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For couples in love there's nothing like gazing into each other's eyes and lingering over lunch on Valentine's Day.
But beware: restaurateurs see only a low occupancy table and slow turnover.
A top Sydney restaurant, Tetsuya's, has refused to take bookings for tables for two tonight and will instead seat couples with at least four strangers.
Another reportedly considered a "couples ban".
Restaurateurs complain of a 30 per cent drop in takings because love-lorn couples stay for hours, drinking just a single bottle of wine or Champagne.
In Auckland, one of the country's top chefs, Simon Gault, sympathises with his Sydney counterparts.
"Valentine's Day is something restaurants have to deal with - it's like customers being late and customers being early," said Gault, executive chef at several leading eateries, including Euro on Princes Wharf.
He said Euro had designed a special $120-a-head menu - including a glass of Moet nectar - in a bid to create an experience for diners "that surpasses their expectations".
A couples ban was not on the cards. "Getting all uppity and saying, 'I don't want to take twos', will get me absolutely nowhere."
Aptly named Jeremiah Love, maitre d' at Cibo in Parnell, said the restaurant managed demand by having sittings at 6pm and 8pm. "People from 8.30 can sit there as long as they want."
Cibo has a $110-a-head four-course meal. Love said diners tended to be flexible with times, especially if they had left booking to the last minute
"A table at 9.30 doesn't sound as bad as, 'I forgot about Valentine's Day'."
Saul and Sharon Smith of Takapuna celebrated the big day early yesterday, to take advantage of a child-free and work-free spell.
The "Valentine's" lunch was particularly special for the couple - who have been married for eight years - as Mr Smith has been away on February 14 in each of the past five years because of his job in the Navy.
"It makes us more aware of spending time together," said Mrs Smith. "I think people shouldn't buy into the hype of Valentine's Day. It's about spending the time."
The Smiths were outraged by the "couple ban" imposed by some restaurants in Australia.
"That's shocking," said Mrs Smith.
Her husband agreed: "People should be able to do what they want."
