Valentine’s Day at home: Night-in ideas for singles, friends, and couples

We love Valentine’s Day here at Hotel Chocolat. Why? Because it’s a day that everyone can celebrate, no matter if you’re going solo, chilling with friends, or spending special time with a partner.

We adore Valentine’s Day. After all, it’s the most romantic day of the year. From cards shared between friends during a ‘galentine’s’ night to the most extravagant at-home feast made as a happy couple, there’s something magical about this day imbued with not just romance — but the importance of connection. 

In our eyes, Valentine’s Day is a day for everyone. The singles, the situationships, the couples — even your best friends — and everything in between. So, how do you make a Valentine’s Day at home a memorable one? Luckily for you, we have a few ideas up our sleeve. 

We may be slightly biased, but when it comes to heartfelt gifts, we believe that chocolate is the key to anyone’s heart.

Look no further than our Valentine’s chocolate and gifts selection for the perfect way to elevate your Valentine’s night in — however you celebrate and whoever you celebrate with.

1. Chocolate fondue and Prosecco evening

An indulgent chocolate fondue and Prosecco evening sounds like a delectable way to add luxury to any Valentine’s Day. You can even forego the Prosecco if you wish, and it still sounds delightful. There’s just something so nostalgic about dipping fruit and your favourite sweet treats into gooey chocolate. So, why not unleash your inner child and have a cacao-inspired giggle?

Making your own chocolate fondue can be a little messy, but it doesn’t have to be. Thankfully, you can avoid the preparation with our Mini Chocolate Dipping Adventure for Two. This ready-to-go fondue set includes a milk chocolate pot and a white chocolate pot, accompanied by marshmallows, nuts, and biscuits — everything you need for an easy, fun, and tasty fondue experience.

Mini not enough? Dunk, drizzle, and dip away with our Large Chocolate Dipping Adventure instead.

2. Gin cocktail making

A gin cocktail-making evening is a sophisticated way to immerse yourself in a little self-indulgence, no matter if you’re raising a glass solo or with your loved ones.

Gather your finest cocktail glasses, a few premium mixers, and our Cacao Gin that is anything but ordinary. Our distilled London gin offers the perfect balance of malty, toasted cacao combined with coriander, orange, and grapefruit for a botanical finish with a zing.

Gin has marked the cornerstone of countless cocktail classics. Go timeless with dry vermouth and a twist of lemon for a Martini. Or try your hand at shaking up a Gin Fizz with fresh lemon juice, sugar and ice. For something more decadent, you can even make a Singapore Sling with the addition of Angostura bitters, pineapple, and lime juice for a balanced sweet-and-sour hit.

We couldn’t forget about the classic G&T, too. Add a splash of tonic and taste the cacao’s nuances as they fizz to the surface and linger on the palate. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

For a cacao-inspired cocktail without the gin, our Velvetised Creams have an oh-so-silky texture — perfect for sipping neat or for adding to your hot chocolate.

3. Rom-com movie marathon

Nothing says cosy Valentine’s night in like quite like a rom-com movie marathon. From 13 Going on 30 to When Harry Met Sally, we’re lucky to live in a world where fluffy romantic comedies are only a few button clicks away.

It wouldn’t be a rom-com movie night without snacks and nibbles. Chocolate is an ever-essential part of this activity, but there’s a way to make things just that little bit more fun: Love Match.

Our Love Match Quiz is designed to match you with chocolate flavour profiles that you’ll truly love, backed by 20 years of cacao expertise. Why not take the test before your movie night, then add to your evening with Valentine’s chocolate? 

Make sure to come back to this blog once you’re finished to see your Valentine’s Day chocolate matches…

• Patisserie: The Nice Slice — Valentine’s Edition
• Exuberantly Fruity: Love Potions
• Serious Dark Fix: Dark Chocolate Cashew Hearts
• Exquisitely Nutty: Exquisitely Nutty H-Box
• Tipsy: Amaretto Heart Selector
• Milk to Caramel: Just Because Chocolate Gift Box

Looking for something different? Explore our full range of Valentine’s Day Chocolate Boxes and Chocolate Hearts.

P.S. We have a new and updated Love Match Quiz coming very soon…

4. Hot chocolate tasting

For a mindful, intentional act this Valentine’s Day, our hot chocolate tasting experience is a wholesome way to endure all the invigorating senses tied to ancient cacao rituals. 

With friends, your loved one, or solo, we invite you to revel in the individual aromas of each flavour, wrap your palms around the warming mug, and savour the sumptuous texture of real drinking chocolate.

It all starts with our expansive hot chocolate collection and The Velvetiser™ — our at-home hot chocolate machine, inspired by Mayan ingenuity elevated with urban engineering. Satisfy your senses with barista-grade, silky-smooth drinking chocolate — concocted to perfection in just 2.5 minutes. 

All of our drinking chocolate has been designed to be made in The Velvetiser™, and we have an exceptional collection to choose from — including a few Valentine-inspired limited editions. Our Love Ya Honey Hot Chocolate is where soothing honey meets caramel milk in gossamer-fine chocolate flake form, and our Nuts About Raspberry Hot Chocolate is made with our Vegan hazelnut Nutmilk and pressed raspberries for an extra zing. 

We also offer classic flavour varieties. including Milky 50% Hot Chocolate, 100% Dark Hot Chocolate, and Vanilla White Hot Chocolate, as well as more adventurous flavours like Black Forest Gateau Hot Chocolate and Salted Caramel & Clementine Hot Chocolate. Find your flavour, and then choose a hot chocolate pouch, sachet, or variety pack.

Gather however many mugs you need and as many flavours as you can try in one evening. Make sure you have lots of marshmallows, biscuits, whipped cream and grated chocolate on hand for a fully loaded hot chocolate experience with countless possibilities. 

You could even set up an at-home hot chocolate station with rustic jars, spoons, and labels, too.

5. Cacao-inspired dinner

Make your Charlie and the Chocolate Factory dreams come true with a cacao-inspired Valentine’s dinner menu. 

It’s all well and good going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day. But staying in and making your own meal is just so much more satisfying. Our Cacao Recipes include all the instructions you need to create a dazzling starter, main, and dessert. The best part is, they are all centred around the humble cacao bean. 

For yourself, as a dinner party, or a romantic meal for two, begin with our zingy Citrus Salad and White Chocolate Sauce. Be prepared for a flavour explosion where soothing white chocolate and zesty freshness meet as one. 

For the main, opt for our Cacao-Spiced Beef Satay or Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Salad with Puy Lentils and Goats’ Cheese. 

To finish, take your pick out of our countless indulgent cacao dessert recipes, including our top-rated Hazelnut & Pecan Brownies or gooey Chocolate Ganache Pots.

Valentine’s done your way with Hotel Chocolat

No matter how you choose to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, we hope you have a day full of love, joy, and relaxation — one that we would love to be a part of. 

From the satisfying sip of our hot chocolate, the snap of our perfectly tempered Valentine’s chocolates, all the way to the sumptuously nuanced flavours of cacao in a delicious three-course meal, it’s the best time to bring a bit of Hotel Chocolat into your Valentine’s.