Salt Restaurant and Bar
Ambassador Hotel, 34 Victoria Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town. Tel +27 21 439 7258.

The mood: Dramatic ocean vistas don't get much better, especially as this is no casual beach shack. Modern and glamorous, you'll probably want to dress the part. A table at the floor-to-ceiling windows, which open to the sea air and the sound of waves crashing onto the rocks below, is bound to score favours with your honey. But even the other tables, with their crisp, white napery and shell-shaped tea light candleholders, feel special.

The food: The delicious contemporary fare on this seasonal menu features evocative Spanish, Moorish, Asian and African flavours. You might start off with your own prawn and water chestnut wontons or fragrant steamed mussels, but soon you'll be exchanging tastes of each other's Tandoori roast quail with mango curry and coriander cumin yoghurt, and squid tempura with ouzo mayonnaise. Not to mention desserts like frozen tiramisu and grappa panacotta with strawberries.

The drink: Start off with a Salt sunset cocktail at the bar before moving on to something from the very thoughtful winelist, exceptional in that everything is available by the glass.

The romance factor: What could be more romantic than the sun dipping into the Atlantic over a bottle of bubbly?

The song: Despite the setting, a splash-out dinner like this calls for Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood' rather than Neil Diamond's 'Love on the Rocks'.

Thandi Restaurant & Fountain Court
Zimbali Lodge, Umhlali, KwaZulu-Natal. Tel +27 32 538 1007

The mood: Some things are intrinsically romantic, like sunsets and sunrises, palm trees and deserted beaches, candles and lanterns. Zimbali Lodge offers all of the above, and in the right quantities. For old-school colonial dining at its best, sit inside at a candlelit table near the grand piano but close enough to an open window to gaze at the distant ocean in the moonlight.

The food: The menu is extensive and changes daily, but special mention must go to the curries, lamb, chicken, vegetable or prawn, served in copper dishes and at the right temperature to melt her heart (or light her fire).

The drink: Before dinner, indulge in a cocktail at the wickedly 'White Mischief' Trophy Bar.

The romance factor: Zimbali is the Zulu word for 'Valley of the Flowers' and the view from the pool deck at sunset when the subtropical sky turns a deep purple is surely reminiscent of Adam and Eve's first experience of paradise.

The song: It's not easy to find a song that matches this heady mix of Indian, Balinese and African influences. But Tarkan's Turkish hit 'Kiss Kiss' might suit this exotic scene.

The best of the rest

In the Cape

Quiet Italian: Chef Ristorante Italiano, Green Point, +27 21 419 6767.

Intimate Japanese: Kyoto Garden, Tamboerskloof, +27 21 422 2001.

Vineyards & views: Mange Tout, Mont Rochelle Hotel, Franschhoek, +27 21 876 2770.

Dress for dinner: Myoga, Vineyard Hotel & Spa, Newlands, +27 21 657 4545.

Dine & dance: Pigalle, Green Point, +27 21 421 4848.

5-star fine diner: Rust en Vrede, Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, +27 21 881 3881.

Retro Romance: Top of the Ritz, The Ritz Hotel, Sea Point, +27 21 439 6988.

In Gauteng

Seductive Greek: Filakia, Sandown, +27 11 783 5805.

Classical elegance: The Fairlawns, Morningside Manor, +27 11 804 2540.

Dine with the stars: Hedwig's & the Observatory, Aloe Ridge Hotel, Muldersdrift, +27 11 957 2070.

Timeless charm: Linger Longer, Wierda Valley, +27 11 884 0465.

Exotic treat: Restaurant Mosaic, Orient Hotel, Crocodile River Valley, +27 12 371 1190.

In KwaZulu-Natal

Moody sea views: Bel Punto, Umdloti, +27 31 568 2407.

Grand Gourmet: Hartford House, Mooi River, +27 33 263 2713.

Fabulous French: Ile Maurice, Umhlanga, +27 31 561 7609.

Cool Colonial: Lynton Hall, Pennington, +27 39 975 3122.