Valentine’s Day is Friday, February 14. Are you prepared for this annual celebration of love? Have you made plans for a romantic day/evening/weekend? If not, there are countless opportunities around the Grand Central neighborhood to celebrate Love…and YOUR love(s)…during this special time of year!
WINE AND (OR) DINE THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE AT A GCP AREA RESTAURANT:
There are a multitude of restaurants in the Grand Central neighborhood that offer delicious meals in beautiful and intimate settings. Check out our listing of area restaurants on our website, from our annual Grand Gourmet – The Flavor of Midtown® roster, or read on for some suggestions to get you started!
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Benjamin Steakhouse (52 East 41st Street, between Park and Madison Avenues – 212-297-9177) and its sibling restaurant The Sea Fire Grill (158 East 48th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues – 212-935-3785) are both serving lavish three course prix fixe menus featuring their respective specialities for Valentine’s. Each restaurant’s menu is $99 per person. Click here for the Benjamin Steakhouse menu, and here for The Sea Fire Grill’s.
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Brasserie (100 East 53rd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues – 212-751-4840) – and the rest of the Patina Group restaurants here in Midtown East excepting Cucina & Co. (Café Centro, La Fonda Del Sol and Naples 45) – will be offering a special prix-fixe menu for three days (Thursday, February 13 to Saturday, February 15) for Valentine’s Day celebrants. The tantalizing three-course prix-fixe at Brasserie is available for $55 per person. Click here to look over the full menu.
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…And click here to see Café Centro‘s (200 Park Avenue; On 45th Street between Vanderbilt and Lexington Avenues – 212-818-1222) similarly delicious-sounding three-course, prix-fixe Valentine’s Day menu (also available February 14 – 17).
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Charlie Palmer’s Aureole (135 West 42nd Street, corner of 42nd and Avenue of the Americas – 212-319-1660) is offering Chef Marcus Ware’s exquisite Six-Course Gourmand Tasting Menu beginning Thursday, February 13 and continuing through Sunday, February 16. An exquisite selection of some of Chef Ware’s best dishes, the tasting menu includes his divine Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Fresh Mandarin, Braised Fennel, Breakfast Radishes and Jura Wine Sauce, as well as Aureole’s takeaway treat of freshly made ‘Breakfast in bed’ donuts. Click here for full details and to reserve your table.
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Celebrate El Dia de San Valentin at Dos Caminos – Third Avenue (825 Third Avenue, corner of 50th Street – 212-336-5400) with irresistible specials for the holidays including their Colqueta cocktail made with Jacques Torres chocolate! Click here for a list of all the delicious options.
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La Fonda del Sol (200 Park Avenue; On Vanderbilt Avenue at 44th Street – 212-867-6767) will also serve a special three course prix-fixe menu that – in addition to entrees to order individually – includes two entree options to share. Romantic! Click here to take a look at the complete menu. Available February 13 – 15.
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With delicious, perfectly-cooked steak frites bathed in their signature house sauce perfected at the famous French original, Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte (590 Lexington Avenue at 52nd Street – 212-758-3989) is a little slice of Paris right here in Midtown East! Slip in with your valentine, order a bottle of wine or a classic Kir Royale, indulge in the decadent French desserts that are also on offer, and keep this Valentine’s simple yet completely romantic!
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LT Bar & Grill (8 West 40th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues – 212-582-8200) is offering a three course prix fixe menu with a wide variety of delicious options for the special day. Click here to view them, and reserve your table today!
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Click here to view the Valentine’s Day three course prix fixe menu from Naples 45 (200 Park Avenue; On 45th Street between Vanderbilt and Lexington Avenues – 212-972-7001) where they’ll be offering this special menu February 13 & 14.
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Pera Mediterranean Brasserie (303 Madison Avenue, at 41st Street – 212-878-6301) will offer live jazz and a champagne toast for all Valentine’s Day diners! They’re serving a four-course prix fixe menu for $67 per person. Click here to view the full menu.
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Strip House Midtown‘s (15 West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) decadent 24-layer chocolate cake is sure to make your Valentine’s Day memorable. Reserve a table for a delicious meal to preface dessert, or buy online for home delivery here!
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SHOW YOUR LOVE WITH A GIFT OR TREAT:
Below are just a few of the area’s businesses that offer what may be the perfect gift – from tasty to thoughtful (or both!) Click here for our listing of all GCP area businesses for an even broader selection.
Baked by Melissa (109 East 42nd Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues – 212-842-0220) has deliciously uniquely flavored bite-size cupcakes that could be just the trick to make your loved one’s heart (or taste-buds?) flutter.
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InnaSense (Lexington Passage, Grand Central Terminal – 212-883-7660) is the perfect place to find a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry that’s sure to appeal to your loved one’s sense of romance. Let InnaSense’s newly-arrived gold pieces, mosaic bracelets, and necklaces, be one of the ways you express your love this Valentine’s.
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The Library Shop (The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, First Floor, Room 116 – 212-930-0641) has a great selection of unique gifts for any occasion. Click here to browse their special gift sections (“Under $25″, “Under $50″, “Under $100″, “For Her”, “For Him”.)
Note: All proceeds from Shop sales go to support the mission of The New York Public Library. Library members receive a 10% discount on every purchase (join now).
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Li-Lac Chocolates (Grand Central Terminal, Grand Central Market – 212-370-4866) has a large variety of traditional heart-shaped chocolate assortments of their distinctive, hand-made chocolate confections from which it’s easy to choose the perfect gift for your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Visit their website to see all their Valentine’s Day offerings and specials.
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Take advantage of Links of London‘s (In the MetLife Building, 200 Park Avenue – 212-867-0258) special Valentine’s Day promotion (valid January 27 – February 14) and receive a complimentary White Sapphire Heart Charm with the purchase of any Mini Sweetie Bracelet (restrictions apply).
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BOOK A ROMANTIC “GETAWAY”…RIGHT HERE IN MIDTOWN!:
What could be better than a night for just the two of you? For Valentine’s, book a room at one of our Grand Central Partnership district hotels, many of whom are offering special Valentine’s Day packages! Choose from Hotel 373 Fifth Avenue (click here for their Valentine’s Day special), Langham Place Fifth Avenue (Special “Couple Retreat” offer info, here.), the Dylan Hotel (Check out their Romance Experience), the Library Hotel, (which is offering five uniquely literary special packages for lovers, including “Star in your Own Love Story”!), the Grand Hyatt New York, (See their Romance package, here), the Westin New York Grand Central (whose Valentine’s Day offer is right on their main page!), the Hilton Manhattan East (Valentine’s Day package details), the Fitzpatrick Grand Central (Valentine’s Day special, here), The Roosevelt Hotel, Club Quarters Grand Central, Hotel Boutique at Grand Central, the Gotham Hotel (Valentine’s info), or The New York Palace (listed in order from South to North in the GCP District.) You’re sure to find something perfectly suited for you and your loved one!
Not exactly what you’re looking for (though we find that nearly impossible to believe!?) There are even more hotels just outside the official boundaries of our district that offer even more variety of service, accommodation and price. The Affinia chain of hotels, for example, boasts the Affinia Shelburne and the Affinia 50 right here in the Grand Central neighborhood. Also just out of our district (in many cases literally right across the street!) you’ll find 70 Park Avenue, the Andaz 5th Avenue, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East and Fifth Avenue, Doubletree by Hilton Metropolitan New York City, Hampton Inn Manhattan/United Nations, Hotel Bedford New York, the Hyatt 48 Lex New York, the InterContinental New York Barclay, the Kimberly Hotel, the Kitano New York, the Morgans, the NH Jolly Madison Towers, the New York Marriott East Side, Omni Berkshire Place, Pod39, Residence Inn New York City Manhattan Midtown/East, Roger Smith Hotel, Seton Hotel, The Benjamin, The Court and The Tuscany by St. Giles, The Lexington New York City, the Vanderbilt YMCA, the W New York, the Waldorf Astoria New York, and the Wyndham Midtown 45, just to name a few.