Thank GOD January is over, it literally lasted a year? To celebrate, here’s this year’s Valentine’s Guide to help you look forward to fun plans and good food. We’ve got dinner, drinks, sweet treats and things to do all wrapped in one place for you.
Dinner…
Prince of Wales, Iffley Village
Fancy a laid-back one this year? The Prince of Wales delivers on good food, great drinks, and even better company. They’ll be serving a sharing menu, perfect for couples, friends, or anyone who just loves good food: 2 courses for £38 | 3 courses for £46, finishing with their homemade raspberry marshmallows because everyone deserves something sweet at the end of the night.
Whether you’re planning a date night, mate night, or fancy a great meal at your favourite local, you’ll find a fun, relaxed atmosphere waiting for you at The Prince of Wales. https://www.princeofwalesiffley.co.uk/book
@princeatiffley
Jojo’s Cocktail and Pizza Bar
You can’t go wrong with pizza! Expect a classy, romance-ready venue with elegant décor, live music setting the mood, themed games for couples and friends, and aesthetic Valentine’s-themed cocktails.
Jojo’s will serve their classic and timeless delicious pizzas and, as a special extra, sweet cupcakes from Happy Cakes – we just love Ox businesses supporting each other. An atmosphere made for date and mate nights, or a stylish night out. Guests will have the chance to win a Golden Ticket on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Valentine’s weekend. The Golden Ticket winner receives a £20 bar tab for JoJo’s! Because Valentine’s Day should always come with a little sparkle and a lot of love. https://www.jojosbar.co.uk
Treadwell, The Store
Treadwell will be welcoming guest chef Sabrina Gidda – a familiar face on television and a respected voice in modern British cooking – for a five-course Valentine’s dinner served on 13 and 14 February. The menu is bold and generous, opening with achari salmon tostada, followed by chicken & prawn agnolotti in miso dashi, before rump of lamb with preserved lemon zhoug.
Dessert is unapologetically indulgent: hot chocolate mousse with banana ice cream. Expect confident flavours and food that’s very much about pleasure rather than ceremony.
Choose to join for dinner only, or turn it into a night away with an overnight stay at The Store, including breakfast the following morning. Dinner only is £95 per person, including a welcome cocktail and a gift from the chef. Overnight stays start from £485 for two, including the five-course dinner and breakfast.
Book a table
View the menu
The Crazy Bear, Stadhampton
The Crazy Bear is hosting two romantic events for Valentine’s Day weekend, with a Masquerade Ball and extravagant dinner. Kick-starting the Valentine’s weekend will be the Masquerade Ball on Friday 13th February, including live performances and jaw-dropping choreography from Duo Durran. Cabaret star Ruby St James will host the Masquerade Ball, while guests can also enjoy a signature Crazy Bear Thai and English buffet, plus house DJ from 10pm until 1am.
On Valentine’s Day itself, Crazy Bear welcomes guests to its romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner, with live music and a remarkable three-course meal in the luxurious surroundings of Oxfordshire countryside, creating the perfect romantic setting.
For more information and to book tickets, please visit: crazybear.co.uk/home/valentines-day-at-stadhampton/
Shan Shui, Bicester
Bit of a shopaholic? Then perhaps a spot of couple-shopping at Bicester Village and a warm, hearty meal at Shan Shui Restaurant is what you need this Valentine’s. Indulge in their exquisite range of Chinese-inspired cocktails and teas while making your pit stop for those tired soles. Take a look: https://www.instagram.com/shanshuirestaurant/
Not the biggest V-Day fan? This Lunar New Year, on 19 Feb, Shan Shui will host Bicester Village’s next Dish & Tell Supper Club, featuring chef and cookbook author Justin Tsang. Justin is dropping an exclusive one-night-only 8-course indulgent sharing menu that takes your taste buds on a wild ride through bold and diverse Chinese flavours. Also includes an exquisite Moutai baijiu cocktail. Book now.
The Nut Tree Inn
If you’re looking for something extra special, why not celebrate Valentine’s day at the Michelin star Nut Tree Inn? They offer a 6 course tasting menu with optional added wine flight if you’re feeling extra fancy. Lunch £125pp Dinner £150pp. Book online: https://nuttreeinn.co.uk/ or call 01865331253.
The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe
Enjoy a delicious, memorable 4-course date night in the pub’s cosy, relaxed setting. £60 per person. Visit https://www.thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk/menus/ to reserve your table for 2. Dog friendly too!
The Killingworth Castle
The Killingworth Castle in Wootton near Woodstock & Blenheim Palace has announced a luxurious tasting menu, just for Valentine’s Day. For £95 per person, expect the likes of hand dived Orkney scallops, turbot with champagne and dill, and salt-aged duck, followed up by two desserts and petites fours to finish. https://www.thekillingworthcastle.com/
Permit Room by Dishoom
I’m sorry – I can’t write any guide without giving these guys a shout out. I have never ever had a bad dish here. The food is incred, the cocktails never disappoint and the staff are ALWAYS happy and brilliant. Hats off always always. Their Clover Club cocktail and the Spinach Chaat will be my order until the day I die. https://www.permitroom.co.uk/locations/oxford/
Sweet treats…
Crosstown Doughnuts
Crosstown have cooked up a limited-edition Valentine’s Eton Mess doughnut: pillowy sourdough filled with basil-coconut Chantilly, glazed with strawberry and topped with strawberry-black pepper meringue. Available as singles, boxes or dough bites, in-store and online from February 2nd – 19th.
www.crosstown.co.uk
Gatineau
Gatineau are bringing back their popular Valentine’s Cake that launched last year. It consists of an almond biscuit base with an exotic mango, coconut, passion and lime centre, velvety vanilla whipped ganache, and a dazzling raspberry glaze. Available as individual or large cake (4-6 portions). They also have raspberry heart macarons, and chocolates from Le Chocolate des Francais.
All products can be ordered online for collection from the Summertown shop or Bakers’ Yard in Kidlington, or delivery can be organised for the Oxford area. You can also call ahead to reserve for collection.
Website: https://www.gatineau.uk.com/seasonal.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gatineau.ltd/
Phone: 01865311779.
Snowflake Gelato
Strawberry Pavlova is the Flavour of the Month and new for this season! It was inspired by the iconic dessert: crisp meringue, whipped cream, and ripe strawberries. The gelato captures that contrast of airy sweetness and juicy fruit, creating a scoop that feels light, playful, and indulgent all at once.
As Snowflake’s Flavour of the Month, Strawberry Pavlova is only available for a short time. It’s the kind of treat that turns a casual visit into a special one – and gives Valentine’s dates an extra reason to stop by.
Snow Berry is Snowflake’s signature strawberry gelato – crafted around the berry of love itself. Light, creamy, and bursting with ripe strawberry flavour, it’s a scoop that feels joyful, romantic, and instantly familiar.
https://snowflakegelato.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/snowflakegelato/
Monkey Puzzle, Thame
Monkey Puzzle is a gorgeous cafe in Thame, well worth visiting at any time of year, but especially in the sunnier months as they have a very pretty garden you can have afternoon tea in! This February, they’re serving Valentine’s themed bakes and afternoon teas (all made in house), the staff are warm and friendly, and they encourage you to bring your four-legged friends along.
Il Corno, The Covered Market
Celebrating Valentine’s Day the Neapolitan way: extra passion, extra sweetness, extra fizz. SPECIAL OFFER: 2 glasses of Prosecco and 2 sweet taralli £12.50. What a steal! https://www.ilcorno.co.uk/
Happy Cakes
Send love via cake with Happy Cakes’ Valentine/ Galentine / Palentine gift box of cupcakes. £22.50 for 6 or £45 for 12. https://www.happy-cakes.co.uk/
Proof Social
Another one I can’t ever shut up about. My fave thing to do when I have a weekend with no plans is walk along the river to Proof Social, grab a pastry (or 6) and walk back while munching. They’re always coming up with new ideas, but are loyal to the classics too. https://www.proofbakehouse.com/
Drinks, gifts, and things to do…
Tap Social
Cosy up to The Market Tap by Tap Social, which sits within The Covered Market for pre-Valentines drinks and live music from rising 23yo musician Ollie Charles on Thursday, 13 February, with 25% off pints and large glasses of wine from 6pm – 8pm and music from 7pm.
https://www.tapsocialmovement.com/pages/themarkettap
Custom Made
Custom Made is an Oxford based brand creating beautiful jewellery and hair accessories. Their playful and gorgeous, yet functional products are designed and created in house in the Custom Made studio in Oxford, and make for lovely gifts.
Custom Made have been very generous and are offering an exclusive discount to Bitten readers. You can get 15% off on orders from the Custom Made website with code BITTENVALENTINE. The offer runs until midnight Monday 9th February, perfect timing to shop for valentines treats. https://www.custommadeuk.com/
Flight Club, Westgate
The lively fairground-inspired cocktail and Social Darts bar is calling all those focusing on friends this Valentine’s to round up their gang of guys or girls and celebrate platonic love with its Galentine’s Brunch from 13th – 15th February. The two-hour bottomless brunch includes a welcome cocktail, a bottle of Prosecco or four beers each, live DJ sets and bottomless sourdough pizza paddles.
The two hours are split with 60 minutes at the oche and the second hour at a bar table to polish off the pizza and Prosecco post-Social Darts. Tickets are priced from £33 per person. What could be better than gathering your bestie’s for flowing drinks, good food, some friendly competition, and unforgettable moments!
Book Galentine’s Brunch at Flight Club here: flightclubdarts.com/our-experiences/galentines-brunch
Oxford’s Botanic Garden
Spend Valentine’s Day at Oxford’s Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in the UK founded over 400 years ago. Enjoy the natural, seasonal beauty and science of its glasshouses, beds and borders, in the same place that inspired Oxford literary greats J.R.R. Tolkien and Philip Pullman. The HorseBox Coffee Co provide refreshments in the Garden, nestled by the river bank.
The Garden’s Boutique is also home to a range of carefully curated, botanically-inspired gifts such as ‘Metaphysic’, a bespoke, modern eau de parfum that captures the changing scents of the Garden throughout the year. This exclusive fragrance features exotic top notes of kumquat and bergamot, followed by central layers of rose, magnolia and lily, finishing with a warm autumnal woody base of frankincense and amber.
Other unique gifts include a limited-edition ‘Black Pine Collection’ of desk accessories, decorations and cufflinks, hand-crafted from the legendary tree which stood in the heart of the Garden for over 200 years, and ‘Physic Gin’ produced from botanicals grown and foraged in the Garden.
Shop in person at the OBG Boutique https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/shop or online via the Ashmolean Shop https://shop.ashmolean.org/
Ashmolean Museum Shop
Treat your Valentine to something special from the Ashmolean and their selection of beautiful gifts inspired by the museum’s collections. The Valentine’s range includes fashion, jewellery, books, home interiors, stationery, prints, food and drink and features a number of exclusive design collaborations. Available in the Ashmolean Shop, or online. https://shop.ashmolean.org/collections/valentines-day-gifts
Why not gift a Membership and make a date to see the Ashmolean’s 2026 exhibitions ‘In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World’, and ‘Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess’ – for free. As well as unlimited entry to our ticketed shows, Membership also includes exclusive previews and events, a Members Magazine, plus dining and shop discounts. https://www.ashmolean.org/membership
Flo Spa and Wellbeing
Couldn’t not give this wonderful place a quick shoutout. I got my partner a voucher for Christmas and we used it recently, and it’s the perfect gift for someone who loves the hot tub and sauna life, and is partial to a cold dip. They offer a few different ticket options, but for £30pp we got 1.5 hours use of the sauna, hot tubs, cold plunge, lake swim if you’re brave enough – and also got a little welcome cocktail. It’s right by a forest so has gorgeous views too! It’s worth giving them a follow on Insta too, as they often do last minute discount deals. https://www.flowellbeing.co.uk/
So what are the Bitten crew doing this Valentine’s?
Holly will be going back to the beloved New Wave Brasserie and Bar, Lechlade who are launching special V-day menu. A good one if you like seafood! https://newwavebrasserie.com/
Nicola is planning to stop off at the stunning Gees for a few cocktails. She’s dying for another of their spicy margs, and maybe up for trying something new too! https://www.geesrestaurant.co.uk/
Faith is thinking about making the most of the cocktails on offer at Gulp Fuction in the Covered Market (you could always pick up a romantic book of poetry at the same time). Or if she’s really feeling a little sneak away somewhere, it would have to be the downstairs room at Lynrace in Jericho – a delightful, low-lit snug filled with quirky furniture.
And me? It’s my partner Charlie’s birthday around that time, and he’s been desperate to try out Firehouse Grill so we’re booked in there for lunch! We may then do a little pub crawl of the dog friendly pubs near us in Oxford in the evening to carry on the celebrations – probably the Rusty Bike and Magdalen Arms!
Whether you’re spending it with a partner, family, friends, or hate Valentine’s and fancy a solo date day – we hope we’ve left you with some good inspo to eat well and have a good time this Feb! Let us know what you end up doing.
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