Perfect dates in cities around the world
A global guide to romance — from restaurants to boat rides to chartered planes — in time for Valentine’s Day.
DUBAI
Book a table at … 101 Dining Lounge and Bar at the One and Only Resort on Dubai’s iconic palm-shaped island. Located in the resort’s private marina, this overwater restaurant has panoramic views of the city’s Marina skyline. Enjoy Mediterranean tapas and cocktails as you watch private yachts pass by and a DJ spins up some chill, electro ambience.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekday … Make the most of Dubai’s pleasant winter weather before the summer heat sets in. Take a water taxi -or even better-charter your own boat and cruise through the city’s newly-built and aptly-named Water Canal. On your way, you’ll pass colourful waterfalls, the famous Burj al Arab hotel and World development. Get off at the Jetty Lounge where you can relax over beachside cocktails.
After lunch, if it’s the weekend … Unwind at the palatial Talise Ottoman Spa in the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel. Enjoy a relaxing couples hammam in this opulent take on the centuries-old Turkish bath. When you’re feeling totally de-stressed, you can head to the nearby Atlantis Hotel-a carbon copy of the original on Paradise Island, Bahamas. Grab some sushi at Nobu before hitting Nasimi Beach Club on the shores of palmshaped island where you can party with Dubai’s cool set.
BUDAPEST
Book a table at … Borkonyha, a Michelinstarred restaurant specializing in Hungarian wine and local cuisine. The bistro-style restaurant is a two-minute walk from the city’s famous St. Stephen’s Basilica, and much like its menu, combines traditional esthetics (ornate chandeliers, bentwood coat racks) with a sleek, updated esthetic. As for ordering, don’t be put off: veal brains as a starter won’t ruin your evening.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekday … Make your way from work to the Chain Bridge, the most beautiful crossing over the Danube River, and hop on the funicular that takes you directly up to the former Royal Palace. Take a romantic walk on the cobblestoned streets of the Castle District and peer out from the Fisherman’s bastion for one of the best views of Budapest. Then get a predinner drink at the wine bar Divino, which has unbeatable views of the Basilica.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekend … Spend some time at the Rudas Bath on the bank of the Danube for some seriously leisurely R & R. Wallow in the thermal waters under the Ottoman-era dome and then head to the rooftop and the recently renovated wellness section and take a plunge in the open-air pool with stunning views of the city. Don’t forget to book a massage (or two).
MUMBAI
Book a table at … Bombay Canteen, a Mumbai favourite for a reason. There, Chef Floyd Cardoz-who also runs one of New York City’s most successful Indian restaurants, Paowalla-whips up lesser-known regional specialties like Kashmiri leg of lamb that are perfect for sharing. Make sure to ask for a table with a view of the open kitchen.
After dinner, if it’s a weekday … Head to Aer, the 34th-floor rooftop bar at the Four Seasons, where the views of the city and the Arabian Sea seem to extend forever. While weekends there are clubby, weeknights are more relaxed-and the cardamom- and pineapple-infused Mumbai Kiss cocktail sets the mood for romance.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekend … Since nothing builds a bond better than a common goal, take a sailing lesson with Aquasail Yachting Academy, based at the Gateway of India. At worst, you’ll cruise around the harbour on an intimate, masted ship; at best, you’ll line up five more dates, since it takes six classes to master the art. Book a table at … L’Oiseau Blanc, on the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel and home of the city’s most expensive suite. Other spots have great views over the City of Love but this one, with unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower from its 16th arrondissement perch, is one of the very best. The French menu, overseen by Chef Sidney Redel, includes guinea fowl from Landes, Ossau Iraty cheese, monkfish from Brittany, and Douarnenez crab. There’s a special Valentine’s Day 6-course prix fixe as well.
After dinner, if it’s a weekday … Take a 20-minute stroll and stop by the flower installations at the Four Seasons George V where Jeff Leatham, the hotel’s celebrated artistic director, arranges 12,000 blooms every week. Then head for a nightcap nearby at the Le Bar du Plaza Athénée, where wreaths of fabric hide the soaring ceiling and provide a soft counterpoint to the heavy wood-panelled walls. Seal the deal with an El Diablo-a mix of 10-year-old Laphroaig whisky, Patron Silver, and blackcurrant at the futuristic-looking bar made of seethrough resin.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekend … Start at the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton, located in the Bois de Boulogne, which is currently hosting the exhibition “Icons of Modern Art.” The show includes many artists, such as Vincent van Gogh and August Renoir, who painted scenes of daily life from the same park during their lives. Then, take the scenic route to the restaurant along Avenue Montaigne and window shop the world’s biggest fashion designers, from French stalwarts such as Dior and Chanel to international stars ranging from Valentino and Bulgari.
SAN FRANCISCO
Book a table at … Foreign Cinema. First, feast your eyes on the impressive oyster list of this Mission District institution. Then feast on the oysters as paired with Champagne-the De Sousa Blanc de Blancs Brut Réserve, maybe. Next, make out intermittently while eating your main course during the nightly movie screening. And then, because the film showing through February 19 is Dirty Dancing, you’ll have had the time of your life.
Before dinner, if it’s a weekday … Pregame while gaming at Coin-Op Game Room, brand new in SoMa from owners who’ve previously taken their concept to San Diego and Sacramento. You’ll find a host of arcade classics beeping and blooping in Coin-Op’s 10,000-square-foot space and a bevy of California microbrews flowing from its 16 taps.
Before or after dinner, if it’s a weekend … Revisit the dates of your innocent youth and tee off at Urban Putt, a 14-hole miniature golf course housed inside a renovated mortuary in the Mission. The owner, PC World editorial director Steve Fox, worked with industrial designers and robotics engineers to create such course features as a “roulette hole” and an “earthquake simulator.” The drinks, which include both Pimm’s Cup and Moscow Mule on tap, are above par.
SYDNEY
Book at table at … Fred’s, the restaurant of the moment for Sydney’s movers and shakers. Chef Danielle Alvarez, formerly of Chez Panisse, centers her French country cuisine on seasonal produce and old-world techniques. A special Valentine’s Day menu features rose veal, blood plum, Clair de lune oysters, saffron tagliatelle, and wood-oven snapper. The 60-seater restaurant in Paddington feels so intimate and warm you’ll forget you’re not in a friend’s kitchen (at least until the bill arrives).
Before dinner, if it’s a weekday … Embrace the balmy summer eves with a wander around the gardens of the century-old Strickland House in the eastern suburb of Vaucluse. Afterward, lounge on quiet Milk Beach, a small, secret inlet nearby, and watch the sun decline over the horizon.
After brunch, if it’s a weekend … Preorder the perfect picnic from Pop-up Picnic and set a late-afternoon delivery time for Bondi Beach. You’ll be whiling away the afternoon at Bondi Icebergs Club, with laps in the azure pools, a sit in the sauna, and a therapeutic massage. The famous health club has been a fixture at the south end of Bondi Beach for more than 100 years. After grabbing a glass of white on the deck, go find your patch of sand for your sunset sandwiches.