Close to Old Street Station at the top end of Rivington Street is Portside Parlour, a cosy candlelit bar serving tapas style food and well crafted cocktails. Originally started as a speakeasy on Broadway Market it has since moved to a more prominent area on London’s east side.
Close to Edgware Road station in the heart of Marylebone sits the wonderful Briciole that thankfully happened upon me whilst on a date in the area. A light and airy café, restaurant and deli, Briciole is the epitome of laid-back Italian café culture.
Hidden in the heart of the City of London is The Sign of The Don, a bar and bistro tucked away down St Swithins Lane close to The Bank of England. Offering one of the best priced set menus in the city and set in a medieval cellar, The Sign of The Don is just the ticket for a weeknight date among the hustle and bustle of the city.
Close to London Bridge Station, a short walk down Southwark Street is The Menier Chocolate Factory, an award winning restaurant and performance space for plays, musicals and stand-up comedy that sits comfortable outside of the West End.
Originally the building was, as the name suggests, a chocolate factory for the Menier Company, once one of the largest chocolate companies in the world, but now only a small brand owned by Nestle which can only be bought from Waitrose or in France.
© Lucy McNally
Here at London Date Guide we understand that vegetarian food isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s becoming increasingly popular in London so it’s worth knowing a few good veggie restaurants in case your date turns out to be one. Luckily London has some of the best vegetarian restaurants around, so in no particular order here are the best vegetarian restaurants in London for a date.
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Tucked away off of Charlotte Street lies shy and retiring Windmill Street, home of Drakes Tabanco, a small, traditional and totally charming Andalusian tapas and sherry tavern. It is the sister restaurant of the superb Barrica and a recent addition to Fitzrovia. With its modest white front (so modest you could almost miss it), light and airy interior and welcoming Spanish staff, Drakes instantly invites you into a different country and culture.
The Southbank is an electric part of London, popular with tourists and Londoners alike, all enjoying the atmosphere, sights and entertainment that happens every day and night alongside the river.
With so much to see and do along the Southbank it’s one of the best places in London to go on date. Read on for all the information you need for a date on the Southbank…
Just a short walk around the back of Kings Cross Station leads you to the not so well known, ‘Granary Square’ an imaginative oasis of redeveloped warehouses, hidden by a wall of construction. I realize that this picture does not paint one of romance but I think its secrecy is the key to its charm. My date and I arrived at sunset, where outside the red-lit fountains glistened in the evening sun, providing the mood for the evening ahead.
Running from 18th – 22nd March and 25th – 29th March Shuttlecock Inc. return to London with a Gallic spin-off of their sell-out pop-up, Rumble At The Deli… Rumble: Part Deux.
An off-the-wall parody of France’s rich gastronomic tradition, Part Deux will be fronted by Shuttlecock’s latest comedy creation, Arnaud Hérouville-Saint-Clair-Escoffier: great-grandson of culinary legend, Auguste, and chef/proprietor of Parisian institution, La Constellation – so named for its unrivalled string of Michelin stars.
Fitzrovia is a gem of an area sitting between Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street and Great Portland Street. With restaurants and bars to suit all budgets it is an ideal location to go to for a date in London.
Barrica is a stylish and authentic Spanish tapas bar that sits close to the centre of Fitzrovia on Goodge Street. Recommended by a friend as serving the finest white Rioja ever – I knew I had to sample its delights. It serves up some damn fine food, wine and sherry and who doesn’t like tapas? You can’t go wrong with this stunning little restaurant.
Sitting halfway along Dean Street in Soho is Dean Street Town House, an upmarket hotel and bistro owned by the Soho House Group serving high quality British fare. It was a Thursday night and packed! The wait for walk in’s was long but luckily I had a table booked.
Even before entering the Townhouse we could feel the buzzing atmosphere resonating from inside the restaurant.
It was very busy when I visited, these images are Dean Street Townhouse’s
Sitting in a pretty Georgian townhouse, The Modern Pantry offers fresh, imaginative and well cooked food making it a perfect choice for a date.
Valentine’s Day is upon us once again, if you’re feeling the pressure to come up with something extra special for Valentine’s Day – don’t panic. We have some of the best Valentine’s Day date ideas in London so read on for inspiration and solutions to make you’re Valentine’s day the most romantic, intimate and enjoyable yet.
This romantic restaurant is near invisible. The only sign it exists is if you either a) look up as you are walking past at night and notice people sitting in the windows or b) walk by the entrance on the side street and see the label on the buzzer. But Upstairs is truly one of London’s hidden gems and well worth making the trip to Brixton to sample their delicious menu.
It was the final Friday before Christmas, I had promised my date the week before that I would treat her to a romantic Christmas meal in town, but heavy work do’s and last minute Christmas shopping had distracted me from my promise and I found myself in a mad rush to find an available slot at a good restaurant. Call after call I was greeted with the same response, ‘Fully booked.’ Having no luck by phone, I consulted TripAdvisor which gave a great recommendation to a charming French bistro on Brick Lane – Chez Elles (ranked 10th best London restaurant) I immediately called them and thankfully managed to get the last table of the night at 21:30. I was in for a treat!
Just a stones throw from Brick Lane, down arty Cheshire Street is ‘The Carpenter’s Arms’, a cosy and warm pub rumoured to be an old haunting ground of the famous Kray Twins. It serves a small menu of scrumptious food and an excellent selection of wines and beer. This pub was recommended to me by a friend who lives nearby and I thank her for such a great find.
Columbia Road Flower Market is one of my favourite markets in London, lined with boutique shops, tea rooms and art galleries, the sight, sounds and smells of Columbia Road Flower Market is fabulous experience. If the weather is fair then Columbia Road is definitely a must do Sunday date in London, you basically cannot go wrong.
We decided to go to Dans le Noir? after a friend’s recommendation. The concept is quite simple really – you have your dinner in complete darkness where you are guided and served by blind people. The reality is really not that simple.
© Black?
I normally wouldn’t recommend going to an Indian restaurant for a date, masses of high fat food packed with spices can have an adverse effect but Quilon is not that type of restaurant. Smart, slick and stylish, Quilon is a very good Indian restaurant, a Michelin Star one in fact.
I was making my way back to Tottenham Court Road after seeing a show at The Soho Theatre, when I walked past this delightful and unique French Bistro. What caught not only my eye but also my ears was a bustling and intimate atmosphere wonderfully animated by a live pianist playing at the entrance. Peering through the window, you could sense the buzz and excitement emanating from inside. At that moment, I decided that my next dating venture would have to be, Pierre Victoire!
Image taken from Pierre Victoire Website