5 Valentine’s Day Restaurant Menu Ideas

Love is in the air and romantic rendezvous abound as the most chocolate and rose covered day of the year approaches. And in the restaurant business we all know what that means – plenty of table-for-two bookings to come.

The most romantic day of the year is usually also the most stressful day of the year for those in the restaurant business, as customers want everything to be absolutely exceptional and perfect as they woo their loves and maybe even plan to pop the big question over a decadent flower infused cocktail or mouthwatering chocolate dessert

The perfect valentine’s day restaurant menu takes careful planning and advanced ordering to ensure you get all the specialty items, like edible flowers, caviar and the freshest of exotic produce – that every other restaurant is also ordering – that will really make your menu pop and leave your customers swooning over your decadent creations.

If you are feeling a bit love-lorn and in need of inspiration for a loved-up menu for two, we have put together a menu full of inspiration to help you plan the ultimate valentine’s day menu.

Creative Cocktails

Like every great romantic endeavor, the perfect Valentine’s Day menu starts with, “can I get you a drink”. The perfect cocktail is key for those love birds that might still be a little shy, and in need of a little social lubricant to loosening up their tight lips (and tight wallets).

Exotic, fruity and over the top cocktails are especially popular on valentine’s day, even among those that would usually steer clear of such hoity-toity drinks, so now is definitely the time to let your creativity- and mixologists – run wild with interesting and unique ideas.

Think lots of edible flowers and flower petals, smoke, bubbles and lots of pink colors and berry flavors. From the classic to the modern, there’s lots to love on the valentine’s day cocktail menu. If you’re a fruit fan, try a grapefruit mojito or a sparkling cranberry sangria. And if you want something more decadent and unique, sip a chocolate truffle martini or a strawberry shortcake daiquiri.

Appetizers To Set The Mood

After a cocktail or two, even the shyest of love birds will start to feel a little bit peckish and will definitely be in the mood for some light nibbles. Regardless of what your menu usually consists of, try sticking to smaller portions for your valentine’s day menu ideas, as nobody wants to come across as starving and stuff their face, as new couples can sometimes be a bit shy around each other when it comes to eating.

So, rather stick to smaller portions and offer a wider selection of dishes. This way customers are more likely to order more different options to try and more often than not they actually end up eating more than they would if they just ordered one larger appetizer, as the small size and different flavors are just too appealing to pass up.

Classic romantic appetizers that are always a hit include, oysters in various forms, bacon wrapped scallops or figs, snow crab legs or mini savory pastries, which are all available from trusted wholesale food suppliers for restaurants.

Enticing Entrées

The main attraction and most popular dishes on the top of valentine’s day restaurant menu ideas have always remained pretty consistent throughout the years. And you really can’t ever go wrong with the classic embodiments of romantic food, like a classic steak or lobster dish.

But that said, it doesn’t mean that you can’t reinvent the culinary wheel with your valentine’s day menu ideas and create the next big romantic dish of the century. Try to incorporate ingredients from your local wholesale food suppliers for restaurants, like truffles, caviar, vibrant colored sauces, edible flowers and floral infusions, subtle hints of warming aphrodisiac spices, like nutmeg and of course the other must have aphrodisiac ingredients like oysters, figs, chocolate, artichokes, chilis and asparagus.

Whether you choose to make you valentine’s day menu ideas classic or modern, remember to keep portions on the smaller side, as this is definitely the one day in the year where you have no choice but to leave room for dessert.

Desirable Desserts

Nothing in the culinary world says romance quite like a decadent chocolatey oozing dessert, or how about some strawberries and cream, or an entire selection of petit fours. Sugar and romance just go together like valentine’s day and flowers and even the most dedicated of savory pallets will crumble for a decadent dessert for two once a year.

Individual small desserts are always popular menu items, but on valentine’s day it’s the bigger, more intricate multi-component sharing desserts for two that take the cake. This is a great time to let your dessert inspiration take flight as the bigger portions on one plate means that you can experiment with numerous different elements together on one plate. Try flavor combinations and ingredients that include acidic tangy fruits like passionfruit or lychee combined with a fragrant aromatic like chili, cinnamon or nutmeg, and of course the sweet decadence of caramel, chocolate or cream-based elements.

And if you are still in need of some more decadent valentine’s day dessert inspiration, browse the inventories of your local restaurant ingredients suppliers to see what produce is in season, and what unique ingredients they have in stock.

Sourcing Valentine’s Day Wholesale Produce

Once you have finalized your valentine’s day menu ideas and incorporated all of the wild, wonderful and decadent ingredients imaginable, the real work begins of knowing where to source all of your wholesale restaurant needs, and more than just sourcing it, you need to know that you are sourcing your ingredients and key menu items from a reliable retailer that will not let you down last moment on one of the busiest, and most important days in the restaurant business.

But lucky for you If you are a chef in the northwest, as there is a match made in heaven for you and all of your wholesale restaurant supply needs!

Riviera Produce is a family-owned and operated produce and specialty restaurant food distributor located in New Jersey that has been one of the most trusted wholesale food suppliers for restaurants for nearly 30 years.

Sourcing their high-quality fresh produce and products from organic and non-organic local, national, and international farms, customer satisfaction has always been and continues to be, their top priority.

Always going above industry standards to ensure that all their products are safe, fresh, and delivered on time, you will be hard pressed to find a better or more reliable partner to help you execute the perfect valentine’s day menu.

Trust in one of the best restaurant ingredients suppliers in the northwest this valentine’s day. And with hundreds of products to choose from, there is no limit to what you can create this valentine’s day! Start shopping your produce from the same place as Michelin-Starred Restaurants. Visit Riviera Produce today to take a look at their wide selections and place your orders today!