Food for the heart on Valentine’s Day
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For the perfect romantic Valentine’s Day with your beloved, everything has to be, well, just right. Finding the right restaurant is of course a big priority. And as well as good food and good wine, there’s another essential: a good atmosphere.
Getting close to mother nature often lends an air of romance to a situation, so a restaurant with a view could be a smart choice for Valentine’s Day.
If you are in Hangzhou for the big day and looking for a romantic setting with a view, here are some recommendations. Remember to book in advance as the city’s romantics will be out in force on February 14.
West Lake area
Hangzhou’s most representative scenic site offers charms that span the four seasons. While hundreds of restaurants are clustered around West Lake, few offer a panoramic view. Here are two known for their fine cuisine and their fine views.
Ming Hu Yuan — Dahua Hotel’s Chinese Restaurant
Set in a building dating back to the 1930s and only 10 meters from West Lake, this restaurant is an ideal space for a romantic tryst.
Renovated in 2002, it retains its Chinese vintage decoration features and provides authentic Hangzhou fare. The average price without drinks is about 150 yuan per person.
It makes the most of its lake location by having one side composed of French windows, offering impressive views of trees, meadow and boats on the lake.
And if sitting indoors and looking at the view is not enough, why not take a lovers’ stroll to the nearby pier.
Address: 171 Nanshan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8718-1888
1921 Lakeview Restaurant
Since most buildings around West Lake must be under a certain height, the fifth-floor 1921 Lakeview Restaurant is one of the few that can offer customers a lofty view of the lake.
It features high-end decor that matches the scenery, with large tables, delicate chairs with traditional Chinese carvings. The average price, without drinks, is 150 yuan (US$24) per person.
The terrace is the best spot to appreciate the scenery. This time of year muted gray tones dominate: the silver surface of the lake sparkling under the sunlight; the stark outlines of winter trees; and several traditional houses with neat gray tiles. Together they create a tranquil and beautiful scene.
But alas romantics, there are no tables on the terrace, partly because it’s too chilly to dine al fresco. Instead, diners enjoy their meal and the scenery from behind French windows and venture outside to take photographs on the terrace.
A Valentine’s Day treat for lovers should be the lotus crispy cake — a nouveau Hangzhou-style dessert that’s become an Internet hit, thanks in no small part to its gorgeous appearance. It’s a small pink cake shaped like a lotus, composed of crispy layers upon layers. It’s served with dry ice, adding to its aura of mystery.
Other dishes are typical mild Hangzhou cuisine. This is understandable because 1921 is a branch of the traditional Hangzhou Restaurant, located just above it and sharing the same entrance.
Address: 82 Youdian Rd
Tel: (0571) 8888-1921
Longjing tea plantation area
Hangzhou’s Dragon Well — Longjing — tea production area still offers a green and vivid landscape in winter, thanks to the evergreen tea bushes growing there. There are numerous restaurants along Longjing Road. Here are options for lunch and afternoon tea, featuring the green brew, of course.
Green Tea Restaurant
Sitting in a tea field, this little gem of a restaurant is known for its views, mix-and-match decor and quirky dishes.
French windows and a glass ceiling allow for maximum sunlight, while its wooden pillars also bring diners closer to nature.
Many dishes are creative adaptations of local cuisine — such as grilled pork. While classic Hangzhou dish Dongpo pork is braised in soy sauce, at Green Tea the pork is marinated for hours and then grilled.
As you would expect, the chefs also use green tea leaves in various dishes. Creations include green tea grilled fish and green tea cake — the latter complete with tea aroma for a great dessert. Other recommendations include shrimp in soy sauce.
The restaurant is next to China National Tea Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Address: 83 Longjing Rd
Tel: (0571) 8788-8022
Pins de La Brume
Tea fans can sip the famous Longjing beverage here up close to the bushes themselves, as tables at the five-star hotel Pins de La Brume are dotted about a large tea field.
If it’s too chilly, you can also have afternoon tea indoors and take a stroll around the tea plantation later.
Address: 18-8 Lingyin Rd
Tel: (0571) 8798-7999
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