Vancouver's most romantic restaurants for Valentine's Day 2008

As many of you may, or may not know, I'm one of the contributors to UrbanSpoon - Vancouver that has the highest number of restaurants reviewed (I think my latest count was 42). I am not saying that this makes me a food critic, but I would like to believe that I know the restaurant scene pretty well.

I keep in touch with Ethan from UrbanSpoon quite often, we communicate via email and share some ideas and stuff. But even though we correspond, I did not know that they had a blog. And in their most recent post, they review the most romantic restaurants for Valentine's Day 2008.

While I must admit that I am totally tempted to tell you which ones I think are the most romantic (thus increasing the probability that I will end up bumping into you on Valentine's Day), I think I'll just indicate my own suggestions for where to take your loved one for dinner on that special day (or your friends, as the case may be).

However, I thought I'd plan this post in a slightly different way. Instead of telling you the most romantic places to take your sweetheart or go out with your friends, I'm going to give you a few suggestions of places to go based on how expensive the deal may get.

So, say that you are a starving student yet you still want a nice meal out with a loved one (or a group of friends)... or you are getting paid the big bucks and want to surprise your sweetheart... here are my top recommendations for dinner for Valentine's Day (bear in mind that I will definitely recommend local business over chains).

On the budget-savvy side of things...

The Red Sea Cafe - One of the best, if not the best Ethiopian food in town. Definitely romantic, has a nice atmosphere at night. Great service. Good food for your coin.

The Cascade (I think they've dropped the 'Room') - Excellent food and service, and not really expensive. However, I don't expect them to have a lot of space for Val's Day.

Cafe Luxy - Great Italian food, although with all the Davie Street crowd overflowing with love, I'd probably say that they'll be fully booked.

The Dunbar - Yes, I know that it may look a bit like a pub now, and have pub food. But it can get romantic, for sure. And it's not really expensive.

A bit more expensive, yet affordable...

Burgoo - I am afraid they may be fully booked for Val's Day. Great stews, soups and burgoos.

Ouisi Bistro - Definitely great Creole food. Romantic, and not too too expensive.

Enigma - Oh yeah, romantic for sure. Although a sure destination for UBC students who will want to take their girlfriends/boyfriends out for dinner, I imagine.

Crave - It's good for dinner - and not horribly expensive. Though I am also thinking it may get a little bit busy.

If you really want to go all out...

Aqua Riva - Many people hate it, but I love it, and it's one of the nicest views in town. And yeah, it can get expensive.

The Observatory at Grouse Mountain - You'll pay $ 35 dollars for the lift, but the view is SO worth it.

Horizons - I went there with a very close friend of mine, we probably should've waited for a much more meaningful occasion but it was great. And yeah, it's a bit on the pricey side.

Seasons in the Park - Located at Queen Elizabeth Park, this is one of the best spots for a great view of the city. And yeah, it may burn a hole in your wallet.

Cloud 9 - Enough said. Revolving restaurant, great view. And costly! But definitely worth it.

If you want, of course, you can leave a comment and tell me what you think of my suggestions, or make different ones... or simply tell me where you plan to go out for Val's Day. Whatever it is that you do on that day, I hope you enjoy it!