Lifestyle Valentine’s
A night to remember So, we’ve found you a date. Now where do you take them? Here are ten of our best date night suggestions for February
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FILM EXPERIENCE A MAY-DECEMBER RELATIONSHIP
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SEE WHERE BEAUTY REALLY LIES VISUAL ART
. . . or at least, vicariously experience someone else’s. Among the several films the Glasgow Film Theatre are screening to get you into the Valentines spirit on 14 Feb (including Brief Encounter and French coming-of-ager J’aime Regarder les Filles) is Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby’s 1971 black romcom about a morbid young man’s relationship with a 79-year-old woman. As romantic as it gets, surely? ■ GFT, Glasgow, Wed 14 Feb.
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FOOD & DRINK TRY SOME FINE DINING
As one of the finest French establishments in Glasgow, Restaurant Brian Maule at Chardon D’or can get a bit pricey. If the £75 ‘Pure Luxury’ menu seems a little rich for your tastes though, you can always opt for the half-price ‘Early Love Birds’ before option 6.30pm. The Michelin-starred Kitchin in Leith operates a similar pricing system – a tasting menu will set you back £70 in the but evening, set menu there’s a
available for under £27 for lunchtime diners.
■ Brian Maule at Chardon D’or, 176 West Regent Street, Glasgow, 0141 248 3801, brianmaule.com; The Kitchin, 78 Commercial Quay, Edinburgh, 0131 555 1755, thekitchin.com
36 THE LIST 2 Feb–1 Mar 2012
Loosely linked to the tercentenary celebrations of David Hume’s birthday, eclectic exhibition Beholder gathers together works by various artists on the theme of beauty. Included are works by Yoko Ono, Karla Black, Giorgio Morandi, Alan Reid and Hamish Fulton, while another exhibiter, Anthony Schrag, was recently spotted sitting in the gallery telling visitors how beautiful they were – rather than an attempt to muscle in on anyone’s turf, see it instead as just well-meant love-spreading. ■ Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sat 18 Feb.
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FOOD & DRINK SIP A TASTY TIPPLE
There’s nothing special going on at The Raconteur for Valentine’s Day, but to be honest, its delicious selection of cocktails are already amorous enough. Our top tip would be the Charlie Chaplin (Sloe gin, apricot brandy and lemon juice), although the staff will happily whip up something special just for you. In Glasgow, the same applies at Ivy, where rum-based cocktails
are the order of the day: ask for your personal favourite, or sample the Lady Stardust (Pampero Blanco rum, lime juice, house made Demerera gomme, pressed apple juice and star anise tincture). ■ 50 Dean Street, Edinburgh, 0131 343 3221, theraconteuredinburgh.com; 1102-1106 Argyle Street, Glasgow, 0141 337 3006, ivyglasgow.co.uk
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AROUND TOWN / VISUAL ART
CREATE YOUR OWN WORK OF ART
Led once a month by artist Damian Callan, Easel the Sketching in the Gallery sessions at the Scottish National Gallery gives you the chance to create something unique and artistic for your Valentine, or alternatively, go along as a singleton and meet some similarly artistically- minded people. There’s a different theme each month (but given the session’s proximity to the 14th, we think it’s fairly obvious what February’s subject will be), and life models are sometimes on hand to lend some perspective. ■ Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, Thu 16 & Fri 17 Feb.
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FOOD & DRINK ARRANGE A RENDEZ-VOUS AT THE ARCHES
Following a highly successful run at the 2011 Fringe, FellSwoop theatre company are set to bring their adaptation of Sylvain Chomet’s Belleville Rendez-vous to the Arches. Accordingly, the Arches Café Bar has been