Covent Garden, London

Whether you’re strapped for cash or planning an all-out no expense spared bash, here’s a selection of cracking Covent Garden-based suggestions for the most loved-up day of the year.

£0 – £10

Pop into Regent Gifts in the Market Building to pick up one of the cute heart-shaped pendants. Regent gifts also offers an engraving service, so you can add a special message for your lover. While you wait for the engravers to finish their etching, pop over to Eliizabeth Patisserie Studio (44 Bedford Street) for a complimentary hot drink. Try one of their Hungarian fruit tarts too, for just £1.50. Keeping your budget in mind, take a stroll along to Trafalgar Square for The National Gallery’s Valentine’s Day Tour. It’s a fabulously romantic place to be, and the tour is completely free. Kicking off at 4pm on February 14, a guide will take you around some of the most romantically significant paintings in the permanent collection – simply turn up at the Sainsbury Wing Information Desk to join in.

£10 – £20

An early afternoon arrival at Covent Garden’s famous Punch & Judy pub (40 The Market) should ensure that you get an all-important spot on the outside balcony. Grab a bottle of house wine and then sit back and enjoy the show as street performers wow the crowds below – it’s like your own personal box at the theatre! Or if you’re looking for a low-priced, but high quality, hand-crafted gift for your fella, then Artizen in Covent Garden’s Apple Market has unique cufflink sets for sale from just £15.

£20 – £30

For a date with a difference and if you, like us, are strangely addicted to MasterChef, head to celebrated Mexican ‘street food’ restaurant Wahaca, run by 2005 MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers. Forget about limpid fajitas and dull sauces, this is the real deal with its packed tables testament to the popularity of Miers’ authentic take on this often underrated cuisine. Try the sustainable shrimp tacos or the smoked mackerel tostada for a taste of how Mexican food should be done, from around £15 per head.

£30 – £40

Take an early dinner at Tuttons a cosmopolitan brasserie on The Piazza, in the heart of Covent Garden. A rib-sticking main course and glass of wine will set you back around £40 for two – we recommend the rump of lamb, Merguez sausage, roasted red pepper & coriander cous cous or the fillet of sea bass, tomato & black olive gnocchi with watercress dressing. And if dinner has left you a little short of funds, then burn off your meal by standing through a ballet performance at the Royal Opera House. Non-seated tickets are available from around £4 each.

£40 – £50

For around £50 you can treat your loved one to a piece of hand-made silver or gold jewellery from Lidia and Roy Ferguson’s stand in Covent Garden’s Apple Market. Many of these unique pieces, some with precious and semi-precious stones, contain unusual charms and messages – so much more effective and permanent than saying it with flowers! Alternatively, book a table at Carluccio’s on Garrick Street. This is the Italian chain’s flagship store, housed in a 19th century building close to The Piazza, and a suitably luxurious location for love declarations. Besides its superb pizza and pasta, the roasted sardines and adventurous meat dishes are also worthy of the most demanding gourmand’s attention. Around £50 will get you a cracking meal for two.

£50 – £70

Start the day off on a true luurve footing with a hand-made, boxed Valentine’s card from Covent Garden’s Karrie Barron Cards, whose bespoke creations can be found in the Apple Market. For around £10 you’ll get something that your partner couldn’t bear to consign to the recycling bin. With £60 to spare, why not book a couple of tickets for Dirty Dancing at Covent Garden’s Aldwych Theatre. A word to the wise here, fellas, we know it’s not normally the sort of show that you’d be up for, but your girl will be pleasantly surprised that you’re prepared to take her to a stage-based chick flick. Who knows, you may even find yourself humming quietly to the hits…

£70 – £100

Head to Carat* in the Market Building and pick up your beloved a pair of high quality synthetic diamond stud earrings for around £50. Set in 14 carat or 18 carat gold, it’s the perfect way to ‘get the look for less’ – even celebs such as Angelina Jolie and J-Lo often choose synthetic gems for those red carpet moments. Once bejewelled, whisk your lady over to Clos Maggiore on King Street for an award-winning French feast, set in the sumptuous surroundings of a Georgian townhouse. For £20 per person, the Prix Fixe menu represents outstanding value for money, offering two courses and half a bottle of good wine.

£100 – £150

If the usual high street jewellery shops leave you cold, take a stroll to Hudson in Covent Garden’s Apple Market. Here you’ll find antique cutlery (yes, you read that right) hand-crafted into one-of-a-kind jewellery and accessories. Whether it’s a silver fish knife transformed into a stunning ring, or a dessert spoon morphed into a bracelet, these eye-catching pieces (priced £50-£80) have to be seen to be believed. Ladies, if your chap has picked you out some fine jewellery, why not treat him to a manly feast at Rules, London’s oldest restaurant. Situated on Maiden Lane, its game and meat-influenced menu has been enjoyed by celebs and heads of state for over a century, and the grand dining room is a suitably impressive space for a special evening.

£150 – £250

Okay, here’s the plan. Stock up on some DVDs from the rental shop; buy a stack of food for a romantic feast and then roll up to Covent Garden’s world-beating St Martin’s Lane Hotel. This Philippe Starck-designed urban hang out, with its sweeping views of central London, is one of the capital’s classiest beds for the night. £250 will get you a fabulous room – all you have to do is arrive with sufficient supplies to ensure you needn’t get out of bed until its check-out time.

£250 and beyond…

First, head to Kabiri in Covent Garden’s Market Building and treat her to a quirky barbed wire black diamond ring (£1,085). With fine collections that rival the best jewellery halls of the world, this new store has already proved a big hit with the fashion press. Next up, switch things around a little so the chap heads off to Nickel Spa (27 Shorts Gardens) for a 60 minute Anti-Ageing Facial (£60), while the lady peruses the fine fashion stores on nearby Long Acre – Hugo Boss and Reiss both offer excellent ‘posh frock’ options. After all, why should it always be the gentler sex who enjoys a bit of ‘me time’ pampering? You’ll no doubt be peckish after all that wandering around, so drop in to La Anabela, a luxury chocolate boutique (16 – 18 Tavistock Street). Settle in at their bar with a cup of Chinese tea while you choose which outrageously rich chocolate cake you’re going to take away for tonight’s mid-night feast. Take a stroll through the Apple Market in the Market Building and pick up a traditional Teddy Bear from Bedford Bears, the mohair bears will make your heart melt. Finally it’s time to blow the budget on a room at the modern classic that is One Aldwych. This award-winning contemporary hotel has a fabulous restaurant, Axis, that’s perfect for a romantic dinner and deluxe suites with jaw-dropping views of Covent Garden and beyond. Ask for Suite 500, with its private roof terrace, and hang the expense – this is a singular experience that you’ll never forget.