A Lover’s Guide To A Swoon-Worthy Valentine’s Day In Brisbane
love is in the air
By Victoria Lewis | 30th January 2026Some featured businesses are sponsored and proudly endorsed by style. We only promote businesses we love and think our readers will love too!
Ah, yes — Valentine’s Day. As dreaded as it is anticipated, this lovesick little sister of Christmas and New Year’s has a habit of sneaking up just in time to make booking a decent reservation or ordering a dress feel mildly impossible.
Packed with its own unique stressors — like finding a gift your partner will actually use — planning V-Day can feel like an extreme sport. And this year, the pressure is very real, because Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday. Yes. A Saturday.
Which is exactly why we’re playing cupid. From Brisbane’s hottest cocktail bars and restaurants with swoon-worthy city views (plus what to wear to them), to romantic getaways just a spontaneous drive away, we’ve pulled together top-tier options to build your perfect Valentine’s Day itinerary.
Whether you’re fine diners, wellness warriors or staycay sophisticates, consider this your all-in-one guide to making the most of it.
Where to wine & dine
The much-fretted dinner reservation is the bread and butter of a good Valentine’s Day itinerary. It sets the mood of the entire day, and we cannot stress its importance enough – the dinner plans are make-or-break. But which restaurant is the one? Do you choose Essa with the moodiest lighting, Boom Boom Room with the comfiest booths, or Short Grain with the best plats à partager?
Nothing says romance quite like a candlelit dinner, and the sultry surrounds of Petit, the riverside appeal of Supernormal, or the secluded energy of Savile Row and Honto are really calling all lovers this V-Day.
But for those keeping it cool and casual this year, this southside suburb might just be the way to go. If you’re a West End local, then you already know about all the relaxed (but refined) dining gems the suburb has to offer; Caravanserai, Flying Colours, and Bar Francine just to name a few, but if you really want to up the romance this year, why not wine and dine inside the cosy heritage-listed church slash French restaurant, August. C’est magnifique!
Got plans after dinner?
Let the night linger long after the last course, and go for a hand-in-hand stroll down to one of Brisbane’s many adorable wine bars. After-dinner drinks are a must on Valentine’s Day, and no place says relaxed but romantic like the intimate new Fountainhead Winehouse in Newstead or Paddington locals LouisB and Noir. Sophisticated wine menus, on-point ambience, and tempting array of small bites made for sharing make for the perfect night out.
For more after-dark antics, head to The Alligator Club for live jazz, moody lighting, and good times guaranteed. Then, when it comes to cocktails, you can’t go past Ruby My Dear for their record-playing retro vibes, or Death & Taxes for their edgy menu and vintage-coded interiors. Then, for a more lively sort of mood, you’ve got buzzing James St mainstays like Gerries Bar or LOS, and MAYA Mexican just down the road to really keep the party going.
Ditch the dinner & drinks
But for those of you who hear romantic dinner and think ‘been there, done that’, there are still plenty of ways to embrace the occasion with fun, yet sophisticated activities that blend day and night.
But after all, Valentine’s is a holiday to celebrate your way – wellness-conscious couples, I’m looking at you. This V-Day, we say skip your morning gym sesh and instead take on the outdoors together with a scenic hike up Mount Cootha or a long New Farm river walk loop.
Then, let the world fade away and sink into bliss at the wellness haven, City Cave. For 60 minutes, you and your partner can float weightlessly together in a private pool filled with 400kg of Epsom salts; a calm, low-stimulation setting designed to help you slow down, switch off, and reset – together. Extend the indulgence by combining services and adding a remedial massage or an infrared sauna session, designed to help ease tension as you relax side by side. Step in together, and float into a moment that feels entirely your own. And for last-minute lovers, City Cave gift cards are an effortless – and convenient – way to share the experience, with over twenty locations in and around Brisbane to unwind at.
Speaking of fun ways to mark the occasion, recreate that iconic scene from the movie Ghost and get down and dirty with a beginner-friendly pottery class at Wilston’s Our Space Brisbane. A bonding experience and a fun keepsake to keep the memory close? Count us in!
For the old-school romantics among us, immerse yourself in an elegant Candlelight Concert, listening to timeless love songs from classic films (we’re not crying, you are). Or celebrate your love with an enchanting night of rhythm and blues at The Jazz Room, or a glow-in-the-dark performance of Sleeping Beauty by Ballet Of Lights. Live performance, romantic atmosphere, and unforgettable memories – now that’s what I call dinner and a show!
Then, come sundown, embrace the vintage charm of your local boutique cinema and enjoy a night of wine-fuelled movie magic with your nearest and dearest. And with the season’s hottest drama, Wuthering Heights (starring our nearest and dearest, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi) making its anticipated Aussie cinema debut on Valentine’s Day, there is no better time for a trip to the flicks.
But if you’re more in the mood for a movie under the stars with your lover, then you’re in luck. Dendy Powerhouse is showing The Princess Bride on February 14, along with a lineup of other iconic chick flicks that weekend – so that’s date night, sorted.
A little staycay goes a long way
Consider this your second calendar alert: Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year. Good news? You’ve got the whole weekend to celebrate. Bad news? That’s a lot of time to fill with plans. So, how do you show them you really care? Why, a little staycay of course! With bohemian Byron Bay hideaways like Swell Hotel or Sun Ranch just a short drive away, you’ll be living in luxury in no time.
But if the sunny coast is more your style, check into the brand new Elysium Noosa resort for a seaside retreat neighboured by Hastings Street’s vibrant shopping and dining scene. It’s just you and your plus one, waking up in your fluffy robes overlooking the ocean with a warm cuppa in hand.
Brisbane’s also buzzing with tempting staycays. Stay a little closer to home and enjoy sweeping cityscape views at Crystalbrook Vincent, choose one of the city’s finest stays like The Calile Hotel. A little Brisbane-based escape? That’s our love language.
Now what are we wearing?
The eternal question: what do I wear? This year, lean into the dark romance trend we’re seeing everywhere (thank you, Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights press tour) with an LBD, a bold earring, and a sultry dark lip. Or channel a doe-eyed, sweetheart vibe with a bright, summery cocktail dress – like this one from City Chic – paired with sleek heels and fluttering lashes. Whether you’re going all out glam for Galentine’s or getting ready for a surprise date night from your significant other (a blessing and a curse), you don’t want to overdo it, but you don’t want to underplay it either.
Here’s how to hit that perfect Valentine’s Day sweet spot.
Gift guide (for him, for her, for everyone!)
For her:
Bad news, fellas. Supermarket flowers won’t cut it. Here’s what to get her instead.
For him:
And ladies, don’t think you’re off the hook. Yes, you have to get him a little something, too. Here are our top picks that he’ll 100% love.
So there you have it! Whether Cupid’s arrow is yet to strike, you’re flying solo, or you’re in a long-term relationship bubble, Valentine’s Day really isn’t so bad, especially when you’re with the ones you love (and have a bangin’ itinerary).
Ciao, lovers!
Imagery: @nicki.au / @jacquiealexander / @city.cave
