The best cheap date ideas in London
Written by Mae Bristow - 22 August 2024
Londoners have always dealt with the capital being more expensive than the rest of the country, but four words have been haunting us of late that dwarfs even London’s spenny reputation: cost of living crisis.
People shouldn’t have to feel it’s too expensive to date, I think we can all agree that’d be too cynical a take. Luckily for you, I’m quite the expert in cheap date ideas in London.
Table of Contents
Parks, picnics & paper cups
I know the stroll-through-a-park suggestion is a tad obvious and overused, but stay with me for this one, because it is arguably one of the best cheap date ideas in London and this is how to do it right.
A stroll through a park, or a proper walk through somewhere like Richmond Park or Hampstead Heath, gets you off your screen and into the world. Many people find it easier to converse when in movement rather than seated directly across from each other.
One of my favourite and go-to cheap date ideas that my partner and I have built our relationship around is the park and picnic outing. In summer, we take a couple of cans (or wine and paper cups), snacks, a blanket and a wireless speaker to a park and hang out for a couple of hours doing exactly what we would do in the pub but for less. And in winter, the picnic turns into a stroll with coffee and pastries.
HeadBox suggestion: For the most romantic London park, try Hampstead Heath. It has a good amount of open areas that allow you to lay out a blanket with plenty of space between you and other visitors.
Goldershill Park, also part of Hampstead Heath, is great if you want something less busy than Victoria Park, and the Victorian Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is also quiet and lovely, though popular with dog walkers.
London’s canals
There’s no reason a walk through a park needs to end at the park. There are many canal walks that are perfect for a date. Once again, take beverages and snacks of your choice, and walk along Regent’s Canal from Victoria Park to Angel. Stroll along Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross or Little Venice and Rembrandt Gardens in Paddington.
HeadBox suggestion: In summer, the walk from Hackney Wick to Walthamstow along the River Lee offers plenty of conversation time with silences that don’t feel awkward because you’re moving along, admiring the scenery of the canal and the marshes.
For those who like to walk, cycle & explore
There’s something poetic in the mirroring of getting to know somebody whilst getting to know a new London neighbourhood. Window-shopping, picturesque streets or gardens and a willingness to just roam unfamiliar streets all require curiosity and openness which you can also extend to getting to know your date. As mentioned above, people tend to find it easier to open up and engage in conversation when in movement rather than seated directly across a table from someone.
In the same spirit, cycling somewhere with somebody also makes for a lovely cheap date.
Exploring a new London neighbourhood isn’t just for those early first dates, there have been times when an engagement has taken my partner and me to an area of London we don’t normally visit. This is exactly what happened when we ended up exploring Crouch Hill and were lured into Max’s Sandwich Shop for beer and one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in London.
As we walked away from Max’s we stumbled across The Robin Ale & Cider House, with its windows that open out onto the street, and relaxed interiors full of greenery, it was too inviting not to pop in. Two half pints and a game of Gin Rummy later, we realised we’d had the most impromptu date just because we decided to explore a little.
All the many London markets
An exploration of a new area or a walk-and-coffee-date could encompass browsing through a market, enjoying inexpensive street food and posting up somewhere to people-watch.
In London, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to markets (more on that later). Columbia Road Flower Market seems like the obvious romantic choice, but equally, a pair of foodies would do well at the tiny Maltby Street Market, Tooting Market or Borough Market, and Portobello and Spitalfields, although not the cheapest, are free to browse and offer ample people-watching for conversation starters.
HeadBox suggestion: Borough and Portobello are two of the most popular London markets with tourists, try a market that’s lesser known for a date.
For art lovers
This cheap date idea is for art lovers but also the lovers of design, science and natural history. Most London museums are free, so if you throw in a coffee or tea somewhere, it doesn’t get much cheaper than this.
The best thing about museums and galleries is that you have several hours of walking and talking and you don’t need to think of things to talk about, with the art, design or display providing all the topics of conversation.
There are the most popular destinations like the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, and the Natural History Museum. If you’re wanting something a little different, I would recommend the Courtauld Gallery, the Horniman Museum and the Design Museum. Wherever you end up going on a date, just ensure it’s not when the schools are out for holiday or your date will be overrun with school children.
HeadBox suggestion: One of my favourite museum dates was at Sir John Soane’s Museum in Holborn—stunning architecture with a wild and eclectic collection that would have driven any Victorian archaeology enthusiast into a fit of envy.
I would also recommend an exhibition at a small art gallery like Moosey which has locations in Hoxton and Islington.
For film lovers
As long as there are cinemas they will continue to be a popular destination for dates, but cinema tickets are pretty spenny, with some cinemas charging around £20 per ticket. When you factor in even an inexpensive meal, your cheap date idea is suddenly not so cheap. Thankfully, there are a couple of London cinemas that still allow for a great cheap date.
Genesis Cinema in Mile End is a lovely old building with quite a history. You can’t miss the marquee reading movies, mochas and martinis. There’s a bar and café on-site, offering a great place to discuss a film post-viewing. A good film, a large bag of popcorn and two hot chocolates and I’ve got my ideal date.
Peckhamplex in Peckham is also a great cinema for very inexpensive cinema tickets, with all tickets only £4.99. It’s one I’m fond of visiting even though I live nowhere near Peckham.
Lastly, the Prince Charles Cinema in central London is great for the cinephiles as you can regularly catch screenings of older and classic films in their original format. I once took a date there for Halloween to watch The Shining in the original 35mm format, it was definitely one of my more successful dates.
For the bookshop, tea & coffee lovers
London is a literary city with many bookshops that are the perfect backdrop for a pair of bookworms on a date. There’s internet-famous Daunt Books in Marylebone or Book Alley AKA Cecil Court in Covent Garden, with its book shops and antique shops.
The multi-storey Foyles near Tottenham Court Road provides lots of roaming around the bookshop and the café on the top floor often has deals, although it should be noted that the café is frequently busy!
HeadBox suggestion: Combine a stroll along the canal, a coffee or tea and a bookshop all in one by visiting the floating barge, Word on the Water, in Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross.
For lovers of competition
Bowling and crazy golf often get recommended for a cheap date idea in London, but in my experience, either I have a very different understanding of the word cheap or, in London at least, these activities are no longer cheap.
Find a pub with a pool table or go to a pool hall. There’s no need to spend the whole date in the pub—that is definitely not cheap—but popping in for one or two games of pool or darts is great, especially if you can find a more reasonably priced sports pub. It won’t look as cool as some other places but the pool tables will be better and the drinks will be cheaper.
HeadBox suggestion: If you’re serious about your pool or snooker, take it to a pool hall like Spots & Stripes in Waterloo, Mile End American Pool Centre and Shades Snooker & Pool Club in Deptford.
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