There is no better way to savour the Thames than with a grandstand view of the London’s monuments, from one of the river’s cruise boats. They cruise between Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, with the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and delights of the old city between.

Ferry boats moored alongside the Thames have been conscripted into service as quality restaurants, a refined location for special meals a deux, gently rocked by the waves created by the passing river traffic. River borne cruisers fitted out as restaurants offer exquisite meals, views of London’s riverside at night, and dancing to live music.

The city’s treasures for folk with romance in their soul are clustered close to the Thames.

A short walk from the embankment landing dock is Gordon’s Wine Bar, the oldest in London, with tables fashioned from old barrels in a candle-lit vaulted cellar. One street away from here is the Sherlock Holmes pub, festooned with memorabilia of the immortal character who is still the world’s most famous detective, and a restaurant set around his reconstructed 'study' serving quality traditional English meals.

The Millennium Bridge, a walkway crossing the river near St Paul’s, offers a dreamy stroll, with views of the peaceful riverside heart of London. On the south side of the river is the Globe theatre, built close to the site of, and as an exact copy of Shakespeare’s theatre, and home to the best presentations of his plays today. Just one of over a hundred theatres in London, but an evening of 'theatre in the round' here is a romance in itself.

Close to London Bridge, The George Inn, dating from 1542 and the last galleried inn in London, is believed to have been a haunt of Shakespeare who had lodgings nearby, and whose plays are said to have been performed in the enclosed courtyard. His plays are still staged in the courtyard in summertime, as a feature of the establishment, which is still a pub but with a fine restaurant set in the upper gallery.

A hands down winner in the romance stakes for hotels is Miller’s Residence, a tiny 18th century building in Westbourne Grove, close to the Portobello Antiques Market, with just seven exquisite rooms and suites, furnished with genuine antiques and decorated in period style. For those seeking four-posters, the Cranley Hotel, a beautifully restored Victorian mansion on a quiet, leafy Kensington street, or the Dorset Square Hotel, a perfectly formed 1787 town house close to Regent’s Park are likely to fit the bill.

Front runner for romantic restaurants has to be Le Pont de la Tour, proudly presenting a gastronomic array featuring an enormous plateau de Fruits de Mer, scallops and fish. But, set alongside the Thames, the star of the show here is the view of Tower Bridge.

A more discreet location is the Cheyne Walk Brasserie & Salon, with hearty and traditional English dishes, chaises longues and river views, while La Bouchee, a bistro in Old Brompton Road, offers candlelit ambience and rustic Gallic food, just perfect for canoodlers.