Date spot in Soho and Covent Garden
Swift
Start with an aperitivo at the bright bar upstairs, then head down to the low-lit basement for a cocktail, a whisky or the house Irish coffee.
Old Compton Street, Soho
Address: 12 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4TQ- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Romantic
Why it's a good date: Two bars in one, so you can pick the mood: lively upstairs, intimate downstairs. Upstairs is walk-in, and it's worth booking the basement on a weekend.
More from our Soho and Covent Garden guide
See what's on across the floors of London's gallery devoted to photography, a short walk from Oxford Circus, with a café and a bookshop.
Why it's a good date: Photographs are easy to talk about, so it suits a first date. It's small enough to see in an hour, which leaves plenty of evening for a drink in Soho afterwards.
Phoenix Garden
Stacey Street, off Charing Cross Road
Address: 21 Stacey Street, London WC2H 8DG- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Find a bench in a small community wildlife garden, planted on an old bombsite behind the Phoenix Theatre and run by a local charity.
Why it's a good date: A few steps from the crowds and it's suddenly quiet. Bring a coffee and sit among the plants, then carry on into Soho or Seven Dials.
Photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Clos Maggiore
King Street, Covent Garden
Address: 33 King Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Book a table in the conservatory for classic French cooking under a ceiling of blossom and fairy lights.
Why it's a good date: This is the one for an anniversary or a proposal. Ask for the conservatory when you book, and book well ahead: those tables go first.
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