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February 2, 2015

Recommending Valentine restaurants for other people is a tricky business.

I might like French restaurants because they remind me of a romantic holiday.

You might be rather less keen on them as they remind you of that time in Paris when you had a stand-up shouting match with a rude waiter in between the coq au vin and the crème brulée.

For some, nothing says ‘I love you’ in quite the same way as a ‘rogan josh’ does. For others, it has to be oysters. Or a steak.

Or, my fave, a family pack of doughnuts and gallons of dandelion and burdock in front of the director’s cut of Love Actually.

Whatever floats your love boat, we hope that the following give you food for thought when choosing your ideal Valentine’s restaurant in Edinburgh.

The Stockbridge Restaurant

For a classically romantic setting, The Stockbridge Restaurant is hard to beat. Soft lighting, loads of candles and white linen are matched by indulgent ingredients such as truffle dressing, foie gras cromesquis and praline ice cream.

The Stockbridge Restaurant has a romantic atmosphere.
The Stockbridge Restaurant has a romantic atmosphere.

Cucina G&V Royal Mile Hotel

For many, there is only one language of love and it’s Italian.

On Valentine’s Day at Cucina in the G&V Royal Mile Hotel, award-winning Head Chef Mattia Camorani will be serving a spectacular four course meal. The £45 a head cost includes a chilled Raspberry Bellini on arrival.

You can add a wine pairing for an extra £25 per person.

The meal ends on a decadently sweet note: traditional Sicilian cannoli of sweet ricotta and candied fruit with orange sorbet.

We filmed Mattia making a tasty asparagus salad.

The Tower

Rooftop views are always good for romance and, in addition to skyline eye candy, The Tower on top of the National Museum of Scotland can also offer mighty fine seafood.

Half a dozen rock oysters followed by lobster thermidore starring lobster from Mull? That’s not a statement of love; that is pure poetry.

Check out the views in this clip.

Skerries Restaurant

Scottish seafood is always a draw at Skerries Restaurant.
Scottish seafood is always a draw at Skerries Restaurant.

It is hard to beat an island for a romantic getaway. If you can’t hop on a ferry for St Val’s then Skerries Restaurant, named after some of Scotland’s most northerly islands, is a pretty good alternative.

Part of the Dunstane Hotel, their kitchen is keen on using as many ingredients as possible from the highlands and islands.

Their £35 Valentine menu begins with the option of a seared Orkney scallop. It comes coated in gingerbread with apple purée, black pudding and a cidre beurre-blanc.

One Square

We would never try to argue that a glass or two of something cold and with a kick is strictly necessary for a romantic meal. However, we would argue that a meal can be enhanced by a good wine or a fine cocktail.

Both are readily available at One Square. As we have mentioned before on the 5pm Dining blog, they do a very sophisticated G ‘n’ T at One Square. Check the clip below for evidence.

Their five course Valentine menu, at £89 for two, includes a bottle of Prosecco to share.

You can view the menu here.