14 ways to celebrate Valentine's Day in Melbourne

• Staying in? Make RecipeTin's three-course menu for two

Rewind to last year, and as in the Kanye West song, Melbourne was in Love Lockdown. This year we're free, but with Valentine's Day falling on a Monday night, many restaurants won't be trading. Here are 14 suggestions for celebrating on the 14th or thereabouts, both at-home or out and about.

Poetic pasta

Roses are red, violets are blue, how about a four-course pasta feast, delivered to you? Fairfield fresh pasta masters Pasta Poetry's box for two ($145) includes two pasta courses with sauces – burrata ravioli and pretty pink beetroot spaghetti – bookended by a starter and chocolate fondant, plus a bottle of pinot grigio, too.

Delivered up to and including Valentine's Day or click and collect from 86 Station Street, Fairfield; pastapoetry.com.au

Romance at Rumi

Sticking with poetry, why not visit this restaurant named after the Persian poet, and as quoted in the Melbourne-set TV series Love Me? Rumi's special banquet ($69 per person) includes many of its Middle Eastern signatures plus oysters with pickled grape dressing, and concludes with a chocolate dessert with barberries, pomegranate and rose.

116 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, rumirestaurant.com.au

Tart throb

Skip the Hallmark cards and go straight for the tart with this collaboration between Insta-famous baking stars Tarts Anon and Miss Trixie.

Preorders for the chocolate hazelnut tarts ($85; to be collected between 1pm-2pm on Valentine's Day) are live – but be quick, last time these two teamed up, they sold out in a heartbeat.

Pick-up only from 29a Gwynne Street, Cremorne, tartsanon.com.au

Swap roses for rosé

Premium blush pink wines will be poured by-the-glass at subway-tiled CBD basement bar Bar Margaux for its La vie en Rosé theme, or opt for the three-course menu ($130) with a glass of champagne on arrival, cured salmon, slow-cooked duck breast, and white chocolate mousse with pickled cherries for your cherie.

111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, barmargaux.com.au

BAE-side views

Stoke the fires of passion at Stokehouse with a four-course menu ($165pp) featuring the signature seafood platter to share as a starter - add on an optional lobster upgrade ($95pp) should you really wish to push the boat out.

30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, stokehouse.com.au

Re-create the Recreation

Given it's closed Mondays, the Rec is resurrecting its popular finish-at-home box for Valentine's Day. Collect on Sunday and assemble at your leisure: ocean trout rillettes, heirloom tomato tart and a heat-and-eat lamb shoulder and sides, plus a raspberry and vanilla St Honore pastry dessert and petits fours from Camberwell's Sucre du Jour patisserie ($180; drink pairings extra). Pick-up between noon-6pm on Sunday; delivery available on Sunday morning to select suburbs.

162-170 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, the-recreation.com

Repeat Offender's repeat offer

Elwood's Latin-themed (and coincidentally gluten-free) diner is offering a romantico six-course seafood themed "maritime" menu with a glass of French sparkling on arrival on both Sunday and Monday nights ($125 per person). Plates include poached lobster with saffron potatoes and romesco; and scallop ceviche with tequila, caviar and orange foam (pictured top).

201 Ormond Road, Elwood, repeatoffender.co

Dumpling date ... if you dare

If it's early days in the relationship, Oriental Teahouse's popular "Dumplings for Dating" board game is an ideal ice-breaker, with question prompts, dares, dumplings and cocktails. Available at Oriental Teahouse locations in the city and South Yarra (6.30pm, $86 per person) or order-in via Providoor ($180 with a bottle of prosecco in place of cocktails; available Wed-Sun).

378 Little Collins Street, Melbourne; 455 Chapel Street, South Yarra; orientalteahouse.com.au

Love birds at Firebird

Firebird's five-course menu ($95 per person including a glass of champers) is bringing the fire emojis with a line up of fire-licked hits including grilled oyster, squid, heirloom tomato salad with grilled nectarine, and its signature duck l'orange with duck fat potato gratin, among other things. It's topped off with a refreshing palm sugar pavlova topped with lemongrass cream and strawberries, which are grilled of course.

223 High St, Windsor, firebird.hanoihannah.com.au

Lobster rolls with your "lobster"

CBD purveyors of lobster rolls and champagne, Pinchy's, are offering a seven-course seafood menu ($95 per person) to enjoy on the balcony with your Romeo. See also: Lobster & Co has parked its Airstream riverside and is selling whole confit lobster tail rolls with parmesan truffle fries ($50) – add a flute of champagne to the luxe meal deal for $20.

Pinchy's, L1/200 Bourke Street, Melbourne, pinchys.co; Lobster & Co, Arts Centre forecourt, lobsterandco.com.au

Chef's choice in the suburbs

Celebrate early on Saturday evening or join all the other couples on Monday night with a five-course tasting menu ($99 per person) at Little Black Pig & Sons. For those who don't like to leave it all to the chef, there are two options to choose from per course; or divide and conquer so you can try a bit of everything – especially when faced with a decision between flourless chocolate cake and Nonna's tiramisu.

48 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, littleblackpigandsons.com

Go coo-coo at Kekou

This industrial-cool pan-Asian spot in Richmond is softening its dining room with tabletop bouquets and candles, and kicking things off with glasses of sparkling rosé, bites and share plates including soft-shell crab (pictured). Then it's a choice of some one-night-only mains and a dessert ($89 per person).

396 Bridge Road, Richmond, kekou.com.au

Ryne and dine

Donovan Cooke's five-course menu for his Fitzroy North restaurant Ryne includes slow-cooked crayfish tail with a savoury panna cotta; lush plates of confit salmon and duck, and a chocolate souffle chased with raspberry ($180 per person; matched wines $90).

203 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, ryne.com.au

Conservative high tea via Conservatory

Feeling covid-cautious and not quite up to the buffet? That's OK, Crown's Conservatory will deliver a deluxe high tea hamper to you instead ($150). Meanwhile, neighbouring sushi hotspot Nobu is putting a Japanese twist on high tea with its hamper ($170).

Orders close 3pm Friday for delivery ($15) or collection on Sunday or Monday, shop.crownmelbourne.com.au