Looking for a unique date night idea? Try planning a surprise traveling dinner date for your special someone! Instead of going to one restaurant, a traveling dinner date takes you on an adventurous tour of restaurants for every course of the meal.
Brett and I did something like this for our second wedding anniversary and had such an amazing time, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share our experience as a unique Valentine’s Day date idea.
I realize that some people may not be able to plan a night like this in the current situation as many states are still on lockdown, Florida has been open so I have to keep reminding myself of that! But when things are back to normal, it’s a great and exciting way to plan a night out.
Planning a Unique Traveling Dinner Date
There are so many variations for how this night could go, and planning the stops on the adventure is half the fun! You can start the night off with your go-to for crafted cocktails, then venture off to a great place known for starters. And don’t forget to choose an extra special place to enjoy dessert.
Here are my tips for planning a unique traveling dinner date!
Choose a location with multiple venues that are close by each other.
There are many destinations that have lots of dining options available in close proximity to each other. Finding a place like this with lots of options will make going from place to place more convenient by being able to walk to a few. When I planned this for Brett, I took him to a place in Orlando called Restaurant Row, which as you can imagine has tons of dining options. I definitely want to plan this again now that we are in Winter Garden—Plant Street would be the perfect place!
Find places that are meaningful to you and your significant other.
Restaurant Row was a special place for us because it was close by where we got our first apartment together. On our route we stopped at Melting Pot where we had our first date ever and Seasons52, where Brett proposed to me. Adding in special locations like this will really make the night feel extra special.
Choose tapas or smaller portions for the Main Course.
The great part about this date is you can experience a combination of foods you could never get at one place. And it’s so much fun to enjoy all different cuisines. When choosing the location for the main course, it’s also a good idea to try a place with smaller dinner portions or tapas so you can enjoy every stop, as it’s an indulgent night of good eats.
Try going off the beaten path.
This is a food adventure after all! Maybe there is a place in the general location that you picked that you would never have gone to if you weren’t there already. Do some research and pick a really unique and adventurous place for one of the courses that you can try out together.
A traveling dinner date is not an adventure without a map.
There’s plenty of ways you can draw a map of your adventure and leave hints for your loved one for the adventure ahead. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to put something together that will be unique and fun to follow. You can do it all for free with mymaps.google.com, PowerPoint and a little Google image search!
Be creative and have fun with it!
This is an example of a map with the route I made for our date night. You can even add a QR code with directions if you want your partner to drive!
Make it a surprise.
Not only is a map fun, keeps your special someone guessing, and is helpful for you to remember the stops you planned, but it’s also a great way to gift them your surprise. You can make it part of your card or put it in your card and leave it for them the morning of the date to keep them clueless all day and excited to find out more.
This Traveling Dinner Date idea was so much fun and we got to eat some of our favorite foods all in one night. Brett also said that this was such a great idea for a special event, because it made the night and the celebration feel like it lasted so much longer than a normal dinner date. I’m so happy that it turned out great and I can’t wait to plan my next Traveling Dinner Date!
For more on the blog about keeping your relationship healthy and happy check out my 5 Reasons Why Date Night is So Important blog post!
Thanks for reading!
