London
Date ideas in Shoreditch and Hackney
Updated
Shoreditch and Hackney are where east London does its weekends: flower stalls on Columbia Road, food on Broadway Market, and long walks along the Regent's Canal to Victoria Park. The evenings are just as good, with some of the city's best cocktail bars, an Art Deco cinema in Dalston and a grand old music hall on Mare Street. When it rains, there are period rooms to wander and an 18th-century house lit by candles. Here's where we'd take someone, weekend or weeknight.
Our picks in Shoreditch and Hackney
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road, between Shoreditch and Bethnal Green
Address: Columbia Road, London E2 7RG- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
Squeeze down a Victorian street lined with flower and plant stalls, with small independent shops and cafés behind them.
Why it's a good date: Buy each other a bunch of something and carry it home together. It's a Sunday market and it gets packed, so go early, and bring cash as not every stall takes cards.
Photo: SunDawn, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Walk through 400 years of living rooms, from a 1600s parlour to a 1990s loft, in a row of old almshouses with gardens behind.
Why it's a good date: It's free, and it gets you talking about the homes you grew up in and the one you'd like. The period gardens out the back are lovely in summer.
Photo: Cmglee, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Brat
Redchurch Street, Shoreditch
Address: First Floor, 4 Redchurch Street, London E1 6JL- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Share a whole turbot and other dishes cooked over the wood-fired grill, in a wood-panelled first-floor dining room run by chef Tomos Parry.
Why it's a good date: Save it for an anniversary: the cooking is simple and smoky, and it's all about the fish. Book well ahead, and ask for a seat at the counter if you'd like to watch the grill.
Victoria Park
Grove Road, between Hackney and Bethnal Green
Address: Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3 5TB- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk round east London's big Victorian park, past its lakes, fountain and pagoda, and take out a pedalo or rowing boat on the boating lake.
Why it's a good date: Plenty of room for a long walk or a picnic, and a turn on the lake is a proper date. The boats are seasonal, so check they're out before you go.
Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Satan's Whiskers
Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green
Address: 343 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9RA- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Order a classic or a house twist from a menu that keeps changing, in a small bar with a scruffy front and a smart, friendly room inside.
Why it's a good date: Serious drinks without any stiffness, and the bartenders are happy to make you something off-menu. It's popular and small, so book ahead.
Rio Cinema
Kingsland High Street, Dalston
Address: 107 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2PB- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Watch anything from a new release to an arthouse classic in a community-run Art Deco cinema with a big single screen.
Why it's a good date: A cinema with character, and you're supporting a not-for-profit while you're at it. Take turns picking the film, and walk on to Dalston's bars afterwards.
Photo: Andrew Woodyatt, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Broadway Market
Broadway Market, by London Fields
Address: Broadway Market, London E8 4PH- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way down the Saturday food market, from street-food stalls to bakers and cheesemongers, then sit out on London Fields.
Why it's a good date: Each of you picks a stall and you share everything. It's a short walk to the Regent's Canal, so you can make a whole afternoon of it.
Photo: Bikeboy, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Nightjar
City Road, near Old Street
Address: 129 City Road, London EC1V 1JB- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Romantic
Head down to a low-lit basement bar with leather booths, elaborate cocktails and live jazz, swing and blues most nights.
Why it's a good date: It feels like stepping back to the 1920s, and the band does the talking when you run out of things to say. The room is small, so book if the music matters to you.
Regent's Canal towpath
Regent's Canal, Haggerston
Address: Regent's Canal towpath, Haggerston, London E2 8BS- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Walk the towpath past moored narrowboats and old gasholders from Haggerston towards Victoria Park, stopping at canal-side cafés along the way.
Why it's a good date: An easy, flat walk that feels miles from the traffic above, and it costs nothing. Keep to one side: cyclists use the towpath too.
Photo: Stevekeiretsu, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Mangal II
Stoke Newington Road, Dalston
Address: 27 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 8BJ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Foodie
- Cosy
Share inventive Turkish plates cooked over the charcoal grill at a long-loved Dalston restaurant, now run by the founder's two sons.
Why it's a good date: Relaxed and buzzy, with cooking that's much more interesting than the old grill-house front suggests. Order a few plates to share and let the staff steer you.
Hackney Empire
Mare Street, Hackney Central
Address: 291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
See comedy, theatre, music or the famous Christmas pantomime in an ornate Edwardian music hall.
Why it's a good date: The gilded auditorium is a treat before the show even starts, and the programme is wide enough that there's always something you'll both enjoy.
Photo: Emmabellechan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Queue for a hot salt beef beigel with mustard and pickle, or a classic smoked salmon and cream cheese, at the Brick Lane bakery.
Why it's a good date: Cheap, filling and a proper East End institution. A good last stop after a night out, or eat on the way to Columbia Road.
London Fields Lido
London Fields West Side, Hackney
Address: London Fields West Side, London E8 3EU- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Active
Swim lengths together in a heated 50-metre outdoor pool on the edge of London Fields.
Why it's a good date: It's heated all year, so a swim under the open sky works even when it's cold out. Book a slot ahead, then warm up with a coffee on Broadway Market.
Photo: Peter Smith, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Happiness Forgets
Hoxton Square, Hoxton
Address: 8-9 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NU- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Cosy
- Romantic
Duck down the stairs to a small, candlelit basement bar for well-made classics and a short menu that changes regularly.
Why it's a good date: It's small and unhurried, and the staff are warm without any fuss. You can book, but some tables are kept for walk-ins if you decide on the night.
Dennis Severs' House
Folgate Street, Spitalfields
Address: 18 Folgate Street, London E1 6BX- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
Move in silence through the candlelit rooms of an 18th-century Spitalfields house, set up as if the family who lived there had just stepped out.
Why it's a good date: Unlike any museum you've been to, and the silence means you'll be completely absorbed. Book ahead, and save your chat for a drink afterwards.
Photo: Bex Walton, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Sông Quê Café
Kingsland Road, Shoreditch
Address: Sông Quê Café, 134 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DY- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup and grilled dishes at the busiest canteen on Kingsland Road's run of Vietnamese restaurants.
Why it's a good date: It's no-frills and always buzzing, and the cooking is the reason people have kept coming back for years. Go early in the evening at weekends, as tables fill fast.
Mien Tay
Kingsland Road, Shoreditch
Address: Mien Tay, 106-108 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DP- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Order a spread of southern Vietnamese grilled meats, noodles and herby salads to share at a family-run spot on Kingsland Road.
Why it's a good date: It's casual and friendly, with a long menu that's made for sharing between two. A good, easy dinner before a drink in Shoreditch or Hoxton.
Upmarket Brick Lane Food Hall
Brick Lane, Spitalfields
Address: Upmarket, 83 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round dozens of street food stalls in the old Truman Brewery, picking something different each and swapping halfway.
Why it's a good date: It's a fun, low-stakes date with food from all over the world under one roof, and it's dry when the weather isn't. Weekends are the liveliest, when craft and vintage stalls join the food.
Old Spitalfields Market
Commercial Street, Spitalfields
Address: Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, London E1 6EW- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Wander the covered Victorian market and share plates from its street food kitchens, then browse the stalls together.
Why it's a good date: There's a huge choice of cuisines under a glass roof, so it works in any weather and suits fussy and adventurous eaters alike. Most traders are card only.
Netil Market
Westgate Street, London Fields
Address: Netil Market, 13-23 Westgate Street, London E8 3RL- Restaurant
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Foodie
Pick up lunch from the small huts and containers of independent food traders just off Broadway Market and eat it in the yard.
Why it's a good date: It's small and properly local, and it pairs well with a wander along Broadway Market and a sit in London Fields. Saturdays are the busiest; traders keep their own hours.
Hackney Bridge
East Bay Lane, Hackney Wick
Address: Hackney Bridge, East Bay Lane, London E15 2SJ- Restaurant
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Choose from a row of international street food kitchens at a big canalside hub in Hackney Wick and eat by the water.
Why it's a good date: There's room to spread out, a terrace over the canal and something for everyone, plus regular events and DJ nights. Walk along the towpath from Victoria Park to get there.
Crate Brewery
White Post Lane, Hackney Wick
Address: Crate Brewery, The White Building, Unit 7 Queen's Yard, White Post Lane, London E9 5EN- Restaurant
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share stone-baked pizzas and beer brewed on site at a canalside brewery in a former print factory in Hackney Wick.
Why it's a good date: On a warm evening the waterside tables are the place to be, and inside it's cosy and loud in the best way. It gets very busy on sunny weekends, so go early.
Arepa & Co
De Beauvoir Crescent, Haggerston
Address: Arepa & Co, 58a De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Eat Venezuelan arepas and other home-style dishes in a bright room right on the Regent's Canal in Haggerston.
Why it's a good date: Big windows look straight onto the canal, and the food is generous and full of flavour without costing much. Make a towpath walk of it before or after.
The Clove Club
Old Street, Shoreditch
Address: The Clove Club, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Book the tasting menu at Isaac McHale's Michelin-starred restaurant in the old Shoreditch Town Hall.
Why it's a good date: It's one of London's most celebrated restaurants, yet the blue-tiled dining room feels relaxed and warm. Tables are released well ahead, so plan an anniversary early.
Da Terra
Patriot Square, Bethnal Green
Address: Da Terra, Town Hall Hotel, 8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Settle in for a long tasting menu of Italian and South American cooking at a Michelin-starred restaurant inside Bethnal Green's old town hall.
Why it's a good date: The open kitchen and grand Edwardian building make it feel like a proper occasion without any stiffness. Ideal for a milestone birthday or anniversary.
Legado
Montacute Yards, Shoreditch
Address: Legado, 1C Montacute Yards, 185-186 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book a table at Nieves Barragán's Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant off Shoreditch High Street.
Why it's a good date: It's warm and lively, with a counter where you can watch the chefs at work and a dining room that suits a celebration. Book the dining room for a big night.
Cycene
Chance Street, Shoreditch
Address: Cycene, Blue Mountain School, 9 Chance Street, London E2 7JB- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Sit down to a set tasting menu of seasonal British cooking at a Michelin-starred dining room upstairs in Blue Mountain School.
Why it's a good date: It's designed to feel like dinner in a beautiful private home, which makes it intimate and calm. Reservations open in batches, so book as soon as your date is set.
Behind
Sidworth Street, London Fields
Address: Behind, 20 Sidworth Street, London E8 3SD- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Take two seats at the counter of Andy Beynon's Michelin-starred seafood restaurant and watch every course made in front of you.
Why it's a good date: Everyone eats round one counter at set sittings, so it feels like a dinner party with the chefs as hosts. Book well ahead and arrive on time.
Galvin La Chapelle
Spital Square, Spitalfields
Address: Galvin La Chapelle, 35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Big night
Dress up for French cooking under the soaring vaulted ceiling of a converted Victorian chapel in Spitalfields.
Why it's a good date: It's a Michelin-starred classic and one of the grandest dining rooms in east London, made for anniversaries and proposals. Book ahead for weekends.
Plates
Old Street, Shoreditch
Address: Plates, 320 Old Street, London EC1V 9DR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Book Kirk Haworth's plant-based tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant on Old Street.
Why it's a good date: It shows how far vegan cooking can go, so it's a brilliant special night if one or both of you eat plants. Bookings open in seasonal releases, so sign up to hear when.
Angelina
Dalston Lane, Dalston
Address: Angelina, 56 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AH- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Work through a long kaiseki-style tasting menu that blends Japanese and Italian cooking, on Dalston Lane.
Why it's a good date: It's a playful, unusual menu in a calm room, and it feels like a proper treat without the formality of a grand dining room. Book ahead for Friday and Saturday.
Planque
Acton Mews, Haggerston
Address: Planque, 322-324 Acton Mews, London E8 4EA- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Share a special dinner and something from one of east London's great wine lists in a soaring railway arch in Haggerston.
Why it's a good date: It's a wine club and restaurant in one, with a striking modern room and serious, seasonal cooking. A good pick if one of you loves wine.
Dates in Shoreditch and Hackney: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Shoreditch and Hackney?
The Museum of the Home is free and indoors, and Dennis Severs' House is a quiet, candlelit evening indoors. A film at the Rio Cinema or a show at the Hackney Empire also keeps you dry.
Are there free or cheap date ideas in Shoreditch and Hackney?
Yes. The Museum of the Home is free, and a walk along the Regent's Canal towpath or round Victoria Park costs nothing. For a cheap feed, graze Broadway Market or grab a beigel at Beigel Bake on Brick Lane.
Where should we go for cocktails on a date in Shoreditch and Hackney?
Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green is the one for serious cocktails without the fuss. For candlelight, try Happiness Forgets on Hoxton Square, or book Nightjar on City Road for drinks with live jazz.
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