Valentine’s Day is nearly here! If you’re stuck for date ideas to spend some quality time with your favourite person, The Winchester Bakery is here to help. Whether it’s a first date, a “pal”entine’s day friend date or you’ve been married for many years, Winchester offers plenty of romantic settings for a Valentine’s Day to remember…
Coffee date… Start your Valentine’s Day with a cosy coffee date in our cosy upstairs seating area, in front of our impressive 16th century fireplace. Our team will brew your favourite coffee to perfection, ready to enjoy with a fresh pastry, a Valentine’s treat or a cake from our counter!
A romantic walk... There are plenty of routes to enjoy a stroll around the city, taking in historic spots and scenic vistas. We have 3 walking routes which start and end at The Winchester Bakery, inspired by our fireplace painting’s 5 Gates of Winchester. Other popular routes around the city include St Giles Hill for scenic city views, or enjoy a longer wander along the river and up St Catherine’s Hill (we recommend taking your pastries with you for a picnic at the top!). You could also meander through Winnall Moors to enjoy some of the fine British wildlife we’re lucky to have on our doorstep.
Relax and unwind... There are plenty of spas to enjoy in Winchester, whether it’s a sauna, swim or a massage or manicure, or simply relaxing somewhere with your best friend! Try Vita Skin Spa or Winchester Hotel & Spa in town, or head a little further afield to Sutton Scotney’s Norton Park for a spa experience.
Catch a show…
Everyman Cinema – On Valentine’s Day, see 10 Things I Hate About You or Bob Marley: One Love on the big screen. Everyman is a unique cinema experience, with comfy sofas and plush chairs to sink into (perfectly themed for Valentine’s Day in red), there’s to-seat service for snacks and drinks which is available throughout the film, and they serve particularly good pizzas, tapas sharers and build-your-own sundaes, perfect for a Valentine’s date! Book here.
Theatre Royal – whilst there are no performances on Valentine’s Day itself, you could gift your person tickets to a show at a later date, or see something over the weekend. ENCORE Youth Theatre’s performance of Guys & Dolls runs from 15th February-17th February. For music lovers get tickets for The Take That Experience, Awake My Soul: The Mumford & Sons Story or Mania: The ABBA tribute. For a good laugh, join the Winchester Comedy Festival’s Spring Gala at the end of February. Search other performances and book tickets here.
For star-crossed lovers…
From 10th-18th February Middle Brook Street & Kings Walk will be full of twinkling lights, stars, planets and galaxies for an out of this world evening to remember! Glowing Galaxies promises to be an Instagram-worthy event and what’s more romantic than a little star gazing? Find out more here.
Winchester Cathedral is hosting Festival of the Moon until 18th February. An art installation by Luke Jerram which measures 7m in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre represents 5km of the moon’s surface. It’s a beautiful, atmospheric and breathtaking installation set in the nave of Winchester Cathedral, perfect for a Valentine’s Date that’s a little different! Learn more here.
Of course, you won’t be short of dining options for the day. We’re lucky to have a brilliant array of restaurants, pubs and bars all over Winchester if you’re opting for dinner and drinks, from more casual dates to fine dining experiences and impressive cocktails.
