\n five-course menu to guests, celebrating land and ocean. Choose between a glass of champagne or a cocktail concocted especially for the occasion. This dining room is otherworldly, and an ideal site for transporting someplace else for romantic date.\n <\/p>\n
Address: 25b Cross St, Auckland Central<\/p>\n
At San Ray on Ponsonby Rd, a chocolate tiramisu paired with mezcal cherries will be available for one night only. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
San Ray <\/p>\n
For an especially summery celebration, visit Ponsonby Rd\u2019s San Ray<\/a>. Seasonal fare, including tomato and sweetcorn, will be served alongside fresh seafood and lamb, with their signature Californian-Mexican flavours. The dessert, a chocolate tiramisu paired with mezcal cherries, will be available for one night only. <\/p>\n Address: 118 Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn<\/p>\n Blue <\/p>\n Spend your evening under a string of lights or tucked away in low lighting, at Blue<\/a> in Ponsonby. The team will cater to couples and lovers with a menu of the chef\u2019s choice. You can expect Blue\u2019s reliable celebrations of excellent seasonal cuisine from Aotearoa, as well as a glass of bubbles (included in your booking). Dietaries can be accommodated \u2013 just ensure to include them in your reservations. <\/p>\n Address: 1\/1 Franklin Rd, Ponsonby<\/p>\n Esther<\/p>\n If dinner plans are done, invite whimsy into your afternoon. From 12.30pm to 2.30pm, Esther will host a High Tea, in collaboration with Baby Buck Baking\u2019s Victoria Roebuck. You can expect both savoury and sweet bites designed by Roebuck, with the main draw being a twist on her beloved Baby Bruce cake (named for the defiant Bogtrotter in Roald Dahl\u2019s Matilda). The limited-edition slice will be topped up with pistachio, inspired by Esther\u2019s Mediterranean menu, and roam the dining room on a trolley. Gin and tonics will also roll around the room, or there\u2019s the option to enjoy bottomless Prosecco. If you\u2019re lucky, you might win the draw to go home with a full-size Baby Buck vintage-inspired cake. <\/p>\n Price: $89 per person or $109 including bottomless prosecco.<\/p>\n Later in the day (from 5.30pm onwards), Esther will also host a candlelit dinner. A sparkling cocktail will be served on arrival, and a three-course dinner will follow. The menu promises \u201csun-kissed\u201d Mediterranean flavours. <\/p>\n Address: 4 Viaduct Harbour Ave, Auckland Central<\/p>\n Onslow <\/p>\n Onslow will welcome diners for Valentine\u2019s Day celebration on Friday evening and for Saturday lunch and dinner, so their service might suit if your schedule is already busy. The kitchen will send out five courses for the celebration, after Champagne is poured on arrival. Highlights include a starter of heirloom tomatoes and nectarines and a dessert of Valrhona and dark chocolate cr\u00e9meux (best shared). <\/p>\n Address: 9 Princes St, Auckland CBD<\/p>\n Juno <\/p>\n This intimate dining room, tucked into the ground floor of Ponsonby\u2019s The Greenhouse, will certainly amplify romance for your Saturday evening. On the set menu, you\u2019ll find snapper crudo paired with seasonal produce, prawn toast and Juno\u2019s coveted sticky date pudding<\/a>. Champagne will also be poured on arrival. <\/p>\n Address: 20 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn<\/p>\n Azabu <\/p>\n At Azabu\u2019s Mission Bay location, you\u2019ll find platters designed for two, consisting of ceviche, sashimi, tuna, hosomaki and more (with the kitchen\u2019s usual Japanese-Peruvian palette). This will be in addition to the usual \u00e0 la carte service, so you\u2019ll be able to add more to your meal. <\/p>\n Address: 44 Tamaki Dr, Mission Bay<\/p>\n From 5pm in Ponsonby, Azabu has a special set menu. The kitchen is promising its best dishes, paired with bubbles and cocktails in a setting designed for two. <\/p>\n Address: 26 Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn<\/p>\n Bistro Saine<\/p>\n It was awarded best new restaurant in Viva\u2019s Top 50 Restaurants for 2025<\/a>, and the French-inspired bistro will showcase its talents this Valentine\u2019s Day with a set menu, including oysters, confit stone fruit, chicken liver parfait and creme brulee. <\/p>\n Address: 51 Albert St, Auckland Central<\/p>\n Pici <\/p>\n Karangahape Rd\u2019s cosiest Italian dining room is inviting both dates and mates for a five-course dinner. Plenty of Pici favourites are included on the set menu \u2013 think focaccia, cacio e pepe and tiramisu. There\u2019s a wine pairing available, but everyone will be served a ros\u00e9 to start (unless you clarify a non-alcoholic preference). <\/p>\n Address: Shop 22, St Kevin\u2019s Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd, Auckland Central<\/p>\n Cazador<\/p>\n Dominion Rd\u2019s Cazador will open its doors early at 4pm for the occasion, with a six-course menu that includes cheese before dessert. You can also expect a chilled tomato gazpacho, crab rillette, trevalli crudo, aged grilled duck breast and a fig custard tart. <\/p>\n Address: 854 Dominion Rd, Mount Eden<\/p>\n Gilt Brasserie<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to stray too far from the city centre, consider Gilt\u2019s four-course set menu. It is designed to share, so you\u2019ll be leaning in over plates of calamari, kingfish tartare and pomme frites. For dessert, choose between Paris-Brest and chocolate mousse. On Friday, you could opt for \u00e0 la carte instead (but the set menu is still available). Saturday will be more romantic, with a dining room lit by candlelight. <\/p>\n Address: 2 Chancery St, Chambers, Auckland Central<\/p>\n Ada<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of the most exciting dining rooms in the city and expectations are high for these celebrations. House-baked focaccia with truffle butter, ceviche, scotch BBQ anticuchera and a chocolate finish \u2013 Ada will put on a show for couples this Valentine\u2019s Day. Vegetarian options are also available, and the kitchen promises \u201cplenty more to discover throughout dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n Address: 454 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn<\/p>\n Duo <\/p>\n Duo<\/a>\u2019s meticulous set menu will take a tour of summer on land and in the oceans. There\u2019s plenty of seafood offered by the kitchen for this special evening, from oysters to caviar, crayfish and crab. Dessert will suit chocolate lovers: a dark chocolate delice served with cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche. <\/p>\n Address: 138 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead<\/p>\n Forest <\/p>\n Plant-based restaurant Forest is changing pace throughout February, with a pivot that accommodates Valentine\u2019s Day dining. Chef Plabita Florence will turn her inventive eye towards ice cream, with the Dominion Rd digs temporarily transformed into Forest Scoops \u2013 right now, you\u2019ll find flavours including plum and shiso sorbet, sesame halva and apricot and marshmallow sticky rice. Alongside the house-made ice cream, there are cocktails and salty sides (think crudit\u00e9s and pickles, and their coveted seaweed-dusted fries). Add a drop in after dinner. <\/p>\n Address: 243 Dominion Rd, Mount Eden<\/p>\n Mama<\/p>\nYou can expect a special evening at Blue in Ponsonby. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Esther’s usual high tea, pictured here, will receive an update for Valentine’s Day. Photo \/ QT<\/p>\n
Onslow’s dining room. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Perch at the bar or in a booth at Juno. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
The outdoor dining at Azabu, Mission Bay. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Grab a booth at Bistro Saine. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Pici’s cacio e pepe. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray.<\/p>\n
Cazador’s dining room. Photo \/ Emily Raftery<\/p>\n
Gilt’s dining room will open for two romantic nights of service. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Ada restaurant in the Convent Hotel. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Find a table at Duo in Birkenhead. Photo \/ Alex Burton <\/p>\n
Meet a loved one at Mama. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n