Valentine's Day in London 2023

Us London lot are a cynical bunch. Normally the mere mention of St Valentine is enough to make the average city dweller’s eyes roll back so violently into their head it causes a permanent strain to their optic nerve.

But 2023 is a little different. Because when we think back to this time over the past few years, when even the most hopeless romantic was left with precious few options besides a heart-shaped takeaway pizza and a letterbox bouquet, we’re inclined to count our blessings and rejoice in the fact that we get to enjoy a proper love day. This year, the rose-tinted glasses are on and we’re determined to make the absolute most of Tuesday February 14 2023.

We’re talking slap-up dinners for two, power ballad nights, a host of classic rom-com screenings and novelty heart-shaped versions of all our most hyped dishes. Prefer a night in? There are plenty of properly special meal kits and tasteful florists that offer same-day delivery right to your front door.

Or if you’re single this February, there’s always an eccentrically themed speed-dating night, an ironic drag show called something like ‘Auntie Val’s Anti-Valentine’s Day’, or a fun-filled Galentine’s party to go to instead. After a couple of glasses of red and a boogie with all your best single ladies, you’re guaranteed to be feeling just as warm and fuzzy as all those loved-up couples out there. 

Regardless of your set-up, London is the place to be for a Valentine’s Day that isn’t riddled with underwhelming set menus and saccharine clichés. And if you want to avoid the whole thing altogether, you can find plenty of activities that are 100 percent free of cupid-shaped confetti in our guide to the best things to do in London this February.