From climbing The O2 or trying an art class together, to water sports and escape rooms, you’ll love these quirky London date ideas!
You’ve wandered down the South Bank, visited art galleries and spent hours staring into each others’ eyes. So, what next? It’s time to inject some fun and entertainment into your romantic life with some quirky London date ideas!
This list has something for every type of couple. If you’re adventurous types, you’ll probably love the idea of kayaking down the river or trying white water rafting. If food is your jam, how about romancing your other half with a foodie experifence to rival Bake Off? Or for a truly unique meal, you could dine in the dark or inside one of London’s toughest prisons. It might not sound like somewhere love will be in the air, but the food is great and the experience is certainly memorable.
Coming up are my pick of the most unusual and quirky date spots in London. They promise something a little different and are guaranteed to add excitement to your next outing together!
Fun, Unusual and Quirky London Date Ideas
Climb The O2 together
Climbing The O2 is a great idea for a daytime date in London. I’ve actually done this activity three times now. It’s one of my favourite quirky things to do in the city! There’s something so special about seeing the city from on top of the famous Millennium Dome. My most recent visit was with my partner, who also really enjoyed the challenge.
The climb itself starts off a little challenging with a steep 28% incline, but after that it’s pretty easy. You’re clipped onto a safety system all the way. On my last climb there were people from teenagers right up to 80 year olds, so don’t feel this is a date activity for young ones!
The entire experience, including the safety briefing, getting kitted out and the climb itself takes around an hour and a half. If you book for a sunny day in London, the views will be absolutely amazing too.
Go for dinner in the dark
When it comes to romantic restaurants in London, this is one of the most unusual! Dans Le Noir translates as ‘in the dark’, which gives you a hint to what makes this dining experience special. I visited with my partner last year and we loved the weird and wonderful experience!
After being led to your table in complete darkness, we found our other senses were heightened. By limiting your sight, you focus on how your food tastes and smells.
To add to the concept, the waiters employed are visually impaired. When we visited we were amazed by how different the dining experience was to any other. We fumbled around on our plates finding the food, using a knife and fork to start, and then giving up and using our fingers!
It was definitely one of the quirkiest dates we’ve been on. Also, as the tables at Dans Le Noir are quite close together, we found ourselves chatting to the couple next to us throughout our meal. Without sight, so many social barriers were broken down. We were just immersed in the moment!
After the meal finished we went to the bar area to see photos and menu descriptions of the dishes we’d eaten. It was surprising how different things looked to how we’d imagined them!
Visiting Dans Le Noir is a unique experience, but one that will make you appreciate every single mouthful. The environment also allows you to chat without visual distractions, and most importantly, no phones in sight!
Get artistic together
I used to be quite creative as a kid, but as I got into my 20s, there didn’t seem to be many opportunities to grab a paintbrush or make something. Well, that’s all changed with the new trend for social art classes! A creative class is the ideal date activity in London. You won’t have the intensity of a quiet restaurant or small talk, at an art class you’ll be busy creating a masterpiece as you get to know your date.
Art Play is one of the coolest spots for this. Located in the heart of Spitalfields Market, there is a huge timetable of interesting arts and crafts classes to choose from. The most popular class is the ‘paint and sip’, where you order drinks from the bar and paint on a canvas. These classes sometimes have a live DJ too! Or, for a bit of fun, you could book a ‘paint your partner’ class. Hopefully you won’t offend each other with the outcomes!
I was keen to try something I’d never done before, so I booked the acrylic pour class. It was really good fun! We learned the technique of layering the acrylic paint in a cup, then created some very cool artworks! What do you think of my canvases?
Slide down the ArcelorMittal Orbit together
Looking for daredevil things to do on a London date? Head to in Stratford’s Olympic Park is the ArcelorMittal Orbit – a 114m high sculpture and viewpoint. It’s one of the most unusual London landmarks.
Once you and your partner have enjoyed the impressive views from the viewing platform at the top, it’s time for an adrenaline-filled trip down! The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide. It twists and turns 12 times, takes around 40 seconds, and reaches speeds of around 15mph!
Test out your teamwork at The Official Sherlock Live Experience
You and your partner don’t need to be fans of Sherlock to enjoy this hi-tech escape game. Sherlock The Game Is Now features impressive sets similar to the TV series. You’ll be able to summon your inner Sherlock Holmes!
The interactive experience involves playing detective as you solve a case using mental challenges and puzzles. We visited on a double date with two friends, and escaped in 55 minutes! Phew…!
If you’re a big fan of escape rooms (they make great date activities!) be sure to check out my guide to the Best Escape Rooms In London.
Explore London’s canals on a GoBoat
This is a wonderfully romantic London date, especially in the warmer months of the year! Head to Paddington Basin and you can hire a GoBoat for an hour or two. These boats are self-drive and super easy to get the hang of. From Paddington you can go on a little tour of Little Venice, Regents Park and even Camden as you venture along the Grand Union Canal.
While the boats seat up to eight people, you can just book it for two as as a date, or perhaps gather a few other couples to come along too. One of the best things is you can take you own food and drink on board. Pack a romantic picnic and a bottle of bubbly, and you’ll have a pretty perfect setup!
Go on an extreme date white water rafting
Let’s crank up your adrenaline levels! Did you know you can go white water rafting near London? Lee Valley White Water Centre is home to the London 2012 Olympic course.
This is a great activity for adventurous couples. Along with rafting, you can also take on the rapids kayaking, hydrospeeding (where you hold onto a small board), tubing or enjoy stand up paddleboarding, canoeing and open water swimming in the lake area.
Test out your compatibility at The Crystal Maze Live Experience
I grew up watching this TV show in the 90s, and I love that they’ve developed an immersive version for the public. I haven’t been yet but several friends have recommended it.
Once inside your funky boiler suit uniform, you’ll play games to test your skill and agility and win those all-important crystals, before heading to the dome to collect money against the clock!
This is a really fun date for couples in London. It’s worth noting that the game is usually played in teams of eight people. If you’re booking two tickets, you’re likely to be joined by others.
Kayak or paddleboard on the Thames
How would you like to see London from a unique perspective with your other half? For this fun date activity, you’ll be getting out on the Thames in kayak or on a paddleboard. There are quite a few companies offering tours and trips, so take a look at where they start and finish.
I’ve always liked the look of Secret Adventures‘ kayak tours, which go from Battersea to Greenwich. For SUP, check out Active 360, which operates in Richmond and Kew.
Test your cooking skills at The Big London Bake
The Big London Bake is the closest you’ll come to feeling like you’re cooking for Paul Hollywood! With a bake off style tent and a challenging creative challenge, it’s a seriously fun date activity in London. The tent can hold ten teams of two, but only one team can win. I think this is ideal for a special occasion with your other half.
When I visited we made dome cloud cakes – something I’d never seen before, let alone baked! We made flavoured sponge cakes, fruity jams, an aerated Italian meringue dome and then decorated in our own unique style. We did it all in just one hour and twenty minutes. We rushed to finish, and really felt the pressure at the end, still attaching fondant decorations as the clock ticked down! We went for a tropical flavour and look and thankfully received some great comments from the judge!
Solve a murder while you eat
Sometimes going out for dinner with your other half just isn’t enough. You want some entertainment to make your evening extra special. Well, all aboard The Murder Express! This live-action experience involves actors performing a murder mystery play on board a train carriage, while you eat a three-course meal.
Just because there’s a focus on entertainment, doesn’t detract from the food quality. The courses were generous, beautifully presented and well seasoned. I couldn’t finish my dessert, which is definitely an indication of the size!
As dessert was served, each table reviewed the evidence and decided ‘whodunnit’. As for the result? My lips are sealed, but prepare for a few surprises!
Drink while you play
Oh quirky, quirky London. London’s competitive sports / drinking scene has grown at a rapid pace over the last five years. First came Bounce – a ping pong themed bar. But these days there are so many other fun London activities to add into the mix. There’s Flight Club – a fun group of bars where you play interactive games involving darts.
There’s The London Shuffle Club for fans of shuffleboard. There’s Puttshack, Shepherd’s Bush‘s high-tech crazy golf experience. Clays offers you the chance to try out shooting, while Whistle Punks is a great spot for axe throwing (how romantic!) All of these make fun date activities for adults, who are still big kids at heart!
Enjoy Afternoon Tea with a twist
Going for afternoon tea in London is one of the most quintessential British experiences. Rather than munching your way through some dry cucumber sandwiches and boring scones with lover, why don’t you book one of these quirky afternoon teas:
- Chemistry meets gastronomy at the Ampersand Hotel’s science afternoon tea
- Tour the London sights on an afternoon tea bus
- Enjoy a little magic with Aqua Shard’s Peter Pan afternoon tea
- Channel your inner health goddess with Farmacy’s plant based high tea
- Enjoy the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych
- Indulge your sweet tooth with the Chesterfield Mayfair’s sweet shop afternoon tea
- Treat your pup with The Egerton House Hotel’s doggy afternoon tea (complete with pawsecco!)
Skate together at Roller Nation
If you think you’ll be able to find your balance on retro roller skates, head to Roller Nation in Tottenham. There are different nights on offer, with cool tunes to accompany your skating. Whether you fancy a night of soul music, an indie night or the famous Saturday night roller disco, there’s something for everyone!
If you’re a bit wobbly on skates, you can always cling on to your lover to make it round the rink. That’s what I’d do anyway!
Drink in an abandoned London Underground station
Have you stepped foot in cocktail bar Cahoots by Carnaby Street? This quirky bar is ideal for a cocktail date in London. It has a 1940s theme, and as your venture to the basement, you’ll definitely feel like you’ve gone back in time.
With retro music, creative décor (which includes part of an old tube carriage and station), and a menu of nostalgic cocktails, this is one of the most unusual bars in London for a date.
Cahoots has become so popular, there are two additional bars in London – one on the ground floor on Kingly Street called the Ticket Hall, and another in Borough Yards called the Postal Office.
Dine inside a prison
Looking for quirky date spots? Well, here’s a really unusual place for a meal. The Clink is the restaurant inside HMP Brixton. Meals are cooked and served by inmates working towards gaining cooking qualifications. We visited for a lunch date recently and had a very enjoyable experience. The food was excellent, with chic presentation and delicious flavours.
Mains included a sirloin steak, fillet of sea bream and a spiced Moroccan chicken. Our favourite dishes were the confit leek tartlet and the summer berry vacherin – both so good we pretty much licked our plates clean! We chatted to the staff throughout the meal, and learned about the qualifications they were working towards.
Not only does the food get great reviews (and rightfully so), it’s also amazing that there’s an opportunity to help those working towards a new life. In fact, the latest stats have revealed that people following this course were less likely to reoffend.
In order to visit, you’ll need to book 72 hours in advance, and go through security checks on arrival. No phones are permitted inside the prison, so sadly I have no photos to share from this unique experience!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up of quirky date ideas in London. Hopefully this guide will help you book a unique experience that you’ll remember forever! I’ll continue adding to the list, so let me know if you have any suggestions.
Looking for other great things to do in London? Don’t miss my mammoth guide to 49 Quirky Things To Do In London best Escape Games In London, find out my favourite Unique Restaurants In London, my guide to 11 Quirky Hotels In London, and my top 5 fun Valentine’s Day ideas!
Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…
