Date spot in Soho and Covent Garden
Foyles
Browse six floors of books around the bright central atrium of the big bookshop on Charing Cross Road, then stop at the café.
Why it's a good date: Split up for ten minutes, each choose a book for the other, then swap over coffee. It's free to browse, and dry when the weather isn't.
Photo: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
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More from our Soho and Covent Garden guide
Cahoots
Kingly Court, off Carnaby Street
Address: 13 Kingly Court, London W1B 5PW- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Head down into a cocktail bar styled as a disused 1940s Underground station, with retro drinks and period detail everywhere you look.
Why it's a good date: Playful and full of things to point at, so there's never an awkward silence. It gets lively late on, so book if you want a table.
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge, off the Strand
Address: Waterloo Bridge, Strand, London WC2R 0AA- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Walk out onto Waterloo Bridge from the Strand around sunset for one of the best views in London, with Westminster and the London Eye one way and St Paul's and the City the other.
Why it's a good date: It costs nothing and it's properly romantic when the light goes. Carry on to the South Bank for a drink, or turn back towards Covent Garden for dinner.
Photo: Jwslubbock, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Perch at the counter or grab a pavement table for an espresso at the Soho café that has been open on Frith Street since 1949.
Why it's a good date: The place to end up after a show or the jazz across the road, when you're not ready for the night to end. Look up for the plaque: John Logie Baird first showed off television in this building.
Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
