Turn off the TV, silence your phone and get ready for a fabulous, food-focused evening with your other half. We've compiled a selection of simple yet special starters, mains and desserts, perfect for a romantic, date-night meal at home. With helpful tips and tricks on what to prepare ahead and how to save time, these tasty dishes offer something for everyone, whether you're after spicy food, a taste of the Med or dishes that deliver serious wow factor.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 35 romantic recipes perfect to share with that special someone.
Here's a winning combination of sweet figs, salty ham, melted cheese and fragrant basil, served hot from the oven. Simply halve the recipe for a lovely starter for two. These little bites take just 10 minutes to bake, and you can prepare them in advance and leave in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
Get the recipe for baked figs with halloumi and prosciutto here
It's a special evening, so why not rustle up a refreshing aperitif to set the mood? This gin cocktail flavoured with fresh grapefruit and lime is just the thing. Halve the cocktail recipe for two but keep the quantity of tostadas – crisp little discs of baked tortilla wraps topped with avocado, spring onion and courgette – the same and serve as a starter.
Soufflés might have a reputation for being tricky, but they're actually straightforward to make and will really impress your dinner date. Plus, did you know you can fully prepare them, then open-freeze and cook from frozen, just adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time? Our recipe is wonderfully cheese-focused – the ramekin dishes are even lined with grated Cheddar and Comté. Simply halve the recipe to serve two.
This fragrant fish dish looks impressive and wins on the flavour front too, with lime, spices and a hint of chilli combining perfectly with creamy coconut milk to form the broth. Make the base ahead of time, then just add the mussels when you're ready to serve. The recipe calls for fresh turmeric root, but if you can't find it, simply replace with 2 tsp ground turmeric. Serve in small bowls, as a starter.
This is a super-easy canapé or light starter that looks pretty and takes just 10 minutes to assemble. Simply arrange shop-bought gravadlax, sliced onions and capers on buttered rye and drizzle with the homemade dill dressing. You could also use smoked salmon or trout and add slices of avocado. Halve the recipe to serve two.
Here, minced pork, delicately spiced with soy, ginger, chilli and garlic, is piled into crisp lettuce leaves. You and your date can help yourselves to chopped peanuts, spring onions and fresh herbs to complete the parcel. This recipe is made in a slow cooker, although you can cook it on the hob for an hour instead and, pleasingly, it can be prepared in advance. Halve the recipe or serve the leftovers the next day with noodles.
Sweet, salty Parma Ham, roasted squash, fried sage and Manchego cheese combine to make this elegant, light starter. The squash is cooked in honey, fennel seeds and chilli for half an hour, then all that’s left to do is assemble the skewers. Halve the recipe below to serve two.
Get the recipe for Parma Ham and butternut squash skewers here
This tasty vegan dish of battered and baked cauliflower tossed in a spicy, sticky maple syrup, soy and garlic sauce is incredibly moreish. The whole thing can be made ahead of time, then reheated and scattered with sesame seeds to serve. Halve the recipe to make the perfect picking starter for two.
Crisp on the outside and tender in the middle, these easy kebabs are fragrant and fresh and make a delicious starter served with sweet chilli sauce for dipping. Marinate the meat overnight, thread onto skewers a few hours ahead of time and then just cook the kebabs in the oven or griddle pan when you’re ready to eat. Halve the recipe to serve two.
The retro prawn cocktail remains a classic starter thanks to being light, tasty and simple to make. Juicy prawns are smothered in a Marie Rose sauce and served with cucumber, crunchy iceberg lettuce and avocado (if desired) and finished with a sprinkling of paprika. Although our recipe uses a homemade sauce, you can just stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, brandy, lemon juice and paprika into shop-bought mayonnaise. The recipe serves six, so simply divide by three.
The recipe takes the ever-popular fish cake in a slightly more upmarket direction (ideal for date night), thanks to the smoked salmon. There's a pleasant kick from the addition of horseradish sauce, which goes so well with smoked fish, and the fish cakes are served with zingy lemon mayo and a green salad. The recipe serves four, but you could always freeze a couple of fish cakes to enjoy at another time.
Here's a dish that will bring a real sense of theatre to the table. Slices of tender raw beef fillet are arranged over vegetables which have been stir-fried in a spicy sauce (tone down the Sichuan peppercorns, if you prefer). Sizzling hot oil is then poured over the beef to sear it. You can prepare everything ahead and it only takes mere minutes to cook once you're ready to eat.
A special twist on chicken schnitzel, this recipe sees ground hazelnuts, fresh herbs, lemon and Parmesan added to the crumb. Prepare the dish ahead of time, then it only takes 15 minutes to cook the chicken. Serve with a green salad or buttered green beans and oven fries or roast potatoes.
Spaghetti may be your go-to midweek staple, but here it's transformed into something worthy of a date-night dinner, thanks to fresh white crab meat, diced preserved lemon and a dash of cream. A little chilli really lifts the flavour of the crab and fresh ginger adds fragrance and warmth. Halve the recipe to serve two.
In this tasty recipe, seared salmon fillets coated in Cajun spices are served with quinoa, sweetcorn and watercress. Marinate the salmon in advance and completely prepare the vegetables ahead, then reheat when you're ready to eat, adding the watercress at the end. The salmon has a lovely, crunchy crust thanks to the milled flaxseed, but you always use breadcrumbs instead.
You don't need to be vegetarian to love this rich, creamy risotto. Roasting the squash first brings out its sweetness and gives texture, plus you can do this in advance. The recipe uses Comté, which is a flavoursome, semi-hard cheese, but you could also use Gruyère or a mature Cheddar. The sage meanwhile adds a heady, fragrant note. Halve the recipe to serve two.
Get the recipe for butternut squash, sage and Comté risotto here
In this tasty recipe, tender loin of pork is served in a tangy, creamy mustard sauce along with apples and leeks. This simple yet stunning dish is perfect accompanied by mashed potatoes and greens. Sear the meat and make the sauce before you sit down for your starter, then just finish it off by heating the sauce and returning the pork to the pan when you're ready to serve the main.
Keeping things simple yet stylish, this recipe sees pearly white haddock cooked ‘en papillote’. And while that might sound fancy, all it calls for you to do is wrap the fish fillets in foil or baking paper along with shallots and coriander, then cook in the oven until tender. Serve the fish drizzled with a ginger and coriander dressing and offer scented basmati rice on the side for a main course that’s sure to impress.
Get the recipe for Michel Roux Jr's coriander and ginger baked haddock with scented rice here
On the table in just 30 minutes, this easy dish consists of chunks of chargrilled chicken breast served drizzled with a crunchy peanut and coconut sauce, with pickled cucumber offered on the side. Prepare all the individual components an hour or so ahead of time, then it's ready in an instant.
You'll want to seek out fat and juicy fresh prawns for this tasty, speedy stir-fry. The prawns are tossed in Chinese five-spice powder, then added to a mix of stir-fried onions, peppers and chillies, before being drizzled with sesame oil. Serve piping hot, spooned over noodles or rice.
A tender rack of lamb makes the perfect roast for two, so just halve our recipe (but keep the whole egg for coating the meat in the breadcrumbs, which are flavoured with Parmesan). You can prepare the lamb ahead and leave it in the fridge, although do allow it to get back to room temperature before cooking. Serve with your choice of greens and roasted baby potatoes.
Get the recipe for rack of lamb with rosemary and Parmesan here
Punchy, full of flavour and with a real kick to it, this pasta recipe is just the thing to ensure date night goes with a swing. The Bloody Mary-inspired rigatoni dish features a simple sauce with depth of flavour galore: garlic, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, cream, Parmesan and an all-important glug of vodka (or gin) mean this easy-to-assemble main has a seriously grown-up feel to it. To serve two, double the quantities in the recipe.
This light and healthy Spanish-inspired one-pot meal is ready in just 15 minutes, leaving you more time to concentrate on the romantic side of things. The flavours of the meaty cod are left to shine and are complemented perfectly by the smokiness of the red peppers and paprika. Serve with toasted sourdough to mop up every last bit of sauce.
With no fancy equipment required and just four ingredients called for – canned evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream and vanilla – this indulgent ice cream can be rustled up in 20 minutes. Serve with your choice of toppings: chocolate or salted caramel sauce and chopped, toasted hazelnuts or pecans always go down a treat. Do make the full quantity, so you have plenty left over for another day.
Hot little puddings served with a chocolate sorbet and peanut butter caramel – there’s no denying this vegan recipe has real wow factor. It takes a bit of effort, but everything can be made in advance, and you could certainly buy the sorbet to save time. The recipe serves four but as the puddings can be frozen, why not make the full quantity and have some in reserve for another day?
With just four ingredients, this rich mousse takes little effort to make and is a winner every time. It's best made the day before, too. Halve the recipe and use two small eggs to make enough for you and your date. Top with whipped cream, chopped nuts and seasonal berries to serve.
Loaded with strong coffee and brandy, it's easy to see why this dessert means 'pick me up' in Italian. With layers of cream, coffee-soaked sponge and chocolate shavings, tiramisù provides a decadent and delicious end to a meal. It's best made the day before serving, to give the flavours a chance to really infuse. Halve the recipe to serve two.
This classic British dessert of whipped cream, berries and crushed meringue is a doddle to make. Our recipe uses shop-bought meringue nests and Greek yogurt instead of cream, as well as frozen berries. It's ready in five minutes, then it just needs to sit in the fridge for an hour before serving. Halve the recipe to serve two.
Salted caramel in any form is always a favourite. Here, the sauce is poured over marinated pineapple, which is griddled until sticky, juicy and caramelised and served with a scoop of coconut ice cream. Halve the recipe for two, but we recommend making the whole quantity of sauce to serve over ice cream another day.
Get the recipe for griddled pineapple with salted caramel here
A granita makes for a refreshing and light end to a meal. In this recipe, watermelon, pomegranate, lime and a hint of mint combine to delicious effect. It's served with buttery shortbreads and a splash of sparkling wine. You could halve the recipe, but the granita will keep for up to a month in the freezer and the shortbreads for three days in an airtight container. Do note, the granita needs to be made the day before serving.
For a dessert that’s on the lighter side, why not give these lovely apple and raspberry coconut parfaits a whirl. A tart, homemade apple compote is layered with sweetened, whipped coconut cream to make the ideal prepare-ahead pud. Top with juicy raspberries just before serving.
Get the recipe for apple and raspberry coconut parfaits here
If you're looking for an easy way to get a chocolate fix, this is the recipe for you. With just four ingredients, these creamy desserts are ready in 10 minutes. Even better, they keep for two days in the fridge so can be made in advance of your date night – just add the toasted hazelnuts when you're ready to serve. The recipe uses agave nectar, although maple syrup will also work. Halve the recipe for two.
A simple pancake gets a delicious makeover with flaked almonds mixed into the batter, a creamy mascarpone and orange filling and a topping featuring plums cooked in a red wine and blackcurrant syrup. The pancakes and plums can be made the day before, simply reheat and fill before serving. Halve the recipe for two.
Dig your spoon into these hot little puddings to find a rich chocolate sauce inside. They're easy to put together and you can prepare them before dinner; simply leave at room temperature, then bake for 10 minutes or so. Serve with thick cream and berries or salted caramel sauce.
In this sophisticated dessert, coffee, caramel and coconut milk work together perfectly for a grown-up twist on a classic. This pud does take a while to prepare but it can be made in advance, plus the biscotti last for ages (and are delicious with a cup of tea). The recipe serves six, so simply divide by three.
Get the recipe for espresso crème caramel here
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Last updated by Dominique Ayling.