A Valentine's Day Dinner Menu Fit for a Night with Friends

Chase away the gloom and doom of February this year by hosting your very own Valentine’s Day dinner. Invite those friends you just couldn’t live without and share the love with a meal that tastes just as good as it looks.

Valentine’s Day has the tendency to get a bit cheesy, especially when gigantic teddy bears, fake plastic roses, and hilariously high-priced chocolates hit store shelves. But the underlying idea of this so-called “Hallmark holiday” is one to take to heart. With a little time spent in the kitchen, remind your friends what matters most with this Valentine’s day menu—a labor of love worthy of sharing.

The combination of champagne and crème de cassis gives this classic French cocktail a subtle pink hue—perfectly matching the Valentine mood. Casual yet elegant, it’s a fitting start to a festive evening with friends.

Warmly sweet soup topped with an inviting chili kick, this sumptuous starter is light enough to leave plenty of room for the main course (and dessert, duh!) but satisfying enough to tame those hungry stomachs while you finish up in the kitchen. Plus, you can totally make this ahead of time and simply warm it up before serving—no fuss. Just remember to keep the soup and tomatoes separate while storing and heating, only topping right before serving—and don’t skip that drizzle of olive oil!

This is a dish best eaten with your hands—an invitation to do something a bit different at the dinner table. Prepping the artichokes ahead of time will make it easier for you the night of, when you can simply slide them into the oven and let them do their thing. If you have any artichoke skeptics in your group, this recipe is sure to give them a change of heart.

Nothing says luxurious like lobster, and any Valentine’s dinner to remember is likely to include shellfish in one form or another. Here, it’s combined with its partner in crime: butter, and freshened up with garlic, lemon juice, and basil. If you can’t find pre-cooked lobster, and aren’t comfortable cooking it from scratch yourself, you can substitute shrimp. But it’s worthwhile to splurge on the big, fresh ones—and what’s Valentine’s Day without a little splurging?

Dark, sultry, but not too rich—this decadent double chocolate cake is a dream, and we’re sure your friends will think so, too. A proper ending to an evening full of love, this heavenly cake makes the perfect pair to another round of Kir Royals or perhaps a swig of tawny Port. Make it a day or two ahead if you dare, as it’s sure to taunt you into a taste.

Kir Royal

Sweet potato soup with chili tomatoes

The best roasted artichokes

Linguine with lobster

Double chocolate beetroot cake

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