101 London Date Ideas | Quirky Things To Do For Date Night
Chances are high that you’re either in a relationship, or single.
And whichever it is, well, you’re going to need date ideas.
And that’s where we come in, because while yes the whole of The Nudge is filled with amazing London date ideas, with hidden spots and romantic nooks for you to explore, we also relentlessly and lovingly update this: our humble collection of 101 London Date Ideas which will help you to secure the lifelong devotion of whomever it is you’re trying to impress. Or at the very least, deliver an amusing anecdote.
We’d call that a win-win.
URBAN EXPLORATION | EAT | DRINK | BACK TO NATURE | CULTURE | WATCH | LISTEN | ACTIVE | CREATIVE | GOOD WHOLESOME FUN
URBAN EXPLORATION
1. TAKE A STROLL ALONG REGENT’S CANAL
Paddington to Hackney | Free
There is an entirely different London to be found when walking along the Regent’s Canal. It’s a place free from Central-Line-at-rush-hour chaos, or the hectic energy of Leicester Square at the weekend (or, if we’re being honest, the weekday). Here, instead, you and your date can step into a relaxed, meandering, quasi-rural alternate reality, full of friendly boat-dwellers, cheerful dog-walkers (and, fine, cyclists who will occasionally come fairly close to mowing you down).
And there’s so much to see – the Canal cuts across a host of neighbourhoods, and we’ve got Itineraries to suit you wherever in the city you might be, whether you’re strolling in Hackney or Maida Vale (or possibly embarking on an impressively-ambitious walking tour taking in both). Sites to see, pubs to detour to – we’ve got it all. Perhaps you’ll end up at Lucia’s for tacos, or Barge East for wine on the water. Either way, you’ll thank us.
Details: Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Lane, London E95EN |Book Barge East| Lucia’s walk-in only
2. GET ON YER BIKES, AND GO ON A MONUMENT CRAWL
Around London | £
A proper London date. We recommend including the Monument itself, the view up there is amazing.
3. TAKE A STROLL ALONG THE SOUTH BANK
South Bank | Free
Take in an exhibition at the Hayward, watch a show at the National, and sip award-winning cocktails at Lyaness.
Details: Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, SE1 9PD | Book Lyaness
4. EXPLORE ABANDONED TUBE TUNNELS BELOW GROUND
Across London | ££££
Don’t let your date say you never take them anywhere nice.
5. EXPLORE THE CITY, SPY-STYLE
Central London | ££ | Partner Content
HiddenCity’s cinematically immersive adventure 007: Shadow Of Spectre is all but guaranteed to help you bond (while you help Bond). Crack codes & hunt clues together – it’s like an escape room, but for the whole city.
Details: Central London | 2-6 players per team | Book here
6. TAKE A BOAT TRIP TO GREENWICH
Greenwich | ££
Then drink like sailors at one of Greenwich’s best pubs.
7. SEE WHO CAN HAGGLE THE BEST DEAL AT PORTOBELLO MARKET
Notting Hill | ££
Paul Hudson/Flickr
The most quintessential of London dates.
Details: Saturdays | Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ
8. BROWSE THE STALLS AT LONDON’S FLEA MARKETS
Buy each other an obnoxious piece of bric-a-brac, and insist your date displays it in pride of place at home.
9. SMUGGLE BOOZE ONTO THE LONDON EYE
Westminster | £££
These guys totally managed it.
Details: South Bank, London SE1 7PB | £29+
EAT
10. CHECK OUT ONE OF LONDON’S HOTTEST NEW RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Across London | ££
Here’s some food for thought. You might have a dependable, tried-and-tested restaurant that you take all your dates to – never deviating from your trusty routine. Or you might like trying somewhere new.
If the latter applies to you, that’s where we come in – carefully separating the wheat from the chaff (especially at that wheat/chaff-themed pop up, which really wasn’t great) so you can be certain that the place you pick will be a winner.
Here, then, is our lovingly assembled – and constantly-updated – list of the most exciting new dining rooms in the city. What’s more, when you’re dazzling your date with a reservation at the buzziest room in town, you can keep this list to yourself and imply that you’re simple a supremely well-connected society maven who just ‘knows these things’. All part of the service.
Or if you’re even more organised, plan ahead with our guide to restaurants opening soon.
11. TAKE IN A LUSH BOTANICAL SUPPERCLUB (HOSTED BY YOURS TRULY & SILENT POOL GIN)
Little Venice | ££
It’s going to involve live music, canapés a three course dinner, several delicious cocktails with Silent Pool gin, and the lush surrounds of Clifton Nurseries.
12. STOCK A PICNIC BASKET AT ONE OF LONDON’S BEST FOOD MARKETS
All Over London | ££
Then take it to one of the many lovely parks in London
13. GET STUFFED AT AFTERNOON TEA
Across London | ££-££££
These places somehow make egg and cress an aphrodisiac.
14. DINE WITH LIVE MUSIC AT BRASSERIE ZEDEL
Piccadilly Circus | ££
Then sip cocktails in their authentic 1930s bar, or catch a show in their cabaret bar.
Details: 20 Sherwood St, London W1F 7ED | Make a reservation at Brasserie Zedel
15. HIT UP A RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW
Across London | £££
With a view to impressing your date.
16. SURPRISE YOUR DATE WITH AN UNUSUAL RESTAURANT
Across London | ££
For when you feel like chicken (fat tarte tatin) tonight.
17. HIT UP ONE OF LONDON’S MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS
All Over London | ££
Some beautiful London date spots, with a little candlelight, a little live music, a little love in the air.
18. TRY NOT TO PROPOSE AT CLOS MAGGIORE
Covent Garden | £££
It’s craaaazy romantic there. If you book a table in the right room (this one).
Details: 33 King St, London WC2E 8JD | Make a reservation at Clos Maggiore
19. GO FOR BRUNCH
Across London | ££
Because if the date doesn’t go well, at least you’ve had brunch.
20. DINE AL FRESCO
Across London | £-£££
Treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or dinner on one of London’s outdoor dining terraces, gardens or rooftops.
DRINK
21. DRINK WINE & EAT CHEESE IN A STRANGELY ROMANTIC CAVE
Embankment | £££
Seasoned Londoners, don’t roll your eyes. Gordon’s Wine Bar, incredibly well-known and located smack bang next to the unlovely commuter thoroughfare of Embankment Tube, may well seem so ‘obvious’ as to be almost invisible, but ignore it at your peril.
What, too good for a stunning, vaulted candlelit cellar full of old oak barrels filled with port and sherry, are you? Ready to turn your nose up at a genuinely brilliant outdoor terrace a few metres from the river, in the heart of central London? Averse to a properly atmospheric slice of living history in which you can enjoy a quality bottle of wine, some truly superb cheeses and, quite possibly, fall in love? Really? What we’re saying is; Gordon’s really is aging like a fine wine. Which is fairly appropriate.
Details: 47 Villiers St, London WC2N 6NE | Book Gordon’s Wine Bar
22. SLIP INTO A COCKTAIL BAR BELOW A DELI
Soho | ££
And show that when it comes to hidden bars, you know your onions.
Details: 18 Brewer St, London W1F 0SG | Book Bar Lina
23. DRESS UP ’40s STYLE AND GO TO CAHOOTS
Soho | £££
Order one of their ‘Dig for Victory’ vegetable cocktails.
Details: 13 Kingly Court, London W1B 5PW | Make a reservation at Cahoots
24. ORDER BUBBLES AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON AT BOB BOB RICARD
Soho | ££££
Trust us, it’s glorious.
Details: 1 Upper James Street, Soho, W1F 9DF | Make a reservation at Bob Bob Ricard
25. TAKE YOUR CASE TO EVANS & PEEL
Earl’s Court | ££
Put on big trench coats, hustle down to this 1940s detective’s office, and try to find the hidden speakeasy…
Details: 310c Earls Court Road, London SW5 9BA | Make a reservation at Evans & Peel
26. TACKLE THE BERMONDSEY BEER MILE
Bermondsey | ££
For some pint-sized fun.
27. SIP DRINKS ON A ROOFTOP OVERLOOKING THE CITY
Across London | ££
Cocktails, amazing views, and most importantly, emergency umbrellas.
28. DRINK COCKTAILS AT NIGHTJAR
Old Street | ££
They have 100 year-old Pimm’s, and considerably younger musicians.
Details: 129-131 City Road, EC1V 1JB | Make a booking at Nightjar
29. SIP ABSINTHE AT THE LAST TUESDAY SOCIETY
Hackney | £
Then descend into Viktor Wynd’s cabinet of curiosities below…
Details: 11 Mare St, London E8 4RP | Make a reservation at The Last Tuesday Society
30. SIP COCKTAILS AT JOIA
Battersea | ££
The mother of all date spots.
Details: art’otel Battersea, 1 Electric Boulevard, SW11 8BJ | Make a reservation at Joia
BACK TO NATURE
31. GO OTTER-SPOTTING IN THE WETLANDS
Barnes | ££
Your date wouldn’t be impressed by a stroll around the Barnes wetlands? Otterly ridiculous.
One of London’s most genuinely wild and untamed spaces – thanks to the tireless work of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, who opened the London Wetland Centre in 2000, and have helped ensure that the 40 hectares of marshes and wildflower meadows remain an attractive prospect to the dozens of species of birds who have come to make the area their home. There are all manner of trails to explore, plus adventure playgrounds with zip wires and rope bridges (sure they’re primarily ‘for kids’, but if the date goes well you can always bring them, in a few years’ time…). Bring your wellies, enjoy a post-walk pint at The Waterman’s Arms – you’ve just enjoyed one of London’s great days out.
Details: Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes, SW13 9WT | £18.20 | Book tickets
32. GET LOST IN THE BARBICAN CONSERVATORY
Barbican | Free (but book ahead)
The occasional pop up bar, live terrapins, and 1,500+ species of plants…
Details: Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS | Book The Barbican Conservatory
33. GO TO LONDON ZOO. DECIDE WHY THE ANIMALS ARE IN PRISON.
Regents Park | £££
Those zebras are wearing comedy burglar outfits.
Details: Regent’s Park Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY | £27-33 | Buy zoo tickets
34. HIRE YOUR OWN BOAT FOR THE DAY
Paddington | £££
And speak like pirates all day.
Details: Merchant Square, Paddington, W2 1AS | £65+
35. TAKE A STROLL ON HAMPSTEAD HEATH
Hampstead | Free
Take in the Pergola, Kenwood House, and a pub. Or two. Check out our full Hampstead Heath date idea here.
36. SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY IN VICTORIA PARK
Hackney | £
Start with a Sri Lankan breakfast at Pavilion, take a dessert from the Happy Endings hatch for a walk in the park, go boating, check out Victoria Park Market, then end with a glass of wine outside Bruno’s. Or, you know, just follow our perfectly planned date around Victoria Park.
Details: Victoria Park, Grove Road, E3 5SN
37. TAKE A DAY TRIP TO A VINEYARD NEAR LONDON
Resist the urge to sing I Heard It On The Grapevine over and over.
38. WANDER ACROSS ACRES OF URBAN WETLANDS
Walthamstow | Free
Then hole up in Tottenham’s tiniest pub.
39. GO ON A DEER SAFARI IN RICHMOND PARK
Richmond | Free
Then go on pub safari through all of Richmond’s great beer gardens.
Details: Open daily | Richmond Park, TW10 5HS | Free
40. GO LEAF PEEPING FROM ABOVE THE TREETOPS AT KEW GARDENS
Kew | ££
Then get steamy in the Victorian glasshouses.
Details: Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE | £12-20
41. RUN AWAY FOR THE DAY
Not London | ££
These lovely places are all reachable in 2 hours, but we’ve also included some hotel suggestions if you wanted to stay…
CULTURE
42. TAKE A CANDLELIT TOUR ROUND SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE
Holborn | £££ (Free by day)
If you’re in the market for London date ideas that scream ‘cultural conversation starter’ – or you’re simply on a subtle mission to demonstrate that your own personal hoarding tendencies aren’t that bad, really, then head over to Holborn for a trip around the peerlessly-eccentric Georgian Townhouse-turned-museum of Neo-Classical architect Sir John Soanes. The house is in fact two neighbouring houses joined together, and this same experimental approach pervades the entire space – walls are covered from floor to ceiling with architectural experimentation, there’s a sarcophagus in the basement, walls that move, tonnes of salvaged furniture, and a gothic hideaway meant for his monk alter-ego, Padre Giovanni. See – makes your collection of football stickers seem perfectly reasonable, by comparison…
Feat. salvaged architecture, an imaginary monk, and moving walls…
Details: Open Wed-Sun | 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
43. ASSESS YOUR WEEKEND COMPATIBILITY AT SUNDAY PAPERS LIVE
Marylebone | £££
The ultimate Sunday, featuring sofas & blankets; long walks; Bloody Maries; roasts; and the papers brought to life by a roster of stimulating, inspirational speakers.
Details: Regular events | One Marylebone, 1 Marylebone Road, NW1 4AQ | Book tickets
44. TAKE IN AN EXHIBITION
Across London | ££
Expressionism! Portrait photography! An interrogation of the under-representation of female artists through history!
45. PLAY GUESS WHO IN THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Charing Cross | Free
David Parry
Then get London’s finest gelato at Gelupo.
Details: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE | Free entry | Open daily
46. DO EVERYTHING AT THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM
Forest Hill | Free
They’ve got a butterfly house, a farmers’ market, an outdoor musical garden, an aquarium, a functioning bandstand, a Dutch barn, 16 acres of gardens… aaaand a pygmy goat enclosure.
Details: Open daily | 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ | Free
47. TAKE THE BOAT FROM TATE BRITAIN TO TATE MODERN
Bankside | £
Then talk about the signs, doors, and chairs as if they were exhibits.
48. SURROUND YOURSELVES WITH ART AT LIGHTROOM
King’s Cross | £££
The four-storey high digital art cube that is Lightroom always has an interesting show on…
Details: 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, London N1C 4DY | Book exhibition tickets
49. VISIT THE HUNTERIAN MUSEUM
Holborn | Free
And see who gets grossed out first.
Details: The Royal College of Surgeons, 38-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE | Open Tues-Sat
50. GO TO ELTHAM PALACE, PRETEND TO BE ROYALTY
Eltham | £
Take a picnic to enjoy by the moat.
Details: Eltham Palace, Court Yard, London SE9 5QE | £21.50
51. WANDER THROUGH A SPITALFIELDS HOUSE TRAPPED IN TIME
Spitalfields | £
The candlelit evening tours are silent – so you can save all your best jokes for dinner at Brat afterwards.
Details: 18 Folgate St, London E1 6BX | £16-25 | Book tickets
WATCH
52. SEE SOMETHING AMAZING AT THE THEATRE
Across London | ££
That’s right, go to the theatre. As London date ideas go, sure, it’s not revolutionary – but then there’s very little better than a truly great night out at the theatre, and we’re here to help on that front. Our constantly-updated Theatre Guide offers you an up-to-the-minute list of the finest shows in the city – plus, crucially, where to go for dinner before and drinks afterwards. Meaning the odds of your date being a critical smash hit are wildly increased.
53. CATCH A SHOW AT WILTON’S
Wapping | ££
Step into London’s last remaining Victorian music hall, then go for post-show drinks at the 300-year old Mahogany Bar.
Details: 1 Graces Alley, London E1 8JB | See what’s on at Wilton’s
54. TAKE A SEAT AT THE MAGICIAN’S TABLE
Bermondsey | £££
It’s genuinely spellbinding. Then you can impress your date with the ol’ ‘spoon behind a napkin’ trick at Casse-Croute.
Details: A Secret London Location | £35+
55. WATCH FILMS ON THE ORIGINAL 16mm REELS
Hackney | ££
At Ciné Real’s incredibly special screening nights.
Details: First Floor, 64 – 66 Brooksby’s Walk, London E9 6DA | Book Ciné Real tickets
56. WATCH A FILM SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL
Across London | ££
Cocktails, blankets and cinema beds.
57. WATCH TOP COMEDIANS IN A HISTORIC CHURCH
Highbury | ££
They’ll have you rolling in the aisles.
Details: Monthly gigs | Union Chapel, 19b Compton Terrace, N1 2UN | £27.50
58. WATCH UN FILM ROMANTIQUE AT THE INSTITUT FRANÇAIS
South Kensington | £
That’s French for ‘a romantic film’.
Details: Ciné Lumière, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT | See what’s on
59. DRESS UP IN RIDICULOUSLY FANCY OUTFITS
Covent Garden | £
And book £9 tickets to see the Royal Ballet.
Details: Royal Ballet and Opera, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD | See what’s on
60. GO TO A CINEMA UNDER THE STARS
Across London | ££
A bevvy of outdoor cinemas crop up around the city come summer time and they make for a perfect date night.
61. CATCH IMMERSIVE ART IN PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Piccadilly Circus | ££
Sharpen your modern art nouse at Moco Museum then go for excellent cocktails and Mexican food at Kol, around the corner.
Details: The Moco Museum is open daily | 1-4 Marble Arch, W2 2UH | You can find out more at the Moco website here.
LISTEN
62. GRAB A DRINK WHILST ENOYING SOME LIVE MUSIC
Across London | ££
Enjoying a good cocktail alongside some quality live music is among life’s purest pleasures – doing so whilst on a date is all the sweeter (particularly if you’re both drinking Mai Tais). London, thankfully, offers a host of venues in which to partake of this indulgence – and, even more thankfully, we’ve assembled a list of the absolute best places to go. Whether that be Jazz nights at Scarfe’s Bar at the Rosewood in Holborn (the prices are formidable, but so is the vibe) or raucous live music along with some ‘mixed drinks’ in Bethnal Green’s inimitable Sun Tavern – we’ve got the city mapped out. Drink it in.
63. LISTEN TO SOME LITERALLY LIFE-CHANGING MUSIC
Wapping | ££
At One Track Minds, a mash-up of TED Talks and Desert Island Discs…
Details: Regular events | Wilton’s Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, London E1 8JB | Book tickets
64. SPARK OLD-SCHOOL ROMANCE AT A JAZZ BAR
Across London | £
It’s hard to beat.
65. LISTEN TO LIVE MUSIC IN A CHURCH CRYPT
Charing Cross | ££
It’s surprisingly lively down there…
Details: Regular events | St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ | £9-29
66. ATTEND A CONCERT IN A SUBTERRANEAN, VICTORIAN CAVERN
Rotherhithe | ££
They say Brunel was building a tunnel… but really, he was creating a Grade A date spot.
Details: Regular events | The Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF | £35 | Book tickets to DEBUT
67. CATCH A GIG AT AN ICONIC MUSIC VENUE
Across London | ££
You never know, you might even land on a song that becomes ‘your song’.
68. FIND THE ROAMING HIDDEN JAZZ CLUB
It’s a nomadic set-up run by world-class artists, who invite some of the best musicians in the city to fill secluded, fairy-lit locations with sound and it’s an ideal date.
Details: The Hidden Jazz Club pops up in various secret locations, including Soho, Marylebone and Hoxton. You can read a little more about it and purchase tickets (around £20) right here. They also offer free tickets to musicians under 30.
ACTIVE
69. ASSUMING THIS ISN’T A FIRST DATE, GO TO A SAUNA
Across London | £+
So you’re after a hot date? Step this way (once you’ve showered…)
London’s in the midst of a sauna boom. It’s entirely possible that, whilst you’ve been reading this sentence, a sauna has been constructed around you and switched on (in which case get out immediately – no screens in the sauna, please). But there’s a reason they’re so popular – they’re invigorating, revivifying, and they can be a lovely place to sit and chat to someone you already know moderately well (to reiterate; if you suggest this as a first date location, you’re a lunatic). There are lo-fi saunas, bougie saunas, rooftop saunas – some of them even have ice baths, if you’re ready to take the plunge together. And we’ve assembled a list of the best ones for you, so you can choose the one that’s right for your date. No sweat.
70. GO DANCING AT THE RIVOLI
Brockley | £
Peter Dazeley
A totally unchanged 1950s ballroom, with a cash bar and regular retro themed nights.
Details: Monthly events | 350 Brockley Road, Crofton Park, SE4 2BY | See what’s on
–
71. GO CRAZY GOLFING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Across London | £
Or, you know, Barnet.
72. DUKE IT OUT ON AN OLD SCHOOL BOWLING GREEN
Peckham | £
Except this is Peckham, so the clubhouse serves negronis and Yard Sale Pizza.
Details: Bowling Green, Peckham Rye, SE15 3UA | Book bowls (reopens on 19th April)
73. FLOAT ALONG THE CANALS IN A HOT TUG
Canary Wharf | ££££
It’s literally a hot tub. That’s also a boat.
Details: Off Hertsmere Road, West India Quay, Canary Wharf, E14 4AL | £130-180
74. CLIMB THE O2 BY TWILIGHT, DRINK CHAMPAGNE AT THE TOP
Greenwich | £££
It’s a long climb. Perfect for checking out, or improving, your date’s stamina.
Details: The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX | £35+
75. GO FOR A DIP IN A HEATED LIDO
London Fields | £
Peter Smith/Flickr
And if you still need warming up afterwards, grab a couple of small plates at Bambi.
Details: London Fields West Side, London E8 3EU | £6 | Book a swimming session
76. TAKE A CANDLELIT WINE BATH TOGETHER
Strand | £££££
It’s how you’ll be living out your retirement years, so test the waters (so to speak) now.
Details: 2-3 Robert St, Covent Garden, WC2N 6RL | From £98pp | Book Aire
77. TAKE YOUR DATE TO THE FAIRGROUND
Oxford Circus | £
The kind with adrenaline-fuelled mini-games, insanely good prizes, and cocktails. And then crazy golf, just in case you get bored.
Details: Swingers West End, 15 John Prince’s Street, W1G 0AB | Book Swingers Carnival
78. TAKE A WHACK AT PADEL
Across London | £££
This fast-paced game played with a holey racket is a sure fire way to get hearts racing.
Details: Padel Social Club has two sites in London, which are open daily | Find out more and book on the Padel Social Club website
CREATIVE
79. DESIGN BESPOKE PERFUMES FOR EACH OTHER
Covent Garden | ££
Making a bespoke perfume for your loved-one? As London date ideas go, it’s not to be sniffed at.
Smell is one of the most evocative sensations a human can experience, intimately connected as it is to memory and emotion – so why not immortalise your date in olfactory form?
The Experimental Perfume Club in Monmouth Street offers you the chance to create a unique perfume with its in-store Art of Blending consultation. Fascinating, creative, and you’ll go home with something special at the end (we’re talking about the perfume, obviously).
It’s a date that just makes scents.
Details: 53 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9DG | £75pp | Book a session
80. BOOK A COOKERY CLASS AND WHIP UP A STORM
All Across London | £££
Whether you want to make sweet tarts for your sweet heart with Bread Ahead or make an elaborate pie for your cutie pie at Holborn Dining Room, there’s a cookery class for almost every appetite.
Details: Regular dates across London | Holborn Dining Room Pie Masterclasses & Bread Ahead Workshops | From £60
81. GO (WILD) LIFE DRAWING
Across London | £££
Invent pet names for each other. And the models.
Details: Regular events | See upcoming classes
82. TAKE A POTTERY CLASS
Across London | £££
Teachers looove it when you do the ‘Ghost’ thing.
83. MAKE CANDLES TOGETHER AT EARL OF EAST
Soho | £££
Though obviously, nobody holds a candle to your date…
Details: Regular dates | Unit 2, Quadrant Arcade, Regent Street, London W1B 5RL | £55pp
84. TRY LIFE DRAWING WITH LIVE MUSIC
Hackney | ££
The models and the musicians are naked. Let’s just hope they’re not as attractive as you.
Details: 7 Grosvenor Way London E5 9ND | From £25 | Book a class
85. BRAVE A TAXIDERMY CLASS
Hackney | ££££
And give each other crabs!
Details: Regular dates | Secret location | From £50 – book a workshop
86. TAKE A COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS
Across London | £££
When you feel like shaking things up.
87. STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES AT CHISWICK FLOWER MARKET
Chiswick | ££
And feel the love blossom – check out our full Chiswick date idea here.
Details: First Sunday of every month | Old Market Place, Chiswick High Road, W4 2DR
88. JOIN THE CRUSH CLUB AT LONDON CRU
Fulham | ££
You can literally squeeze grapes with your squeeze.
Details: 21-27 Seagrave Road, London SW6 1RP | Book a tour
GOOD WHOLESOME FUN
89. TAKE ROMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS AT LIFT 109
Battersea | ££
By ascending the chimneys of Battersea Power Station.
Details: Circus Rd West, Nine Elms, Battersea, SW8 5BN | £17 | Book Lift 109 tickets
90. GIVE CUPID A RUN FOR HIS MONEY
The City & Canary Wharf | ££
If you’re in, or near, the City, then you could do a lot worse than sharpen your aim with some virtual clay pigeon shooting at Clays – an experience that’s far slicker and more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Its semi-private pegs are designed to encourage all skill levels, with the games gradually ratcheting up the difficulty as you go. It’s silly, lightly competitive, instantly addictive, and accompanied by swift and friendly table service for all the food and drink you require to keep your aim on point. The perfect place to shoot your shot.
Details: 55 Moorgate, London EC2R 6LL | 1 Cabot Square, W India Ave, London E14 4QJ | Book Clays
91. NERD OUT AT FOUR QUARTERS
Peckham | £
Show off your video game skills. Loser buys a round of craft beers.
Details: 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP | Make a booking at Four Quarters
92. GO TO THE THURSDAY LATE AT NOVELTY AUTOMATION
Holborn | £
Play a friendly game of Divorce, then make up over a glass of wine.
Details: Thursdays, 12-8pm | 1A Princeton St, London WC1R 4AY
93. PLAY A FEW ROUNDS OF DARTS AT FLIGHT CLUB
Finsbury Square/Bloomsbury/Victoria/Islington | ££
Use the board to determine what you drink.
94. GO BOWLING AT ALL STAR LANES
Holborn / Westfield / Brick Lane | ££
And see who can come up with the most puns about balls, pins, and splits.
95. GET YOUR SKATES ON AT FLIPPER’S ROLLER BOOGIE PALACE
Shepherd’s Bush | ££
It’s the revival of an iconic LA roller disco. Backed by Usher.
Details: Ariel Way, London W12 7SL | £15.50+
96. HIT THE OLYMPIC PING PONG TABLE AT BOUNCE
Farringdon / Shoreditch / Battersea | ££
Invent victory dances.
Details: 241 Old St, London EC1V 9EY | Book a session at Bounce
97. PLAY BOARDGAMES TOGETHER AT DRAUGHTS
Dalston/Waterloo | ££
Do NOT play Monopoly if you want there to be a second date.
Details: 41 Kingsland High St, London, E8 2JS | £7.25+ | Book Draughts
98. HAVE A SHUFFLEBOARD CONTEST AT ELECTRIC SHUFFLE
London Bridge | ££
Then toast your victory with cocktails at Swift Borough.
Details: 10 Bermondsey St, London SE1 2ER | £20+ | Book here
99. PIT YOUR WITS AGAINST AN ESCAPE ROOM
Across London | ££
If you can survive an hour of high-intensity puzzling while locked in a room together, it probably bodes well.
100. SEE WHO’S BETTER AT BLUFFING ART SPEAK AT CAMDEN ART CENTRE
Finchley | Free
And sip negronis in the gallery’s leafy garden.
Details: Arkwright Road, Hampstead, NW3 6DG | Free entry | See what’s on at Camden Art Centre
Oh – one more for luck (whose ridiculous idea was ‘101 London date ideas’ anyway…?)
101. TOUR LONDON’S UNUSUAL MUSEUMS
Across London | £
First to find UCL’s famous Jar of Moles wins.
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Looking for more London date ideas? Take a look at what’s on in London this month
