The Best Valentine’s Day Events in the Mother City & Winelands

Let Emo Adams inject a little laughter and music into the Valentine’s weekend, as he takes to the stage alongside Loukmaan Adams, Muhjahid George, Alistair Izobell and the Sean D band. The Valentine’s Sunset Concert takes place on Sunday February 16, 2025, at the Protea Marriot Hotel Liesbeek Avenue, just off Liesbeek Parkway in Observatory. Lay your picnic blanket on the lawn and settle in for a few hours of fun, food, music and lags courtesy of one of the Cape’s best-loved entertainers.

Gates open at 4pm, there will be DJs from 5pm, and the show starts at 6pm. Tickets cost R200pp. Picnics baskets can be pre-ordered (or bring your own) but note that no alcohol or beverages may be brought into the venue.

Don your best threads for dinner at The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel & Spa on February 14, with a four-course culinary adventure. Executive Chef Tronette Dippenaar and Head Chef Daniel Blignaut will be pulling out all the stops with an indulgent menu of oysters, shellfish and inspired main courses.  The Valentine’s dinner will be served in the elegant Greenhouse venue overlooking the hotel gardens; the perfect place for a romantic pre-dinner stroll 2. Bookings are essential. Dinner costs R895 per person, including a complimentary glass of Cap Classique on arrival.

Cape Town’s favourite outdoor cinema shares the love with a four-day festival of big-screen romance that’s perfect for couples in love, or a squad on a night out. Gather your besties for ‘Mean Girls’ on Wednesday, February 12, at Kirstenbosch Gardens, and don your pink attire for a chance to win the best-dressed prize. Thursday 13^th is ‘Galentine’s Day’ with ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle’ – also at Kirstenbosch – offering the perfect excuse to gather your girlfriends. Valentine’s Day will see Galileo launch its first-ever double screening, with shows at both Kirstenbosch and Nooitgedacht Wine Estate. Fittingly, gracing the screen will be ‘Valentine’s Day’, starring Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, and Bradley Cooper. The weekend ends off at Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch on Saturday 15^th, with ‘Pride and Prejudice’ starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

You could hardly ask for a sexier restaurant setting than The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse. It’s a sultry, moody space deep in the belly of the Mount Nelson Hotel, where cosy booths and tables à deux offer the perfect posse for an evening of romance. Start in the Dim Sum lounge, complete with an impressive menu of cocktails, before heading to the main restaurant. Indulge in their special Valentine's Menu, which offers four courses, dessert and a signature Pan-Asian cocktail for R1200 per person.

Get set for a feast at Bo-Vine, an elegant grill room set just steps from the sandy shores of Camps Bay. Soak up the sunset in their colourful cocktail bar before stepping through for dinner. The set menu (R950pp) begins with a glass of bubbles, before a curated three-course menu that offers a delicious choice of plates per course. The Valentine’s Dinner is available only on February 14, 2025.

Reopened in 2024 after a gorgeous top-to-toe refurbishment, Palm House Boutique Hotel & Spa is making a splash this Valentine’s Day weekend! On V-Day itself, Friday 14^th, look forward to a Moroccan-themed evening picnic (R535pp) set within a Bedouin tent on the poolside lawns. Indulge in a picnic basket brimming with delicious bites and a bottle of Cap Classique bubbles. For something more upmarket, book a table at de Tafel, where chef Gregory Henderson offers a six-course seasonal tasting menu that taps into wild, foraged and hyper-local produce. Dinner costs R850 per person with an optional wine pairing (R600pp). And why not make a weekend of it? Palm House is offering a 20% discount on accommodation over Valentine’s weekend!

Chef Ryan Cole’s gorgeous waterside dining destination in the V&A Waterfront offers an ocean-inspired, seafood-led exploration of Africa and its shorelines. It’s a good choice any day of the week, but on Valentine’s Day COY has teamed up with Creation Wines for a special edition wine-pairing! Choose the seven-course menu (R1550pp) for either lunch or dinner, paired with Creation Wines, and you’ll get loads of delectable extras: a glass of Creation Elation Cape Classique on arrival, a rose, oysters, and petit fours. You’ll also receive a red-is-the-colour-of-love R&R take-home cocktail.

Show your beloved your best moves at The Grand Africa Café & Beach’s seafront dance floor as Cape Town’s favourite disco & house series rolls into town on Saturday, February 15. Tunes come courtesy of The Disco Pirates, Abby Nurock, Roz, Los Jetsons, Kat Luz and Funky G. Tickets are from R450 per person, with VIP table bookings still available (minimum spend applies).

Make the most of balmy summer days with a picnic in the Sculpture Gardens at the Norval Foundation in Constantia. Available from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 February, the talented team at Grub&Vine are offering a generous picnic basket for two (R1250 per couple), along with a welcome glass of bubbly to enjoy as you decide where to lay out your blanket. There will be live music through the weekend, and the cost includes entrance to the Norval Foundation Museum.

Soak up the views as you sip fine wines from Bruce Jack, and tuck into a memorable dinner on the rooftop of The Hyde Hotel. Well-priced at R950 per couple, the evening includes two glass of Cap Classique to whet your appetite for a generous three-course menu enjoyed with panoramic city views.