Dote

Date spot in Notting Hill and Kensington

Victoria and Albert Museum

Get lost in the V&A's galleries of fashion, jewellery, sculpture and design, then sit out in the garden courtyard.

The V&A's Exhibition Road entrance, a stone colonnade with an arch, opening onto a paved courtyard and red-brick and stone museum buildings

Cromwell Road, South Kensington

Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL

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.

Add to Dote

Photo: Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Notting Hill and Kensington guide

  • The Churchill Arms on a street corner, its front covered in hanging flowers and greenery, with Union flags along the roof under a blue sky

    The Churchill Arms

    Kensington Church Street, Notting Hill

    119 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN

    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.

    Add to DoteBookDirections

    Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  • The Long Water in Kensington Gardens stretching away under a blue sky, with autumn trees along both banks

    Kensington Gardens

    Kensington Gardens, between Kensington and Bayswater

    Kensington Gardens, The Broad Walk, London W8 4PX
    • Outdoors
    • Free
    • 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.

    Add to DoteDirections

    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  • Permit Room Portobello

    Portobello Road, Notting Hill

    186 Portobello Road, London W11 1LA
    • Restaurant
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Dog friendly
    • Foodie
    • Cosy

    Share curries, bar snacks and small plates at the Dishoom team's all-day Bombay-style café and bar, in a restored corner building.

    Why it's a good date: Relaxed and lively, and it works for breakfast after the market as well as dinner and cocktails. Some nights there's a DJ playing vinyl if you fancy staying on.

    Add to DoteBookDirections

From our guide to date ideas in Notting Hill and Kensington

Run this place? Claim it on Dote for Venues