This February 14, diners are ready to spend big on a romantic date night.
Overall, prepaid bookings are up 67 percent compared with the same time last year, according to data from reservation platform Tock. And premium experiences make up a good chunk of those bookings, with those costing more than $200 composing 10.1 percent of all Valentine’s Day reservations so far. That’s up from just 7.2 percent in 2024.
In total, Valentine’s Day reservations are up 48 percent compared with last year, showing that people are increasingly opting to go out for the holiday. And as mentioned, they’re looking for high-end experiences befitting the romantic holiday: Along with the increase in $200-plus reservations, the price of the average prepaid booking has jumped 36 percent from 2024—moving from $75 then to $102 this year.
“Valentine’s Day isn’t just about candlelit dinners anymore,” Matthew Tucker, the head of Tock, said in a statement. “We’re seeing a shift in how restaurants and diners are redefining the occasion—from Champagne brunches to interactive chef’s tastings. These non-traditional experiences are booking up faster than standard dinner reservations, sometimes months in advance. It’s clear that restaurants that dare to break from tradition are capturing diners’ attention in new ways.”
This new data is in line with what Tock has been seeing around the holidays as of late. At the tail end of last year, the booking platform found that 88 percent of people were willing to shell out more money during the winter holidays than they would on a regular night out. That preference for celebrating in fashion has now carried over into the month of love, whether you’re enjoying a cozy night out with your partner, a Galentine’s Day with friends, or even a solo dinner to show yourself some love.
While dinner is a classic way to celebrate the big day, we also know that some people may prefer a more tangible gift. If that’s what your partner wants, we’ve rounded up 20 outstanding presents that they’ll adore. And if you’re looking to really go all out this year, Robb Report’s The Vault has 16 extraordinary, one-of-a-kind items and experiences that scream “I love you”—tastefully, of course.
But if dinner’s on your mind and you haven’t made that Valentine’s Day reservation yet, you better act fast. The holiday falls on a Friday this year, when bookings are already hard enough to come by.
