With the most romantic day of the year just around the corner, loved-up partners will be scrambling for ideas to impress their other half. Lavish gifts or trips are off the table for most of us during a cost of living crisis, but Valentine's Day can be just as special if you show your appreciation through the little things. Even if you hate the occasion altogether, it's always nice to have an excuse for a delicious meal.
To prove that love can be shown on a budget, Aldi has released a whole range of special three course meal deals for a romantic, candle lit dinner at home. The cheapest one of the bunch offers incredible value, as couples can enjoy a starter, main and dessert for just £3.64 per person. Gobsmacked by the budget price-tag, and in need of some Valentine's Day inspiration, I decided to rush down to my local Aldi to give the meal a whirl.
The meal deal landed in stores on Thursday (February 9) and I plumped for the cheapest one available to really put its value to the test. It includes heart-shaped cheesy garlic bread to start, a decadant-sounding lobster-filled raviolo, and a chocolate-filled heart for dessert- which is vegan! It sounds really fancy considering the cheap price tag, and I was hopeful it could be a lovely meal to make someone swoon.
While Aldi has done most of the work for you here, I still love the idea of cosying up with a romantic meal at home, as it shows you care when you prepare a three course dinner for your partner.
First up was the cheesy garlic bread, £1.29, which comes in cute little pizza-box-style packaging. It looks super adorable thanks to its heart shape, and when it was baking in the oven, it smelt delicious.
Aldi says this sweet starter is "just enough to set their appetite alight" and it definitely was a good sharing-size starter, but when we cut the heart in half, my partner did point out it was not the best symbolism ever...
Anyway, broken hearts (or hopefully not!) aside, the garlic bread was very bready, and not very garlicky. This may have been purposeful so your breath doesn't stink afterward, but I'm a garlic lover, so was a bit disappointed when it didn't pack a punch.. But, where the bread was really cheesy, it was undoubtedly yummy.
Next up was the lobster pasta, £2.99, which quite frankly sounds too good to be true. It's something many of us would plump for in a swanky restaurant, but sadly my high hopes were dashed when I realised there was no sauce to accompany the lobster-filled ravioli.
There might be some folk out there who prefer their pasta sans sauce, but for us, it was rather gutting, so we had to get creative.
My partner decided that a homemade white sauce would compliment the fish flavours perfectly - it contained milk, garlic, onion, flour, butter, cloves, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
In true Lady and the Tramp style, we decided to share the bowl and just eat out of it together. When I say that the pasta was mouth-wateringly delicious, I really mean it. I'm a huge fan of seafood, so it really hit the spot, but the filling was perfectly salty, had a strong lobster flavour, and was just all-round tasty.
This dish definitely gets my seal of approval, and I'd be more than happy if I was served this on Valentine's Day - but it would've been nice for Aldi to provide a sauce to finish it off.
Now, I must admit that my partner and I were a little apprehensive about the dessert because it's vegan. I often find that vegan chocolate gets a bad rep, and that's definitely clouded my judgment before, but my mind may have been changed after tasting the melt-in-the-middle heart, which cost just £2.99.
The humble heart-shaped pud was just as romantic as it was delectable - we both absolutely loved it.
The gooey chocolate inside tastes just like the real deal - if I didn't know it was vegan, I'd be none the wiser. The cake exterior of the heart was a little bit crumblier than I'd like, but honestly, this was the star (or the heart) of the show for me.
And, if you wanted to push the boat out, you could add a £3.99 Aldi wine to your shopping list too.
Overall, if you're on a budget or trying to keep Valentine's Day low-key this year because you're saving up for something else, I'd definitely give this meal deal a go. There were some slight disappointments, but it definitely exceeded my expectations for the price.
There are also other combinations you could try as Aldi has an extensive Valentine's Day meal deal range, and for the price, I'd say this is a pretty tasty treat.
Do you think you'll try the Aldi Valentine's meal? Let us know in the comments.
