Prefer staying in on Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone.
London may be heaving with swoon-worthy restaurants made for romancing, but trying to nab a table isn’t for the faint-hearted.
If it’s your prowess (or lack of) that's putting you off dining at home, the nation’s grocers and gourmet food companies have come riding in to save the day.
February 14 may be the ultimate date night, but is going all out really the best option? Home can serve the occasion just as well, if not better. Dim the lights, crack out your nicest tableware, line up the playlist, and put the Champagne on ice — this is not a night for Prosecco, loved as it is.
And when it comes to actually cooking the big meal, let the supermarkets do the heavy lifting. They’re seasoned pros in the dining-in game after all, with combos routinely available all through the year. Come Valentine’s Day, the game shifts up a notch, with premium cuts, elevated sides, and close-your-eyes-delicious desserts, all prepped to within minutes of plating.
It’s music to the ears of shaky home cooks: for the most part, there’s not much to it but decanting, mixing, or slinging prepared dishes into a hot oven, which means you can focus your efforts on setting the scene (also deeply important) instead.
The good news is that there are options for every price and palate; dine-in meal deals to tickle bargain hunters and lavish lovebirds. From vegan and pescatarian options to the failsafe steak and chips with a few delicious surprises along the way, there will be a winning combo to fit the bill.
As agents of Cupid, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up the finest food of love options from the nation’s top grocers and online food specialists to help you nail the ultimate Valentine’s Day menu for 2026.
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Waitrose Valentine’s Day dine-in deal 2026
It says something that one of the boujiest options around is still only just £25 for two diners, a bargain in a city like this. As you’d expect, Waitrose’s 2026 offering looks and tastes premium, with drinks included in a three-course meal that spans the grocer’s curated No.1 menu.
You could start with No.1 Scallops & King Prawns swimming in Roasted Garlic West Country Butter or No.1 Italian Antipasto with Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Drizzle. For mains, there are 13 options for every palate, including five new options this year like Beef Wellington, a veggie Wellington, or Kefalonian Sea Bass topped with gremolata butter. Pick and mix from seven sides, before the dessert course, which spans nine options.
While the Sicilian lemon tarts do sound refreshing, the idea of a chocolate ganache torte just pips it for sheer decadence.
Buy now £25.00, Waitrose
Dishpatch x Waitrose Valentine’s Day dine-in deal 2026
If it’s restaurant-level dining your heart desires (minus the queue and dozens of other eyeballs in the same room), Waitrose has you covered. The supermarket has once again rolled out menus with Dishpatch to deliver curated menus from long-established chefs like Paul Ainsworth, Michel Roux, Rick Stein, and Angela Hartnett.
On the most affordable end of the scale sits Hartnett’s veggie offering. For £70, eenjoy luxe picky bits to start — rosemary focaccia that warms a treat in the air fryer, fat Nocellara olives, smoked almonds and smoked aubergine dip that I could have eaten by the spoonful.
The main, slung into the oven just before serving the starter, was comforting baked gnocchi with a simple side salad. Initially, I wasn’t sold on the chocolate olive oil cake (it seemed on the small side), but its richness proved me wrong, satisfying all involved.
The glory of Dishpatch is the chef-standard work, most of which is already done. Those little finishing touches — warming bread, dressing the salad, smothering the cake in creme fraiche — made me feel like I’d made just enough effort.
Buy now £70.00
M&S Valentine’s Day dine-in deal 2026
Marks n Sparks has put its premium range — M&S Collection — on offer for Valentine’s Day. It makes sense, given a whopping 82 per cent of its customers said they planned to stay in this year.
The set-up may be standard (three courses), but the selection is not. M&S Collection is all about restaurant-grade dishes made with ingredients from M&S’s top-tier producers. It’s a sizeable list of options that can be tweaked to suit gluten-free, vegan, veggie, pescatarian and carnivorous diners.
Starters include the likes of king prawn and lobster thermidor, handmade dim sum, and pork and ham hock terrine. From there, things pitch up a level with Wagyu, duck, chicken, salmon dishes, paired with everything from creamed spinach and five cheese macaroni cheese, and hassleback spuds. Wrap things up with cheesecake, torte, profiteroles or pistachio and chocolate spheres, just some of the stars in the dessert course line-up.
Buy now £25.00, M&S
COOK Valentine’s Day Meal Box
It’s always a good idea to have a few COOK meals knocking about in the freezer. The family-owned company hand-prepare dishes, which are then quickly frozen to lock in the nutrients.
For Valentine’s Day, the company has come up with four menus to suit meat-eaters and veggies, with luxury options in the mix, all starting from £33.75 for two diners.
The beauty of ordering from COOK is that you can prepare everything together for your February 14 feast, or add in fresh options and save some of the frozen dishes for later.
What to pick? There are Wellingtons of all flavours (beef, salmon, or Portobello mushroom), with three cheese fondant souffles or veggie tarte tatins to have first, and sticky toffee puddings, mango cheesecake, or lemon tart to finish.
Buy now £33.75, COOK
Tesco Valentine’s Day dine-in deal 2026
The price of Tesco’s Valentine’s dine-in deal may raise some eyebrows — it was £12 with a Clubcard last year, maintaining its affordable stance. In 2026, you’ll get to choose two sides instead of one, but does this justify the £8 increase?
If you value choice, maybe. The supermarket says more than 50 per cent of the Finest range on offer is new this year, like garlic and parsley dough balls surrounding a wheel of Camembert (to be made melty in the oven), an antipasti grazing platter complete with heart-shaped Grana Padano cheese, and Mediterranean-style breaded prawns with a hot honey dip. New mains this year include marry me chicken kiev, salmon and prawn en croute, and slow-cooked duck with a port and morello cherry glaze. Steak comes with a pat of Cafe de Paris butter, a herby flavour that’s also served on steak at Le Relais De Venise.
Dessert-wise, there’s white chocolate hearts spiked with a Prosecco compote, salted caramel mousse, and a Belgian chocolate brownie heart, amongst others.
A simpler deal of a main with a side, a dessert and a drink is also available for £15.
Buy now, Tesco
Co-op 2026 Valentine's meal deals
From the grocer’s “Irresistible” range, Co-op’s Valentine’s offering is concise, with nine mains and six sides to choose from. Yes, about half the options compared to its rivals - but also half the price. It will work if you’re budget-conscious, have a smaller appetite due to lifestyle changes, or want to top and tail your meal with homemade options.
Mains include steak or a chicken and mushroom pie, with vegetarian couples offered an Aubergine Parmigiana dish. The sides on offer include buttered mash, triple-cooked chips, garlic flatbread, daupinoise potatoes, a vegetable medley, or a babyleaf salad bowl.
Buy now £10.00, Co-op
