To help our readers navigate the restaurant options for Valentine’s Day we called some of the best in town to find out what they’re offering and how much they’re charging. As is the case most years, several are doing some very special things, while others are doing nothing at all.

PS. If you haven’t made a reservation yet, you might want to get on it. Just click the links provided.

C Restaurant

Chef Quang Dang at “C” Restaurant is doing a 7 course tasting menu for $140 that includes Bamfield Pinto Abalone prepared Rockefeller style and octopus bacon-wrapped scallops. It reads like a thing of beauty.

Raincity Grill

Chef Peter Robertson at Raincity Grill is doing a 4 course multiple choice menu for $84 and a 7 course tasting menu for $94 that includes Fraser Valley Muscovy Duck and crispy skinned Ling Cod.

Parkside, La Buca, and Pied-a-Terre

Chris Stewart and Andrey Durbach at Parkside are doing a 4 course prix fixe for $69 that includes beef shortrib ravioli with truffle butter and sage and a mustard and mint encrusted lamb rack. As noted on our front page a few days ago, Parkside is wrapping up operations at the end of the month to morph into a second La Buca, so this is a solid way to bid adieu to one of Vancouver’s most romantic restaurants (read Andrey Durbach’s Scout Q&A). Their other restaurants, La Buca and Pied-a-Terre, are rocking their regular menus.

Boneta

Chef Jeremie Bastien and the boys and girls at Boneta are playing their regular menu for Valentine’s Day. When your motto is “Boneta Loves You”, why bother? UPDATE: they’re sold out with a wait list.

Campagnolo

Chef de cuisine Alvin Pillay at Campagnolo will be rolling out a special sharing menu for two that will be available of Feb. 13th, 14th, and 15th. It fittingly starts with two glasses of Prosecco, moves into a salumi platter, your choice of pizza, your choice from their contorni/pasta selections (tagliarini!), and your pick of desserts. Remember that they don’t take reservations. They’re one of the hottest restaurants in town at the moment, so try to avoid the crunch times between 7pm and 8pm.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

Morton’s The Steakhouse is offering a $119 dinner for two through to the end of March that includes two single cuts of filet, seafood options (do the Shrimp Alexander!), your choice of salads, and either their Key Lime pie or their famous Hot Chocolate Cake.

Chambar

Nico Schuermans and co. at Chambar will be serving their regular menu, but of course they’re already sold out for the night. They do, however, have a wait list. Maybe cross your fingers. You never know, a lot of people break up in the week prior to V-Day…

Gastropod

Gastropod has an early bird prix fixe for $52 and a second seating 7 course tasting menu for $85 that includes their signature oysters with horseradish snow, Filet Mignon, Redbro chicken, Keta salmon, and much more (read Angus An’s Scout Q&A).

Gusto di Quattro

In addition to their regular menu, the kitchen at Gusto di Quattro will be plating several specials, among them freshy shucked oysters, 10oz US Prime Sirloin steaks with truffle Parmesan shoestring potatoes and porcini jus, and grilled Mahi Mahi with ragout of Merguez sausage, clam, and potato.

Cibo Trattoria

Cibo Trattoria is doing a five course $63 menu that sees Neil Taylor’s frutta del mare leading to 40 day aged Pemberton Meadows natural rib of beef with arugula, Parmesan, and 12 year old balsamico (I had dinner here the other night and it was fantastic).

Salt Tasting Room

Kurtis Kolt and the gang at Salt Tasting Room are doing something called “My Blood Alley Valentine 3”, a three-course menu that includes salads, meats, cheeses, paté , breads, and six pairing condiments capped by a tasting selection of sweets from Sweet Ellie. $56 per couple.

Mon Bella Bistoria

Mon Bella Bistoria has got a killer deal on with what looks to be a romantically composed 3 courser for $39 (dishes plattered for two). Dishes include Brie and Dungeness crab soup and beef tenderloin with potato fondant.

Nu Restaurant

The good folks at Nu Restaurant have pulled out all the stops, highlighting “love bite” oysters together with mixologist Chad Gaskell’s cocktails before launching into chef Joseph Sartor’s 4 course menu for $68. Standouts include pan-seared Silverbright salmon with grainy mustard potato cake, braised purple kale and ruby chard, roasted red pepper emulsion, and braised lamb cheeks with roasted garlic pommes puree, Pemberton Root Vegetable Fricasse, gremolata crumble, and rosemary jus.

Soma

Soma is one of the most affordable of the bunch. Their four courser featuring salmon (with beets, Gailan hash, quail eggs, and spicy raita) is selling for just $28. Bonus: they’ve also just come into several high scoring Argentinian wines.

Bishop’s

Bishop’s, I’m afraid, is already sold out for Valentine’s Day, but it should be remembered that they are doing a $38 prix fixe menu based on their current table d’hôte, available from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Think Hazelmere sunroot soup with pink lady apple browned butter leading to a cassoulet of Blue Foot chicken, pancetta, kale and Berkshire pork sausage and closed with spiced apricot bread pudding sweetened further with vanilla cream and caramel sauce. There are other options tabled as well, but that would be my spread.

Cru Restaurant

Cru Restaurant has plenty of options on their $70 four course prix fixe, among them chef Alana Peckham’s slow braised pork belly, Dungeness crab ravioli, and roasted venison chops. It finishes with their Valrohna chocolate pot de crème.

DB Bistro Moderne

Stephane Istel at DB Bistro Moderne is doing a 4 course menu for $85 that includes an oyster and scallop ceviche and duo of duck, among a great many other bits of awesome.

Lumiere

Dale Mackay’s tasting menu next door at Lumiere looks to be a knockout as well – that smoked paprika-crusted Opal Valley lamb rack has me salivating (read Dale’s Scout Q&A).

The Refinery

The crew at The Refinery on Granville have got a good thing going on with a four courser evening for $69 per couple.

Bistro Bistro

Bistrot Bistro is doing a three courser for $50 that includes Laurent Devin’s filet mignon with a blue cheese mustard sauce and closes with a chocolate creme brulee.

Chow Restaurant

Chef JC Poirier at Chow is plating from a $75 five courser that includes oysters two ways; a beet salad with goat’s cheese, apple puree, and hazelnut washed in a balsamic vinaigrette; butternut squash risotto with fried sage, oyster mushrooms, Parmesan and walnuts; and a chocolate terrine with orange confit and coconut ice cream.

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