Valentine’s Day – it comes around every year and goes just as quick. It’s a day for first dates, time to spend with loved ones and a chance to get together with some pals. Regardless of who you are celebrating with and when, here are my Top 10 suggestions for a Valentine’s Day that are a little different.
1.) Catch a flick at the outdoor cinema.
Take your traditional movie date up a notch and see a movie at the outdoor cinema. There are a several outdoor cinemas in and around Sydney but this Valentine’s Day, Moonlight Cinema at Centennial Park is showing the rom-com Crazy Stupid Love. BYO nibbles and drinks or get some of your favourite movie snacks from the Candy Bar and fully licensed bar.
For a date idea with a bit more class, consider booking tickets to the theatre. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is currently on at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and is the ideal lighthearted watch for a date night. Make a night of it and get dressed up, enjoy dinner at one of the nearby restaurants and revel in one another’s company with a Broadway score as your soundtrack for the night.
They say laughter is the key to happiness so a night spent playing a game of putt putt golf might just be the perfect date. Show off your putting skills and finally put those golf puns to good use. Holey Moley have locations all over Australia, each with their own full-service cocktail bar. Not a fan of mini-golf? Keep with the game theme and try an Escape Room Experience or head to Archie Brothers Cirque in Alexandria.
If you want something a little slower paced but just as fun, why not try a paint and sip session? In a class led by a qualified artist, you will be guided to create your own artistic masterpiece with a glass of wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. This could also be a great group date idea. Check out Cork & Canvas or Pinot and Picasso for locations around Sydney.
Food often makes up a big part of any date so spend Valentine’s Day the right way– eating some delicious food with a loved one. You could go to your favourite restaurant like you do every year or, maybe you’ll decide to spend the occasion checking out a restaurant you haven’t been to before. The Botanica Vaucluse is hosting a Valentine’s Day four course tasting menu with free-flowing Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label or Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Rosé NV Champagne. For a 2 hour sitting, it is $145 per person or $90 with food only.
Take the opportunity to spend Valentine’s Day outdoors and discover one of the many hiking trails around Sydney. Opt for a light walk or a sweat-drenching climb amongst the natural beauty of the outdoors. You might consider packing a picnic or will work up an appetite for a well earnt feed together later. The Blue Mountains National Park has a bunch of secluded trail options. For a more open walk, try one of Sydney’s gorgeous coastal walks.
WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo are offering a unique couple’s dinner package for Valentine’s Day only. Start with a self-guided tour of the zoo before being served canapes and drinks in the Kangaroo Walk-about. The experience includes an intimate 2 course dinner on the Koala Rooftop and a 3 hour drinks package to make the most of the evening. Tickets are $300 per couple and places are limited.
This sweet pop-up exhibition was a big hit in Melbourne and now it has finally come to Myer Sydney just in time for Valentine’s Day. It is an interactive space consisting of art installations and a retro candy store, a bubblegum ball pit and even a fairy floss room. There will also be free ice-cream and treat tastings to satisfy a sweet tooth. Tickets start from $31.00 with the option for day or night sessions.
Star-gazing is known to be a romantic activity so a twilight tour of the Sydney Observatory definitely says romance. You can admire the stars of the southern sky together as you check out the planetarium and use a telescope to see everything up close. The observatory is open day and night with visits free during the day and night tour entry for $27.00 per adult.
This suggestion is for the extroverted couple or for a groovy group date idea. There’s no better way to remember this Valentine’s Day than to spend it belting out iconic ballads with the one’s you love, impressing everyone with your vocal chords. Sydney has a heap of Karaoke bars to choose from, particularly in the CBD. It could be the fire starter to your night, or the perfect way to end Valentine’s Day on a high note (literally). Take a look at CEO Karaoke or D1 Karaoke for some options.