Dating in London - the 12 Best Venues

Does London offer great Date Opportunities?

The clear answer is a resounding "yes, of course"! London with more than 8.5 Million inhabitants is one of the most lively, diverse and exciting cities in all of Europe. It has a rich culture, tons of yummy restaurants for every type of foody and has a rich culture in every dimension. Nature is not too far away and if you want to experience something very unique for your first (or second, or third) date London offers quite some opportunities.

If you're not ready for a real-world meetup yet you should stick to the online dating opportunities in London. There are plenty of dating apps and websites available for every taste and variety. It's London after all.

If you want to learn more about London's online dating landscape and what to expect read our article about Online Dating in London.

If you want to skip right past the queque and learn which dating apps we recommend for the Londoners check our List of best London Dating Sites.

First meet-ups are best in cafes or over lunch. If you’re professionals, a dinner is a very good idea where you can wind up and be yourself after a day’s work. 

Terry’s cafe at Great Suffolk street is a great place with good food. If you’re looking for bonding over breakfast or a brunch, head over to the Regency Cafe. 49 Cafe at King’s cross is another great option for a breakfast or brunch date.

There are around 15000+ restaurants in London according to a Quora answer to the question. Though we cannot see the exact figures, you’ll definitely be spoilt for choices when it comes to selecting a place for a good lunch date. 

If you love Italian food, you can visit Padella. If you’re more of when-in-Britain-do-everything-British kind, you can try the Great British Restaurant or Simpson’s in the Strand. Both these restaurants are known for fine dining and beautiful British interiors and authentic British food. 

If your tastebuds crave Asain food, you can try Ma La Sichuan, a Chinese restaurant at Westminster. Indian food lovers can dig in delicacies at Gymkhana, Dishoom and Brigadiers. 

There are numerous other eateries selling all kinds of cuisine - there’s Taco Queen for Mexican fare, Viet Garden for Vietnamese food and Zuma that serves Japanese cuisine.

If you’re looking for a romantic place (stress on ambience more than food), go for Bob Bob Ricard Soho or Launceston Place.

Imagine a first date in a monument looking at artefacts that date back centuries ago! Imagine walking round a place hand in hand that defined the progress of the human race and changed the courses of events completely. Thrilling!

London has history seeping out through every nook and corner. The city is chockablocked with monuments and structures that have found their places in numerous poems and stories. 4 of the world’s cultural heritage sites are situated in London - The Queen’s Royal Palace, Kew Gardens of south west London,  Palace of Westminster - also known as House of Parliament,  Westminster Abbey - the place of royal weddings and honoured burials and St Margaret's Church - collectively considered one heritage; and the Greenwich Royal Observatory. All of them are perfect for a date, especially a show at the Observatory - splendid and spectacular! Falling in love under the stars has something special to it!  

Other historically significant places that are good for a date include 

Stonehenge, a  prehistoric monument ideal for a date out in nature, Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire, South West England. The Avon green belt runs through Wiltshire, and it would be absolutely wonderful to extend your date to a date night in one of the B&B stays on Bradford-on-Avon.

Trafalgar Square is best for lazy strolls, and when in the vicinity,  don’t miss the Big Ben. Speaking of lazy strolls, the best in the city is probably the walk to the Southwark Cathedral along the south bank of the River Thames. It  is a very romantic space and a long romantic walk along the South Bank might just be what you need to spark off the fire between you and your date.

Do you feel your best in unwalled, open spaces like parks and gardens? A lot of people are at their best out in the elements, surrounded by nature. Surprisingly, as populous as it may be, London has around 3000 parks and open spaces. Visit the Mayfield Lavender Park, which is one of our special recommendations for a date out in nature. You cannot miss the Thames Chase stretch, ideal for a long second date.

One of the most romantic things to do in London is going for a Thames cruise. If you’re keen to pack sight-seeing along with a rafting on the water, go for the Hop-on-Hop-off cruises. For a more intimate time together, book a lunch or a dinner cruise. 

There’s also a cable car trip directly over Thames, facilitated by Emirates AirLines. A view of the scintillating London night sky & lights at Canary Wharf can up any romantic night out experience.

Sipping champagne as the city bustles underneath? Sounds perfect for a date, doesn’t it? To experience this, book one of the many hot air balloon trips that are offered all over London. Word of caution : if it’s a first date, ask if your date has aerophobia! You don’t want them to be scared to death up on air!

In London, and didn’t go for a play? Not done. Whether your date is a theatre lover or not, a visit to London’s, “Theatreland” which is located in and near the heart of the West end of London is a must. Make falling in love easy by watching one of the iconic plays at the Palladium or the Globe. If you’re visiting in summer, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is what we highly recommend. Theater, and not just music, is the food of love for you when you’re in London.

It is said that London leaves its manners after sundown and parties unguarded at the pubs and nightclubs. If fun and drinks are your idea of a date, well, London IS the place. Ranked among the top 10 cities with the best nightlife by none other than CNN, (source: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/best-nightlife-cities/index.html) 

 you can party till dawn is over, listen to great music, and dance your heart out, and maybe sneak out a cozy corner if you’re lucky enough. 

Fabric, XOYO, Egg, Ministry of Sound are all too well known names. But if you’re looking for a list of the unusual ways to experience nightlife in London, check out this list of nightclubs.

Very recently, I read an article in the Metro UK about how speed dating has been back with a bang after the pandemic in London because people are sick of one-night stand requests, and want to meet real people face to face, talk and share. A look at this Eventbrite page - Speed Dating in London - confirms the reports. Speed dating is growing speedily, and there’s a category for you, however specific your category may be. There are a good number of events for the 50s age group, and for gay/lesbian community.