The day of love is upon us, and if you’re in Melbourne and a super last minute planner, then allow us to help you out with a few ideas. We’ve sifted through some of the city’s best events to bring you five to suit any Valentine’s Day celebration, whether that be floating towards tradition or just making a day of it.
Massi or Mister Bianco
Reportedly, Italian restaurants are proving to be the most popular choice for Valentine’s Day across Australia this year, so if wisely hoping onto that trend is your idea of a perfect date then pay attention to these sister venues. Mister Bianco, in Kew, and Massi, in the CBD will both be offering two seatings for Tuesday 14th February. Authentic Sicilian cuisine can be found at both, with four-course meals offered at $105 per person.
Mister Bianco:
285 High St, Kew VIC 3101
(03) 9853 6929
https://www.misterbianco.com.au/
Massi:
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9670 5347
https://www.massi.com.au/
QT Melbourne
Still enjoying the refreshing glow of a new-build boutique hotel, QT Melbourne are diving into their very first Valentine’s Day headfirst. First there’s the option of splurging at their Pascale Bar & Grill where you and your date can start with canapés of summer heirloom vegetable crudité and accompaniments with French Champagne, followed by a choice of three entrees including Milking Farm Yard chicken terrine, aioli and pickled caper leaves or four Sydney Rock Oysters with a Champagne mignonette. For mains, indulge in a confit duck ballotine with grilled mango, radicchio, apple balsamic; John Dory with BBQ corn and basil; or zucchini flowers with goats curd, pine nuts and mint, and a choice of side. To cap the meal, the team have created an exclusive strawberry lovers scroll cake with almond biscuits, vanilla Chantilly, strawberry jam, raspberry juice and white chocolate. Sound decadent? It better be for $249 per couple (which includes a Mumm Rose Champagne), but you’ll need a booking so hop on over to their website.
If the above mentioned dessert doesn’t sound lavish enough for you, the kitchen are also offering one of the city’s most expensive treats with their “Room for Dessert”, a specially designed sweet treat for two served with a room key for an overnight stay. The $300 dessert is an almond-pistachio madeleine biscuit with wild strawberry marmalade delicately presented on a pillow of Valrhona white chocolate, vanilla buttermilk mousse and crowned with a gift from the Swarovski Crystal Wishes Collection. The room key unlocks one of QT Melbourne’s ever-enticing doors, with a luxe king-size bed and a bottle of Perrier Jouët on arrival.
133 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 8636 8800
Sake Bar & Restaurant
Both Southbank and Flinders Lane should be packed for Valentine’s Day, and if you want to follow suit then duck into one of the city’s finest options with Sake Restaurant and Bar. The funky contemporary Japanese restaurant – which has one of the area’s best interiors and downstairs bars – will be offering up quite a few treats for the evening, including jalapeno kingfish and prawn dumplings with spicy ponzu sauce; lamb cutlets with plum wine miso; beef tenderloin with watermelon salad; and – saving the best for last – their famous dragon egg dessert with yuzu caramel chocolate and fresh raspberries. You can grab all that as part of a five-courser for $110 per person, including a glass of Champagne.
121 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
or
100 Saint Kilda Road, Melbourne
1300 670 910
sakerestaurant.com.au
Elyros
If you want something fairly low-key and inexpensive without sacrificing on flavour then the four-courser at Camberwell Greek favourite Elyros should go down a treat. We’re talking generous spreads starting with cheeses, olives, beads and honey; traditional Greek fish soup with a medley of seafood such as prawns and kingfish; a lamb main (of course); and a semolina custard dessert served with honeycomb and bee pollen. That’ll all you set back $65 per person which is a damn good deal amongst all the high-end romance this week.
71 Burke Road, Camberwell
03 9882 8877
elyros.com.au
Terindah Estate
If you feel like a bit of a very last minute road trip then so if you can still making a booking at the picturesque Terindah Estate on Bellarine Peninsula. Aside from gift vouchers starting from $50, they aren’t offering anything out of the ordinary, but it’s hard to ask for me once your actually amongst that couples-ready estate soaking up the views of Port Phillip Bay surrounded by more wine than you could ever ask for. They’ve also just launched an outside wine bar – The Deck – which features a few French-inspired sharing plates and a whole heap of award-winning wine, but best get a move on because they are only open for lunch on the day!
90 McAdams Ln, Bellarine VIC
(03) 5251 5536
http://www.terindahestate.com
Feature image: Terindah Estate. Supplied.
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