The clock is ticking towards Valentine’s Day...and all of your favorite Istanbul restaurants are booked solid. What to do? Don’t forget that many of Istanbul’s luxury hotels have their own restaurants offering special Valentine’s Day menus. Here is a list of recommended places to dine on the night of the 14th, courtesy of The Guide Istanbul’s editorial staff.

Chalet Restaurant / Swissotel

What’s on offer: A fireside, candlelit four-course dinner, with live music, in this 100-year old chalet on the grounds of the Swissotel. Chalet’s prix-fixe menu includes rich fare such as Lamb Consommé with Saffron Spaetzle, Pumpkin, and Goat Cheese Crackers; Chalet’s signature fondue; and, for dessert, Heart Shaped Chocolate Delight with Morello Cherries. Chalet also features a skating rink, Winter Wonderland, for those who want a bit of post-prandial exercise. Just don’t get too carried away and start thinking the cable car in Maçka is a ski lift…

Price: 430 TL for two people, including a glass of champagne

Swissotel, Bayıldım Caddesi No.2, Beşiktaş; P: (0212) 326 11 00

Ajia Restaurant / Ajia Hotel

What’s on offer: An à la carte menu of award-winning Italian and Turkish cuisine with unlimited wine at Ajia Restaurant, in an Ottoman-era yalı (waterside mansion) in the serene Asian-side Bosphorus district of Kanlıca, far from the hubbub of central Istanbul. A DJ will be present to provide an evening’s worth of slow, romantic music. This is an excellent choice for those who live on the Asian side; but given the small size of the hotel, we recommend that your make your reservations as soon as possible.  

Price: 175 TL minimum per person, including unlimited wine

Ahmet Rasim Paşa Yalısı Çubuklu Caddesi No.27, Kanlıca; P: (0216) 413 93 53

Agatha Restaurant / Pera Palace Hotel

What’s on offer: A five-course prix-fixe menu prepared by Agatha chef Maximilian Thomae, whose inventive offerings include Lamb Loin crusted with Sesame Paste, Potato Pave, Swiss Chard, and Lamb Sauce; Artichoke and Cheese Cannelloni; and for dessert, a Raspberry Parfait of Passion Fruit Ice Cream in a Chocolate Ball with Pistachio Macaroons and Fresh Fruit Sauce. There will be atmospheric live violin music at this restaurant named for the Pera Palace’s most famous guest, Orient Express author Agatha Christie. Guests can also avail themselves of the hotel’s special Valentine’s Day accommodation packages.

Price: 200 TL per person, including one glass of champagne

Pera Palace Hotel, Meşrutiyet Caddesi No. 52, Tepebaşı; P: (0212) 377 40 00

City Lights Restaurant / Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel

What’s on offer: A prix-fixe dinner at City Lights Restaurant (known for its modern decor and superb haute cuisine) on the top floor of the Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel, with unbeatable views of the Bosphorus and beyond. Local musician Su Soley will be on hand for a live performance of jazz and Latin music. The Ceylan Intercontinental also offers special accommodation packages for Valentine’s Day.

Price: 300 TL per person, including unlimited local drinks

Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul, Asker Ocağı Caddesi No. 1, Taksim; P: (0212) 368 44 44 ex. 5550

Le Fumoir / Georges Hotel

What’s on offer: A sumptuous six-course prix-fixe French meal for two at Le Fumoir, the new French restaurant in the lobby of the Georges Hotel in Galata. The meal will begin with a glass of champagne Billecart Salmon, and then alternate between “required courses” chosen by the chef (like the Hot Camembert Salad and the Clams with Fresh Mulled Wine Sauce and Celery Puree) and “electives” you can choose from the menu. Following dessert, you’ll finish with a bottle of Château Les Trois Croix or Vouvray. 

Price: 380 TL for two people

Georges Hotel, Serdar-ı Ekrem Sokak No.24, Galata; P: (0212) 244 24 23

Seasons Restaurant / Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

What’s on offer: A five-course, prix-fixe meal with live music at the Seasons Restaurant, located in a large glass pavilion in the Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet, just a stone’s throw from Hagia Sophia. Seasons’ Valentine’s Day menu is different for men and women, although both menus follow the same pattern (seafood appetizer, pasta course, fish course, meat course, dessert). If the woman in your party prefers dark chocolate to white chocolate, you can always swap desserts surreptitiously.  

Price: 175 TL per person, including a welcome cocktail

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet, Tevkifhane Sokak No.1, Sultanahmet; P: (0212) 402 30 00

Aqua Restaurant / Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

What’s on offer: A five-course prix-fixe menu at the Four Seasons Bosphorus’s Aqua Restaurant, with spectacular views of the Bosphorus. This light-hearted Valentine’s Day menu (with offerings like “King Prawn Passionate Tagliolini,” and “Lovely Braised Rack of Lamb”) has taken “Love in Eastern and Western literature” as its theme, with courses titled “Poma Amoris,” “Ars Amatoria,” “Aphrodite,” and “Ferhat & Şirin,” plus a dessert course, “Sweet Valentine Surprise.” A live orchestra will play a selection of world music while you dine.

Price: 245 TL per person, including a welcome cocktail

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Çırağan Caddesi No. 28, Beşiktaş; P: (0212) 381 40 59

Tuğra Restaurant / Çırağan Palace Kempinski

What’s on offer:  A Valentine’s Day prix-fixe dinner at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski’s Tuğra Restaurant featuring a record-breaking seven courses, with separate men’s and women’s menus. The rich, hearty menus include several kinds of meat and seafood, mantı (dumplings), a palate-cleansing fruit course midway, and two consecutive dessert courses. For the second dessert, the hitherto gender-coded menus converge with a single chocolate soufflé for both men and women. Is the Tuğra restaurant trying to hint at something? Your guess is as good as ours.   

Price: 460 TL for two people

Çırağan Hotel Kempinski, Çırağan Caddesi No. 32, Beşiktaş; (0212) 326 46 46

Divan Lokanta / Divan Istanbul Hotel

What’s on offer: A five-course prix-fixe dinner at the Divan Istanbul Hotel’s Divan Lokanta (just a few minutes’ walk from Taksim Square), prepared by Divan Lokanta chef Aydın Demır. Divan’s  Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu features rich French/international fare like Foie Gras & Truffle Ravioli, and Avocado Salad with Prawns in a Bisque Sauce with Fresh Herbs and Parsley. Dessert comes in the form of a raspberry/coconut mousse, and diners will be able to choose from the following wines: Arnaldo Caprai Poggio Belvedere (Grechetto) White, Arnaldo Caprai Poggio Belvedere (Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Merlot) Red, and Villa Jolanda Moscato D’Asti Spumanti. There will be a violin/guitar/accordion trio playing live music.

Price: 190 euros + KDV for two people, including unlimited local drinks

Divan Hotel, Askerocağı Caddesi No.1 Şişli; P: (212) 315 55 00