Enjoy a romantic meal out:

A delicious dinner eaten in beautiful surroundings is a great way to spend quality time together and when it comes to picking the perfect location, North Yorkshire’s many award-winning restaurants will leave you spoilt for choice. If you’re looking for a laid back bistro that offers plates to share, Bantam in Helmsley serves up a variety of imaginative dishes with a menu that borrows from French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Another informal dining spot is Roots in York. At this highly-rated restaurant by the River Ouse you can sample the best of modern Yorkshire food. Roots’ fantastic ‘farm-table’ menu celebrates the area’s rich farming heritage by using seasonal produce in new and inventive ways. Offering lunch in the Yorkshire Dales, The Angel in the village of Hetton has been awarded a Michelin Star. This historic inn boasts an exquisite 7-course tasting menu curated by chef Michael Wignall. If you aren’t that hungry, you can also dine a la carte here or just call in to try Wignall’s delectable cotton gin. Alternatively, for an all out indulgent experience, you could visit Grantley Hall – AA’s English Hotel of The Year for 2022. This luxury spa near Ripon has five restaurants, including the Michelin-Starred Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall where food is prepared using meat from nearby farms and fresh Yorkshire seafood, seasoned with herbs and vegetables grown in the hotel’s own kitchen garden. Grantley Hall is also home to EightyEight, a fusion restaurant that serves a contemporary take on classic Asian dishes. A meal here is an experience in itself due to the restaurant’s enchanting interior, along with its beautiful Japanese garden, which can be dined in on warmer days. 

Plan an extra special staycation:

If you’d like to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a relaxing spa break, the Feversham Arms & Verbena Spa in Helmsley might be just the place. This grade II listed former coaching inn has been transformed into a Mediterranean-inspired oasis with an AA Rosette Award-winning restaurant and an open air swimming pool. The Feversham offers its own rooms and suites, so you can stay overnight here and spend a weekend in luxurious surroundings. Alternatively, if you’d like to get closer to nature without skimping on comfort, you can escape to the countryside with a stay at Morndyke Shepherds’ Huts. Set on a working farm just outside Thirsk, these five shepherds’ huts are cosy and well-equipped with a wood burning stove and mini kitchens featuring Emma Bridgewater crockery – there’s even a fire pit to warm up around outside. Another unique staycation can be enjoyed at Skipwith Station. Situated on the Derwent Valley light railway line that closed in 1985, the station features three refitted railway carriages that you can holiday aboard, as well as an old loading bay, which has been converted into a holiday cottage with its own hot tub. Each carriage has been sympathetically kitted out and retains the feel of being on a train while offering the convenience of a modern kitchen, an ensuite bathroom and proper beds.

Learn a new skill or try something different:

If you’re a gin lover, you might already have heard of the Rare Bird Distillery. These artisan distillers have been producing their London dry gin in Malton’s Talbot Yard since 2016 and now you can too at their Gin School. This 2-3 hour experience begins with a guided tour of the distillery, where you’ll learn all about how gin is made. With the help of Rare Bird’s master distiller, you’ll then get to use a miniature copper still and your choice of botanicals to create a 70cl bottle of gin to take home. Alternatively, if you can’t go out for a date this Valentine’s, Love Cheese & Wine are offering a romantic night in with ‘bubbles and brie’ instead. Book a tasting on their website and a hamper filled with six delicious cheeses and two full-size bottles of fizz will be delivered straight to your door. At 8pm on the evening of the 11th February, you can then join ‘the big cheese’ Harry Baines as he talks through all of the pairings live on Facebook. If you’re thinking of buying that special person jewellery this February, why not present them with an opportunity to make their own instead? Talented silversmith Helen Drye crafts unique nature-inspired jewellery at her Silver & Stone studio in the village of Riccall. At her workshops, you can learn how to make silver fidget rings, bangles, seaglass pendants and more – all under expert guidance. If you’re planning to make this Valentine’s extra special with a proposal, Helen also offers couples the chance to create their own wedding rings together. 

Make magical memories together:

If you fancy travelling back in time to a more romantic era, a trip to Castle Howard might be just the thing. This elegant stately home sits in 1000 acres of parkland in the midst of the beautiful Howardian Hills. The house itself is currently closed for the winter but its idyllic gardens alone are well worth a visit, with temples, monuments and follies to discover. You can even imagine yourself in your favourite scenes from Bridgerton here. Castle Howard appeared in the popular Netflix series as Clyvedon Castle, home of the Duke of Hastings and his new bride, Daphne. If your other half loves modern art, they might prefer a day spent at Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden. This new outdoor exhibition space opened in 2021 and is curated by Bill Gerrish, an art dealer who specialises in impressionist to post-war art. The sculptures on display here include works by Michael Lyons, Tim Pomeroy, Gerald Laing, Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva and Zak Ové. If you’re looking for a more unusual way to celebrate Valentine’s day, SEA LIFE Scarborough is offering the chance to have breakfast with their seals. This bookable VIP experience takes place at 9am, while the centre is closed to the general public. You’ll be able to accompany a trained staff member as they feed resident seals, Ed, Boo, Pendle and Mando. You’ll then have a ‘fantastic’ breakfast at the cafe before enjoying a private guided tour around SEA LIFE’s other attractions, which include more than 2,000 amazing creatures.

Images: The Angel, Love Cheese and Wine, @hike_n_walk