Where to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Washington, D.C.
Whether single or spoken for, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to indulge in some bubbly, cocktails and intimate dinners to make your heart go boom-boom-boom. It doesn't matter if you're toasting to love with an artfully crafted libation or cursing its existence with a cheap glass of Champers — we have a guide to the perfect spots to luxuriate in decadent food and drinks, whatever your romancin' status may be.
Legal Sea Foods (multiple locations)
Forget about Cupid’s arrow, and get ready to fall under the spell of Legal Sea Foods’ Love Potion #9 cocktail, made from a combination of Cointreau, sparkling wine, pomegranate mixer, and Angostura orange bitters. It’s a featured cocktail at Legal’s three DC locations for the month of February. And will serve as perfect compliment to the a variety of Valentine’s Day specials available for couples to enjoy on Fri., Feb. 14.
Jaleo (multiple locations)
For Valentine’s Day celeb chef José Andrés’ swanky tapas is offering lovebirds the amazing Esferas de Sangria de Cava y Rosas, spherified white sangria and rose petals; Ostras con Cava, Rappahannock Oysters with solid cava; Espuma de Patata con Pato Confitado y Caviar, potato foam with duck confit and caviar; Morcilla de Arroz con Piquillos Confitados, traditional fried blood sausage with rice and piquillo pepper confit; and more, as well as the restaurants’ regular a la carte menus.
Bar Pilar (1833 14th Street NW; 202-265-1751)
Subscribing to the belief that Valentine’s Day is for suckers, Bar Pilar is celebrating Anti-VDay with cheap messy chow, like Sloppy Joes and Brats with Sauerkraut, and serving nothing but bitter drinks to wash it down. The Marlort Bomb, which has the face-cringing bitter Swedish-style spiced wormwood liquor mixed with Stiegl Radler grapefruit beer sounds like it isn’t for the faint of heart.
Café Dupont (1500 New Hampshire Ave NW; 202-797-0169)
Executive Chef David Fritsche is getting it on this Valentine’s Day with a menu loaded with aphrodisiacs like lobster salad with pickled radish, cucumber gelee, celery hearts, tomato granite; apple fennel carrot soup; pan seared scallops and pork belly with apple slaw and pickled mustard seed relish; truffle marbled beet risotto; and more.
Oyamel Cocina Mexicana (401 7th Street NW; 202-628-1005)
At the bar, Oyamel is serving up a collection of romantically themed cocktails including Un Beso de Frambuesa, house-infused raspberry mezcal, jasmine, lemon and sparkling wine; and Limonquila y Tonic, house-infused lemon tequila, lavender, ginger and Q Tonic. From 11:30 AM to Midnight, couples can enjoy a $130, prix fixe dinner that includes Bocolones de Higado de Pato, gorditas stuffed with foie gras torchon; Ensalada Noche Buena, traditional salad of beets, Jamaica celery and orange D’Aristi dressing; Camarones con Chile Seco, seared whole prawns with salsa Mexicana, salsa with ancho and mulato chiles and dried shrimp; Taco de Pulpo, braised baby octopus with sofrito and pomegranate pico de gallo and more.
The Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Avenue NW; 202.659.3727)
Chef Nilesh Singhvi has a decadent, five-course spread lined up for the evening that features dishes like Duck Roast Telangana with tomato, garlic and lime; Guchhi Lobster with morel, yogurt, saffron and mace; and more. The $85 per person dinner also includes an amuse bouche of Badam Shorba with almond, rose and garlic followed by a Chaat Course served before appetizers and entrees.
Photo: Flickr user epw
