Have you seen The Snowman in London? He’s been melting the hearts of both children and adults for 30 years and this Christmas, he’ll be visiting the capital in more ways than one.

On Christmas Eve, The Snowman will enjoy some spectacular views of London as he returns in Channel 4′s sequel to the much-loved animated film. In The Snowman and the Snowdog, The Snowman and friends swoop past some of London’s most famous sites, including the London Eye, Big Ben and the OXO Tower. 24 Dec, 8pm

You can also see the original animated version of Raymond Brigg’s The Snowman at the Barbican, with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera providing extra magic with a live accompaniment to the film. The family double-bill also includes a screening of Peter and the Wolf, with narration by Tamsin Greig. 22-23 Dec

Finally, clocking up its 15th year at the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells is the dance production of The Snowman. This family treat includes an orchestra, dancing penguins and of course, the magical flying sequence, all created live on stage.

Which is your favourite version of The Snowman?

1. OXO Brasserie

OXO Brasserie’s Vegas Valentine’s evening comes complete with Vegas wedding chapel and a performance from a Chinese Elvis. The beautiful views and aphrodisiac menu are sure to get you in the mood for love.

2. Petersham Nurseries

Enjoy a walk along the river Thames, followed by lunch at the idyllic Petersham Nurseries Café with a glass of Petersham Rose Prosecco. True romantics can pre-order a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to the table.

3. Kerbisher & Malt

Does your Valentine love fish and chips? Take them to trendy chippy Kerbisher & Malt for a Valentine’s dinner including two heart-shaped fishcakes, a portion of chips to share and a bottle of fizz.

4. Clos Maggiore

Clos Maggiore was named Most Romantic Restaurant by Hardens 2012 Restaurant Guide, so it’s the ultimate place to woo your loved one. The conservatory with views of the stars obviously does the trick – the restaurant sees at least one proposal a week.

5. Gilgamesh

One lucky diner at Gilgamesh will win a diamond worth more than £1,000 this Valentine’s Day. The rock will be hidden at the bottom of a pink martini named Diamonds are Forever. So it might be worth splashing out on the £50 pan-Asian Valentine’s menu!

6. Carom

Love will be in the air at Carom, as diners are serenaded by Anglo-Indian love songs. You’ll be welcomed with a cocktail, before enjoying a three-course meal followed by singers and DJs playing into the night.

7. Dinner on the Orient Express

Luxurious Valentine’s lunch and dinner trips on the Orient Express include a five-course meal, champagne and wine. Departing from Victoria station, the cosy British Pullman steam train will take you on a romantic trip through the countryside.

8. The Gun

Push the boat out with The Gun’s extravagant Valentine’s package. You’ll arrive by boat, toast your lover in front of stunning river views, have a five-course meal and cocktails delivered by your own personal waiter, and watch your choice of “rom com” on a 42in screen.

9. Barry White Lurve Night at Meatballs

It may not have the most romantic name, but Meatballs is the place to be for lovers this Valentine’s Day. The evening is dedicated to Barry White, the Walrus of Love, and includes a Kiss Me Quick cocktail followed by dinner, accompanied by a Barry White soundtrack.

10. River Thames Dinner Cruise

City Cruises will be creating ripples of romance with a Valentine’s night cruise along the river Thames. Starting at Westminster Pier, the evening includes a glass of fizz and a three-course meal followed by live music and dancing.

More Valentine’s Day ideas

Madelene Yeshin
All my theatre highlights took place at The National, from Danny Boyle’s mind-blowing production of Frankenstein, to the hilarious One Man, Two Guvnors and finally to the beautiful, romantic and funny play by Daniel Kitson -It’s Alright Now, until Later. On the food front, I had an incredible dining experience at Heston’s Dinner in Knightsbridge, and dicovered a new favourite Oxford Street eatery at Riding House Café - perfect for escaping the shopping crowds. Finally, my most bizarre experience of the year was rowing across the roof of Selfridges on an emerald lake courtesy of Bombas and Parr.

Lettice Kemp
My 2011 highlights included following the craft trail at the Thames Festival, seeing Milton Jones’ stand-up show, being utterly terrified by Daleks at the Doctor Who Experience, visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition, watching Arthur “Rory” Darvill in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare’s Globe and attending Knit Nation for the first time. Tapping into the trend for shocking Christmas jumpers, I took a one-day knitting class at Loop and mastered Fair Isle knitting. I also took a silver clay class at the London Jewellery School and a lampshade making class at The Make Lounge, both of which I heartily recommend. Best of all was South Pacific at the Barbican: just beautiful and dreamy.

Aly Garvey
There were some gorgeous exhibitions in London this year including the Glamour of the Gods at the National Portrait Gallery which I loved. Degas and the Ballet at the Royal Academy of Arts was fantastic too. I enjoyed dinner at two of London’s most well-known restaurants, the OXO Tower and the Rib Room which have both had refurbishments this year and reopened looking better than ever with food and drinks to match.

Hannah Collingbourne
After seeing Shrek The Musical, my friend declared, “That’s the best thing that’s happened to me all week!”. I have to agree; in fact it was one of my top events for the whole year. Audience members of all ages left the theatre with a smile on their face. If you need cheering up in the dark winter months after Christmas, I’d recommend a visit to Shrek.

Lisa Williams
Walking along the Southbank with all the beach huts, beach and drinking Pimms on the roof top garden bar during the Southbank Centre’s Festival of Britain was fantastic. I was also lucky enough to go to The O2 to watch the ATP Tennis semi-final matches, which was truly inspiring. Next would be my preview trip of the Harry Potter tour which is opening in March – I just couldn’t believe how much detail had gone into making the sets! Finally, my trip on the Orient Express: being treated like royalty, drinking champagne and eating divine food while pottering around in a beautiful train… what a year!

Jenny Owen
From the swashbuckling Pirates exhibition, to the beautiful and delicate paintings of Degas, it’s been a great year for soaking up some culture in London. I spent hours at the Mirá½¹ exhibiton at Tate Modern, and now we have the Dickens exhibition, which I think really deserves all the hype. Other stand-out moments included visiting The Ritz (every bit as decadent as I’d imagined); touring the Tower of London by night and visiting beautiful Lancaster House during a rare public opening.

Lianne Kolirin
Matilda was unquestionably the highlight of my year in London. The kids loved it too, but you don’t need a little one in tow to appreciate this musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic. I also enjoyed visiting World Travel Market over the autumn. Practically every country around the world occupies a tiny corner of the enormous ExCel exhibition centre. It’s so huge; you could spend a whole week taking in the atmosphere. Earlier in the year, I saw John Bishop compere a comedy benefit in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. So many great acts, so many laughs. Best of the bunch was Seann Walsh, who is definitely a face to look out for in 2012.

Tom Butler
2011 has been a great year for discovering new spaces in London, from inside the former Commonwealth Institute as part of Open House London, to the Eden Project-designed Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden & Bar for the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain. I’m glad this beautiful, grassy rooftop will be back in 2012. Other highlights included a Q&A with author Kazuo Ishiguro at a screening of Never Let Me Go in February (the venue, the Ritzy in Brixton, had an incredible year of events celebrating its 100th birthday), and Hackney Wicked in July. Finally, the best single moments were the decision to award the 2017 World Athletics Championships to London, and the discovery of (possibly) London’s best burritos at Picante Mexican Grillin Victoria – both are a fantastic result for the city.

Zoe Craig
There have been some great shows in London this year. Highlights for me included the brilliantly acted plays Clybourne Park, Frankenstein and The Westbridge; and classy musicals Crazy For You, Matilda and Betty Blue Eyes. Best of the lot was One Man, Two Guvnors – a wonderful script, a fantastic cast, and whole lot of fun. I also loved seeing the new Penguin Beach at London Zoo earlier in the summer.

What were your highlights of 2011? Let us know in the comments below…

I was fortunate to dine at the newly refurbished OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie on London’s South Bank this weekend. The restaurant’s sweeping views over the city, excellent food, cocktail menu and live music made it an evening to remember.

Taking over the eighth floor of the iconic OXO Tower building, the OXO Tower Restaurant occupies one half of the floor with the other occupied by the OXO Bar and Brasserie. This popular venue first opened in the 1990s and recently underwent a refurbishment which added the striking curved white Corian bar designed by Shaun Clarkson ID.

We began our evening with pre-dinner drinks in the bar. Spoilt for choice, the Swinging Dixie was delicious and we especially loved the bar’s tiki-style cocktail, Pleasure Boat.

There are two choices for dinner, either the OXO Tower Restaurant or the OXO Brasserie. We ate in the latter. Seated by the huge windows overlooking the most spectacular views of the River Thames, I enjoyed the scenic skyline with St Paul’s Cathedral standing out. The restaurant was buzzing with people, live music and an open kitchen meant we could see the chefs at work. The atmosphere was perfect for a Saturday night.

The pan-Asian menu had so much choice that we needed some help with our selection. For starters, we had slow braised lamb shank gnocchi and the grilled Saudi prawns with Israeli couscous salad which were both delicious. For our main courses, we enjoyed the roasted pink duck breast with puy lentils and grilled Toulouse sausage and the roasted venison.

Because the cocktails were so incredible, we decided to have another one instead of dessert without any judgement from our waiter! The service we received throughout the evening was wonderful and we had the pleasure of meeting Armi, an Assistant Manager at the Brasserie who looked after us and made sure we had a fabulous evening.

The OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie

The Thames Festival kicks off tomorrow with events up and down the river Thames. The big finale is on Sunday evening, when the riverside comes alive with a Night Carnival procession and fireworks over the Thames.

The area gets pretty crowded so it’s best to plan your viewing spot in advance and get there early. Here are our top recommendations:

• Blackfriars Bridge
• Victoria Embankment
• Riverside walkway near the Oxo Tower
• Oxo Tower Brasserie - open for dinner and drinks, with a set Festival menu (three courses for £45)
• Skylon Bar and Grill at the Southbank Centre – open for dinner and drinks

If you go along, don’t forget to add your pics to our Flickr pool.