Five unusual dates in London

Written by Frankie 6 May 2012 7 Comments

Despite its grey skies, moody commuters and expensive drink prices, love does blossom in London. In fact it’s a wonderful place to fall in love. Believe me, I did it. A couple of times. But falling in love is just an added bonus really as one of London’s best features is that it’s a fun place to date seeing as it’s jam-packed with pubs, museums, galleries and restaurants.

However, here are five more unusual date ideas you could consider should you ever meet a girl or a guy worthy of your company in one of the world’s best cities.

1) The Harry Potter Tour

This walking tour of London takes in many of the tourist sights and scenes while showing you the exact spots where scenes in the Harry Potter movies were shot. One of my good friends was taken on this as a date and despite not originally being potty for Potter she was so impressed with her date’s imagination and enthusiasm for JK Rowling’s books that a second date was already planned before they’d even got to Kings Cross station and platform 9 ¾, where you can push a disappearing trolley into the wall.

2) Dans le noir

A mile or so away from the suit-packed City of London in a typical Regency terraced house in Clerkenwell is a place to enjoy wonderful food, great conversation and fine wine; all in the dark. There are a couple of these “dining in the dark” restaurants around the world, but Dans le noir has been going strong for a few years now with this experience aimed at heightening the diners’ taste and experience. This is the perfect blind date for a…er… blind date!

3) Hip Hop Karaoke

Every Thursday night a small group of those in the know head down to The Social in the west-end for one of London’s most talked about nights out; Hip Hop Karoke. This is the date for you if you know all of the words to Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” or MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”. I sadly never went here on a date but if I had, well let’s just say that the lucky guy may have had “99 Problems” but I wouldn’t have been one of them that night.

4) Gordons Wine Bar

Gordons isn’t really a secret anymore sadly but if you live in London, have never been and/or have the right person to impress you could do a lot worse than taking them to this underground cellar wine bar. Said to be the oldest in London and once frequented by Samuel Pepys and Rudyard Kipling over the years, this is where many go to imagine what London was like in a time that has all but disappeared. A popular choice thanks to its excellent wine list this is a good choice for a mid-week date or maybe a Sunday afternoon drink, but is the perfect charm-filled start to a date in London.

5) The Jack the Ripper Walk

It may sound grim, and indeed many elements of this tour are a little morbid as guides tell the tale of London’s most notorious Victorian serial killers but this walking tour has been getting rave reviews from Londoners and tourists alike. Done at night under the cloak of darkness guides show you where the murders take place, the clues the police were left with and relay eerie rumours of the victims’ ghosts who are said to still haunt this part of town. This is one to scare your date into falling for you!

Photo 1: Author, Photo 2: Source, Photo 3: Source, Photo 4: Source, Photo 5: Olga Pavolvsky via Source, Photo 6: Source

Tags: dating

7 Comments »

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# 6 May 2012 at 2:16 am

Roy Marvelous said:

Hip Hop Karaoke sounds AWESOME.

# 6 May 2012 at 9:04 am

Annette | Bucket List Journey said:

Just went to Gordon’s and it is a great place for a date…or to find someone to date

# 6 May 2012 at 10:25 pm

Irene said:

“London Walks” claim to do the original “Jack the Ripper-Tour”. Well, who cares, as long as it’s fun? Anyways, I went on the “Little Venice” tour by “London Walks” last october and it was fabulous! Shaughan the guide was fantastic and believe me, I work as a tourguide myself, I am not easily impressed
Highly recommended!

http://www.walks.com/

# 7 May 2012 at 8:09 am

Frankie (author) said:

@Roy Marvelous! It IS awesome!

@Annette – Ah glad you went there, it’s a little bit of lost old London, and yes you could easily meet someone date-able there.

@Irene – I think there are a few companies who do the Harry Potter walking tour and it’s good to hear that the Little Venice one was good – I’ll have to remember that as I love that part of London.

# 7 May 2012 at 11:58 pm

John Snow said:

Just as a heads up – Hip Hop Kareoke is NOT a good place for a first date! It’s rammed every time and is more of a party; if you’re on a first date prepare to be unable to talk, unable to find space and have to wait a while to get a drink. I have been there on a first date, we went somewhere else!

# 7 September 2012 at 2:57 am

Guirilandia said:

Harry Potter tour? I don’t know… it might be original, but I don’t think you will impress any lady by surrounding her by noisy teenagers and families with kids.
Gordon’s is probable the top place in first dates per square meter, in the world…

# 7 September 2012 at 4:16 am