Date spot in Shoreditch and Hackney
Nightjar
Head down to a low-lit basement bar with leather booths, elaborate cocktails and live jazz, swing and blues most nights.
City Road, near Old Street
Address: 129 City Road, London EC1V 1JB- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Romantic
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.
More from our Shoreditch and Hackney guide
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)
