The summer season is the perfect time to get outside and impress your significant other on a ravishingly romantic date.
Whether you’re meeting up with a fresh Tinder match or are finally going on the date night you’ve promised each other for the past two months, this roundup of summer date ideas will be sure to give you some ideas. We’ve got something romantic for the activity-lover, the foodie and the person-who-loves-a-bit-of-everything. Happy wooing!
1-4. Take a boat made for two (or more)…
It’s romance ahoy with our dates on the water. You can hire an electric canal boat and go pootling through Little Venice, or take the new fleet out on the Thames. Out in east London, you can hire your own two-person canoe and paddle gently along the area’s many man-made waterways. (You may have to schlep your boat around the occasional lock, but that’s someone’s opportunity to show off how brave and strong they are.) Should all that steering and rowing prove too much for you, kick back with a drink and belt out ABBA classics at this epic four-hour cruise. Pick up tickets for that here.
5-7. Cosy up in front of an outdoor film…
It’s al fresco cinema season and there are outdoor film screenings all over the capital! Snuggle up with your S.O. in front of a loved-up romcom, a clinch-inducing horror or heart-stirring drama: check out Pop-Up Screens for dreamy viewings, Rooftop Film Club for sky-high cinema, or explore alternative open-air cinemas in London.
8-10. Catch some theatre al fresco
11-12. Treat them to a dinner in the sky
Sure, you could have gone for a Michelin star restaurant, but why be like everyone else? Add a thrilling pinch of spice to your meal out by taking a table 100ft above the ground at London in the Sky – you can nab your tickets here. Tip well, or they won’t let you down. 😉
13-14. Go for cocktails at a fabulous rooftop bar
There’s nothing quite like a few martinis and a view over our fine city to make it seem like all things are possible. We’re not saying you have to propose (like this fella at Aldgate’s Jin Bo Law) but it might help you get a snog at least. See our list of rooftop bars in London, including one with a rocking rooftop wing festival!
15-16. Have a lazy Sunday by the water
Watch the world go by (when you aren’t making eyes at each other) at a waterside restaurant or bar one sunny weekend afternoon. Head along for brunch – and mimosa your way through to sunset. See our guide to canalside bars and restaurants and pubs and restaurants on the Thames.
17-20. Take in some art
Look pensive, place a finger strategically on the chin and nod amicably. Congratulations, you’ve just fooled the art world into thinking you have a deep, meaningful understanding of modern art. You’re now perfectly equipped to check out the rather excellent art exhibitions currently in town – amongst the highlights are a massive manga exhibition, late night art fests at Tate Modern, and a stunning room full of rainbows.
21-23. Check out each other’s putts
How about a bit of flirtatious competition to spice things up? London is full of indoor and outdoor crazy golf courses, including this choice spot on an east London rooftop – perfect for a sunny summer’s day.
24. Prove your affection by getting inked
Ready for the next step, or just feeling impulsive? Take the plunge and get a tattoo that you’re definitely not going to regret in a couple of years – look, we’ve even got a nifty deal to help you do it!
25-26. Make a splash together
Head to one of London’s outdoor swimming pools for a date aquatic, followed by much lounging about in the sun. You might want to go there early or late to avoid the crowds on a hot weekend, mind you! (Alternatively, head to this pool for a moonlit midnight swim...)
27-29. Take a trip to ‘the country’ (not the real country obviously)
You don’t want to get too far from home, but luckily London is full of spots with a bit of a wilderness vibe. From Hampstead Heath to Walthamstow Wetlands and Ruislip Woods, set off on a sunlit stroll, hand-in-hand, pausing only to take selfies where you refer to each other as ‘this one’.
30-31. Catch a sunset to remember
32-37. Groove along at a top London festival
What’s more romantic than muddy fields, top bands, and big queues for the portaloos? Festival season is well and truly underway, with the likes of Field Day, Elrow Town, and South West Four all ideal for sunshine lazing with your S.O. And since festivals don’t just mean music, why not check out this wonderfully ludicrous gin and crisp festival, or the upcoming London Dessert Festival?
38-43. Explore somewhere new together
Sometimes we all need a little sense of adventure, but easy now: Zone 6 ought to do it. From gothic castles to ruined pergolas and crystal grottos to purple fields of lavender, there’s no shortage of magical places to visit you’ll at least briefly enjoy before sodding off home to watch some Netflix and make out.
44. Find out what they actually like to eat with this one simple trick
He’s a gluten-intolerant flexitarian, you’re a spice-averse paleo-faster: what’s a courting couple to do? The answer, of course, is to head to one of London’s street food market halls, where you can pick your preferred cuisines from up to 20 different vendors before dating your faces off in the corner of a sun-kissed courtyard.
45-47. Hire a bike and show ’em your riding skills
No romantic date is complete without something cumbersome and unresponsive between your legs, so why not hire some Santander Cycles together? There are 750 docking stations around the city which will let you pick up a bike, using just your debit card, from £2. (More ambitiously, you could hire a tandem!) See our guide to some of London’s prettiest cycle routes.
48-51. Have a perfect picnic in the park
The classic romantic summer date – and so many places to choose from! London is one of the greenest cities in the world, with over 111 parks to choose from – plus a few secret gardens. Grab a blanket, some Pimm’s and quality snacks and have a lovely old time of it. (If you want to be extra fancy, you can grab a pre-made hamper from Fortnum & Mason‘s near central London’s Royal Parks, or indulge in Duke’s Hotel’s deal at Green Park, who will top up your champagne supplies with their on-hand butler!)
52-56. Get out of town
