It is often said that any restaurant is romantic as long as you’re with the right person – utter nonsense, I’m afraid! There are few things less romantic than a room full of red roses with ‘That’s Amore’ wailing in the background. On repeat. All evening. And I speak from experience.

To conjure up the essence of romance, a restaurant needs just the right amount of each ingredient; but never too much of any. And therein lies the eternal problem that few successfully conquer.

The restaurant should be intimate, but with sufficient space between tables; lively enough for an atmosphere, but not so loud that you can’t hear your partner speak; and with lighting that’s sufficiently muted to set the scene, but not so dark or so full of candles that you’re inches away from being engulfed by flames.

It is a precarious line between romantic and clichéd, and every restaurant should try to avoid the contrived and unnatural state of being full of only couples – every restaurant, even on Valentine’s Day, should have a healthy mix of couples, singles and groups.

I often find that lighting is paramount in creating the right atmosphere in a restaurant, but perhaps the most important lighting on Valentine’s Day is the twinkle in the eye of your date.

On the specific topic of Valentine’s Day, be sure to check the menu and associated costs before dining, to ensure that the after dinner taste is not a bitter one. Bon Vivant’s top picks for Valentine’s Day can be found here on our list of London’s most romantic restaurants.

Read some of our restaurant guides like the best restaurants in Shoreditch or the best Italian restaurants in London.

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