Date spot in Shoreditch and Hackney
London Fields Lido
Swim lengths together in a heated 50-metre outdoor pool on the edge of London Fields.
London Fields West Side, Hackney
Address: London Fields West Side, London E8 3EU- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Active
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)
More from our Shoreditch and Hackney guide
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.
