Katy Perry and John Mayer 'very much in love'

Katy Perry and John Mayer seemed "very much in love" during a recent night out.

The on-off couple made a rare public appearance together at The Friars Foundation gala honouring Don Rickles yesterday in New York City.

A fellow attendee revealed the pair were flirty throughout the evening, even though they haven't officially announced their reunion.

"They were very much together. It was a date night," the onlooker told US Weekly.

"During dinner, Katy and John looked at each other like they were the only people in the room. Katy didn't stop smiling and John kept whispering in her ear. A few times, their faces were so close it looked like they were about to kiss, but they didn't. They were very intimate and seemed very much in love."

Katy opened up about her love life in the July issue of Vogue. The star - who was married to Russell Brand for 14 months before they split at the end of 2011 - gushed about her complicated romance with John.

"I was madly in love with him. I still am madly in love with him. All I can say about that relationship is that he's got a beautiful mind," she said. "Beautiful mind, tortured soul. I do have to figure out why I am attracted to these broken birds."

Katy also explained in the interview that she is happy to stay single until she has figured out what makes her tick.

"I'm not in a relationship, I'm just on my own - I am myself in my own bed. I have to be happy being alone, and I am happy," she said. "I believe that I will be loved again, in the right way. I know I'm worth it."