• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Sous Chef
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Press
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Press
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Press
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Entertaining

    5 Tips for the Perfect Date Night at Home

    Published: Jan 9, 2018 · Modified: Nov 5, 2019 by Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai · This post may contain affiliate links

    Spending date night in with your partner can be an intimate and sensual evening. We’re sharing 5 date night at home ideas and tips for getting back to just the two of you through cooking.

    Phil pouring white wine into a pot of risotto while Mystique stirs

    No matter how busy we get, Philip and I still make time for regular date nights. Sometimes it means making dinner reservations at a new restaurant, and other times means spending QT time doing a fun activity in the city. But, no matter how good the restaurant or how much fun we have at an outing, our favourite date nights are when we stay in for date night at home and make dinner together.

    We know you’re probably thinking, they cook together all the time for their blog. But carving out time for date night at home means no recipe development, no testing, no styling, no photographs, no editing and no writing for Chef Sous Chef. Date night at home means not waiting to be seated and not being interrupted by your waiter; it means getting back to just the two of us, back to the start of us cooking together, and back to us as a couple or simply Philip and Mystique.

    While date night at home is healthier and cheaper, spending it in at home with your partner can be an intimate evening. There’s something sensual about playing with ingredients, sautéing and tasting, the process of cooking together, setting the table and enjoying your meal, all while post-dinner Netflix and chill awaits you.

    Just like dinner at a restaurant or tickets to a show, date night at home is an experience and can make a big impact in rekindling the romance between you and your significant other. Here are a few fun tips for making date night at home in the kitchen one of your favourite date nights ever:

    1.

    Channel Your Inner Chef and Sous Chef

    Role-playing in and out of the kitchen is a must when it comes to enjoying date night at home. Channel your inner Chef and Sous Chef and assign a lead and assistant in the kitchen to avoid accidents and confusion. Specific roles in the kitchen ensure you both have a helping hand in preparing the meal.

    It's also a great way to equally divide the fun tasks like chopping and stirring from the not-so-fun tasks like washing and drying the dishes. Plus, role-playing Chef and Sous Chef does have its own perks of being the ultimate foreplay (just be sure to turn off the burners before you head to the bedroom).

    2.

    Dress to Impress

    Just because you're spending the evening in doesn't mean it's okay to lounge around in your pjs and slippers. Treat your date night at home as an actual date night, and make the night and yourself feel special by getting dressed up, putting flowers in a vase and opening a nice bottle of wine.

    The same goes for the ambience; use Spotify to find the ultimate playlist, light a few candles to set the mood and set the table with linens, cutlery and a table cloth. Like any good date night, it's all about the small details and the moments you create that really count.

    3.

    Try a New Recipe

    Cooking a new recipe ensures equal playing (and cooking) field, especially if one of you is typically the lead in the kitchen. We suggest starting your date night at home by selecting a cookbook from your local bookstore or library, or printing off a few recipes from your favourite blog (ahem).

    Choosing a few recipes or a starter, appetizer and dessert allows you to fully dive in and not only test out your cooking skills but also time management and team building (there must be a relationship lesson in here somewhere). Trying a new recipe together adds to the cooking experience and allows you both to venture off learning and trying new dishes together.

    4.

    Toast to the Evening

    Start your evening by opening your favourite wine or prosecco and toasting to the night. The quote by W.C. Fields, “I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food,” is proof that cooking and wine is an honorary tradition in the kitchen and one you definitely shouldn't break.

    For us, celebrating the evening with a cheers sets the evening up for success but it's the cork that allows us to remember the night. Ever since we can remember, Philip and I have saved our wine corks in a large box, writing the date and memory on the cork of when we enjoyed the bottle. We also had our guests sign wine corks from our wedding as our guest book for our wedding.

    5.

    Post-dinner activities are a Must

    Like any good date, the meal is just the beginning of a memorable date night. Continue date night at home out of the kitchen with an unwinding activity or moment together. If the foreplay of role-playing, the flirty nature of playing with ingredients or the sensual taste of a home-cooked meal isn't enough to get you lucky then we recommend a few other options.

    Board games on the floor with wine, couch time with blankets, a movie and snacks, or a post-dinner walk is a wonderful way to close the evening, just hope your date night at home went well enough that you get an invitation back inside for a nightcap.SaveSave

    More Entertaining Tips

    • How to Dine Al Fresco at Home
    • How to Host a Virtual Baby Shower + Cheese Tasting
    • How to Bring the Dining Out Experience In
    • Three sets of reusable food wraps with various patterns
      How to Make Reusable Beeswax Wraps

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, we're Philip and Mystique.

    We're home cooks, cookbook authors, and contributors to Flavour Network. Here you'll find a mix of unique recipes and fusion food mashups that are fresh, flavorful, and diverse.

    LEARN MORE

    Summer Recipes

    • corn chowder with sausage in a bowl with a spoon with corn husks and pot of soup around it.
      Corn Chowder with Sausage
    • brownie waffle ice cream sandwich with chocolate ice cream on a plate.
      Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich
    • sweet coleslaw in a bowl with ingredients around it.
      Sweet Coleslaw with Maple Syrup
    • lemon créme brûlée topped with blueberries and blackberries cracked open with a spoon.
      Lemon Crème Brûlée
    • A slice of Neapolitan-style big mac pizza with wood fired crust on a white plate topped with lettuce, pickles, onions and big mac sauce.
      Big Mac Pizza
    • Italian sausage sandwich with roasted peppers and onions, drizzled with basil aioli.
      Italian Sausage Sandwich with Peppers
    Summer Recipes

    We Wrote a Cookbook!

    Mindful cooking to make every meal an experience.

    GRAB YOUR COPY

    Popular Recipes

    • 4 slices of heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, small leaves, and spoonful of burrata cheese on a grey plate with antique serving spoon.
      Burrata Caprese Salad
    • Gnocchi in lemon cream sauce in a white pasta bowl on a marble table topped with basil and lemon.
      One-Pot Gnocchi with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Basil
    • Grilled BBQ Jerk Chicken Sandwich on a sesame seed bun with grilled pineapple and coleslaw
      Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Grilled Pineapple
    • a bowl of butternut squash gnocchi topped with black pepper.
      Butternut Squash Gnocchi
    • Two sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on an english muffin stacked on top of each other with yolk running down.
      Egg and Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
    • dairy free butter chicken in a shallow silver bowl with cilantro and served with naan.
      Dairy Free Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk
    Popular Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ BACK TO TOP

    Ready to diversify your inbox?

      Chef Sous Chef

      About
      Recipe Index
      Cookbook
      In the Press
      Privacy Policy
      Accessibility Policy
      Contact

      Recipes

      Fusion Food Recipes
      Date Night Recipes
      Dessert Recipes
      Sandwich Recipes
      Salad Recipes
      Pasta Recipes
      Soup Recipes

      Chef Sous Chef Logo with Tagline
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • Pinterest

      Disclaimer: If you purchase items through affiliate links, Chef Sous Chef Inc. may receive a commission.
      Copyright © 2018-2025 Chef Sous Chef Inc.