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Date spot in South Bank and Borough

Padella

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.

Southwark Street, Borough

6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ

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.

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More from our South Bank and Borough guide

  • The wide riverside promenade on the South Bank in winter sun, with bare plane trees, old lamp posts and people walking beside the Thames

    South Bank riverside walk

    The Queen's Walk, Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge

    The Queen's Walk, by the London Eye, London SE1 7PB
    • Outdoors
    • Free
    • 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.

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    Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  • Sea Containers London, a long riverside building with rows of windows and its name on the roof, beside the Thames

    Lyaness

    Sea Containers London, Upper Ground, South Bank

    Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD

    Order inventive cocktails built around unusual house-made ingredients at Ryan Chetiyawardana's bar in Sea Containers London, by the river.

    Why it's a good date: Some of the most creative drinks in London, in a calm, plush room. The staff are happy to guide you through the menu, and walk-ins are welcome, though booking is safer at weekends.

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    Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

  • The Old Operating Theatre's wooden operating table, seen from the curved tiers of standing rails where students once watched

    Old Operating Theatre Museum

    St Thomas Street, London Bridge

    9a St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY

    Climb a narrow spiral staircase into the roof of an old church to find Europe's oldest surviving operating theatre and a garret of medicinal herbs.

    Why it's a good date: Small, strange and fascinating, and it gives you plenty to talk about over a drink afterwards. It's only open a few days a week and the stairs are steep, so check before you go.

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    Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

From our guide to date ideas in South Bank and Borough

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