Perfect romance

Since romance began, candlelit dinners have long been the date of choice for couples looking to spend some quality time together, writes Charlie Holding.

As luck would have it, the night I decided to take my girlfriend Layla out for a romantic meal also happened to be Earth Hour, an annual event held on the last Saturday of March, encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change.

Once Earth Hour hits, the lights go off and, to avoid bumping into tables, people switch to candlelight and many hotels and restaurants across the island, including the Movenpick and K Hotel, also participate.

The Marriott Executive Apartments in Juffair took full advantage of the opportunity to help the environment and give couples on the island the chance to enjoy a romantic meal.

As we arrived at the Skywalk Café shortly before Earth Hour, we were ushered to our table.

Although the lights were still on, the mood was already set, with candles flickering gently on all the tables. The effect came into full force at precisely 8.30pm when the lights were cut and the excitement really began.

I ordered a minestrone soup to start and Layla ordered bruschetta, although she began to question her choice after sampling my soup. “Can I just have a little taste?” she said. Well, that little taste resulted in her finishing off my rich, fresh and flavoursome soup which left me to finish her immaculate bruschetta. 

I wasn’t going to let that happen again so we both opted for juicy tenderloin for the main course, no chance of her wanting to taste mine if she had one too! Both were cooked to perfection and accompanied by an exquisite mushroom sauce and mixed vegetables.
Layla managed to keep her fork to herself for a while, but all that changed when we ordered dessert. Being a cake enthusiast, I went with the New York Cheese Cake and Layla ordered three generous scoops of assorted ice cream.

“Can I have a little taste of your cake, Charlie?” she said. Once bitten twice shy, I reluctantly offered her a small sample but made sure she knew this cake was all mine. It was fantastic and a perfect end to a delicious meal.

Romance is good, helping the environment is great, but stealing my cake is inexcusable!

Make a note, the next Earth Day is March 30, 2013, don’t miss out on your chance to help save the planet and enjoy some delicious fare at the same time. Book today!