Anniversary & Valentine's Dinner Menus: 6 Ideas From Easy to Showstopper

Restaurant tables on Valentine's Day and big anniversaries are expensive and hard to book, and the set menus are often rushed. Cooking at home lets you make the evening personal. Here are six menus, from relaxed to showstopping.

1. The effortless classic (easy)

• Burrata with Blistered Tomatoes & Basil Oil
• Lemon-Herb Salmon en Papillote
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

2. The steakhouse night (medium)

• Seared Scallops with Lemon Brown Butter
• Pan-Seared Ribeye with Red Wine Pan Sauce with Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Garlic & Herbs
• Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two

3. The Italian evening (medium)

• Burrata with Blistered Tomatoes & Basil Oil
• Creamy Mushroom Risotto
• Tiramisu Cups (No Raw Eggs)

4. The cook-it-together date (advanced, fun)

• Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)
• Handmade Tagliatelle with Brown Butter & Sage
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

5. The Paris bistro (medium)

• French Onion Soup for Two
• Chicken Piccata
• Crème Brûlée for Two

6. The breakfast-in-bed morning after the big day (easy)

• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Fresh berries and coffee

Your two-week countdown

• Two weeks out: Choose the menu. Do a practice run of any dish you haven't made before.
• One week out: Order anything special (good steaks, dry scallops) from a butcher or fishmonger. Plan the playlist.
• Two days out: Shop for everything else. Check you have candles, napkins and ice.
• The day before: Make dessert if it's a make-ahead. Salt the steak. Chill the drinks.
• The day itself: Follow your timeline from our Dinner Timeline Planner.

Want someone else to cook? A private chef at home can be surprisingly affordable. Get suggestions on our Plan my date night page.