Concrete Playground’s Guide to Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is coming up, and despite mounting partner pressure, serious self-doubt and a blank canvas, you've got this — but only if you take our help. Whether you want to keep it cheap yet classy or blow the budget and go all-out blockbuster style, Brisbane’s got a fair few options that can easily have the ladies swooning and lads doing just the same.

RITZ AND ROMANCE

Watt is love? I sure don’t know, but The Powerhouse’s Watt Restaurant are cupids at this stuff.  They’re offering a two-course dinner, a river view and a glass of sparkling wine at the not so ridiculous price of $59 for the special day. Bacchus is presenting a Valentines Day degustation with an exceptional menu that will have your stomach falling in love with food all over again– check it.  Spring have just done just about the same, in their own fresh and free reigned style, with a four-course menu that boasts gnocchi, chocolate, kingfish, chocolate, eye fillet, quail and chocolate. Foxy Bean can transform your day into a vintage affair, with their three-course dinner and live cabaret show. Don’t ruin the day - and probably the rest of your love life - by not booking – that’s far too textbook.

DRUNK IN LOVE

If you’ve got the type of partner who is unbearable without a little chemical stimulant, then why not add some alcohol to the Valentine's picture and drink the night away. Jetty Southbank is so excited for the big V they’ve gone ahead and whipped up a special cocktail for it - The Scarlett Darling, a vibrant red cocktail with a mix of gin, fresh watermelon, Chambord, cucumber, mint and lime. Canvas Club in Wooloongabba is forever courteous and classy, and ready at hand with fine drinks in a finer atmosphere. If you want to head West, venture to The End and share a cocktail jug – and if you’re not at the sharing stage yet, just stick to a jug each.

CHEAP AND CHIPPER

Just because it's “Valentine's Day” it doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to show your partner how to have a good time.  Dollars and Cents have some great $2 Valentines cards, produced by the hands of this world's finest photoshoppers. Food and entertainment wise, nothing beats fish and chips by the river. Swampdog’s meal for two is more than enough food for the most romanced of couples - fish and chips for him, calamari and prawns for her. The one thing better than being in love is haloumi, and Little Greek know how to fry it up just right. And if all that’s a tad too pricey, Milton Maccas is pretty nice as well.

LOVE ON THE LAWN

Grass is great, especially when you have someone to share it with. So why not pack a basket with exotic cheeses, discount crackers, and a couple of bottles of apple cider and waste away Valentine's Day fending off green ants. Highgate Hill Park on Dornoch Terrace has a fantastic gradient for sitting and rolling down, and has a better view of the city than Stefan’s tower.  New Farm park is a safe space, that offers views of everything from the river, flowers to that strange pink Barbie mansion in East Brisbane. Or better still, have a picnic in your back yard – cute, convenient and your mum can come.

ADRENALINE APHRODISIAC

Nothing says “I love you”, quite like “I’m willing to die for you”. So why not face death in the face with these not too unsafe activities right here in Brisbane. Hot air ballooning comes at a pretty steep price, but is sure to be a winner, or why not a helicopter flight over the city, all the while pretending you’re in Top Gun – Maverick and Goose were quite the star studded couple after all.  Sky diving is a wonderful, fun, safe, cool and by not means not cliche option – a couple that sky dive tandem, grow old tandem.

PAINT HER LIKE YOUR FRENCH GIRLS

Girls love to be painted. Rose loved it, Napoleon Dynamite’s crush loved it, and the Girl with The Pearl Earing went CRAZY for it. So why not pull a Leo and paint her/be painted for Valentines Day. Cork and Chroma are hosting an evening of wine, Picasso flare, and intense staring, and at the end of the evening you’ll have a 40cmx50cm canvas of your significant other. You'll also be fed - yum, and get to meet other couples, who you can then talk to about The Mentalist. Because that's what couples do.

ALL BY YOURSELF

If you've conquered this whole article, in hope this Valentines Day will be different - no Tim Tams, no The Notebook and no Celine, then good for you. But that's probably wishful thinking, so you'd best prepare to tackle this day solo - why not do it in 21st century tech-style. Limes Hotel is hosting a Tinder Rooftop Party, and chances are your Joaquin Phoenix will be perched at the bar, waiting for Her (you) to just swipe right. Valentines Day will be a Friday night, so head to the Fortitude Valley after, with a trail of Tinderers at toe and dance the rest of this joy filled holiday away to the sounds of Bromance Records at Oh Hello. Alternatively, most Cold Rocks are open till 10.30pm, and the brownie mix-in can replace the warmth of any man.

Roses and romance aside, don’t forget that Saint Valentine himself went through life a lone soldier. And that’s okay. Sometimes you don’t need a partner, or friends or even people to remember your name to be happy. Because it's you who gets to venture through Valentine's Day, and life, and if you want do it alone, then good on you. Call me, Molly Glassey: 0418 660 783.