Top Valentine’s Day Events and Activities in Chicago
Move out of the way, Paris! Chicago is taking over as the city of love this Valentine’s Day. With elegant and decadent dining options like a table at Chicago’s Most Romantic Restaurant, a luxurious staycation at one of the city’s most swanky spots, an interactive mixer at the hottest new year-round rooftop bar and blowouts and bubbly with the girls, we have rounded up all the sweetest soirees and specials to help make this Valentine’s Day the ultimate evening of love (or just as an excuse to spend the night out admiring our amazing city!).
Enjoy a Sweet Surprise on Valentine’s Day from a Robot Concierge
Chicago’s favorite robot hotel concierge duo, Leo and Cleo, are taking a day off from their usual hotel responsibilities of greeting guests and delivering amenities and room service to guests of the hotel to play Cupid. This Valentine’s Day, Leo and Cleo of Hotel EMC2, Autograph Collection, 228 E Ontario St., will offer randomly selected hotel guests a special Valentine’s flower delivered straight to their hotel room, celebrating the convergence of art and science through collaboration, innovation, and imagination. For more information, please visit Hotel EMC2’s website.
Cherish Your Love at Chicago’s Most Romantic Restaurant
Listen up, lovebirds! Geja’s Café, 340 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago’s premiere fondue restaurant long-known as “Chicago’s Most Romantic Restaurant,” is spreading the love for a nine-day Valentine’s Festival. From Saturday, February 9 through Sunday, February 17, Geja’s Café will be magically embellished and will feature a selection of rosé sparkling wines and champagnes, delicious fondue cuisine, perfectly complemented with entertainment throughout the evening from live flamenco and classical guitarists. The Valentine’s Festival will also play host to the ever-popular Celebration of Marriage Night, where couples receive an added discount based on the years they have been married. Those looking to celebrate on February 14th can also indulge in the Valentine’s Dinner Package. Regardless of what you are looking for, one thing is certain: Geja’s wants all patrons to eat their hearts out. For more information, please visit Geja’s website.
Take in the VU with Someone New (Or Your Tried and True!)
Chicago’s hottest rooftop destination to hit the South Loop neighborhood, VU Rooftop Bar, located 22 stories above McCormick Place at 133 East Cermak, hosts Me + VU, an interactive Valentine’s Day mixer, on Thursday, February 14 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Find your matching puzzle piece and win a prize (or two) while enjoying live beats, unprecedented city views, friendly mingling and more! Tickets to Me + VU are $35 per person, and include entry to the mixer, two specialty cocktails developed by Advanced Sommelier John Williams or choice of bubbles, along with passed bites curated by highly acclaimed Executive Chef Nolan Narut. For more information, please visit VU’s website.
Experience Love at First Bite
The contemporary restaurant concept located inside Hotel EMC2, the Albert, 228 E Ontario St., will be offering its guests the chance to experience “Love at First Bite.” Executive Chef Larry Feldmeier has prepared a special four-course chef’s tasting menu for the occasion, offering guests an intimate and elegant dining experience. As the perfect way to spend a night with your one and only, the menu also offers an optional wine pairing. The four-course tasting menu will be available for $65 with an optional wine pairing for an additional $35. For more information, please visit the Albert’s website.
Sip on Champagne and Spend a Day at the Spa
For those looking to relax and rejuvenate this Valentine’s Day, Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, 222 N Columbus Dr., is the most luxurious destination to call home. This year, couples can enjoy the Romantic Escape Package, which includes overnight accommodation for two in a Fairmont Guestroom at 20% off the best available rate, late checkout, and a bottle of bubbles, starting at $189. Guests can upgrade their stay with a variety of add-ons, including one dozen roses, a blowout, ice skating for two at Maggie Daley Park and breakfast in bed with mimosas. Guests looking to restore and reconnect this year can treat themselves to a getaway at Fairmont Chicago’s spa. mySpa’s Be Mine Package offers a champagne toast for two, 25-minute soak in the infinity tub with a seasonal bath bomb, 50-minute couples myMassages, and 50-minute couples signature facials starting at $500 per couple on weekdays and $550 on weekends from February 1 – February 28. Fairmont Chicago is also inviting Fairmont Gold guests to a Valentine Soirée, the Some Like It Hot Fondue Party, in the exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge, February 15 -16, featuring tableside fondue and signature cocktails crafted from local distilleries. Guests looking to take advantage of Fairmont Gold and join the Valentine Soirée may book the “Gold Rush Package,” receiving three nights for the price of two. For more information, please visit Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park’s website.
Get Glam with the Girl Squad or Before the Big Date
Whether celebrating Galentine’s Day with the girls or getting prepped for the perfect night, Chicago’s new luxury salon located in the heart of the Gold Coast has got it covered. Bentley Hair and Beauty, 43 E Oak St., is offering guests an extra special treat. Monday, February 11 through Saturday, February 16, guests of Bentley Hair & Beauty will receive a stylish blow out, a delicious cocktail and a head and scalp massage for just $60, plus gratuity. For more information, please visit Bentley’s website.
Savor the Moment with a Special Meal
Located downstairs of the Renaissance Chicago Hotel, Staytion Market & Bar, will offer a special Valentine’s Day a la carte menu for singles and couples alike to enjoy, complete with delectable bites, cocktails, and sweet treats available Thursday, February 14 through Saturday, February 16 from 4pm to 10pm. Special items on the menu include Steak Tartare with capers, pickled red onions, herb salad, and espelette aioli complete with a cured egg yolk and a crispy crostini for dipping, and Gemelli Pasta Cacio e Pepe II with crispy cauliflower, parmesan, scallion, black pepper, and parsley gremolata. Dessert options include Raspberry Mouse Heart Cake with pistachio crunch and champagne sorbet, as well as Sacher Torte with caramelized hazelnut and espresso creamux. Themed cocktails on menu include El Corazon with Vida mescal, honey, and chocolate bitters, Flirty Fizz with FEW barreled gin, chai, lemon, and prosecco, and We’re Mint to Be with cucumber vodka, blood orange limoncello, lemon, mint simple, and soda. Live music will be provided by Aly Jados on February 14th and Robbie Gould on February 15th from 5pm to 8pm. For more information, please visit Staytion’s website.
For the Couple that Loves Thrills and Chills
Chicago’s smash hit production, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, running at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 N Halsted St., through February 17, is inviting guests to try something new this year. For those looking to bond over a spine-tingling live theater performance, the production is offering a complimentary drink at the bar with the purchase of a ticket using code VDAY. The production has been called “Spectacular” by the Chicago Sun-Times, and dubbed “A ghost story everyone will love” by the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones, receiving rave reviews from critics across the board. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the production’s website.
For the Fit Couple: A Sweat Session with Your Sweetheart
Hailed by the New York Times as “the best one-hour workout in the country,” Orangetheory Fitness now boasts 50 locations in the Chicagoland Area. Perfect for every couple looking to get flirty with fitness, everyone in class wears a state-of-the-art heart rate monitor and their individual heart rates are displayed in real-time on large monitors positioned throughout the studio. Easily adjustable based on your current fitness level, the Orangetheory training programs are scientifically designed to maintain a customized target zone (known as the “orange zone”), otherwise known as the optimal level to ensure you make the most of those 60 minutes. For more information or to find a list of locations, please visit the Orangetheory Fitness website.
Get Egg-cited for Red Velvet French Toast
Chicago’s home for brunch, Yolk, is inviting couples to enjoy a complimentary Sweet Single of Red Velvet French Toast with the purchase of any two entrees. Constantly pushing the envelope with new and creative breakfasts, specialty juices and its own private label premium coffee in urban, upscale settings, Yolk is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch fare. Yolk’s menu includes signature specialty dishes like gourmet five-egg rolled omelet, eggs florentine, a wide range of skillets and scramblers, pancakes, frittatas, crepes and many more scrumptious options, as well as all-star menu items from Yolk’s inventive Test Kitchen. This sweet special offer is available during normal business hours at each of the eight Chicago Yolk locations and must be redeemed in-store. For more information, please visit Yolk’s website.
Say “Be Mine” to an Exciting Event
Bringing the romance to Chicago’s Loop neighborhood this Valentine’s Day, Raised, An Urban Rooftop Bar, 1 W. Wacker Drive, is hosting a special Sweet and Sour event on Thursday, February 14 from 4pm to 12am. The year-round rooftop destination will offer a themed food and beverage menu, as well as live music to celebrate the special day. The Valentine’s Day menu, available Thursday, February 14 through Saturday, February 16, is set to provide a mouthwatering selection of crave-worthy items including Blue Point Oysters with candied lime zest, micro cilantro, and champagne mignonette, Lemon-Shitake Pappardelle with parmesan and herbed butter, and Candied Sweet Potato Flatbread topped with Mt. Townsend Trufflestack, béchamel, sautéed spinach, and charred red onion. Patrons craving a sweet treat can enjoy the Chocolate Cup Cake with a vanilla boozy, cream center or the Pork and Doughnuts, three crispy old fashioned doughnuts sprinkled with maple pork and a chili glaze. To complement the standout dining menu and embrace the love in the air, Raised Mixologists have created an innovative selection of beverage options including Cotton Candy Cocktail made with Cucumber and Orchid Infused Ketel One, Rinomato, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and cotton candy, Float Your Boat served with Ford’s Gin, Koval Jasmin, grapefuit tonic, lemon sorbet, and Juniper berries, and Sour Heart with Rinomato, Orchard Apricot, simple syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, and egg white. For a twist on the normal cocktail, Raised will be also serving Gummy Hearts with hibiscus and honey syrup. Local music will be provided by Chase & Park on February 14th 4pm to 12am and DJ 5IVE on February 15th 5pm to 8pm. Daily happy hour specials at Raised will also be available during the Sweet and Sour event. For more information, please visit the Raised website.
Stay in and Enjoy Some Spa Treatments
Treat yourself, and your better half, this Valentine’s Day! Spa@theWit, located on the fifth floor of theWit Hotel, 201 N. State St., is excited to offer specials from Sunday February 10 through Thursday, February 28. Perfect for the couple looking to relax, Spa@theWit is offering luxurious treatments such as the “Blissfully in Love Couples Massage” complete with a glass of champagne to celebrate one another and the “Playing Footsies Couples Pedicure,” including a hydrating mask and relaxing massage. As the perfect gift or the ultimate “treat yourself”, Spa@theWit is also offering “Just for You Massage + Pedicure”. No matter which option guests choose, the experience is sure to leave guests so relaxed they will not want to leave! For more information, please visit the Spa@theWit website.
Shop ‘til You Drop and Then Stay for More Fun
Home to top retailers including Saks Off Fifth, Z Gallerie, Dicks Sporting Goods, It’Sugar, Lovesac, Modshop, James & Sons Fine Jewelers and many more, NEWCITY, 1457 N. Halsted Ave., is the perfect place to spend the day shopping with your sweetest, the girls or even the entire family! NEWCITY offers a wide range of dining options including Yard House, Earl’s Kitchen + Bar, German Kitchen Center and more. After a nice meal and a day spent in the shops, guests can catch a must-see movie at ArcLight Cinemas. NEWCITY has all the makings for a Valentine’s Day well spent. For more information, please visit the NEWCITY website.
