Lust and beauty from Adriano Zumbo

It’s that time of year again – carnations and baby’s breath, silver balloons and greeting cards, hearts won and hopes dashed. There’s no avoiding Valentine’s day, unless possibly you’re in Myanmar, or North Korea, but there’s no need to make it cheesier than a Roquefort cave. Here’s a quick whip round the world for luxe ways to give and celebrate that won’t always break the bank, but are a darn good bet for bedroom Olympics. Mwaah!

Passion in a bottle at Lorenzo Villoresi

Lost for what to buy your paramour in London? Fret not, inspiration comes in all guises as well as a beautifully packaged, hand delivered gift box at Bokks, whether it be champers and chocs, or tickets to a tour of the champagne house and choc maker itself. You can never go wrong, with perfume, or can you? Think how often you’ve received a bottle of pong that’s just all wrong, and you’ll find it easier to justify jetting to Florence to seek out scent wizard Lorenzo Villoresi for a custom fragrance, or simply buy a bottle ready to dab.

If a night of sexy times is on your mind, then do it in the city of lovers, at the Pavillon de la Reine, a vine-clad 54-room chateau positioned on the prettiest square in Paris. It’s also recently added a Carita spa for rub a dub times. Wherever you are in the world, if you’re baring it, then make sure there are no surprise bush babies to ruin the moment. In LA, that’ll be well taken care of at Argyle Salon & Spa, which also happens to be our pick for a damn good Hollywood pamper.

Wintry romance at Pavillon de la Reine

Dining in New York without a reservation is often the quickest route to starvation. Add V day, and you might as well get ready to eat your partner. Not too fast, for it just so happens that restaurant of the moment, The Breslin, is walk-in only, so get there early for seriously comforting and artery-clogging gastropub dishes from the folks behind the Spotted Pig – think pork scratchings, onion and bone marrow soup, stuffed pigs trotters and Eton mess.

Share the love at Breslin

More heart-stopping treats can be shared on the other side of the globe, thanks to Sydney’s own god of sweet things, Adriano Zumbo. Yes, this master makes chocs, but your seduction will soar with one of Adriano’s sublime cakes and pastries. We’re still swooning for the “Alessia, I Like Big Buns”, a sensuous confection of pâté a choux, dukkah sable, pistachio, crème mousseline, Dijon mustard crème anglaise, pistachio crunch and fresh raspberries. Forget the hips, work those lips…

For something a little racier, without going down the lingerie path, the gals at La Cáscara in steamy Singapore, will bring to your home or hotel a gorgeous selection of Brazilian-inspired swim and resort wear to peruse, try and buy. It’s kaftanamatic! And so we come full circle to those hapless souls in Hong Kong in frantic search of original gift ideas. Inspiration comes once again  in a box, this time courtesy of the VIP Box, providing experiences from indulgent spa treatments to weekends away or surf lessons to dance classes. As yet they don’t have a filthy weekend away with Gerard Butler in a box, but apparently they’re working on it [ed. so am I]. Happy Valentine’s, you naughty kittens… kiss kiss bang bang!

Bokks. 29 Davies Street, W1, London. T: +44 845 607 0845. W: bokks.com

Lorenzo Villoresi. Via de Bardi, 14, Florence. T: +39 055 23 41 187. W: lorenzovilloresi.it

Pavillon de la Reine. 28 Place des Vosges, 3rd, Paris. T: +33 1 40 29 19 19. W: pavillon-de-la-reine.com

Argyle Salon & Spa. Sunset Tower Hotel, 8358 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, Los Angeles. T: +1 310 623 9000. W: argylela.com

The Breslin. Ace Hotel, 16 West 29th Street, New York City. T: +1 212 679 1939. W: thebreslin.com

Adriano Zumbo. 296 Darling Street, Balmain, Sydney. T: +61 2 9810 7318. W: adrianozumbo.com

La Cáscara. Singapore. E: info@la-cascara.com. W: la-cascara.com

VIP Box. Hong Kong. T: +852 3168 0288. W: vipbox.com.hk