The hardest part of a date in London is not finding somewhere good. It is choosing the right kind of good for the night you want to have.
A first date and a fifth anniversary want different rooms. So before you book, decide what the evening is for, then pick to match.
For a first date: somewhere with a buzz
On a first date you want a room with enough going on that a lull in conversation does not feel like a verdict. Our guide to the best date-night restaurants in London is built for exactly this: lively, characterful places where the room does some of the work.
When it is going somewhere: turn the lights down
Once you actually like each other, the brief changes. Now you want intimate, not loud. That is the territory of our romantic restaurants guide, from the blossom-ceilinged conservatory at Clos Maggiore to the candlelit corners of Soho.
Start or finish with a proper drink
A great bar can make an ordinary dinner feel like an event. Open with cocktails from our best cocktail bars guide, or end somewhere hidden from our speakeasies and hidden bars.
The one rule
Book the specific place, mention if it is an occasion, and arrive on time. Beyond that, a date goes well or badly on the company, not the postcode.
