Romantic Dates

Learn how to give a professional massage--and get a relaxing rubdown along the way--in an instructional couples massage at Foggy Bottom's Natural Body Spa. Wrap up in luxurious robes, sip Yogi tea and get a little hot for each other in the steam room while you wait for your appointment--you'll be ready to get hands-on in no time. A massage therapist works individually with each person, showing how to touch gender-specific sweet spots on their partner (shoulders tend to be more tense on men) and how to use proper technique. After 45 minutes, partners switch places. In the end, the massage therapist will help you design a customized massage oil (with scents such as lemon ginger or lavender) to take home for practice. The session is $135 and can be booked online.

Share a romantic picnic-like meal year-round at Firefly in Dupont, where the dining room features a floor-to-ceiling tree decorated in glowing lanterns and flickering candles. Maximize the "outdoor" experience and grab a table next to the tree in the intimate 60-seat dining room, where even the kitchen is camouflaged behind a natural stone wall. Handcrafted cocktails continue the theme with options including fresh fruit and Firefly sweet tea vodka, and the urban picnic menu offers plenty of dishes to share with a date, such as chicken fried oysters, bacon meatballs and tuna with crackers. End the night on a sweet note with a treat fit for a backyard feast: A peanut butter ice cream sandwich made with flourless chocolate cake, banana's foster sauce and crumbled peanut praline.

Why go out for just another dinner date when you can throw in a little murder before dessert? At the Blair Mansion Inn Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, you'll have plenty to talk about from soup to nuts. The $49.99 ticket price includes a buffet dinner, the show and dessert for each person. Team up with your date to find clues together or make it a competition. The games don't begin until after dinner, so there's still plenty of time to play footsie and sip one cocktail through two straws while enjoying live music. The historic building--designed by Madison Square Garden architect Stanford White--also adds a touch of Bronte-esque romance to the experience.

"Dirty Dancing" never gets old. Live out the sequel ("Havana Nights") and embrace one of the sexiest cultures on the globe by immersing yourself in the music, food and dance of Cuba at Habana Village in Adams Morgan. Salsa classes are offered for all skill levels on Thursdays and Fridays from 7:15pm to 9pm for $10 per person. Once you and your partner pick up some moves, try them out on the second floor as DJs spin the latest Latin hits, or come back on Saturday night to dance to live music from a five-piece band. When you need a break, linger over a traditional Cuban meal in the restaurant downstairs and share one of the best mojitos around.

Set sail with your sweetheart on an Odyssey dinner cruise to dine, dance and drink on the Potomac as you cruise past moonlit monuments. Upon boarding the ship, a professional photographer will capture the moment in a photo you can take home at the end of the night. At your private table, enjoy a three-course meal--with main dishes such as mojito salmon and boneless pork chop--while you listen to live music. After dessert, hit the dance floor for a slow (or dirty) dance when the music amps up. Special packages are also available to make the evening even more romantic; you can customize your cruise to include a premium open bar, or spring for a half dozen roses and a bottle of champagne to be waiting at your table. A typical dinner cruise is $95.90 per person and can be booked online at the ship's Web site.