Top 10 date ideas in London

Bowling is boring and who even goes to the cinema any more? Here are ten fresh and fun dates in London ideas that you’ll be talking about for weeks afterwards.

1. Smuggle your stash into Alcotraz

Alcotraz London is the capital’s most notorious cocktail bar and immersive experience. A night out – or on the inside? – where you and your partner step inside a prison speakeasy and become part of the story. You’ll dress in regulation orange jumpsuits, dodge the Warden, take part in interactive missions and storylines, and smuggle in your own liquor for our inmate bartenders to turn into bespoke cocktails. There’s no menu, just mixology based on your tastes. It’s part theatre, part bar, and 100% unforgettable. Perfect whether you want first date ideas in London or you just want to see your other half behind bars.

2. Crack the code at Enigma Quests

If you’ve ever wanted to rob a bank with your date, now’s your chance. Enigma Quests is home to one of London’s best-rated escape rooms: The Million Pound Heist. You’ll be cracking safes, dodging lasers, and racing the clock in an experience that’s as much an action movie as a date night. Escape rooms are great date night ideas for pairs in general because they have you working together and bouncing ideas off each other, and often give you something fun to talk about afterwards.

3. Go full throttle at Gravity Max

Gravity Max is like a big grown-up playground: e-karting, street golf, karaoke, AR darts, tower-tag, rooftop cocktails and loads more all under one presumably very big roof. You and your date can race each other on multi-level tracks, go head-to-head on retro arcade games, or just grab a drink and watch other couples argue over air hockey. It’s chaotic and a good shout if you’re after fun date ideas in London that keep things casual and stress-free.

4. Let loose at Delta Force Paintball

Nothing says romance like tactical combat in the woods. At Delta Force Paintball, you and your date can dive into full-throttle paintball battles across themed game zones with tanks, sniper towers, and plenty of places to stage a heroic last stand. It’s fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled, and full of opportunities to show off your inner hero (or dramatically fake your own death for laughs). Great if you both like action, roleplay, and shooting at each other without consequences.

5. Score big at Flight Club

Flight Club reinvents darts with high-tech scoring and a buzzing atmosphere that turns a simple game into an unforgettable London date night idea. Grab some cocktails, challenge your date to a game, and enjoy the mix of competition and laughs. It’s a great way to break the ice or keep the energy going once the drinks start flowing. Missing every dart becomes part of the fun. Locations include Shoreditch, Angel, Bloomsbury and Victoria. If you’re hunting for cheap date ideas in London, Flight Club is pretty affordable, too.

6. Test your aim at Axe Experience

Axe Experience is the go-to name for axe throwing in London and across the UK. Channel your inner lumberjack – you can even dress up in red check shirts and hats – and get chucking. If you’ve never been, it’s a bit like darts, but bigger, and with non-alcoholic drinks rather than bitter (which makes sense when you think about it). This is one of the best date ideas in London even if neither of you is into physical sports.

7. Step back in time at Moonshine Saloon

If you and your date loved Alcotraz, try Moonshine Saloon in London. This time, you’re in the Wild West, smuggling moonshine into an old-timey saloon and hoping the sheriff doesn’t drop by. You can expect top-tier cocktails, card games, and in-character bar staff and “locals”. Perfect for fans of immersive experiences and quirky cocktail bars in London!

8. Tee off at Puttshack

Puttshack is mini golf but better. The first ever Puttshack opened in London, and now there are two locations, in Bank and White City. There’s an automatic real-time leaderboard based on track-a-ball technology, futuristic space station and tropical island themes, interactive obstacles, sound effects, animations, and of course great food and drinks. A good choice for more chill London date ideas, and less of a chance that something could go dreadfully wrong than at axe throwing or paintball…

9. Sink shots at Electric Shuffle

Trying something new together is a date night staple. So why not try shuffleboard? If you’ve never played, shuffleboard is a little like air hockey and a little like bowls: you slide pucks down a table and try to land them in a scoring zone, and at the same time, try to knock your opponent’s pucks off the board. It might sound simple but it can get exceptionally competitive. You can find Electric Shuffle in London Bridge, Canary Wharf, and King’s Cross.

10. Escape at Avora

Last but certainly not least, Avora is a unique cocktail experience that feels like stepping into another world: lush, immersive, and totally otherworldly. Like Moonshine Saloon or Alcotraz, it’s all about bespoke drinks and atmosphere, but here you’re exploring a neon jungle of brand new flavours and sensations. Great if you’re bored of the typical cocktail bar scene or you’re on the lookout for London date ideas you’ve never tried before.

Why pick Alcotraz for your next date night in London?

Planning an exciting first date, or are you just looking to switch up your regular date night? London offers endless possibilities for couples – no matter what you’re into. From immersive adventures to unique hidden gems, these romantic date ideas in London promise memorable experiences and quality time together.

If you’ve lucked out on Tinder or need to spice up your regular Friday night date night, give Alcotraz a go. 

Alcotraz isn’t your typical cocktail bar – it’s an immersive adventure where you and your partner become part of the ever-evolving storyline. With its secret cocktail-making, realistic prison setting, and engaging narrative, it’s no wonder Alcotraz ranks among the top date ideas in London.