Date spot in Shoreditch and Hackney
Planque
Share a special dinner and something from one of east London's great wine lists in a soaring railway arch in Haggerston.
Acton Mews, Haggerston
Address: Planque, 322-324 Acton Mews, London E8 4EA- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
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.
More from our Shoreditch and Hackney guide
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.
