Valentine’s Day Ideas: Romantic Things To Do In Melbourne

Valentine’s day is coming up, and if you are looking for some ideas of romantic things to do in Melbourne, you have come to the right place. From enjoying a romantic dinner at one of Melbourne’s finest restaurants to going for a walk along the Yarra River, there are plenty of things to do on Valentine’s Day in Melbourne. So why not spoil your loved one with a special day out in this beautiful city?

It’s that time of year again where love is in the air. So if you are looking for some romantic things to do in Melbourne this Valentine’s Day, then look no further. We have put together a list of some of the best activities and events that will get your heart racing. From stunning views of the city to intimate dinners, there is something for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start planning!

Ultimate Valentines Day Ideas In Melbourne, Victoria

Valentine's day will look a little different this year, but that doesn't mean you can't surprise them with dinner and experiences. 

Are you located in Melbourne, Victoria, looking for the best valentine's day ideas? When you are planning your valentine's date, you probably want everything just perfect. One of the best ways to make sure that it all turns out the way you dreamed it to select every vendor yourself personally. This way, you can choose the ultimate location, the best entertainment and the most delicious food, and craft your ideal valentine's day.

Have Dinner Or Lunch Date At The Top Of Brighton Savoy Hotel 

Valentine's Day Dinner in Melbourne is best experienced in the Seaview Restaurant whilst enjoying a romantic dining experience with bay views.

A single red rose awaits your valentine and a glass of bubbles as the sun goes down.  Rekindle the romance, first date, wedding anniversary? Valentine's day is a perfect opportunity to spend time with your special partner.

Accommodation is also available, so why not make a real night of it with lunch. Dinner, Bed & Breakfast, our front desk team would be delighted to assist you.

Spend The Day At Pt Leo Estate

Pt Leo Restaurant is our main dining space. Diners enjoy spectacular views overlooking our vineyard and sculpture park to Western Port Bay and Phillip Island. Our menu celebrates the region's produce, harnessing relationships with local suppliers to deliver a flavour forward, contemporary a la carte offer. Seasonal and regional food is the focus of Pt. Leo Restaurant's menu.

Settle in down on the Mornington Peninsula with a four-course lunch or dinner at Pt Leo Restaurant for $115 per person or a delightful eight-course degustation lunch at Laura for $195 per person. Then, naturally, you can explore the beautiful sculpture park with your loved one. 

Laura is contemporary fine dining at its best. It offers the guest luxury, unrivalled ingredients, sophisticated and attentive service and elevated detail at every touchpoint.

The all-weather Wine Terrace showcases local and regional Mornington Peninsula produces and adds a more casual setting to the award-winning dining spaces at Pt. Leo Estate. Guests can enjoy all Pt. Leo Estate wines and back vintages, friendly snacks and light meals in a simple and social environment. Guests can enjoy live music throughout the weekends from 1:00 pm while still taking in the same unparalleled views over the 50-acre vineyard, Sculpture Park and the coast beyond.

Ride A Hot Air Balloon 

A hot air balloon Hunter Valley flight experience with Beyond Ballooning will be a memorable occasion as you float above Australia's oldest wine-growing region. Beyond ballooning offers a unique opportunity to celebrate special events or simply hang out with your friends.

There is something magical about experiencing the sunrise through hot air balloon rides in Hunter Valley. Apart from the thrill of being in the air, you are also rewarded with beautiful scenery of greenery mixed with the touches of the sun. So just hop aboard our sturdy balloons and appreciate the beautiful vineyards of the valley.

Our most miniature balloons carry 2 passengers, while our largest can accommodate 24 people, including the pilot. The flight generally lasts an hour, which gives you more opportunities to revel in nature's beauty and snap a couple of photos.

Picnic In The Royal Botanic Gardens 

Highlights

• Indulgent picnic menu curated by renowned chef Luke Nguyen
• A gorgeous blend of South East Asian flavours with native Australian ingredients
• Find a tranquil spot in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens
• Watch the world go by as you enjoy a divine picnic curated by Luke Nguyen in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Simply pick up your picnic box from Botanic House, find a shady spot under a tree canopy and dig into all the restaurant's favourite dishes paired with a bottle of wine.

What's Included?

• Picnic box for two curated by Luke Nguyen
• A bottle of sparkling, white, red or rose wine

While away, a gorgeous afternoon amongst flora and fauna of the Royal Botanic Gardens enjoying an indulgent picnic curated by Luke Nguyen. All you need to do is collect your picnic box from Botanic House at your selected time and find a tranquil spot in the gardens' expanse. The box features an array of savoury and sweet treats, expertly blending South East Asian flavours, Australian produce and native ingredients with a fresh, modern twist. Savour likes spring rolls, honey pork charcoal bao and cream caramel pudding with coconut sponge cake paired with a bottle of wine.

Picnic Box Menu (Subject to change)

• Edamame and avocado salsa, sesame rice crackers, lemon olive oil (v, vg, GF)
• Mushroom, cabbage and corn spring rolls and Asian herbs (v, VG)
• Roast duck salad, pickled vegetables, palm heart, chilli jam dressing
• Honey Pork charcoal bao with pickled vegetable and Sriracha mayo
• Vietnamese coffee tres leches, miso caramel, Chinese almond cookie
• Cream caramel pudding, coconut sponge cake (GF)

Wine Selections

• Totara Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough NZ
• First Creek' Botanica' Semillion, Hunter Valley, NSW-ORGANIC
• Twelve Signs Field Blend Rosé Hilltops, NSW
• Saltram 1859 Shiraz, Barossa Valley, SA

Session Length

• You can enjoy your picnic at your own pace
• Available Wednesday to Sunday only
• Please order your picnic with a minimum of 24 hours notice
• The latest pick-up time is 14:30 hrs

Learn A Dance Of Love At The Immigration Museum

Anyone who loves to dance or likes the idea of dancing but isn't quite sure how The Immigration Museum has you sorted. It'll be open late for Latin Valentine in honour of the Mexican tradition El Día del Amor y la Amistad (The Day of Love and Friendship). 

Entry is just $20 each (or a little extra for a sultry dance workshop or a chocolate and tequila tasting) for a night of salsa dancing, afro beats, cocktails, street food, etc. mariachi love song dedications. There's also speed friending sessions, personalised compliment cards, and a Polaroid photo booth to celebrate the importance of spiritual and familial love.

Brunch Date at the Village Belle Hotel

The Village Belle Hotel will be putting on a special edition of the venue’s bottomless brunch for V Day (but hey, you don’t have to be loved up to enjoy this one). Guests will receive a cocktail on arrival and then be treated to bottomless spritzes, sparkling wine, cider and tap beer, as well as food from the brunch grazing table. It’s $80 per person, and you need to book in advance.

The Garden Bar & Restaurant has been specially designed to be functional all year round. A contemporary concrete and glass structure, the unique space includes custom-made, steel-framed windows and operable glazed walls that lift upward to maximise space. Even better, a retractable roof and misters and fans make it the perfect spot for soaking up the summer sun, while heaters mean Melbourne’s temperamental weather won’t stop the fun in the cooler months.

Space also boasts a range of delicious dining offerings for every occasion, from casual catch-ups with friends and family to intimate birthday dinners to business lunches. View the restaurant menu.

When time is under pressure, but you don’t want to compromise on your meal’s quality, enjoy our express lunch, available Monday to Friday.

Get You Date a Bouquet of Chicken Wings 

The Beast CBD team (who also own the B.East in Brunswick East) want to give you or your loved one a free bouquet made of wings this Valentine’s Day. The venue will be handing out free chicken wing bouquets from the Swanson Street venue. Don’t want to miss out? You can also pre-order one for pickup or delivery – and yes, there is a plant-based option too. 

All our beef is local, grass-fed & organically farmed.

All burgers are served on toasted potato buns unless stated otherwise. please inform us of any food-related allergies you may have before ordering.

Book Dinner at Lee Ho Fook

Mod-Chinese diner Lee Ho Fook is doing a special Valentine’s Day menu for lunch and dinner on the 14th. Guests will receive a white peach Bellini on arrival, then be treated to Drunken Goolwa pippies, Shandong chicken crackling, Tasmanian ocean trout, Skull Island tiger prawn noodles, a dry-aged duck breast and even a dark chocolate pavé for dessert. The menu costs $160 per person, and there’s also a wine pairing available. 

Smith Street’s loss is the city’s gain, as Lee Ho Fook brings cutting-edge Chinese to Duckboard Place.

Victor Liong’s mod-Chinese diner has graduated from low-key digs in Collingwood to an edgy warehouse in the city, home to cathedral ceilings, raw bricks and exposed pipes. It’s a slicker, more sophisticated package with a rock’n’roll edge that suits Liong’s punchy regional cuisine. But space can fall dangerously close to form over function – that backlit bar also acts as a thoroughfare so that unsuspecting punters could cop a Boston shaker to the face.

Fortunately, the floor team doesn’t skip a beat. Our waitress bops along to the Cure as she guides us through the specials. “Definitely order this,” she says, pointing to the Chongqing chicken skin. “But steer clear of that; it’s too big for two,” she warns of the mammoth beef rib. She also convinces us not to go to the banquet as “it’s a shit tonne of food”. So we go to town on the a la carte offerings and order a shit tonne of food anyway.

And damn, was she right about that chicken skin. Crunchy, burnished shards of deep-fried skin play peek-a-boo amid the rubble of dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. This is no-holds-barred dining: the heat slowly comes at first, then all at once, leaving us fanning our mouths like maniacs.

While the chicken comes out with all guns blazing, the tea-smoked egg takes a more softly-softly approach. Liong’s modern version of this classic Chinese snack teams the smoky notes of oolong with the buttery richness of the jellied yolk, the salty pop of Avruga (faux caviar made from herring) and a refreshing herbal hit from the dill frond and spring onion oil.

The crisp eggplant is a textural treat, doused in sticky soy and red vinegar sauce and scattered with little nubs of fried garlic and Sichuan peppercorns. A caramelised coating gives way to a fluffy, silken interior, so each bite is crunchy and soft, sharp and sweet.

Following such well-executed starters, the ‘Chinita’s falls a bit flat. This love child of a pizza and a spring onion pancake features a fried, puffy base layered with shredded spring onion and dollops of buffalo mozzarella. The cool lactic tang of the cheese plays off against the onion’s grassy heat, but it’s too one-dimensional, a dull moment in an otherwise exciting meal.

Liong, who’s worked at Sydney’s Mr Wong and under Mark Best at Marque, is at his palate-challenging best when he marries traditional Asian flavours with confident European technique. The sweet and sour pork is a case in point. Banish all thoughts of the batter-heavy dish from your childhood. Here, tender hunks of pork neck, pineapple, capsicum and spring onion are tossed in a sticky, but not sickly, sauce of salty soy, sweet ketchup and tangy vinegar. Cram everything in at once for the full effect.

Subbing wagyu tri-tip for the regular rubble of pork mince, the sang Choi bau is rich, fatty and flavourful, but all that meaty heft is too much between two people.

Delicate desserts offer a reprieve from the umami-rich onslaught of the mains. Jasmine tea-infused custard with burnt caramel comes in a petite teacup, with floral notes, toffee sweetness and a slightly bitter edge. Another pretty cup teams tart Granny Smith sorbet with nutty amaretto jelly for an excellent, clean finish.

It takes a far-reaching, intelligent wine list to stand up to Liong’s relentless flavour punches, and sommelier Masa Nishimoto is up to the task. Floral, textural whites, such as the Laurent Barth Muscat or the Slovenian Dveri Pax Pinot Gris, offer a welcome hint of residual sugar, cutting through the spice with ease.

Lee Ho Fook is loud, lively, and ready to party in its new laneway location. With its 1980s soundtrack and reworked suburban Chinese favourites, it strikes a balance between nostalgia and innovation. And just like those lazy-susan meals of family dinners past, you’ll get the most out of a meal here if you dine with a crowd, tackling the ten-course banquet (a bargain at $68 ahead) or sharing some of those heftier mains.

Gather your pals, eat well, eat often.

Go On A Romantic Spin On The Melbourne Star

Melbourne Star has partnered with Peter Rowland to bring food lovers beautiful, delectable bites sky high. Since 1962 Peter Rowland have been dedicated to crafting special celebrations, whether it's a birthday, anniversary, or a gathering of friends.

Dip into something delicious and indulge in some 'Pretty Fly Savoury Bites' or a generous serving of 'Un-Brie-cleavable Cheesy' goodness. More of a sweet tooth? We have you covered with treats' Just As Sweet As You'. Enjoy options galore of sweet and savoury flavoursome bites, or indulge in a 'Sky High Tea'.

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Enjoy Melbourne's stunning sights by day, with views stretching from Melbourne's CBD and Port Phillip through to Mount Macedon and the Dandenong Ranges in the distance. 

Then come back within 14 days, in the evening, when Melbourne's city lights take over, creating a glittering wonderland outside your cabin window. 

Plus, delights to enjoy during your Melbourne Star experience include your beverage choice and a digital photo pass to ensure you relive the memories for years to come. 

Get our best value return flight bundle online with a fantastic saving of over 55% off! This is our unbeatable value bundle by far. 

Watch A Film At Fed Square 

Welcome to The People's Place. Yes, Fed Square is a global icon, but it would be nothing without the hundreds of human stories created there every day.

The People's Place is your digital memory board, where you can share your unique experiences of Fed Square. From the personal to the political, the tiny to the terrific: We want them all!

It might not be quite the same as jetting off on an international getaway, but Federation Square is about to get a taste of Miami beach life as part of a two-week pop-up this February.

A whole heap of sand will transform the CBD space into a tropical oasis inspired by the South Florida city's beaches. As well as a 'beach', the pop-up will have lots of deckchairs, cabanas, live music and even its open-air cinema, which will be completely free. So you can head along to a screening of Puberty Blues on Friday, February 7, sob (again) to The Notebook on Valentine's Day, or cheer on Thelma & Louise on Saturday, February 15, without spending a cent. You can check out the full lineup of films below.

There'll be lots of fun snacks, too, so you can laze in a cabana and tuck into ice creams and sliders after work. Watch out, also, fir life-sized seagulls trying to steal your chips. If you head along on opening day at 5 pm — and quote a password that'll be shared on Fed Square's Facebook page — you can score yourself one of 100 free ice creams and a performance by Melbourne singer Ernest Aines.

Have The Classic Theme Park Experience At Luna Park

Create wonderful memories together on these classic carnival grounds. Head to Luna Park on Valentine’s Day from 6 pm to 10 pm, and go on as many rides as you can handle. Cosy up on the Ferris wheel, fly high on the swing tower and go round and round on the carousel. You’ll receive a custom photo souvenir, two chocolate love hearts from Chocolatier, and Hava Heart ice creams from Peters. Then, play one carnival game per couple and listen to music from The Engagement.

Enjoy A Round Of Ping Pong Speed Dating

Dating app Boop and fun venue Ballers Clubhouse have collaborated to create an amazing night of speed dating this Valentine’s Day. In rounds of mixed doubles, you’ll get to know other single people in a whirlwind ping pong tournament. So spend five minutes on, five minutes off, swap partners and then start the fun all over again!

When you’re not playing ping pong, mingle with the others, enjoy some canapes and try drinks at the bar. Tickets start at $45 per person

Skipper A Boat On The Yarra And Picnic On The Water

For the best views of the city and for an awesome day out, it’s hard to look past On A Boat and their deluxe electric boats. Rent one, and you can cruise up and down the river to see the city and surroundings like never before. You can rent a boat for up to four hours, which should be ample time to do a bit of exploring, sightseeing, and picnicking. So, pack lunch or dinner and rent an electric boat for a fun day out with your chosen one.