Date spot in South Bank and Borough
Borough Market
Graze your way round London's best-known food market under its Victorian iron and glass roof, sharing a bit of everything from the cheese, bakery and street-food stalls.
Borough High Street, by London Bridge
Address: 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Foodie
Why it's a good date: Agree to split everything, so you each get to try twice as much. It's busiest on Saturdays, so a weekday lunchtime is calmer.
Photo: Stephen Armstrong, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
More from our South Bank and Borough guide
Shakespeare's Globe
New Globe Walk, Bankside
Address: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT- Culture
- Mid-price
- Big night
See a play in the open-air reconstruction of Shakespeare's theatre, standing in the yard as a groundling or seated in the galleries; in winter, plays move into the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next door.
Why it's a good date: Standing in the yard is cheap and puts you right by the stage, so it's a great first taste. Bring a layer for the open-air season: the yard has no roof.
Photo: Tristan Surtel, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Padella
Southwark Street, Borough
Address: 6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share bowls of fresh hand-rolled pasta, like the pici cacio e pepe, at the busy little pasta bar on the corner of Borough Market.
Why it's a good date: Simple, generous and very good, and cheap enough to order an extra plate to share. It doesn't take bookings: join the virtual queue and go for a wander in the market till your table's ready.
South Bank riverside walk
The Queen's Walk, Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge
Address: The Queen's Walk, by the London Eye, London SE1 7PB- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Follow the Thames Path along the river from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, past the London Eye, the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern and the Globe.
Why it's a good date: It's car-free nearly all the way, with street performers, river views and somewhere to stop every few minutes. Go as the sun sets and watch the lights come on across the water.
Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
