Orlando is too expansive of a city to be stuck going on dinner and movie dates. As the fourth largest Florida city, Orlando is basically Miami’s little sister. Orlando has more than a dozen theme parks, over 6000 restaurants, 14 colleges, and 110 square miles. Rest assured, they’re better date ideas than Chili’s. I will skip mini golf and theme parks from this list since those are also popular date options in Central Florida.
1. EAST END MARKET + SHOPPING
East End Market is a two-story market located in Winter Park off Corinne Drive. Inside, they have eight restaurants and a variety of shops. The restaurants range from vegan chicken at Winter Park Biscuit to fresh-cut meat sandwiches from Hinckley’s Fancy Meats. If you do it right, this is a top-notch date location. Start downstairs and grab a bite to-go, then walk upstairs to The Neighbors Orlando, a super cute bar/shop featuring live music every day of the week from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., except for Thursdays. On Thursdays, entertainment is performed a little later, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Enjoy your food and drink, wander the store, and browse all the cute knick-knacks. When you’ve had enough with East End, cross the street to get to the Owl’s Attic, a vintage store carrying 70s-inspired clothing and furniture. Buy a cute new Penny-Lane jacket, then walk about five minutes down to Park Ave CDs to get a new record. Now you’re fed, buzzed, and have a cute new 70s accessory to commemorate your date.
2. Epic Axe Throwing + Saks Comedy Club
Epic Axe Throwing is located about 20 minutes from UCF in the heart of downtown. Walk-ins are always welcome for $30 per person starting at 4 p.m. You’ll be paired up with a coach and have an hour to get out all of your rage or just show your date you know how to throw. After emptying your emotions on the wooden target, walk down Orange Avenue for 10 minutes, where you’ll find Sak’s Comedy Club. Sak’s Comedy Club performs two improv shows every Friday and Saturday, with occasional shows hidden throughout the week. The shows are incredibly interactive, always asking the crowd for suggestions and feedback. Every show is different, but the laughter is consistent.
3. Bar Hop down Mills Avenue
Let’s be so real: Downtown is super sketchy, and parking is always a pain. If you want to skip the fear of being mugged but still want to walk to different bars, consider checking out Mills Avenue. Mills is famous for having a variety of unique, indie bars full of fancy drinks. Start at The Moderne, then cross the street and walk for three minutes to get to Tori Tori. After that, continue about half a mile, and you’ll hit one of Orlando’s oldest dive bars, Wally’s. If you’re still going after Wally’s, a five-minute walk will take you to Lil Indie’s and Will’s Pub, a couple of cute indie bars hosting various events and live music. Another three-minute walk brings you to the final destination, perfect for a nightcap: the Sunroom and Guesthouse.
4. Bandbox + Better than sex combo
Bandbox is a 21+ and over experience.
If drinking isn’t your thing, no worries. Orlando recently opened up a roaring 20s-themed sober bar off Ivanhoe Boulevard. Dress up in your favorite cocktail dress and escape into an Art-Deco reality with over fifteen mocktails. They also offer non-alcoholic beer and wine, too! After trying a few drinks, walk only a minute down the road to arrive at Better Than Sex, an authentic dessert experience. Here, you’ll find romantic-themed food, like the Morning After Dessert Sandwich, the Missionary Apple Crisp and the Double Stuffed, an Oreo bread pudding.
5. Farmers Market + Its Just Yoga festival
Downtown Orlando’s Farmers’ Market is a beautiful day date with coffee, snacks, and swans. It goes on every Saturday and Sunday with over 50 vendors, you and your date are guaranteed to find a few fun treats. On Sunday, March 3, the “It’s Just Yoga” festival will be going on too! On the corner of Robinson and Rosalind, you will find a variety of different yoga and meditation classes throughout the day, one being “Are You Ready For it?”, a Taylor Swift-inspired yoga flow starting at 1:45 p.m.
6. Original Orlando Tours
Located right off Alafaya is Original Orlando Tours, a tour service in Orlando that offers even Orlando natives something new. Amongst other seasonal tours are two main ones: The Flavor of ICON Park Foodie Tour, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, and the Flavors of Winter Park Foodie Tour, starting at 10 a.m. on some Saturdays. Although these are the most consistent, their website offers several options with private tours available.
7. Celebration Dinner + Drive-in theater
I know I said no dinner and movie dates, but a drive-in theater is in a different category. If you and your date can have a good time together during a road trip, this is the night for you. Located about an hour and a half from UCF is Silvermoon, a drive-in movie theater in Lakeland established in 1948. Silvermoon is one of three drive-ins in Central Florida and the closest to UCF. On the way there, you drive through Celebration, so I recommend making a pit stop for food before the movie. The great thing about drive-in theaters is that no one can take your snacks away if you bring some! They show two movies a night, one at 7:30 p.m. and another at 9:35 p.m. Ticket sales are only $8; check their website to see what they’re showing, and I’d suggest arriving about 45 minutes early!
8. Central Florida Fair
Swing by the Central Florida Fairgrounds starting Monday, Feb. 19 to Sunday, March 10 to celebrate their 112th year running! Check their website to curate the perfect time to visit your favorite events. Some events they will be hosting are the infamous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Pride Night, Karaoke and Trivia, Wrestling, and more! Come opening night with a canned good for only a $1 entry fee.
9. The enzian, aloma cinema grill, or CMX Cinemas plaza cafe 12
Ok, ok. So, I’m making another exception for a date that features dinner and a movie simultaneously. Although I do not recommend this for a first date, if you and your date want to kill two birds with one stone, this is how you do it. All the above theaters offer complete food service while you’re in the theater. The Enzian, located in the heart of Winter Park, is famous for its annual film festival and hosting various movie events. Aloma Cinema Grill is off Aloma Avenue (surprise) and is another hidden gem. You can find them across the street from Aloma Bowling, which you can hit up after your movie. Lastly, Cinema Plaza Cafe 12 is in the center of Downtown. It makes a great last stop after a day of exploring Orlando. So sit down, relax, and let the food and drinks find you.
10. kava bars and witchy shops
If you still need to hop on the Kava train, let me teach you. Kava/Kratom is a natural tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, according to kratomcountry.com. It’s a drink that gets you buzzed without the alcohol. Orlando is a hot spot for Kava bars, with over 10 different locations. The closest thing I can compare the sensation to is CBD; you’re relaxed and euphoric but still sober, which is the best of both worlds. So, get your zen on at Z-Co Space and Clubhouse, Elevate Kava,\ or Muddy Root, then head to Avalon and Spiral Circle. Both are metaphysical shops guaranteed to align your chakras and leave you feeling lighter.
11. Live music, duh
This one goes without saying. Orlando has several small music venues, all with their own vibe and crowd. Popular venues are The Beacham, The Plaza Live, The Abbey, Tanqueray, and Will’s Pub. If you want to check out local bands, check out the events page for each venue! There’s almost always something going on. A few coffee shops, like Austin’s Coffee and Bynx Orlando, also have live music from time to time.
12. Picnic at kraft azalea garden
Kraft Azalea Garden is one of Winter Park’s prettiest outdoor spaces. With a huge scenic arch, lots of shade to block out Orlando’s blasting sun, and a nice breeze from Lake Maitland, it’s the perfect place to spend quality time with your date. Get a picnic basket and spend the day preparing a non-perishable meal with your date, then spend the sunset on a huge blanket with a nice bottle of wine.
Alright, girls, gays, and theys: I do not want to hear any excuses about why you and your partner can’t think of anything to do. Orlando is a beautiful city with so many local artists and businesses, so take advantage of it! Never eat at a chain restaurant if you can help it and always try your best to make every date worth your time, good or bad.