With the Valentine’s Day right around the corner, there are quite a few men (and/or women) gearing up to make this day special for their partners. With everything accessible at the click of a mouse, we thought of listing some of the best things we could have planned for each other. We avoided gifting options because there’s so many to choose from and not enough time and space to sort it out for our discerning (and diverse) readers.

For our readers who are all ready to bounce out after hearing the V word one more time, we also have an exciting contest to share. You can win a specially organized dinner in one of our favorite restaurants in Delhi for you and your plus one, by answering a simple question at the end of our blog.

Back to our recommendation, we have listed only 5 things you as a couple should be doing this Valentines. There are so many activities which work incredibly well with just two and we only wanted to list the best. Some require a more intimate setting, some the great outdoors and some well just happen. If you wish to add to the list, we would love a comment or two.

Valentine’s Day Recommendations:

1. Go on a date: We are keeping this gender neutral because we like to believe that this is one thing either one in the relationship can initiate. Here, we would like to ignore the protests of the macho men in the house 😛 The date can be as simple as movie and popcorn but it needn’t be that. We recommend saving for and splurging on a nice dinner date, you can add the chocolates and minus the flowers (As much as we love them, we would like for them to remain in their natural setting)
2. Go sailing: If you live on the coast, specifically a port city, chances are that there are a few operators and boat owners who allow the use of their boats for varying fees. Some come with a tailor made package with a captain and chef on board a yacht, while others have a sailboat ready to command the seas. We recommend going for someone with a reference to avoid being stranded in the middle of the sea and end up being rescued by a coast guard (though in hindsight that can be quite the experience as well)
3. Picnic time/Weekend Getaway: This can be done anywhere across the globe. For the picnic you just need a picnic hamper, a mode of travel and a non-crowded destination preferably with enough shade to mask the afternoon sun. For the weekend getaway (considering Valentines falls on a Saturday) you can either plan a getaway in a resort or even a staycation in a hotel in your city. However we would highly recommend going for a drive yourselves and just stopping wherever it pleases you, it would make for a more impulsive and exciting weekend to remember
4. Cook together: There are few things as satisfying and probably as messy as cooking together. It can also probably help you understand your partner a little better and is one of few activities that lets you create something in a short time which you can both enjoy together.
5. Answer your way to love: This can be a pretty intimidating task if you’re not at the level where you wish to use the L word. That said, this is a tested method which hypothetically creates the level of intimacy you need to reach a state resembling love by answering these set of 36 questions. Though we are strong believers in love happening by chance and not by some set formula, we’re never against anything which can help two people come together.

There are plenty of other things which come to mind which we will ignore to allow you more time to actually plan and do things which matter.

Should you decide to go for a date after reading our suggestion. We recommend going for one of our favorite restaurants

Image Source: Sewara

Valentine’s Day Recommendation for Delhi

Lodi: The Garden Restaurant, Delhi: One of our favorite restaurants in Delhi, this particular restaurant reeks of romance. With an indoor and alfresco option and numerous events and live performances, on most nights it is simply the place to be. On Valentines, be sure that you are taking your special one to a special place but be sure to reserve your table, fine places fill up faster.

Image Source: Allthingsnice.in

Valentine’s Day Recommendation for Mumbai

Bungalow 9, Mumbai: If you’re more of a brunch and even if you’re not, this could be a wonderful place to take your significant other. Even without and probably because of the lack of the elaborate setups of other competing restaurants, this place provides for a more intimate experience. You can go for a walk in the pleasant wintery sun in the rows of greenery which surround this place or dine in the rustic indoor dining area or simply lounge in the balcony, you’ve got enough places to lose yourselves in each other.

Image Source: Villa19

Valentine’s Day Recommendation for Kolkata

Villa 19, Kolkata: This quaint little place in the heart of the city provides for a wonderful experience. The staff is courteous knowledgeable and smart enough to give you your privacy and the restaurant itself is much of a badly kept secret amongst the city connoisseurs. This restaurants again offers you a choice between and indoor and alfresco seating (we love to have our meals outdoors and the option to rush in if the weather chooses to play spoilsport). A small disclaimer: The restaurant is purely vegetarian which may put off some of our readers and bring a cheer to many others.

Image Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Valentine’s Day Recommendation for Goa

Thalassa, Goa: This is easily our pick of the lot. Built on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, this wonderful place serves the most amazing Greek food we’ve tasted. With billowing white sheets, splashes of blue and spaced out tables and excellent service, this should be a sure winner. A stark difference from when we first discovered it, it is now mostly impossible to get a table without prior reservation.

Image Source: Zomato

Valentine’s Day Recommendation for Ahmedabad

Piperade: The Waterside, Ahmedabad: This place is several restaurants combined in one. The indoor seating is a restaurant serving North Indian food while the outdoor seating which are small enclaves within the garden area to lend a semblance of privacy, serve a mix of Continental, Italian, Chinese and snacks. The food here is nothing to write home about, but on Valentines day hopefully with a bit of the winter chill still in the air, this transforms into an extraordinary romantic setting which offsets just about everything else.

We would love to hear back from you if you ended up doing any one of the recommended options about and how!