Valentine’s Day is coming up, and you don’t want to fall back on the old, boring standbys of dinner and roses, do you? Show your date how much you care by taking them somewhere a little bit different. Here are four quirky ideas for romance in London.
Drink in a Victorian gin parlour
Going for a drink is a good first date move, but don’t settle for your local pub. Mr Fogg’s is kitted out like a Dickensian tavern, and tiptoe upstairs at the Covent Garden venue to discover an intimate Victorian gin parlour. Over 200 gins await your tastebuds, as well as cocktails (made with all kinds of spirits) and tasty nibbles to keep you going as you recline on a chintz sofa. Just be sure to book, as this fabulous space is very popular.
Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour
1 New Row, London WC2N 4EA -Map
Show your bravery
Impress your Valentine with your mastery of heights by taking them over Tower Bridge’s glass walkway. It’s 42 metres above the river Thames - time it right and you might catch the bridge opening beneath you! It’s also the perfect opportunity to hold your date’s hand if they’re feeling a bit nervous, and point out the magnificent views of London instead.
Tower Bridge Glass Floor
Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP -Map
Hang out with peacocks
A walk in the park on a crisp February day is bursting with romance, and there’s nowhere better than the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. This Japanese-inspired garden is an oasis of tranquility, with a waterfall and koi carp in the beautiful pond. Keep an eye out for the peacocks that wander this area, too. We can’t promise a sighting of Kate Middle-toe, but she does live round the corner in Kensington Palace, so…
Kyoto Garden in Holland Park
Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU -Map
Catch a movie
Cinemas are good for date night, but for something unusual head to the BFI Southbank’s Mediatheque. This is a space filled with cosy double booths and your own TV screen, where you can watch thousands of titles from the BFI’s archive (take headphones).
Pick from your favourite childhood TV programmes, films, documentaries and old adverts. You can even watch Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC’s film Hawking, which makes Stephen Toe-king very happy. And best of all, it’s completely free.
BFI Southbank
Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XT -Map
