Valentine’s Day can be overwhelming for couples, let alone those leading a single life, so here are 7 ways to embrace the single life, pamper yourself, have a riot with your friends and avoid all that talk of cupid…

1 Lovers & Haters at Below & Hidden, Clerkenwell
Are you a lover or a hater? Both are welcome to attend the Lovers and Haters-themed Anti-Valentines party at Below & Hidden, a new late-night clubroom concealed beneath Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings in Clerkenwell. No bigger than a living room and only open on Fridays and Saturdays, Below & Hidden is a hedonistic hang-out with tapestry-covered, cocktails that are bottled and served at your table (there is no bar), sparklers and general decadence. At midnight the walls light up and the DJ plays until 2am. A £50 deposit is required to book a table.
To book see bourneandhollingsworth.com/buildings or call 020 3174 1156

2 Anti Valentine’s Spa Treatments at Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair
Celebrate being single with Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair with a special menu of spa treatment selection including the No Man Manicure (50 minutes, £55) with nail shaping and buffing, cuticle tidy, hand massage and polishing; the Too Pretty to Be Single Facial (50 minutes, £100) to brighten and refresh the complexion or the Bitter and Twisted Muscle Relax Massage (50 minutes, £100) to ease away deep seated tension. Or, if you want to work out some angst, try the Too Hot to Handle Personal Training Session (30 minutes, £45) tailored to improve stamina, muscle tone and flexibility. All available from 1-14 February.
To book see roccofortehotels.com

The Resident: Below & Hidden, B&H BuildingsBelow & Hidden, B&H Buildings

3 Anti-Valentine’s Fiestas at Barrio, various locations
This February, each of the popular Barrio bars (Barrio Central, Barrio North and Barrio East) are turning their backs on candle lit dinners and calling all spirit-loving singletons to join them for an evening of tequila tasting and mezcal mixing. The Anti-Valentine’s Fiestas takes place on Saturday 13 February, where guests will get the chance to try a tequila and mezcal tasting menu, offering an array of agave-based spirits in their traditional form, Mexican dishes ranging from crispy squid to pork tacos, as well as a a one-off Brazilian Special dish. The Barrio Allstar DJs will then take over, providing the perfect Anti-Valentine’s soundtrack until the early hours.
Barrio Central and Barrio North parties are free, the Barrio East party is £5

The Resident: The Spa at Brown’s Hotel is offering respite for the Valentine’s-wearyThe Spa at Brown’s Hotel is offering respite for the Valentine’s-weary

4 For the Love of Friends at Flight Club, Shoreditch
Flight Club, a new social darts venue in Shoreditch, is encouraging you to love your friends this Valentine’s weekend. On 13-14 February, any groups of six or more who book an oche through this deal get a free sharing cocktail. The weekender is an inclusive event that gives you the opportunity to do something different – play darts with friends while enjoying sharing platters and trophy cocktails. Flight Club has reinvented darts with state-of-the-art technology (real time, animated scoring and a slick touch-screen interface)so you can enjoy those cocktails to rely on their maths skills to be able to count up the scores. Oche bookings from £20 per hour.
flightclubdarts.com

The Resident: Barrio Soho, along with its sister venues, is embracing the spirit of singledomBarrio Soho, along with its sister venues, is embracing the spirit of singledom

5 Love Potion Valentine’s Ball at The Vaults, Waterloo
The Artful Badger, regulars at Secret Garden Party festival, are returning to The Vaults below Waterloo Station for the Love Potion Valentine’s Ball – part of the Vault Festival – to draw lonely hearts together. For two nights, The Artful Badger (who wholeheartedly encourage fancy dress, FYI, and the theme is ‘amorous animals’) infiltrate the tunnels for an amorous adventure with DJs, art installations, live bands, dating games and dancers across a variety of underground nooks and crannies. 13-14 February. Tickets, £21.75.
Leake Street, Waterloo SE1 7NN. Click here to book

The Resident: Love your friends at Flight Club, Shoreditch, where darts ruleLove your friends at Flight Club, Shoreditch, where darts rule

6 Weekend getaway at the Bowood, Wiltshire
Flying solo on Valentine’s Day? You have not been forgotten! The Bowood estate is offering the Retreat from Romance package designed for groups of up to eight friends. The package offers exclusive hire of the hotel’s four-bedroom Queenwood Lodge, a mile away from Bowood House, for a two-night stay with breakfast, afternoon tea, a selection of non-romantic books loaned by The Corsham Bookshop (a £20 gift voucher is included in the package), a casual supper and a formal dinner, use of the three-hole practice golf course, a group golf lesson and access to Bowood Spa facilities with a one-hour treatment (value up to £70 per person). From £420 per person.
To book e-mail resort@bowood.org or phone 01249 822 228

The Resident: The Artful Badger is throwing a Love Potion Valentine’s Ball at the Vaults (photo: Simon Annand)The Artful Badger is throwing a Love Potion Valentine’s Ball at the Vaults (photo: Simon Annand)

7 Anti-Valentine’s Day Dream Cake by Cutter & Squidge
What’s love got to do with it? Indulge in a whopping cake with your mates over Valentine’s weekend and enjoy a short, swift, guilt-free relationship with Cutter & Squidge’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Dream Cake. Serving 12, this abundance of chocolatey goodness, including brownies, pretzels and caramel, with a few smashed love hearts thrown in for good measure, is the perfect treat to share among friends. From £27.50.
cutterandsquidge.com

The Resident: The Queenwood Lodge at BowoodThe Queenwood Lodge at Bowood

MORE: 24 GREAT THINGS TO DO IN FEBRUARY

The Resident: Cutter & Squidge’s Anti-Valentine’s Dream CakeCutter & Squidge’s Anti-Valentine’s Dream Cake