepan of water. Once boiling, place the bowl with chocolate onto a saucepan lid that allows steam to boil up to the bowl (making sure the chocolate is heated by steam rather than directly by the boiling water; this is an improvised version of the double boiler method). Once the chocolate starts to melt, continue to stir occasionally until fully melted.
  3. Remove chocolate from heat and serve with sliced fruit of choice. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Coconut Ice-Cream Pie (Fancy Dessert)

Pumpkin Coconut Ice-cream Pie is both a delicious and healthy dessert you can enjoy with your partner on Valentine’s Day. It’s very nutritious, as it is made with real vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. It tastes so amazing that your loved one won’t even know it is healthy! This recipe also makes about 12 servings, so you can share the leftovers during the week.

Recipe: Pumpkin and Coconut Ice-Cream Pie

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz Dried Dates, Finely Chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 and 1/2 Medium-Sized Japanese Pumpkins, Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Slithered Almonds
  • 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 6 Cloves, Crushed
  • 2 Tbsp Vanilla Paste
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Cup Plain Rolled Oats

Method:

  1. First, steam the pumpkin. Once soft, blend with coconut milk. Then remove from blender and refrigerate for two hours. Re-blend as needed for a fluffy texture.
  2. In a pot, bring water and dates to a boil and then simmer. Add oats, almonds, cloves, honey, cinnamon, and sesame seeds, and cook through.
  3. Evenly spread this date mixture into a baking pan. Then freeze for two hours.
  4. Top base with pumpkin ice cream and refrigerate overnight.
  5. Remove from fridge, slice, and enjoy!

Setting the Stage

You have spent all day getting gathering ingredients and preparing this meal to perfection, but now what? How do you give it that Valentine’s Day wow factor? Don’t worry we have you covered with some Valentine’s Day date night tips.

Eating your meal at home? Set your table ahead of time. This may seem small, but if it is not something you do normally, this will help you show your partner just how special this occasion is. Break out your best plates, cutlery, and wine glasses have them ready and set before you sit down to eat. If you’re going for maximum romantic ambiance dim the lights, or you can even eat by candlelight. For those of you looking to go above and beyond, flowers on the table are always a nice touch.

Taking that special someone to watch the sunset? Bring a picnic blanket. This is going to let you and your partner layout and get comfy while you enjoy the masterpiece of a grazing platter you have prepared. Bring pillows and blankets so you can get cozy, especially if you live somewhere where it is still going to be cold in February. For an extra little special touch, bring some string lights. These little lights will provide the perfect warm lighting for after the sun has gone down.

Conclusion

Most importantly, Valentine’s Day is about making that special time with your loved one as special as possible. That’s why it’s very important to choose the option that’s just right for you and your partner. Whichever way you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderfully romantic time with your loved one, enjoy some delicious food, and have plenty of memorable chats together for many years to come!

What is a good dinner for Valentine’s Day?

Air-Fried Steak. Bacon-Wrapped Scallops. Sparkling Margarita. Braised Short Ribs. Chicken Marsala. Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak. Instant Pot Chili. Chicken Saltimbocca.

What is the most romantic meal?

Pasta with shrimp scampi; Strip steak with lemon mashed potatoes; Easy Chicken Marsala; Smothered pork chops with broccoli and mushrooms; Herbes de Provence shrimp with couscous; White Wine Coq Au Vin; Classic French Onion Soup;

How can I make my house romantic for Valentine’s Day?

Make a special dinner for two.
Create a spa atmosphere at home.
Incorporate a ballroom into your living room.
snuggle up while you watch a movie.
Plan a picnic in the backyard for your sweetheart.
Try to bring out your inner pastry chef.
Play games and travel the world without ever leaving your house.

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