When my then-girlfriend and I starting dating, we both, individually, went to Google and searched something akin to ‘good date ideas in London’. Now aside from proving that we were both pretty inept at relationships, this search provided us with a website that listed ‘taxidermy workshop’ as one of the top date ideas. It’s safe to say we never followed that one through…
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, dates might be on the brain. In order to save you from any dates involving dioramas of dead animals, here are five date recommendations in London that actually would be a good idea.
1) Independent coffee shop
Costa, Starbucks and Pret might work well for a quick coffee before a lecture or a place to kill some time in an annoying timetable gap, but they haven’t got much of a date atmosphere. Instead, try heading for a smaller, independent place somewhere that’s convenient for the both of you and get to know each other over some better-quality coffee and some nice home-made pastries. It’s surprising how easy it is to walk past places like this if you’re not looking for them, so keep an eye out next time and see what you can find!
The most famous market in London, this is a great trip combined with a walk down the Southbank (weather depending, of course…). Grab lunch from one of the stalls and wander the market. There are certainly some interesting options for sale and the plethora of variety means there’ll be no awkward conversation trying to decide on somewhere you both want to go!
The perfect date for a pair of nerds, without a doubt. £5 for entry and you can play as many of the 600+ board games as your hearts desire. There’s also a selection of food and drinks to enjoy as you play. Pick your games well and you’ve immediately got a great, unique way to get to know the other person, without having to make small talk about the weather because you’ve run out of questions to ask.
Board games not quite your thing? How about cats! This cat café serves decadent cakes and incredible speciality drinks (named after the cats!), and gives you the chance to meet some wonderful moggies. The cats are incredibly well looked after and the ‘catti-quette’ rules for guests make sure the felines stay happy, so there’s no need to worry about them potentially being mistreated. This café is the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon tea, surrounded by giant indoor trees, fairy lights, and furry friends.
The old trick of watching a scary movie so your significant other moves closer in fear is so 2017. Take it up a notch and dive into the London Dungeon because, hey, who said Valentine’s Day couldn’t be more red with blood than red roses. If you and your partner (make sure this wouldn’t actually terrify them to death first) are up for some scares, this would make for a date you don’t quickly forget.
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Hopefully one of these suggestions sounds like the perfect date for you and your significant other – I hope you’ll agree that any one of them would be better than a taxidermy workshop…