The timing was impeccable for Ethan Buik and Celeste Cordner-Loff, who celebrated their newfound freedom by hitting up cafes, restaurants, and gelato joints around town.

Their first stop was Grilld on Baylis Street, where the star crossed lovers shared lunch together before heading off to grab gelato for desert.

The two of them had been unable to go on their romantic restaurant dates since lockdown, but they were able to spend their entire Friday afternoon making up for lost time.

"It feels liberating," Miss Cordner-Loff said.

"After this we're going to get some aphrodisiac-y food: chocolate, strawberries, that sort of thing."

Mr Buik said the pair of them had been looking forward to this day for quite some time, and that they had planned out their anniversary meticulously.

"We'll head on down to the park where we had our first date, then we'll go to Gelatissimo - recreate our first date in a way," Mr Buik said.

"We're quite lucky that the restrictions lifted in time."

Mr Buik said he also counts himself lucky to be one of the people who held onto their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, and that the two of them have managed to fare quite well during life in lockdown.

"I'm in the manufacturing industry so it's been pretty much business as usual, other than a few restrictions," Mr Buik said.

"It hasn't felt too different for me."