A taste for romance

Valentine's Day seems to have turned into a bit of a guilty pleasure. Diehard romantics who enjoy the holiday, commercialization aside, usually downplay their plans in order to avoid sparking the ire of the holiday's other faction: those who hate it, hate it, hate it. It's safe to say no other holiday is nearly as controversial, especially in a country that still regards this one as an overhyped American import.

At this point, it's become a cliché to either complain about it or praise it. Given the marketing opportunity it offers, and the boost it delivers to the restaurant business, Valentine's Day is not going anywhere. So go with the flow, and do something special for the person you love this weekend.

To help, we've compiled a list of romantic dining specials at some of Prague's better restaurants. It's nowhere near comprehensive, as few restaurants are passing up the opportunity to lure in customers. But it's a very good start.

If atmosphere is what you're after, Dahab El Souk has a romantic Far East feel, with soft lighting, shadowy draped fabrics and water-tobacco pipes. The club will hold a Valentine's party Friday, Feb. 12, and offers a special Valentine's Day menu Feb. 13 and 14 for 899 Kč per couple. For reservations, call 222 317 732. Soukenická 4, Prague 1-Old Town. Dahab.cz

Equally big on atmosphere but with better cuisine is SaSaZu, the glitzy club and restaurant in Prague 7. On Sunday, Feb. 14, a special "aphrodisiac menu" will be available for 1,999 Kč per couple, with ingredients like coconut and chocolate. The five-course menu is prepared in such a way that everything is eaten with your hands. For reservations, call 284 097 455. Bubenské nábř, 306, Prague 7-Holešovice. Sasazu.com

For a truly luxurious and lazy Sunday, the Sheraton Charles Square Hotel offers a breakfast-in-bed package for 1,402 Kč per person. The package includes a double room for any night between Feb. 5 and 21, breakfast for two in bed and a bottle of sparkling wine. For reservations, call 225 999 999. Žitna 8, Prague 2-New Town. Sheratonprague.com

The Siddharta Café, connected to the Buddha bar hotel, has a five-course menu for 1,550 Kč per person. Start with a special Valentine Siddharta Café cocktail and move on to a duck breast amuse bouche, foie gras terrine with sea scallop, grilled rack of deer with fried veal sweetbread and truffle puree, and end with a strawberry balotin with cinnamon foam. For reservations, call 221 776 404. Jakubská 8, Prague 1-Old Town. Buddha-bar-hotel.cz

The Hilton's Zinc restaurant offers a Valentine's Day dinner the night before, Feb. 13. A four-course, candlelit (of course) dinner includes a glass of champagne at 2,200 Kč per couple, with special discounts on Piper Heidsieck champagne. The meal includes a "Zinc Assiette of Chocolate." For reservations, call 221 822 300. V Celnici 7, Prague 1-Old Town. Hiltonpragueoldtown.com

The Mövenpick Hotel will serve a five-course dinner at its Il Giardino restaurant as part of a Valentine's Day package that includes a bottle of Moravian wine, a rose, a photo of the couple and one night's stay, including buffet breakfast, for 2,850 Kč per couple. For reservations, call 257 151 111. Mozartova 1, Prague 5-Anděl. Moevenpick-hotels.com

At the Kempinski Hybernská Prague, a four-course menu will be served at Le Grill restaurant for 2,800 Kč per couple. A Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose will accompany a duet of foie gras creme brulee and wagu beef, tomato essence with crayfish tails, rose sorbet in lemongrass espuma and raspberry jelly, pheasant breast stuffed with dates, and a cherry and jivara cake. For reservations, call 226 226 111. Hybernská 12, Prague 1-Old Town. Kempinski-prague.com

The Hotel President's Vltava restaurant is offering a Valentine's Day menu from Feb. 12 to 16. For 900 Kč per person, the three-course meal includes a choice between roasted tiger prawn salad with herb dressing, carrot cream soup, salmon in lemon sauce, stuffed quail in a porcini mushroom sauce and orange cheesecake with rosemary. For reservations, call 234 614 138. Nám. Curieových 100, Prague 1-Old Town. Hotelpresident.cz

Choose between a St. Valentine's Day brunch or dinner at the InterContinental's Zlata Praha restaurant. Sunday brunch runs 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and includes a large buffet, welcome drink, babysitting and live piano for 990 Kč per person. A five-course menu that evening includes a glass of champagne, a guinea fowl galantine with grilled foie gras, cream of baked cauliflower with oxtail ravioli, bread crumbed veal and tenderloin sous-vide and pomegranate espuma with ice cream of organic curd cheese and honey. For reservations, call 296 631 090. Pařížská 30, Prague 1-Old Town. Zlatapraharestaurant.cz

The Radisson Blu Alcron is offering specials at both of its restaurants for Valentine's day. At La Rotonde, 1,250 Kč per person includes a king crab and avocado appetizer with roasted red pepper salsa, lobster bisque, roasted halibut and Scottish scallops "for her" and beef tournedos Rossini seared foie gras "for him." At the higher-end Alcron restaurant, the menu includes, "for her," three fine de Claire oysters, seared Scottish scallops, poached halibut with smoked foie gras snow and a strawberry valentine dessert. The menu "for him" includes three marinated oyster shooters and Black Angus beef tenderloin with miso glaze. Dinner at the Alcron is 1,950 Kč per guest. For reservations, call 222 820 410. Štěpánská 40, Prague 1-New Town. Radissonblu.com

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com