Treat your Valentine to a luxurious and sophisticated evening with JLife’s pick of hotspots and cultural activities for a loved-up night in the city.
On the Town
Looking for an alternative Valentine’s gift? Opera North, the national opera company will be unleashing a special ‘Fatal Passions’ package which includes all the essentials for an unforgettable night out at the opera.
For £60 you can enjoy one of Opera North’s Italian blockbusters in Leeds across February. Experience either Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni or Un ballo in maschera in one of the best seats in the house. Before the show, you will pick up your free programme from the box office and enjoy a pre-show drink at the theatre’s partner bar Manahatta, including a choice of three special cocktails inspired by the operas.
For another slice of culture, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Twelfth Night will be screened live at the Everyman cinema in Leeds on Valentine’s Day night. William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Christopher Luscombe, is a comic and romantic tale of two twins who are separated in a shipwreck, and forced to fend for themselves in a strange land. The first twin, Viola, falls in love with Orsino, who dotes on Olivia, who falls for Viola but is idolised by Malvolio. But enter Sebastian, who is the spitting image of his twin sister…
Table for Two
One of Leeds’ latest additions to its already wide-ranging dining options is the New York-inspired Neighbourhood on Greek Street. As well as being a restaurant, it is also a bar that offers plenty of opportunities for a quick boogie if you and your partner feel so inclined. Inspired by the multicultural food of the Big Apple, Neighbourhood’s menu is a mix of American, Italian and Asian cuisines so there’s certainly plenty of choice for your all-important romantic evening. If you really want to push the boat out, then this new hotspot also allows you to book one of its booths for the evening, with table service all night, just in case dining turns into…drinking and then into…dancing.
Baked with Love
For the sweetest Valentine’s treat, Le Pain Quotidien, the French bakery and restaurant situated in ever-popular Victoria Gate shopping quarter is offering love-struck couples and would-be bakers to learn the secrets of baking in its semi-regular baking classes. Exclusively for Valentine’s Day, attendees will learn how to make fresh meringue Pavlova and tiramisu and biscuits, as well as Le Pain Quotidien’s signature ‘speculoos’ – spiced, caramelised shortcrust biscuits. This three hour session which starts at 6pm will include hot drinks and canapes, plus the chance to sample you and your partner’s own freshly baked organic goodies.
Two Drifters
The Academy Award-winning ballad Moon River from the classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is at the heart of an evening of live song and music for Valentine’s Day at the Howard Assembly Room. This twilight concert on 14th February of classics from the American Songbook performed by members of the Chorus of Opera North – which was founded in 1978 and regularly performs in a wide range of concerts and recordings ¬– will get the evening swinging. This is followed by a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, directed by Blake Edwards. The classic story remains as popular as ever: stars of the age, George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn play two bohemians who fall in love against a backdrop of glittering 1960s Manhattan.