London
Cheap date ideas in Notting Hill and Kensington
Updated
Kensington’s grandest museums cost nothing. The V&A and the Natural History Museum sit side by side on Cromwell Road, and the Design Museum is a short walk away on Kensington High Street, with Holland Park and its Kyoto Garden behind it. Kensington Gardens joins it all up with a long, easy walk past the Long Water to the Italian Gardens. In Notting Hill, set each other a small budget on Portobello Road and see who finds the better treasure, then have a pint and Thai food at the flower-covered Churchill Arms. For a small ticket, Leighton House has the gold-domed Arab Hall, and when they’re on, the Science Museum’s free Lates make a playful night out.
Our picks
Holland Park and the Kyoto Garden
Holland Park, off Kensington High Street
Address: Holland Park, Ilchester Place, London W8 6LU- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Wander Holland Park's woodland paths to the Kyoto Garden, a Japanese garden with a tiered waterfall, a koi pond, stone lanterns and maples.
Why it's a good date: It's one of the calmest corners of London, and the maples turn red and gold in autumn. Look out for the peacocks that wander the park.
Photo: Roger Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Portobello Road Market
Portobello Road, Notting Hill
Address: Portobello Road, London W11 1LU- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
Browse antique stalls, vintage clothes, food stalls and old shops along Portobello Road, past the pastel-painted houses of Notting Hill.
Why it's a good date: Set each other a small budget and see who finds the better treasure. Saturday is when the whole market is out and the antiques arcades are open, so go early to beat the crowds.
Photo: Cristian Bortes from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, South Kensington
Address: Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Get lost in the V&A's galleries of fashion, jewellery, sculpture and design, then sit out in the garden courtyard.
Why it's a good date: The collections are free and huge, so pick a couple of galleries each and swap. Keep an eye out for its free Friday Late evenings.
Photo: Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The Churchill Arms
Kensington Church Street, Notting Hill
Address: 119 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
Have a pint at the pub famous for the flowers that cover its front in summer and the Christmas trees in winter, with a Thai kitchen at the back.
Why it's a good date: A proper London pub with a cheerful, cluttered inside, and the Thai food makes it an easy dinner too. It's popular, so go early in the evening for a table.
Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens, between Kensington and Bayswater
Address: Kensington Gardens, The Broad Walk, London W8 4PX- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk along the Long Water to the Italian Gardens' fountains, look in at the free Serpentine galleries, and hire a boat on the Serpentine next door in Hyde Park.
Why it's a good date: A long, easy walk with plenty to stop for, and it joins up the museums with Notting Hill. The boats are a warmer-months treat, so check the boathouse is open before you set your heart on one.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road, South Kensington
Address: Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore the dinosaurs, gems and the blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall, inside Alfred Waterhouse's great terracotta building.
Why it's a good date: The building alone is worth the trip, and it's free to get in. Go on a weekday or later in the afternoon to miss the busiest family crowds.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Leighton House
Holland Park Road, Kensington
Address: 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Look round the Victorian painter Frederic Leighton's home and studio, and stand under the gold dome of the Arab Hall, lined with patterned tiles.
Why it's a good date: It's small enough to see in an hour and feels like stepping into another world. Pair it with a walk in Holland Park, a few minutes away.
Photo: Mark Percy, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Design Museum
Kensington High Street, Kensington
Address: 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See the free display of everyday objects and the latest exhibition, under the sweeping roof of the old Commonwealth Institute.
Why it's a good date: Easy to enjoy even if design isn't your thing, and good for a debate about what you'd own. Holland Park is just behind it for a walk afterwards.
Photo: Paul the Archivist, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Science Museum Lates
Exhibition Road, South Kensington
Address: Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
- Big night
- Culture
Explore the Science Museum after hours at an adults-only evening, with themed talks, activities and bars among the galleries.
Why it's a good date: A playful night out that gives you plenty to talk about. They don't run every month, so watch for the next date and book as soon as it's announced.
Photo: Shadowssettle, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Tavernaki
Portobello Road, Notting Hill
Address: Tavernaki, 222 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Share Greek taverna classics and a carafe of wine at a family-run spot halfway along Portobello Road.
Why it's a good date: It's homely and good value for this part of town, and there's live Greek music some nights. A natural stop after a wander round the market.
Tonkotsu Notting Hill
Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill
Address: Tonkotsu, 7 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Perch at the counter for bowls of ramen made with house noodles, watching the kitchen at work, just off Portobello Road.
Why it's a good date: It's quick and warming, which makes it a good cheap dinner on a cold night in one of London's priciest neighbourhoods. No bookings, so expect a short wait at peak times.
Four Seasons Queensway
Queensway, Bayswater
Address: Four Seasons, 84 Queensway, London W2 3RL- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Cantonese roast meats and rice at the Bayswater restaurant that has been famous for its roast duck since 1990.
Why it's a good date: It's plain and noisy, and nobody minds, because the roast meats are the whole point. Walk it off afterwards in Kensington Gardens, a few minutes away.
Quick answers
Which museums in South Kensington are free?
The V&A and the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road are both free, and so is the Design Museum's display on Kensington High Street. The Science Museum's adults-only Lates are free evenings too, but book as soon as one's announced.
When is Portobello Road Market at its best?
Saturday, when the whole market is out and the antiques arcades are open. Go early to beat the crowds.
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