Tip 1: Look the part.
Why not surprise your partner with a sexy new hairstyle? See http://bit.ly/f7O3iZ for a list of Waterloo salons and barbers, including a 20 per cent discount at Reeds of London. Alternatively, make your date a little more special with a smart new outfit. Trussons offers trendy menswear choices while Radio Days has a range of ravishing retro attire for those who like to dress up. See http://bit.ly/fSR2jP for some more shopping ideas.

Tip 2: Go with the flow.
Don’t spoil your date by thinking about work. De-stress with a massage at Waterloo Body Station in Lower Marsh or blow away the cobwebs with a heavy gym session at Soho Gyms. Alternatively feel good at lunch with a tasty and healthy salad at Ev in Isabella Street.

Tip 3: Get the gifts right.
Whether it’s for your long-term love or a colleague you have a crush on, getting the right card is key to Valentine’s romance. Visit South Bank cards or Twice The Siren in Lower Marsh for a selection of the classiest designs around.
Flora May in Kennington Road and The Cut in The Cut also have great deals on flowers, while The Gallery in Lower Marsh is offering a range of crystal and glass pendant necklaces and a free gift bag when you spend more than £5 on jewellery.

Tip 4: Make it a date to remember.
How about holding hands in the back row of one of Waterloo’s world reknowned theatres before popping to an intimate eaterie nearby. If you work locally you are within minutes of some of the finest cuisine in the capital – see http://bit.ly/hcsV70 for a list of restaurants which will get your tastebuds tingling.
And if the date goes really well, why not skip the last train home for a night in Waterloo’s new H10 hotel?

Tip 5: Don’t give up.
Ditched by your date? Do not fear – help is at hand. Waterloo has an enviable group of bars in which you can drown your sorrows or potentially meet your new love interest. See http://bit.ly/gS6xjp for some ideas for anti-Valentine’s drinking.