If you wanna show off and be mr & mrs fancy pants, Bob Bob Ricard should be at the top of your list. The iconic Soho restaurant is dripping in gold and even has a ‘press for champagne’ button at each table. Dinner might not be cheap, but what do you expect from somewhere where you ring for champagne…
"This wonderfully gaudy and glitzy decor in this swish Anglo-Russian restaurant is an easy conversation starter. The ‘press for champagne’ button on every table will come in handy if your date starts talking about their own home improvement projects, or politics. Just drink through it, darling."
Mark Andrew and Dan Keeling are the boys behind Noble Rot magazine (think Lucky Peach but all about the wonderful world of wine) and a wine bar and restaurant of the same name, with Stephen Harris of Michelin-starred The Sportsman in Kent in charge of the food. The site on Lamb’s Conduit Street was actually already a wine bar and the building itself dates back to 1700, so there is plenty of cosy charm to the place and it feels as if they’ve been doing their thing here for years already. In the front are tables for drinking and snacks and at the back there is a slightly more formal sit down restaurant. Wine is of course as big a focus as the food and these guys know their stuff so you’re in safe hands. The food menu is the perfect match; big flavoursome dishes but nothing overly complicated or fussy, like pork & walnut terrine, smoked eel with rhubarb & soda bread, braised monkfish with crab bisque, and chocolate mousse cake.
"Excellent food in any of the capital’s three outposts, the kind of place someone who can recognise a cheese when wearing a blindfold would love. It’s low-lit in case your skincare routine isn’t coming up with the goods that evening, and intimate enough that you can probably do all that appalling hand-holding over the table without anyone noticing. (But please don’t do this.)"
With works spanning photography, painting, drawing and sculpture, the National Portrait Gallery holds the world’s greatest collection of portraits from the Tudor period to the present day. There are over 250,000 photographs and negatives and over 11,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures in the collection – the gallery was founded in 1856 so it’s had plenty of time to amass those pieces. It’s worth heading in to see the permanent collection but the special exhibitions are always worth checking out too, with shows on everything from Vogue to Cindy Sherman to Picasso having been hosted in the past.
"Airy, sophisticated and chic, the NPG is the perfect place for a slow wander arm-in-arm through some of the world’s most famous mugshots. Good conversation starter too – ascribing ‘would bonk’ and ‘wouldn’t bonk’ status on various celebs or long-dead ministers for the Department of Agriculture."
Candlelight Concerts is all about creating multi-sensory music experiences in beautiful locations, like Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, around London that aren’t normally used to host concerts. Concerts feature music from the likes of Harry Styles, Amy Winehouse, Hans Zimmer, Fleetwood Mac and Ennio Morricone performed live by pianists and string quartets set against a backdrop of hundreds of candles.
"Romantic, atmospheric, and a chance to appreciate the beauty of classical music in muted lighting and celestial surroundings. And with a bit of luck you might get a smidge of Vivaldi or something you recognise off an advert."
Borough Market has plenty of outdoor options – as well as the main bit of the market, traders like Tacos Padre, Mei Mei and Shuk; in the Borough Market Kitchen area have covered space, and restaurants like Arabica, Elliots, El Pastor and Applebees all have little terraces out the front if you’re after a proper sit down.
"If your thirst for one another can survive being kettled by Instagrammers photographing giant strawberries while you’re choking on a cloud of raclette steam, maybe it’s meant to be. And there’ll be oysters – nature’s phlegmy, gritty Viagra."
So everyone knows about Hampstead Heath but it’s still the place to go for a picnic. Not only is it massive – so, plenty of room for everyone – but you get mega views from the top of Parliament Hill, you’ve got the ponds and a lido for when you wanna take a dip and it’s a lovely walk up to Kenwood House.
"A bracing walk in Parliament Hill Fields and then the chance to stare out at the London skyline in all its bleak and haunting beauty. And if you get bored, you can always venture farther into the Heath to visit the infamous F•ck Tree, favoured by George Michael in his cruising days."
Are you really a Londoner if you haven’t strolled the South Bank? It’s as close as you’re gonna get to the Thames and it gives the perfect view of the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, National Theatre and other national treasures. There’s always something interesting on at the Southbank Centre and the Hayward Gallery, and it’s worth browsing around the book market by the National for some second hand gems. If you’re a skater, the Undercroft is one of the most famous places to skate in the city but don’t worry if you’re no good on wheels because you can make a whole day of walking up and down.
"It has to be done, really. I know. As imaginative a date locale as ham is a sandwich filling, the south side of the river does at least host a couple of date-friendly bars, in the National Theatre and the BFI. Perfect for staring out at the glimmering, murky river and questioning your life choices as you resolve to delete Hinge as soon as you get home."
If you like dining with a side of epic views, then Oblix on the 32nd floor of the The Shard, is the place for you. Split into two halves – East, more relaxed and vibey with live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and the more elevated West – it’s somewhere you can go for a leisurely Sunday roast, a bougie afternoon tea, a special occasion dinner or smart cocktails. There’s an open fire grill in the kitchen, doing dishes like chargrilled turbot with pil pil sauce, whole roasted lobster, lamb chops with harissa and mint, and half rotisserie chicken, and if you like a good steak, you’re well catered for here too.
"Flashy, a little cheesy maybe, and the vista of a distant Lewisham isn’t for everyone, but the surroundings are luxe enough to keep things romantic. Plus, you would be surprised how strong a bond can be forged over dainty sandwiches and scones the size of a thumbnail."
If you’re after a book, there aren’t many better places to look for one than Waterstones Piccadilly – Europe’s largest bookshop with six floors and over eight miles of shelves. The selection covers fiction and non-fiction across every genre, the children’s section is pretty impressive, and the games offering has been significantly expanded too. The store hosts regular events and signings but it’s also a great place to pop in for a browse and a cup of tea in the cafe.
"The monarch of bookshops is a theme park for literary nerds. Gauge your date’s long term potential with a sneak preview of their bedtime reading – scurry off in different directions and pick out a book for one another. If they come back with something spicy like ‘Heated Rivalry’, buckle up, baby; if they hand you a copy of ‘The Gonorrhoea Cookbook’, perhaps fake a stomach ache."
The flagship John Lewis on Oxford Street is more than just a shop, it’s a destination. You can eat and drink up on the roof, get your brows done and a have a facial on the ground floor, take a break at the Jamie Oliver Cafe on floor three and get made-to-measure curtains on the second floor, as well as shop a range of fashion, accessories, jewellery, tech, beauty, kids and home products too. The home department is particularly expansive, covering everything from furniture and lighting to bedding and tableware, mixing in-house lines with a broad edit of trusted brands.
"Nothing says commitment like wandering several hectares of polite and tasteful ‘small c’ home furnishings. Feel your heart burst with love as you imagine the lovely things in a flat you don’t yet share – and get a good idea just how rabid and ugly a cushion habit your date may cultivate in the future. Then go for a scone in the top floor café and check whether anyone has favourited you on Tinder in the last 24 hours."
