Valentine’s Day: to some, the perfect opportunity to unashamedly show the special someone in your life how much they mean to you. Yet, to others it serves as an unpleasant reminder of their failure to find ‘the one’ in the first week of freshers at Rococos. Fortunately, not only is Exeter blessed with a host of perfect spots for a romantic evening with your Valentine, but there are still many things to do on this night of love for the Exeter singleton. Sitting in alone watching Bridget Jones’ Diary with only Ben and Jerry for company is not the only way of dealing with it!
5 Places For Your Valentine’s Date:
1. Old Timers Restaurant and Wine Bar, Little Castle Street
Many of us walk (or stumble) past Old Timer’s Restaurant and Wine Bar twice a week without realising it. This gem is in the grounds of Timepiece and has the same quirkiness as the bottom bar of TP (minus the rugby freshers seeing something off). Downstairs, you can have bar food for a more casual evening or, if you want something a bit more special, upstairs is where you can dine from the ‘á la carte’ menu.
2. Clifton Hill Driving Range
Situated on Clifton Hill, a 5 minute walk from the centre of town, the driving range is perfect if you’re on a first date with your Valentine. He will love showing off his Rory McIlroy-esque drives and will be more than willing to help you perfect your swing. Even if neither of you are the next Tiger, any nerves on the date will be lost laughing at each other’s horrendous shots! Club hire is £3.20 and a bucket of golf balls is only £1 so it’s perfect for the more frugal students.
3. The Picture House, 51 Bartholomew Street
On Valentine’s night, The Picture House will be showing one of the Hollywood greats, Casablanca, at 9pm. As the Picture House is less well known, it offers the perfect setting to watch this romantic classic, away from the popcorn-throwing, loudly-talking cinema-goers one commonly finds in the Odeon.
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. The Waterfront, Exeter Quay
After finally having bagged the man and a Valentine’s date, reward yourself by going to the Waterfront for some well-deserved carbs, in the form of a famous Waterfront pizza. Situated on the quayside, what could be more romantic than going for an after dinner stroll along the moonlit river?
5. Harry’s Grill Bar, Northernhay Place
Boasting a tempting Valentine’s menu and a wide range of cocktails, Valentines’ at Harry’s Grill Bar would definitely be a memorable one, especially if you are a fan of steak! It’s not the friendliest option to the student budget, but how can you put a price on true love?
5 Valentines Day Spots For Singletons:
1. Mama Stones
If you haven’t been to Mama Stones then why ever not? With student acts every Tuesday night playing at Original Sin’s ‘Encore!’ night, Mama Stones has a chilled atmosphere where you can relax with friends over some music-themed cocktails.
Once the student bands have played, get ready to hit the dance floor when the guest band comes along!
2. Arena
Cheesy Tuesdays at Arena: where you can be guaranteed to find a Valentine, even if it is just for a couple of hours on the dance floor. Enjoy the cheesy hits with fellow single friends and, with the drinks deals they have on, the smell of feet seems to disappear as the night progresses.
3. Mosaic
A less well-known night for Mosaic, but as it hosts the weekly Medical Society social, the chances of meeting your very own Dr. McDreamy are significantly heightened. Juicy Tuesdays at Mosaic this week are having a traffic light party to celebrate Valentine’s Day and are offering anyone wearing a green top free entry upstairs before 11pm!
4. The Bowling Green
Live at the Bowling Green: Valentine’s Special has a line up of student acts for you to enjoy. The Bowling Green, if you haven’t come across this little treat yet, is cosy yet big enough to be sociable, with a large selection of board games for you and your friends to play (Monopoly will keep you distracted from any Valentine’s Day reminders).
5. ‘Night in with the girls’
Although this is a clichéd option, there is a lot to be said for a night in with good girlfriends, fine wine and great chat. A good film is recommended, but it’s probably best to opt for a boyish comedy, NOT a romcom with the typical happy ending. Just be sure not to carry out any men-hating Friends style rituals, such as burning your ex-boyfriends’ gifts! See http://www.hercampus.com/school/exeter/what-would-bridget-do for more ideas!
Whatever you end up doing on this day of love, Her Campus hopes you have a great one!