Celebrating the season of love from the comfort of home

Making Valentine’s Day special doesn’t need to involve crazy planning and big production. For a romantic night in, many couples in Delhi-NCR are opting to skip the stress of making dinner reservations, and instead taking the innovative route by choosing services to recreate restaurant-style dining experience at home. “Now that people have started dining out again, we want to avoid the rush and long waits at restaurants. So my husband and I have been thinking of bringing a private chef’s experience at home. Moreover, that way, our grandparents can be a part of the celebrations with us as well,” says Sukhda Gulati, a digital marketeer who will be celebrating her first Valentine’s Day after wedding.

Another Delhi-NCR resident, Akhil Chopra, an IT professional, says, “My fiancee is a big foodie but is still sceptical of stepping out and eating at a restaurant due to the fear of Covid-19. So, why go out when we can relax and enjoy at our place and order in for a memorable date night?”

Restaurants, too, are going the extra mile to provide safe celebration experience in the comfort of one’s own home — from personalised, elaborate meal spreads prepared by chefs to choosing five-senses holistic meals, and special crockery to add to V-Day feels.

“One can have cosy romantic dates at their house with the perfect ambience, wonderful food and great music. We are delivering a complete experience and are personally curating each menu after discussion with the client, based on their likes and preferences. We take care of all the minute details such as table settings, cutlery and crockery to complete their dining experience,” says Avantika Sinha Bahl, owner, EBK by Kampai, a luxury bespoke catering.

Not only are restaurateurs ensuring restaurant-quality meals, some are paying extra attention to details such as customised menus to make it a memorable day.

Chef Sagar Bajaj, founder of Salsa Kitchen, a boutique delivery kitchen, says, “A personalised printed card or menu is designed with an option of adding messages for loved ones. Our small team of trained and experienced chefs will visit to curate a restaurant-like experience at your home with seven-course meals for couples, starting from ₹10,000.”

For those who simply want to order in and still have a date night setup at home, Amit Bagga, co-founder of Daryaganj, a North Indian cuisine restaurant, has the perfect solution. He says, “This Valentine’s Day, it’s all about enticing your loved ones. Our Five Senses Delivery, based on the concept of evoking the five senses at home is a an honest attempt to activate the five senses for delivery as well.”

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