From bucket list fine-dining experiences to five-chapter culinary voyages, Manchester’s best-loved restaurants are serving a range of irresistible set menus this Valentine’s Day.
Here are some of the highlights.
Devised as a celebration of love in all its forms, Zouk Tea Bar and Grill returns with an exclusive five-course Valentine’s Day set menu on Sat 14 Feb, served from 5pm to 10pm.
Priced at £39.95 per person, the fully halal menu includes a welcome cocktail or mocktail, five indulgent courses and live music throughout the evening from musicians from the Royal College of Music.
The menu features sharing starters of butter chicken chops, lasooni tiger prawns and spicy halloumi pakoras, followed by signature curries including achari lamb, butter paneer and methi malai chicken, served with pilau rice and fresh naan., before the evening concludes with Zouk’s Velvet and Rose dessert, a red velvet and raspberry creation made for sharing.
For couples looking for an immersive culinary experience, Zouk also hosts a Valentine’s Cooking Class from 10am, offering a hands-on, chef-led session before dining together in a celebratory banquet.
Set within the grand former trading floor of the Manchester Stock Exchange, tender restaurant offers a refined three-course Valentine’s Day menu focused on seasonal British produce, created by acclaimed chef Niall Keating.
The one-off menu kicks off with Orkney scallop or truffled Comté orzo, while mains include chateaubriand to share, venison or line-caught sea bass, with blood orange and chocolate crème de pot; cherry, pistachio and white chocolate with vanilla ice cream and a selection of British cheeses served with crackers, chutney and grapes to finish.
The Valentine’s Day menu will be served from lunchtime (12.30pm–3.00pm) and dinner (5.30pm-9.30pm) exclusi
Book your table below.
For the more easy-going couple, Nell’s is open as always across its three units, with their enormous pizza ovens blazing throughout Valentine’s week at Kampus, Common and The Beagle in Chorlton. Laid-back lovers throughout the city can book a table below and enjoy signature Nell’s slices, or split a full New York pizza served either as a relatively refined 14” or an unapologetic 22” behemoth of golden cheese and homemade sauce.
If you prefer cocktails to candlelight, Side Street’s intimate Valentine’s cocktail tasting experience runs on Fri 13 and Sat 14 Feb, with limited spaces still available.
Priced at £40 per person, guests esample njoy five house cocktails served in taster measures, each paired with expertly matched snacks. The occasion chronicles iconic drinks in modern cocktail history, from a Manhattan paired with Gildas, to a Margarita with pan con tomate, a Zombie with Bombay granola, a Cosmopolitan with curated charcuterie and a Pornstar Martini served alongside a chocolate truffle.
Book below.
Pip celebrates Valentine’s Day with a series of memorable food-led experiences across the weekend.
The set menu is priced at £60pp for two courses or £70pp for three, with highlights including Scottish landed clams, whelks and mussels with cider and burnt butter, truffled celeriac soup, Yorkshire grass-fed fillet of beef with sauce bordelaise, lemon sole meunière and Pip’s signature treacle tart with Earl Grey cream. The evening is accompanied by a live acoustic performance from Kemani Anderson.
The programme also includes a Picture Perfect Valentine’s Lunch with complimentary live couple sketches, a Seats for Strangers communal dining experience and a Drag Me to Brunch Valentine’s bingo brunch.
Available across the Friday and Saturday, Manchester’s beloved high-end hotel and spa runs a staggeringly affordable Valentine’s special which guarantees a show-stopping dining experience.
For just £50pp, couples can enjoy Irish rock oysters before three exquisite courses featuring cured salmon with lobster bisque, salt-baked celeriac with goat’s cheese, ricotta tortellini and salt-aged duck, with Belgian chocolate and honeycomb torte or limoncello and raspberry cheesecake for afters.
This year, Sexy Fish presents The Perfect Catch, a seafaring commemoration of love, chance encounters and sliding-doors moments.
Available throughout Valentine’s week, the Perfect Catch experiences range from a £30 two-course set lunch with a glass of champagne to a £69 four-course set menu. Dishes include salmon ceviche, generous sushi and sashimi sharing platters, spicy beef tenderloin and grilled seabass, all celebrating the depth and precision of Japanese cuisine.
One of Manchester’s foremost romantic fine dining institutions, James Martin Manchester serves a sophisticated five-course tasting menu from Wed 11 Feb through Valentine’s Day in a considered blend of signature classics and seasonal delights.
Priced at £60 per person, the menu promises an unforgettable journey through refined flavours, high-quality ingredients and exceptional service from beginning to end.
Book below.
Back for 2026 with another amorous round of authentic Italian romance, special occasion stalwart San Carlo invites guests to mark this Valentine’s Day with an array of bespoke dishes and drinks from Mon 9 – Sun 15 Feb.
Diners can enjoy exclusive Valentine’s desserts including the Raspberry Red Velvet Indulgence, alongside a curated selection of Valentine’s cocktails, mocktails and champagne. Signature serves include the Dolce Amore cocktail, Picante Margasita and the Blush Crush mocktail, with Veuve Clicquot available by the glass or bottle.
There will also be live music and DJs at Cicchetti Manchester and San Carlo Alderley Edge throughout Valentine’s Weekend. Book your table below.
This Valentine’s, El Gato Negro has added a handful of premium specials that are perfect for sharing. Highlights include a Mixed Croquettes Plate, featuring Payoyo cheese croquettes, piquillo pepper croquettes, and a chicken chorizo paella bowl, all served together on one plate for a playful start to the meal.
For mains, guests can enjoy a beautifully prepared Roasted Rack of Lamb, crushed with pistachio and fresh herbs, and served with green olive potatoes. Seafood lovers can opt for King Scallops, paired with ginger pea puree and finished with fragrant coriander gremolada.
The special dishes will be on the menu on Fri 13 & Sat 14 Feb.
At Canto, Valentine’s Day specials feature fresh oysters served with a choice of either a punchy Bloody Mary dressing or a bright leche de tigre, alongside tuna tataki paired with a vibrant vegetable ceviche for a fresh start to the evening.
For the main event, Canto will serve a standout 300g charred sirloin steak, cooked over fire and finished with a rich Manchego sauce, while desserts will feature a delicate meringue layered with silky coffee cream, bright cherry notes, and finished with indulgent dark chocolate shavings.
The dishes will be served on Fri 13 & Sat 14 Feb.
Available all week from Mon 9 Feb – Sun 15 Feb, guests can enjoy three courses from ‘The Lover’s Menu’, which features special sharing options, including a Beef Wellington and Chocolate and Cherry Mouse. Priced at £100pp.
There’s also the option to add an exclusive sharing cocktail, The Love Letter, which invites diners to submit a love note within the booking notes, which The Cut & Craft will handwrite and serve alongside the cocktail to your loved one at the table (£24 add on).
Join the team at the newly reopened, the Wharf, where you will enjoy cosy pub charm and a brand-new food menu and live music from 8:30pm.
Enjoy a complimentary spritz cocktail on arrival and three courses for £45.95 per person, choosing from the likes of baked Camembert, slow roasted duck leg, and caramelised apple tart tatin.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 3 Feb 2026
Available exclusively for Valentine’s Day, The Lowry Hotel’s AA Rosette River Restaurant invites couples to celebrate their love with a beautifully curated four-course set menu brimming with rich flavours and heady romance.
The experience begins with an elegant amuse bouche of Morecambe Bay oysters served with begonias, samphire and a delicate touch of martini bianco. For starters, choose between a rich lobster bisque with Cornish crab croute and dill, or a wild mushroom parfait paired with soy shiitake mushrooms, pickled shallots and organic sourdough.
Following a rejuvenating intermediate course of cardamom yoghurt, Alphonso mango, coconut foam and lime beignet, the main event offers a choice between Dexter beef fillet with wilted spinach, rissole potatoes, grilled young onions, shiitake mushrooms and shallot reduction, or a king oyster wellington served with olive oil pomme purée, charred baby leeks and parsley sauce.
Dessert is a decadent dark chocolate crémeux finished with raspberry jelly, cocoa sponge, pistachio and vanilla brûlée.