Date spot in Southport and the Sefton Coast
Cocktails at the Vincent
Dress up a little for cocktails in the bar of the Vincent, a modern hotel on Lord Street, with dinner in its V Café if you're making a night of it.
Lord Street, town centre
Address: 98 Lord Street, Southport PR8 1JR- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
- Big night
Why it's a good date: One of Southport's smartest spots for a drink, right on the boulevard, so you can walk under the canopies afterwards.
More from our Southport and the Sefton Coast guide
Bistrot Vérité
Liverpool Road, Birkdale
Address: 7 Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport PR8 4AR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book dinner at the family-run French bistro in Birkdale village, with a menu that changes daily and a little bar next door for a drink first.
Why it's a good date: Hearty French cooking in a warm, bustling room, and long a fixture in the Michelin Guide. It's closed on Sundays and Mondays and fills up, so book ahead.
Red squirrels and the beach at Formby
Victoria Road, Freshfield, Formby
Address: National Trust Formby, Victoria Road, Freshfield, Formby L37 1LJ- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Out of town
Follow the Red Squirrel Walk through the National Trust's pinewoods at Formby, then carry on over the dunes to a huge, wild beach.
Why it's a good date: One of the few places in England where you can still see red squirrels, then a walk on one of the best beaches in the North West. It's a short walk from Freshfield station, which beats the busy car parks and the National Trust's parking charge. Dogs are welcome, on a lead along the squirrel walk.
Photo: Peter from Liverpool, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Ainsdale's dunes and beach
Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea
Address: Shore Road, Ainsdale-on-Sea, Southport PR8 2QB- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Active
Walk through the dunes at Ainsdale, part of the biggest stretch of sand dunes in England, then out onto the beach for the long stretch back towards Southport or on to Formby.
Why it's a good date: Wild, windswept and nearly always quiet once you're a few minutes from the car park. The dunes are home to natterjack toads and sand lizards, so keep dogs out of the pools and the fenced areas, and from 1 May to 30 September the beach is dog-free for 200 metres either side of the main entrance.
Photo: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
From our guide to date ideas in Southport and the Sefton Coast