Love is in the air this weekend as Blenheim's newest cafe-wine bar opens its doors.

The Love Affair on Main St, in the old Bacchus restaurant building, opened in August, 2011.

New proprietor Jack Love said the building had a good heart and deserved to be open. "It's a little ripper," he said. "I felt there was a gap in the market between cafe bars and fine dining restaurants, and I think we are it. "Life is all about food and people so we want to welcome new and old friends to The Love Affair to wine and dine."

The Blenheim man said he always wanted to own a cafe when he retired as a real estate agent. The opportunity came about earlier than that, quite unexpectedly. "I was looking for a car park that I could rent and came across this site beside Briscoes but it had a restaurant attached. I thought to myself everybody loves delicious food and fine wine and it just evolved from there," he said. "It's just one of those things that happen in life that you have to make a decision on."

He's confident the economic downturn won't stop people trying his new venture. "There are a lot of people still dining while watching their purse strings and we can accommodate that," he said. "We have found a great chef and front of house team to serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner in a great location." Cafe-wine bar manager Debra Fagan said it will be open from 8am till late and has space for both dining and having a few drinks. It can also cater for functions, with a separate large area for a bit more than casual dining, she said.

The focus is on affordable menus.