The definitive guide to the best date spots in London
My fave dating memories in London, plus a curation of ideal date spots selected by writer Rebecca Thimmesch, a connoisseur of eating, drinking and being chic.
I must confess, I’ve been on many dates in my life. However, no-one I have ever been on a date with would say I was an expert on food, drink, or dating etiquette.
Despite that, I have some very fun memories from it all. Heart-to-hearts in the lesbian bar; daring each other to buy hot women drinks in the straight bar; getting wined and dined in the candelight; flowers, romance, handbags, dirty dancing…all the good stuff.
If you want to experience it all first-hand, check out my very subjective date spot recommendations below (but keep scrolling if you want to hear from a real expert).
In London:
Soho: Garlic & Shots for its sleazy vibe and excellent smoking area, She in Soho for extremely unpredictable lesbian chaos, Rita’s followed by Swift for a reason to dress up.
East: Three Sheets for a Cosmo in frosted glassware, Ridley Road Market Bar and Dalston Superstore for school night dancing, La Camionera for dyke-spotting in the patio and their sparkling Catalan pet nat, The Castle for flirty cinema-going, Binch for French vino and olive tapendade on toast.
North: Trullo for candelit off-menu cacio e pepe, Faltering Fullback for sitting on a hot masc’s lap while you make out, The Bar With No Name for if someone else is paying for you to get bladdered, The Tamil Prince for gorgey small plates.
South: I rarely go further south than Corsica Studios, and dates would need to order me an Uber Exec in order to do so, so I have about zero recommendations here.
*Bonus* In Scotland:
Edinburgh: The Palmerston for modern European fare in an airy, dark-panelled restaurant in the West End, The Cameo for arthouse cinema and flirty knee-touching, The Outsider for bonding while you wait 20+ minutes for your reservation.
The best date spots in London, curated by Rebecca Thimmesch
One person who is certainly an expert in food, wine and being a good date: Ms
, an American writer, domestic goddess and the creator of the very excellent Substack Chic!So, who better to select the best dating spots for a number of crucial occasions? Read what she had to say below, and thank her later…
First Date: The De Beauvoir Arms
“Pubs are the absolute platonic ideal first date location”
“As a foreigner, I find one of the greatest marvels of British culture to be the pub first date. Pubs are the absolute platonic ideal first date location. The De Beavoir Arms checks all my boxes: spacious indoor and outdoor seating options, decent lists for both wine and pints, serviceable food should the urge arise, and is close enough to my flat to make continuing the date easy, but not so close that I feel exposed if the date goes poorly. And if I run into three or four previous Feeld matches in the process? Well that’s just serendipity.”
Meeting up with an Ex: Mangal 1
“There’s nice harsh overhead lighting in which to see your ex honestly”
“I once watched a couple finalise their divorce in Mangal 1. They had ordered a mixed grill, which I found excessive, but I respected their intent, and finalised a breakup of my own there not too long after. There’s nice harsh overhead lighting in which to see your ex honestly, and the din of the crowded room will soften any awkward silences. If you feel you are at risk of sleeping with this person, order some grilled onions, a tabuleh, the main portion of the patlican salata, and the #47 yogurtlu kuzu beyti; you can amicably split the 46 pound bill and you’ll be far too full to consider going back down that road.”
Anniversary: Hector’s
“Order a bottle and some delicious snacks, go home and have sex, then eat some leftovers out of the fridge at 1:00 am”
“I’ve always taken a chill approach to anniversaries, perhaps because in my longest relationship, ours fell right after Valentine’s Day and my birthday, who can be bothered with all that? I do think a relationship milestone should be celebrated in a way that feels really true to who you are as people, and therefore I would want any anniversary I celebrate in the future to be fabulous, but local. Hector’s is the perfect place for a mid-week anniversary celebration that feels like the best kind of quotidian. Order a bottle and some delicious snacks, go home and have sex, then eat some leftovers out of the fridge at 1:00 am.”