Valentine’s Day is not that far away - and those of you who haven’t already made a booking at a fancy restaurant or come up with the perfect romantic plan may still be on the lookout for ideas.
So we’ve compiled ten of the most interesting and quirky things you can do for Valentine’s Day, and perhaps one of them might just be the inspiration you need.
But you better check them out fast because some of them have limited availability already.
Here are our ten shouts for alternative and quirky Valentine's Date ideas:
Go on a chocolate tour
For those who have a sweet tooth, going on a Butlers chocolate factory tour for Valentine’s day might just be one of the best things. The tour, which is about 90 minutes long, includes chocolate tastings throughout, decorating and taking home your very own Butlers chocolate novelty, learning some facts about chocolate in the Butlers Chocolates cinema and dressing up like a chocolatier in a lab coat and mop cap.
Learn more about the tour at Butlers official website . Adult tickets are €16.95 per person.
Read more: How to have a blast on Valentine’s Day if you’re single in Dublin
Learn how to make decadent chocolate desserts
Perhaps you want to ditch industrial chocolate in favour of making your own. In this case, learning how to make desserts with your partner could be a truly memorable experience. Dublin Cookery School is hosting a Decadent Chocolate Desserts workshop on 14 February where you and your significant other will learn to prepare all things chocolate-y.
The sample menu includes ganache cake, “decadent” cookies, warm chocolate mousse, chocolate truffles and truffle ice cream. Find out more at Dublin Cookery School’s official website . Tickets are €90 per person.
Dance at a roller disco
If sweet things are not your thing, roller disco might be. The Rink at D12 have a top class roller disco, and they have a sound system and a lighting rig for a complete experience. They don’t have anything for 14 February but they do have spots available for the weekend before that. To book your tickets, go to their official website . Tickets start from €10.
Go to a Masquerade
Maybe it was too expensive booking those tickets to Venice for their annual masquerade. We get that – some of the carnival events there can be around €500 euro. However, you can go to a masquerade in Dublin for a fiver.
The Valentine's Day Masquerade Party at Ohana offers Live DJ from 10pm, a #loveislove shot – with the proceeds going to a Charity, 3 for €10 on house shots, a special Valentine's Day cocktail, and of course – masquerade masks.
You can still bring your most dramatic outfit and the event organisers say “nothing is too out there this Valentine’s day”. Find out more on their Eventbrite page .
Go to a ball
There will be a Valentine's Charity Ball in aid of The Irish Heart Foundation. It’s a black tie event and they urge people not to forget their red/pink as well. The ball will be at Iveagh Garden Hotel on 11th February at 8pm.
The ball will have ‘finger food’, music and drinks, and people will also be getting a glass of Prosecco on arrival to kick off the night. General admission tickets are €50 euro per person. Find out more on the ball’s Eventbrite page.
Compete with other couples by throwing axes
For a date with a difference, maybe try throwing some axes together in the Axe Club. Better yet, compete with other people in how well you can throw these axes. Bonus points here gets the fact that the targets will be heart-shaped, and the winning couple gets matching T-shirts. Tickets are €35 per person and pizza is included.
There’s limited availability, so if you’re keen on playing Cupid – but with axes – get your tickets here. As they say, “couples that throw together, stay together”.
Have a romantic stroll and find out more about the Secret History of Gay Dublin
Our queer readers who weren’t already tempted by any of the previous activities might be interested in going for a romantic stroll and learning about the history of Gay Dublin – from heroes like Oscar Wilde to dashing gay villains. Find out more about the prominent queers in Dublin’s history while doing this 90 minute historical tour. Tickets are €11.70 per person.
Go to a Valentine's Day themed Flea Market
For those that still haven’t gotten a present for their partner, it might be worth bringing them to this Valentine’s Day themed Flea Market and just letting them pick their gift. More than 25 sellers from fashion, art, arts and crafts, creative services, and handmade gifts will have their stalls up in the four different rooms of The Grand Social bar and venue on Liffey Street. R egister for a free ticket to secure your place.
Visit St Valentine’s Shrine in Dublin
Couples who truly want to celebrate St Valentine might want to attend his shrine in the heart of Dublin where his remains are located. Couples visit Whitefriar Street Church throughout the year to pray to Valentine and ask him to watch over them in their lives together but the feast-day of the saint is a very popular time to go.
Embrace your inner child together
For a truly fun night out with your date, you can play retro arcade games at Token in Smithfield, or perhaps some board games at The Clockwork Door on Wellington Quay, or the Square Ball on Hogan Place. The Clockwork Door has video games and an escape room as well if that’s what you prefer. Or maybe try trampoline jumping together – The Jumpzone is for all ages, after all.
How are you planning to spend Valentine's Day with your partner? Let us know in the comments below.
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