Date night. Gone are the days where we’d share sugary cocktails at Be At One or sit squished against popcorn scoffing strangers in an Odeon cinema. Nope. Now we seek out bizarre bars and screenings with a little more room for two.
Allyn and I have become quite the team at exploring the city together and developed a fairly long repertoire of favourite spots for a night in the city. Here are our top 10 unique dates…
1 | Cocktails and Curiosities at The Last Tuesday Society
Probably one of our favourite dates, this night took us to an easily missable bar in Hackney where we sipped cocktails next to a taxidermy lion followed by an evening spent giggling at the strangest collection of objects in London. The Last Tuesday Society is a pure secret gem in the city, serving an excellent menu of cheap drinks and food upstairs (including edible bug platters), whilst downstairs is the basement Museum of Curiosities. We attended their monthly Petting Zoo event which for £5 also included a chance to cuddle Winston the Bearded Dragon and friends.
2 | The London Cabaret Club
I actually took a friend to this night but it’s somewhere I’d love to go back to with Allyn. For a medium priced package, you can sit right up by the stage, enjoying a three course meal with drinks whilst a group of fantastic singers and dancers put on one hell of a show. We attended their Amy Winehouse tribute night but am keen to return for the talked about James Bond evening.
3 | A Challenging Walk at Tower Bridge
Seeing a tourist trap together is always a great pick for a date. One of our first was a trip to the London Aquarium and we still have a long list of classics on our to-do list! A great idea to combine with a landmark like the Tower of London is a walk over the Tower Bridge Glass Floor which sees straight down to the bridge and Thames River below. Just make sure to be the brave one!
4 | A Slightly More Unique Night at the Movies
Nothing beats a classic movie date but in London there’s no point paying for the chain cinemas when you have a such a creative selection of outdoor, themed and independent venues to choose from. Our favourites are Genesis in Mile End for cheap tickets and live jazz, Where is the Nomad for secretive cosy outdoor screenings and the Rooftop Film Club for great venues and food.
5 | Crazy London Golf
For Valentine’s Day this year we booked a round at the Junkyard Golf Club and it was one of the most fun evenings we’ve shared together. Cocktails and crazy golf definitely go hand in hand, especially when there’s gigantic jungle animals and abandoned cars involved.
6 | A Sunset Cruise
Thames cruises are cheesy, there is no doubt about it. But despite the cackling hen dos and average live music, it was undeniably romantic sailing past the skyline favourites as they turn on the lights whilst the sun sets. We booked with City Cruises to receive a free glass of fizz during our ride.
7 | The Magic Circle
For any magic fans or those who are looking to wow their dates, then a night at the Magic Circle is a firm winner. Tickets are cheap for a full evening of entertainment and you definitely won’t run out of things to talk about!
8 | Escape The Room… Together
We’ve all done an escape the room these days, some of you have probably done them with your partner. But they are still a favourite of mine for a double date with friends or family. Just don’t do them until you feel comfortable shouting “THAT DOESN’T GO THERE JUST LET ME DO IT” without falling out…
9 | Champagne + Fromage
Cheese? Good. Champagne? Good. Share a platter of France’s finest with some vintage bubbles at Champagne + Fromage whose handful of cosy stores have plenty of corners to cuddle up in.
10 | To Market To Market
Recently we’ve taken a handful of spontaneous wanders around our favourite neighbourhood markets; Columbia Road, Brick Lane and Spitalfields. There’s always fun to be had picking treasures from antique shops, grabbing a coffee to sip in the park and holding hands around the stalls.
What are your favourite date ideas in London? I’d love to try out some of your suggestions!
