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 There's really no need to pretend to be having fun with countless other couples and a two-hour time limit in a restaurant this year. London has a web of wonderful places to buy posh wine, posh chocs and posh nibbles to create the perfect romantic ambience behind closed doors... so prepare to snuggle up at home with our guide to lovers' food (and a lot of fizz)!
 Berry Bros & Rudd 3 St James's Street, SW1A 1EG Valentine’s Day is not all about buying expensive gifts… nope, the other 5% is about showing that you care, putting the time in even, and then buying the expensive gift. So, if you’ve made a trip over to London’s 300-year-old wine emporium Berry Bros & Rudd to find something special for Valentine’s night then you’re doing well on the effort and pressie front and the best bit is you don’t have to spend a fortune. Hooray! For just under a fiver you can pick up a good bottle of Berry's very own house wine or, if you fancy swishing something with a bit of vintage behind it that has been aged in the Georgian vaulted cellars beneath the shop, then the expert staff will be happy to guide you in the right direction. Visiting this wood-panelled old London shop is like stepping, rather grandly, back in time (it definitely beats the last-minute dash to Tesco Metro after work) and you can be safe in the knowledge that you’ll score a few brownie points when you show up on the doorstep, smooth and sophisticated, just like the carefully-chosen wine… Address: 3 St James's Street, SW1A 1EG Phone: 020 7396 9557 Timing: Mon to Fri 10:00-18:00 (Sat 17:00) Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Berry Bros & Rudd - Information   Carluccio's Food Shop27 Spital Square, E1 6DZ Whipping up a yummy plate of pasta seems like the easiest thing in the world. You’ve got candlelight, an immaculately laid table, maybe a few strains from some grand romantic opera playing in the background; all the ingredients for a night of Italian romance, and then over-cooked linguine, stuck-to-the-pan penne or just a veritable mountain of fusilli. If you want all of the cosiness of sharing an Italian meal and none of the hassle of actually cooking the thing, Antonio Carluccio is your man. Nope, sadly he’s not going to come and cook for you but his famous restaurants do have rather handy food shops and delis attached to them so that bringing a taste of Veneto, Sicilia, Toscana into your home is simple. For regional Italian ingredients – pastas, sauces, infused olive oils – you can do your food shopping in style or pick up fresh pasta and salad dishes, Italian meats and cheeses and even cakes and chocolates from the deli counter. For Valentine's Day a special take-away hamper for two has been created with venison tortelloni to start, slow-cooked veal for main course, a side salad (with heart-shaped croutons!), chocolate and hazelnut brownie and a bottle of Italian fizz. Address: 27 Spital Square, E1 6DZ Phone: 0207 392 7662 Timing: Mon to Fri 8:00-23:00, Sat 9:00-23:00, Sun 9:00-22:30 Nearest Station: Aldgate East Tube Carluccio's (Spital Square) - Information Directory of all Carluccio branches  Choccywoccydoodah47 Harrowby Street, W1H 5EA Most folk love to indulge in chocolate, but this shop, like a real-life Willy Wonka chocolate factory, is for 100%, unadulterated, slightly obsessed lovers of the stuff. So, if a sweet-tasting gift is a must-do this Valentine’s Day then Choccywoccydoodah (try saying that with a mouthful of Belgian…hmmmmm) is, really, the only place that’s going to cut it! From chocolate-dipped marshmallows to a ‘dripping’ handmade personalised cake, there’s a tempting selection of yummy treats to buy online and even more delights awaiting in-store. A design-led ethos means the pure chocolate mountains they produce are a wide-eyed, mouth-watering sight for any cocoa-fiend’s eyes. A glance at their catalogue is exciting but the actual reality of these towering, sculpted fantasies is something else entirely. They even do chocolate floristry – yep, that’s right, solid chocolate flowers – so you can combine the top two romantic clichés in one heart-melting after-dinner surprise. Choccywoccydoodah’s burgeoning reputation is based on a mixture of incredible taste and eye-catching art and, with a secret recipe to boot, they really know their stuff! Address: 47 Harrowby Street, W1H 5EA Phone: 020 7724 5465 Nearest Station: Edgware Road Tube Choccywoccydoodah - Information  Fortnum & Mason181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER Fortnum & Mason, that bastion of English elegance, rather like afternoon tea and er…cricket back in the good old days of the Empire, is still providing posh nosh to the Royal Family, making its foodie extravagances exactly the kind you want for a hot date. The upmarket food hall is piled high with tonnes of gastronomic delights so if you just ‘pop in’ for some foie gras or truffles (both the chocolate and fungus kind) it'll require all of your willpower not to leave with bags of other goodies. Some of the delicacies here are, unsurprisingly, a little overpriced but the quality is exceptionally high and the packaging exquisite. Fortnum’s hampers have been impressing fellow picnickers at high society events such as the Henley Regatta and the Ascot Races for decades but they’re also a wonderfully indulgent, not to mention romantic, way to enjoy food with your loved one. The Cosy Nights Hamper for £100 does exactly what it says on the tin, meaning you’ll only have to leave the sofa to pour the rose champagne, help yourself to more crab pate or dip your strawberry into the hazelnut and chocolate spread. Address: 181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER Phone: 020 7734 8040 Timing: Mon to Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00 Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Fortnum & Mason - Information  Jeroboams96 Holland Park Avenue, W11 3RB If you know your vintage years (and so does your date), Jeroboams is a great place to browse for the perfect wine accompaniment to a special Valentine’s meal at home. From vintage Bollinger to pink fizz and the finest of French reds, you’ll be toasting your love in style with a bottle or two from this fine wine emporium. Even if you can’t tell your Burgundy from your Bordeaux, Jeroboams do a luxurious range of gifts that will definitely do the trick if you’re heading to his / her place for a romantic dinner a deux. For Valentine’s Day the pink champagne and chocolate truffles combo is an obvious choice (for sharing) and if you really want to splash out there’s a vintage Dom Perignon version. The Holland Park branch also offers a charcuterie and a selection of farmhouse and speciality cheeses, providing delicious finishing touches to any slap-up meal. Address: 96 Holland Park Avenue, W11 3RB Phone: 020 7727 9359 Nearest Station: Notting Hill Gate Tube Jeroboams (Holland Park) - Information Directory of all Jeroboam branches  La Maree83 Sloane Avenue, SW3 3DZ Buying oysters is not like doing the grocery shopping - it’s hard to know the best from the rest unless you’re a connoisseur and that’s why it’s a good idea to go straight to the top, especially if you’re an oyster virgin and want to try out this delicacy on your date! A fishmonger’s attached to the very well-respected Chelsea seafood restaurant Poissonnerie de L'Avenue should do the trick and La Maree Fish Shop is everything you’d expect it to be – they know their rock oysters from their natives, they sell a large catch of fresh, fresh fish and their home-made sauces and fish soups are superb. Mary Quant has called it "the best fish shop" and she should know a thing or two about quality shellfish, having once ‘necked’ two dozen oysters at Poissonnerie to the surprise of fellow diners. That kind of hardcore oyster-obsession might be a long way off but you’ve got to start the love affair somewhere and Peter Rosignoli’s family-run restaurant and fish shop serve up some of the finest in town. Address: 83 Sloane Avenue, SW3 3DZ Phone: 020 7589 8067 Timing: Mon to Sat 8:00-18:00 Nearest Station: South Kensington Tube La Maree - Information  Liberty's Chocolate ShopRegent Street, W1B 5AH As you would imagine from this plush store, Liberty’s Chocolate Shop is full of the most exclusive brands, lining the shelves in row after row of almost too-good-to-eat goodies. But we all know that it’s as much about the packaging as it is what’s inside (sorry boys, a slab of Dairy Milk’s just not going to cut it on Valentine’s Day) and Liberty just screams beautiful things, right down to its chocolates. Pretty round boxes of Charbonnel et Walker truffles sit alongside Prestat's organic chocolates, wrapped in graphic, bold designs, with Rococo's naughty Venus nipples and lips perched enticingly. Liberty has also joined the Fairtrade revolution by stocking bars of Divine chocolate (in seven flavours) and with Rococo’s sugar-free and dairy-free options too they really have got chocolate to suit everybody. So, if you’re not sure exactly what you want but know your date’s got a sweet tooth then Liberty’s Chocolate Shop is the perfect place to browse and be inspired by posh chocs. Address: Regent Street, W1B 5AH Phone: 020 7734 1234 Timing: Mon to Wed 10:00-20:00, Thu 10:00-21:00, Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00 Nearest Station: Oxford Circus Tube Liberty - Information  Rococo321 King's Road, SW3 5EP This gorgeous shop is a dream come true for chocoholics and you’ll be sure to find something scrummy to share this Valentine’s – if you’re feeling generous! Rococo is the brainchild of designer Chantal Coady, who opened the King's Road store in 1983 and is dedicated to producing the finest and funkiest chocolate in the capital. Famed for its blend of organic chocolate, Rococo uses lots of pure cocoa and cocoa butter in its products to ensure that distinctive melt-in-the-mouth taste. Some of the best buys are their choccy bars; using fairly-traded cocoa wherever possible, the cocoa beans come from far-flung plantations around the world – we love the fairly-traded, organic dark chocolate straight from the Grenada Chocolate Company in the Caribbean. There’s a whole host of other chocolate-y temptations on offer including flavoured chocolate grissini for after-dinner nibbles, delicious drinking chocolate for a cosy night in and Rococo Love Boxes for the true traditionalists. If you want to skip the main course and go straight to dessert then Rococo’s hampers are filled with irresistible sweet treats. Address: 321 King's Road, SW3 5EP Phone: 020 7352 5857 Nearest Station: South Kensington Tube Rococo - Information  Steve Hatt88 Essex Road, N1 8LU If you’re this side of town and want a fishy supper (for fishy, see tasting like fish should do as opposed to smelly or suspicious!) then fishmonger’s Steve Hatt is the place to go. Chefs, foodies and trendy Islingtonites swear by the fresh, top quality produce that this family business has been supplying for four generations. No fancy advertising campaigns here; Steve Hatt’s reputation precedes him by good old-fashioned word of mouth. We all know that oysters are the food of love but why be limited in your cooking by a mere cliché – the selection of wet fish (try wild salmon or swordfish), smoked fish (haddock from their own smoke house) and shellfish (lobster, mussels, crab and more) will leave you spoilt for choice and, if you’re something of a whizz in the kitchen, you’ll be getting excited about the gourmet feast you can prepare. Word is already spreading about Steve Hatt’s fabulous fish counter so they might be queuing out the door on 14th February, but get in line; as one happy shopper so aptly put it, Steve Hatt makes Waitrose look like Captain Birdseye! Address: 88 Essex Road, N1 8LU Phone: 020 7226 3963 Nearest Station: Angel Tube Steve Hatt - Information  Wright Brothers11 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD Oysters. Slippery, salt watery and sexy! There’s nothing like swallowing (in one gulp) a few of these exclusive shellfish to get you in the mood for luuurve and if there’s one aphrodisiac that you want to make sure is top quality it’s oysters. With this in mind it’s worth a trip to Borough Market; not only will you be able to source a whole range of delicious ‘chef-y’ ingredients for that impressive Valentine’s meal you’re preparing but you’ll be able to drop by Wright Brothers for an amorous starter of the most sought-after oysters in town. After all, Wright Brothers do supply some of the finest chefs at London’s top hotels and restaurants and have an extensive range of oysters from the Pacific Northwest as well as French, English, Scottish and Irish waters. For a minimum of faff you can have a dozen oysters delivered to your door (for a fee) or, ideally, go for the Valentine’s hamper, complete with champagne. This is an especially good idea if you’re laden down with roses, chocolates and other Valentine’s paraphernalia for your hot date! Plus, far from being sea watery, they promise a variety of flavours – sweet, woody, earthy, creamy, nutty – to suit your particular passion… Address: 11 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD Phone: 020 7403 9554 Nearest Station: London Bridge Tube / Rail Wright Brothers - Information |
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